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Biosupramolecular Chemistry Lab
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A lab that freely designs DNA and RNA to create materials and drugs that go beyond what exists in nature.
AboutAbout the lab
Learning from nature to create materials that surpass it
The Asanuma Lab uses nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA, as well as peptides, to study molecules whose functions go beyond those of natural materials.
Learning from the excellent mechanisms of living things, the lab designs molecules to create new tools for biotechnology, next-generation nucleic acid therapeutics, and nanomaterials.
It also investigates how the tools and materials it creates work, using methods from physical chemistry and structural biology.
Key terms
- Nucleic acid therapeutics
- A drug made of the same building blocks as DNA and RNA. Some types suppress the function of genes involved in disease
- Duplex
- A structure in which two nucleic acid strands pair with fixed partners, such as A with T and G with C, and join together
- Fluorescent probe
- A molecule that changes how it glows when it meets a specific partner, signaling that the partner is present
NewsLab news
A paper on switching mRNA levels with light inside artificial cells was accepted in ChemSystemsChem (joint research with Tohoku University)
A doctoral student won the Judges' Special Award at the poster exchange session of the GTR Retreat
A master's student won the Chemistry Letters Young Researcher Award at the Young Researchers' Summer School of the Division of Biofunctional Chemistry
A paper on using artificial nucleic acids to widen the range of safe designs for antisense oligonucleotides was accepted in NAR Molecular Medicine (joint research with Kobe Pharmaceutical University)
A paper on nucleic acid therapeutics using artificial nucleic acids was accepted in J. Med. Chem. (joint research with Kobe Pharmaceutical University and others)
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to design molecules by learning from the excellent mechanisms of life, and to develop materials whose functions go far beyond those of natural materials. Using nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and peptides, it creates new tools for biotechnology, next-generation nucleic acid therapeutics, and high-performance nanomaterials.
*Illustrative imageControlling DNA association and dissociation with light
The lab designs DNA that incorporates azobenzene molecules and uses light to control whether a duplex forms or unwinds. It has also succeeded in switching gene function on and off with light and in building DNA machines driven by light.
*Illustrative imageFluorescent probes that recognize sequences and light up
To rapidly examine genetic differences between individuals, the lab is developing fluorescent probes that detect DNA or RNA of a specific sequence with high sensitivity. It has also succeeded in distinguishing, by the color of the light, a sequence that is missing a single base.
*Illustrative imageArranging dyes along DNA
Using the property of DNA in which four types of bases line up in a fixed order, the lab builds assemblies of dyes with a controlled number, orientation, and arrangement. It also aims to elucidate previously unknown phenomena that occur between different types of dyes.
*Illustrative imageCreating new artificial nucleic acids
The lab is developing the artificial nucleic acids aTNA and SNA, in which the backbone of natural nucleic acids is changed to an acyclic form. aTNA forms an extremely stable duplex with other aTNA, and SNA forms a stable duplex with natural nucleic acids. The lab is advancing research on using them as nucleic acid therapeutics and detection probes.
MembersFaculty
The Asanuma Lab consists of faculty members, technical assistants, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorHiroyuki Asanuma
- Associate ProfessorHiromu Kashida
- Assistant ProfessorKeiji Murayama
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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: “Dna-163466” PublicDomainPictures / CC0 (cropped)
- Controlling DNA association and dissociation with light: “A photoswitch attached to a PCP” RichardPeck / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Fluorescent probes that recognize sequences and light up: “FBALM DNA superresolution HeLa cell nucleus” Andy Nestl / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Arranging dyes along DNA: “DNA Double Helix by NHGRI” National Human Genome Research Institute / Public domain (cropped)
- Creating new artificial nucleic acids: “Researcher performing human blood sera separation for RNA extraction – ECOVIR Project, Côte d’Ivoire” Aurelien Tape / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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- Related lab (機能物質工学研究グループ): “RLLvsSXTLgraphite” P. Fraundorf / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (有機反応化学研究グループ): “Prentice Hall Molecular Model Set for General Organic Chemistry 8139” Bin im Garten / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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