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Biological Structural Chemistry Lab
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A molecular spectroscopy lab that uses light to investigate and control the structure and function of cells and molecules.
AboutAbout the lab
Using light to understand and control the structure and function of cells and biomolecules
The Biological Structural Chemistry Lab investigates the structure and function of cells and biomolecules by molecular spectroscopy, a method of observing molecules using light.
Using spectroscopic methods such as Raman scattering and fluorescence, the lab aims to understand at the molecular level how drugs and other agents work, and to lead to the development of new drugs and therapeutic technologies.
The lab is also advancing applications to the treatment of diseases, such as using light to induce cell death in cancer cells and to suppress fibril formation of proteins.
Although it is a biology lab, it is characterized by its use of the latest physical chemistry methods and theories, as well as statistical methods.
Key terms
- Molecular spectroscopy
- A method of observing molecules using light. It is used to investigate the structure and state of molecules.
- Raman scattering
- Scattered light emitted from molecules that have been irradiated with light, whose color changes slightly according to the vibration of the molecules.
- Label-free
- A method of observing in the native state, without attaching markers such as fluorescent dyes.
- Molecular crowding
- A state in which the inside of a cell is extremely crowded with biomolecules. It affects the structure and function of molecules.
NewsLab news
Research results on the successful intracellular quantification of stress granules were released in a press release
Professor Takakazu Nakabayashi received the Japanese Society of Photomedicine and Photobiology Award and the Chemical Society of Japan Award for Creative Work
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to observe cells and biomolecules with light, and to understand and control their structure and function. Its research covers the development of in situ measurement technologies inside cells, the relationship between the structure of proteins and biomolecules and disease, and control by light and mechanobiology.
*Illustrative imageStatistical and AI analysis of Raman spectra
The Raman spectrum of a cell contains information about the intracellular environment. The lab analyzes it with statistical methods and deep learning, aiming to detect changes caused by cell differentiation and division and by the introduction of drugs.
*Illustrative imageLabel-free observation of drug molecules
Without attaching fluorescent molecules, the lab observes drug molecules and toxic molecules inside cells in their native state by Raman imaging. It examines the process by which they become distributed in organelles such as the nucleus, and studies the relationship with disease treatment and cell death.
*Illustrative imageQuantification of water inside cells
The lab quantifies water inside cells in situ by Raman imaging and examines the state of cells from the density of water and the state of hydrogen bonding. It has shown that the nucleus has a higher water density than the cytoplasm and a smaller molecular crowding effect.
*Illustrative imageLabel-free measurement of intracellular temperature
The lab proposes that intracellular temperature can be imaged without dyes, from changes in the Raman band of water inside cells. It performs highly sensitive detection of temperature changes accompanying the introduction of drugs and intracellular phenomena.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Biological Structural Chemistry Lab consist of faculty and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorTakakazu Nakabayashi
- Associate ProfessorShinji Kajimoto
- Assistant ProfessorShinya Tahara
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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: “Optical microscope for the study of paint fragments” Froselong / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Statistical and AI analysis of Raman spectra: “Visualizing Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) with python library-ANN Visualizer” Serenechan3 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Label-free observation of drug molecules: “SK8-18-2 human derived cells, fluorescence microscopy ( )” ZEISS Microscopy from Germany / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Quantification of water inside cells: “Liquid-water-and-ice” P99am / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Label-free measurement of intracellular temperature: “Raman Spectroscopy device by Bruker” Ijon / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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