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Molecular Biofunction Lab
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The lab investigates the function of lipid droplets, tiny organelles in which plants store lipids.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring why plants "get fat"
The Molecular Biofunction Lab (Shimada Lab) observes structures inside plant cells and studies lipid droplets, organelles that store lipids.
By examining proteins in the lipid droplet membrane and mutants involved in lipid droplet formation, the lab aims to uncover new physiological functions of lipid droplets.
Through this research, the lab aims to clarify why plants store lipids, and hopes to connect the findings to increased production of plant lipids as a food resource.
The lab also conducts research using the anthracnose fungus, a plant pathogen.
Key terms
- Organelle
- A structure inside a cell that has a specific function, such as the nucleus or chloroplasts
- Lipid droplet
- A small particle in a cell that stores lipids; also called an oil body
- Mutant
- An individual that shows traits different from the norm because of a change in its genes
NewsLab news
A master's student won the Best Poster Award at the 38th Symposium on Plant Lipids
In collaboration with Nagoya University and Konan University, the lab discovered a new protein in the lipid droplets of plant leaves (Frontiers in Plant Science)
ResearchResearch themes
The lab observes the inside of plant cells, focusing on lipid droplets, organelles that store lipids. It aims to clarify why plants have lipid droplets.
*Illustrative imageExploring New Functions of Lipid Droplets
The lab examines proteins in the membrane of lipid droplets (oil bodies) and mutants involved in oil body formation, aiming to elucidate new physiological functions that involve lipid droplets.
*Illustrative imageConditions That Increase Lipid Droplets in Leaves, and Why It Matters
Plant leaves also contain lipid droplets. The lab is interested in the conditions under which leaf lipid droplets increase, which proteins are present in lipid droplets, and why plants have lipid droplets at all.
MembersFaculty
- Associate ProfessorTakashi Shimada
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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: “Plant Cells, Being Plasmolyzed” Ouotro / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Exploring New Functions of Lipid Droplets: “Plant-cell-sucrose-gradient-fractions” Zuzanna K. Filutowska / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Conditions That Increase Lipid Droplets in Leaves, and Why It Matters: “Arabidopsis thaliana leaf protoplasts” Martin von Rüden / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular Biofunction Lab (Hanaoka Group)): “Clorofila 3” Wilfredor / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Bioresource Chemistry Lab): “PerkinElmerICP-768x576” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Biochemistry Lab): “Test tubes in biochemistry lab” Kateryna Kot / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Food and Nutrition Lab): “Maya Cooper, Space Food Systems Laboratory (2)” Robert Markowitz / Public domain (cropped)
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