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Infection Response Project Lab
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An innate immunity lab that explores how cells detect viral infection.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring the sensors cells use to detect infection.
The Infection Response Project studies the mechanisms of innate immunity against viral and fungal infections.
Cells in the body detect pathogens with infection-sensor molecules and quickly mount an immune response.
The lab focuses on RLR (RIG-I-like receptor), a viral sensor it identified, and studies how it functions and how its signals are transmitted.
The lab aims to obtain findings that could lead to new antiviral therapies in the future.
Key terms
- Innate immunity
- Immunity that the body has from the start. It quickly detects the invasion of pathogens and eliminates them in the early stage of infection
- RLR
- A family of sensor molecules that detect viral RNA inside cells. There are three members: RIG-I, MDA5, and LGP2
- Stress granules
- Clumps of RNA and protein that form in the cytoplasm when a cell is under stress
- Interferon
- A substance released by virus-infected cells that makes the surrounding cells prepare for the virus
NewsLab news
A paper on the antiviral effects of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids was published in Biochem Biophys Res Commun
A doctoral student was selected for the Young Investigator Award at the Chiba University Research Exchange Meeting 2025
A paper by an Assistant Professor and a graduate student was published in Scientific Reports
A review by Prof. Yoneyama and colleagues was published in the 30th anniversary issue of the journal Immunity
Assistant Professor Onomoto received an Outstanding Poster Award at the Global Network Forum hosted by the Medical Mycology Research Center
ResearchResearch themes
Innate immunity is rapidly induced when infection-sensor molecules in cells detect pathogens, and it is responsible for eliminating viruses in the early stage of infection. The lab focuses on RLR, a viral sensor it identified, and analyzes how its function is regulated and how its signaling works.
*Illustrative imageStress Granules and Viral Detection
When a cell is infected with a virus, RLR gathers together with viral RNA in stress granules, which enhances the induction of type I interferon. The lab studies the roles of the host RNA-binding proteins involved in this process.
*Illustrative imageCellular Stress Responses and Antiviral Defense
Viral infection is a major stress for cells and triggers various responses, including endoplasmic reticulum stress. The lab analyzes how these stress responses are involved in antiviral innate immunity.
*Illustrative imageDistinguishing Self from Non-self RNA
The lab studies how RLR distinguishes between the cell's own (self) RNA and viral RNA. Abnormalities in RLR are linked to autoimmune diseases, and the lab will also examine the regulatory mechanism in mouse models.
*Illustrative imageCOVID-19 and Interferon
In COVID-19, suppressed interferon induction in the early stage of infection may contribute to severe disease. The lab investigates how viral factors interfere with the RLR pathway and searches for therapeutic targets.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Infection Response Project are faculty, technical staff, doctoral students, and technical assistants.As of 2026
- ProfessorMitsutoshi Yoneyama
- Assistant ProfessorKoji Onomoto
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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: “Influenza A Virus (H1N1)-1” NIH Image Gallery / Public domain (cropped)
- Stress Granules and Viral Detection: “DNA-RNA-Protein-complex” Tyler Savitski / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Cellular Stress Responses and Antiviral Defense: “0313 Endoplasmic Reticulum a en” OpenStax / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Distinguishing Self from Non-self RNA: “3-D model of the human 80S ribosome” Ykust / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- COVID-19 and Interferon: “SARS-CoV-2 (CDC-23311)” CDC/ Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAM / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Cytokine Project Lab): “Dendritic cell revealed” National Institutes of Health (NIH) / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Clinical Infectious Diseases Project Lab): “Growth inhibition zone of Aspergillus” Atalyssa / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Candida Phenome Project Lab): “Baking yeast cells under 40x microscope objective” ~delta / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Bioresource Management Lab): “Four 3-day old Aspergillus colonies on a Petri dish” Adrian J. Hunter / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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