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Food Function Chemistry Lab
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A lab that investigates at the molecular level how components of food are sensed and how they act in the gut and the body.
AboutAbout the lab
Clarifying the functions of food at the molecular level
The Food Function Chemistry Lab studies the relationship between food components and health.
The lab is divided into groups led by individual faculty members, and each group pursues its own research themes.
It investigates how the gut senses nutrients, functional components of food and how they act, and the interactions between gut bacteria and the body.
In addition to methods from chemistry and molecular biology, it conducts experiments using cultured cells and laboratory animals.
Key terms
- Functional components
- Components contained in food that, apart from providing nutrition, regulate bodily functions and help prevent diseases
- Gastrointestinal hormones
- Hormones secreted by cells of the stomach and intestines when food passes through, regulating digestion, appetite, blood glucose levels, and more
- MicroRNA
- A very short RNA that suppresses gene activity. It regulates which proteins are made and how much
NewsLab news
A doctoral student received an Outstanding Presentation Award at the 20th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Amino Acid Sciences
A master's student received the B.B.B. Paper Award from the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry
A master's student received an Outstanding Presentation Award at the 19th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Amino Acid Sciences
A master's student received the Young Investigator Encouragement Award at the Hokkaido Branch Meeting of the Japan Society of Nutrition and Food Science
A master's student received the Inazo Nitobe Agricultural Science Award
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies the relationship between food and health from three angles: how food components are sensed in the digestive tract, which components act on which molecules in the body, and how gut bacteria and the body interact. The Hira, Kato, and Ohsaka groups each work on these questions using chemical methods and experiments with cells, tissues, and animals.
*Illustrative imageHow the gut senses nutrients
Using cultured cells, intestinal tissue, and rats, the lab clarifies how various food components are sensed and absorbed in the digestive tract and how they affect the body. It also examines effects mediated by the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones, as well as links to obesity and impaired glucose tolerance.
*Illustrative imageRoles of bitter taste receptors outside the mouth
Taste receptors that sense taste are also found in tissues other than the mouth. Focusing on bitter taste receptors, which come in a great many types, the lab currently centers its research on their function in adipocytes.
*Illustrative imageSearching for new functional components
Aiming to prevent age-related decline in bodily function and metabolic syndrome, the lab searches various edible materials for functional components. It studies food components that act on motor function and vascular function, among others.
*Illustrative imageMicroRNAs linking gut bacteria and the body
Using mice and cultured cells, the lab examines how information from the gut microbiota is transmitted to the body and how it affects the body. It has shown that microRNAs mediate the interactions between gut bacteria and the host, and that food influences this process.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Food Function Chemistry Lab are faculty, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.
- ProfessorTohru Hira
- Associate ProfessorEisuke Kato
- Assistant ProfessorFumina Ohsaka
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images.
- Top image: “Intestinal villi through microscope” Jamil Baza / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- How the gut senses nutrients: “Cross-section histology of small intestinal villi of the terminal ileum” Mikael Häggström, M.D. / CC0 (cropped)
- Roles of bitter taste receptors outside the mouth: “Roasted coffee beans” MarkSweep / Public domain (cropped)
- Searching for new functional components: “Vicia faba seeds 20101107” Batholith (talk) / Public domain (cropped)
- MicroRNAs linking gut bacteria and the body: “Lab Mouse (NIH BioArt )” Courtesy of NIAID Ryan Kissinger / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Bioorganic Chemistry Lab): “Jasmonic acid molecule ball” Jynto (talk) / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Food and Nutrition Lab): “Foods with a high fibre content, such as bread, grains, chia seeds and nuts” formulatehealth / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Biochemistry Lab): “Jodprobe” Flo Sorg / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Crop Nutrition Lab): “Crops NR )” USDA NRCS / Public domain (cropped)
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