LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Microbiology (Infection Biology) Lab
Machine-translated · View original
The lab investigates how Staphylococcus aureus survives and causes disease.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring the unknown survival strategies of Staphylococcus aureus
The Microbiology Lab studies how pathogenic bacteria such as staphylococci adapt to hosts and environments, survive, and exert their pathogenicity.
The main subject is Staphylococcus aureus, an opportunistic pathogen that lives as a commensal in the human nasal cavity.
From perspectives such as "heterogeneity within cell populations" and "dynamics of the nucleoid and cell membrane," the lab approaches the mechanisms of drug resistance and adaptation.
Students can join the lab as graduation research students from the School of Medical Sciences or the School of Biological Sciences (Human Biology course), or as master's or doctoral students.
Key terms
- MRSA
- Short for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is resistant to all β-lactam drugs.
- Natural transformation
- The ability of bacteria to take up DNA from outside the cell. It is one route for acquiring drug resistance.
- Nucleoid
- A structure that contains the genomic DNA.
- Bet-hedging strategy
- A strategy in which most cells maintain their genomic information while some cells attempt to evolve.
ResearchResearch themes
The lab conducts basic research to clarify by what mechanisms pathogenic bacteria such as staphylococci adapt to hosts and environments, survive, and exert their pathogenicity. Many mechanisms behind the diverse resistance and adaptation of Staphylococcus aureus remain unexplained by gene-focused research to date, and the lab continues its research from its own distinctive perspectives.
*Illustrative imageTransfer of the methicillin resistance gene
Antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus is a worldwide problem, and MRSA, which is resistant to all β-lactam drugs, is widespread. The lab is also studying how the methicillin resistance gene is transferred and how MRSA emerges.
*Illustrative imageNatural transformation and acquisition of resistance
The lab has found that natural transformation, the ability to take up extracellular DNA, is one process of acquiring drug resistance, and is investigating the conditions under which it operates and its mechanism. Through international collaborative research, the lab is also experimentally examining the possibility that genes such as the linezolid resistance gene are transferred horizontally.
*Illustrative imageHeterogeneity within cell populations
Natural transformation is thought to be a bet-hedging strategy carried out by only some of the cells. Several groups of genes of unknown function that are expressed in only part of the population have also been found, and the lab aims to elucidate them using genetic manipulation, a cell sorter, and RNA-seq.
*Illustrative imageDynamics of the nucleoid
The nucleoid of Staphylococcus aureus condenses in response to oxidative stress, but it was found that this does not directly protect the genome. The lab aims to prove its hypothesis about the meaning of this condensation, and uses atomic force microscopy to observe the nucleoid.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Microbiology Lab consist of faculty, research assistants, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorKazuya Morikawa
- Assistant ProfessorYuri Ushijima
VoicesStudent voices
Ratings and reviews reflect the experiences of individual current or former students, not the lab's official views. Whether a lab has reviews, or how many, says nothing about the lab itself.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Student ratings (0 students)
--
--
--
--
--
--
Student voices answer questions like these
- What's great about this lab?
- What did you learn after joining?
- What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
- Who is this lab for?
- Where do graduates go?
Your experience can help younger students choose their lab. Your name won't be shown.
Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopRelatedLabs similar to Microbiology (Infection Biology) Lab
Molecular Virology (Infection Biology) LabSchool of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Medicine and School of Health Sciences(1) Mechanism by which commensal bacteria acquire pathogenic…
Neuropharmacology (WPI-IIIS) LabSchool of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Medicine and School of Health Sciences(Lazarus) 1) Relationship between sleepiness and motivation …
Molecular and Cellular Biology LabSchool of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Medicine and School of Health SciencesMolecular mechanisms and physiological functions in budding …
Genetic Medicine LabSchool of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Medicine and School of Health SciencesElucidation of molecular pathogenesis of atopy, hay fever, a…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
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: “Beta-hemolytic colonies of Staphylococcus aureus demonstration” Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Transfer of the methicillin resistance gene: “Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 10047” CDC / Jeff Hageman, M.H.S. / Janice Haney Carr / Public domain (cropped)
- Natural transformation and acquisition of resistance: “Bacterial horizontal gene transfer” 2013MMG320B / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Heterogeneity within cell populations: “Microbiology practical” M Joko Apriyo Putro / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Dynamics of the nucleoid: “XBio illustration – Bacterial Cell Division” explorebiology / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular Virology (Infection Biology) Lab): “Aviano 2025 Influenza Vaccine Drive (9379875)” U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Jakel / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Neuropharmacology (WPI-IIIS) Lab): “Sleeping-girl” rachel CALAMUSA at the Wayback Machine / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular and Cellular Biology Lab): “Yeast Cells in Wet Mount Microscopy of Culture” Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Genetic Medicine Lab): “DNA sequencing” Linda Bartlett (Photographer) / Public domain (cropped)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.