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Biophysical Chemistry and Structural Life Chemistry Lab
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The lab explores the structure and function of biomolecules using solid-state NMR.
AboutAbout the lab
Reading the structures of biomolecules with solid-state NMR
The Biophysical Chemistry and Structural Life Chemistry Lab uses a measurement method called solid-state NMR to clarify the three-dimensional structures and dynamics that biomolecules need in order to function, aiming to understand how biomolecules work at the molecular level.
In addition, the lab designs and synthesizes new molecules and examines their structures and physical properties, aiming to develop functional biomaterials with functions and performance not found in nature.
Recent topics are microbial rhodopsin, antimicrobial peptides, self-assembling peptides, and cellulose nanofibers.
On the lab's website, it is introduced under the name “Kawamura Lab.”
Key terms
- Solid-state NMR
- A technique that applies nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to solid samples to examine the three-dimensional structures and motions of molecules
- Microbial rhodopsin
- A member of the family of proteins found in cell membranes. Its function and color are controlled by interactions between a molecule called retinal and the surrounding amino acids
- Cellulose nanofiber
- Cellulose, the main component of plants, made into fibers with a thickness on the nanometer scale
NewsLab news
A paper on visualizing emulsification with fluorescent cellulose nanofibers has been published in J. Phys. Chem. Lett.
A paper on signal analysis of Schizorhodopsin 1 by solid-state NMR has been published in Biophys. Chem.
A paper on producing cellulose nanofibers from powder made from the stems and leaves of fresh flowers has been published in Discover Nano
Research on the hemicellulose structure and emulsion stability of holocellulose nanofibers derived from coffee grounds has been published in Int. J. Biol. Macromol.
A paper on blue fluorescent cellulose nanofibers by acridonylalanine modification has been published in Carbohydrate Polymers Technologies and Applications
ResearchResearch themes
The lab uses solid-state NMR spectroscopy to clarify the three-dimensional structures and dynamics that biomolecules need in order to function, aiming to understand the relationship between structure and function at the molecular level. It also aims to develop functional biomaterials with new functions and performance not found in nature, through the design and synthesis of new molecules and the analysis of their structures and physical properties.
*Illustrative imageHow microbial rhodopsins work
In rhodopsins, function and color are controlled by interactions between retinal and the surrounding amino acids. The lab studies these interactions by high-resolution solid-state NMR to clarify how function arises.
*Illustrative imageAntimicrobial and nanopore peptides that act in cell membranes
Antimicrobial peptides and nanopore peptides, which are said to enable single-molecule sensing, act in cell membranes. Because structures in the membrane-bound state are hard to obtain, the lab investigates the relationship between structure and function at the molecular level using high-resolution solid-state NMR and other methods.
*Illustrative imageSelf-assembling peptides
The lab focuses on the property of peptides to gather together in water and other media and form supramolecules. Through the molecular design of these peptides and the analysis of their supramolecular structures, it aims to develop new biomaterials.
*Illustrative imageNanofibers from food and agricultural waste
The lab extracts cellulose nanofibers from coffee grounds and hop bines and studies their applications.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Biophysical Chemistry and Structural Life Chemistry Lab consist of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, technical assistants, and administrative assistants.As of 2026
- ProfessorIzuru Kawamura
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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: “Rhodopsin” AtikaAtikawa / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- How microbial rhodopsins work: “1L9H (Bovine Rhodopsin) 2” S. Jähnichen / Public domain (cropped)
- Antimicrobial and nanopore peptides that act in cell membranes: “Lipid bilayer fluid” a / Public domain (cropped)
- Self-assembling peptides: “Superabsorber Hydrogel KSG 2917 pK” Petra Klawikowski / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Nanofibers from food and agricultural waste: “Food waste with moldy bread” Nick Saltmarsh / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Physical Organic Chemistry and Molecular Design Lab): “Chlorophacinone-3D-molecular-model-engraved-render-CAS” MolGod Scientific / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Amemiya Lab): “Belousov Zhabotinsky reaction ( )” Stephen Morris from Toronto, Canada / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular and Cellular Biology Lab): “Rotary Cell Culture System” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Misumi Lab): “Artistic Crystallization, Side View” Paolo Infante / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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