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Murata-Abe Lab
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The lab builds nanometer-scale robots from DNA and proteins.
AboutAbout the lab
Designing molecules to build robots.
The Murata-Abe Lab works in molecular robotics, building "molecular robots" from biomolecules.
It designs nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids from scratch and has them self-assemble into machines on the nanometer scale.
In a field where engineering, informatics, chemistry, and biology overlap, the lab aims to build systems that integrate molecular components corresponding to sensors, processors, and motors.
Undergraduate students belong to the molecular robotics area and hold lab seminars and lab events together with the Nomura Lab.
Key terms
- DNA origami
- A technique that folds DNA into a target shape by designing its base sequence
- Self-assembly
- The spontaneous assembly of separate molecules according to their mutual properties
- Artificial cell
- A cell-mimicking system in which some cell functions are placed inside a small sac made of a lipid membrane
NewsLab news
A textbook edited by Prof. Murata and others, "Molecular Robotics II," was published
A master's student won the Young Researcher Encouragement Award at the Molecular Robotics Annual Meeting
Team Sendai took second place overall at BIOMOD 2024
Master's and undergraduate students won the Young Researcher Encouragement Award at the Molecular Robotics Annual Meeting
Team Sendai won first place overall at BIOMOD 2023
ResearchResearch themes
The lab designs biomolecules from scratch and has them self-assemble into nanometer-scale machines. DNA origami, molecular computers, and artificial cell engineering are among the research subjects of the molecular robotics field.
*Illustrative imageFrom Molecular Design to Molecular Robots
When DNA with a designed base sequence is chemically synthesized, it folds into shapes such as a gear and can create a variety of forms. The lab aims to design molecules themselves, and to have those molecules assemble systems on their own and act autonomously.
*Illustrative imageAmoeba-Type Molecular Robots
By combining biomolecular devices that function as sensors, actuators, and logic circuits, the lab built an amoeba-type molecular robot that responds to specific signal molecules. By shining light to switch a molecular clutch, it has succeeded in turning shape-changing movement on and off.
*Illustrative imageArtificial Reaction-Diffusion Systems Built from Synthetic DNA
Using synthetic DNA, the lab builds artificial reaction-diffusion systems in a hydrogel in which both reaction and diffusion can be programmed, producing patterns in time and space. Combining DNA logic circuits with control of diffusion makes it possible to create patterns such as bisectors and Voronoi diagrams.
MembersFaculty
The Murata-Abe Lab's members consist of faculty, staff, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorSatoshi Murata
- Assistant ProfessorKeita Abe
VoicesStudent voices
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Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopRelatedLabs similar to Murata-Abe Lab
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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. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Molecular Machines of Life” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- From Molecular Design to Molecular Robots: “DNA tetrahedron” Antony-22 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Amoeba-Type Molecular Robots: “Four-channel pipette with tips” Lilly_M / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Artificial Reaction-Diffusion Systems Built from Synthetic DNA: “Voronoi AAAAA14” SmallJarsWithGreenLabels / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Nomura (S.)-Matsubayashi Lab): “Sarfus.LipidVesicles” Nanolane / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Hayashibe-Zhu Lab): “Cronos humanoid robot” Science Swiss @ Singapore / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Owaki Lab): “NCATS Robots ( )” National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences from Bethesda, MD / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Advanced Robotics Lab): “Electric-powered wheelchair Belize1” Memasa / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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