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Hirota Lab
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A lab that explores the neural mechanisms of smell using mouse genetics and genome engineering.
AboutAbout the lab
Approaching the mysteries of the olfactory nervous system from the molecular level
The Hirota Lab studies the neural mechanisms of the chemical senses, focusing on olfaction, the sense of smell.
It uses mouse genetic approaches that combine genetic engineering and embryo engineering with imaging that makes cells glow.
The lab is also developing a new genome engineering technology, the Bacillus subtilis genome (BGM) vector, for handling long DNA.
By actually seeing gene activity and neural circuits, the lab approaches the mysteries of olfaction.
Key terms
- Olfactory receptor
- A protein in nasal neurons that receives odor molecules. Forms the largest gene family in the genome.
- Chemical senses
- Senses, such as smell and taste, that detect chemical substances in the surroundings.
- Genome vector
- DNA that serves as a platform to carry and maintain DNA taken in from outside. The BGM vector uses the Bacillus subtilis genome.
NewsLab news
A master's student received the Excellent Presentation Award at the 59th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Association for the Study of Taste and Smell
Discovery of a new factor involved in pheromone detection
Assistant Professor Iwata received the Research Encouragement Award of the Japanese Association for the Study of Taste and Smell
Review article contributed to a special issue commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Results of joint research with Kitasato University published in Toxicon
ResearchResearch themes
The lab approaches the mysteries of the neural systems of the chemical senses, centered on olfaction, at the gene and molecular level. It is also developing a new genome engineering technology for manipulating huge DNA, and applies it to research on olfactory receptor genes.
*Illustrative imageResearch on olfaction and the chemical senses
Olfaction is deeply involved in the many behaviors essential for survival, and it is a sense that has been conserved throughout evolution. Using mouse genetic approaches that combine genetic engineering, embryo engineering, and bioimaging, the lab investigates the neural systems of the chemical senses, mainly olfaction, at the molecular level.
*Illustrative imageArtificial genomes and genome engineering
As genome sequencing advances, it has become important to study the function of long DNA regions, including those outside genes. Using the BGM vector, which uses the circular Bacillus subtilis genome itself as a platform, the lab develops genetic manipulation techniques for handling huge DNA, along with their applications.
MembersFaculty
The Hirota Lab consists of faculty members, researchers, technical staff, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2024
- ProfessorJunji HirotaPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorTetsuo IwataPublications ↗
VoicesStudent voices
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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: “White lab mice near” Pogrebnoj-Alexandroff / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Research on olfaction and the chemical senses: “Mouse olfactory bulb @ 60x ( )” Jason Snyder from Washington, DC, United States / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Artificial genomes and genome engineering: “Bacillus subtilis colonies” Debivort / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (相澤研究室): “Human karyotype (248 26) Karyotype Human, green filter” Doc. RNDr. Josef Reischig, CSc. / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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