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Glycoscience Lab
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The lab explores the mechanisms of the brain and disease through the functions of glycans.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring life science with a focus on glycans
The Glycoscience Lab studies the structure and function of glycans that cover the surface of cells.
Glycans are said to be the third chain of life after proteins and nucleic acids, and they mediate the exchange of information inside and outside cells.
The lab focuses on polysialic acid, a chain of linked sialic acids, and investigates its roles in nervous system and brain function and its links to psychiatric disorders.
The lab also carries out basic research to apply its findings to agriculture, medicine, and pharmacy.
Key terms
- Glycan
- A molecule made of sugars linked in a chain. Glycans form a thick layer over the cell surface and mediate the exchange of information inside and outside cells.
- Sialic acid
- A type of monosaccharide characteristic of deuterostomes. It is found at the ends of glycoproteins and glycolipids and functions in fertilization, development, and the immune and nervous systems.
- Polysialic acid
- A polymer made of many sialic acids linked in a long chain. It appears transiently in the fetal brain and is also expressed in certain cancer cells.
NewsLab news
A master's student received the Branch President's Award of the Chubu Branch of the Japanese Biochemical Society for fiscal 2025
A doctoral student received an Encouragement Award at the 21st Wakate no Chikara Forum
A master's student received an Outstanding Encouragement Award at the regular meeting of the Chubu Branch of the Japanese Biochemical Society
A master's student received the Branch President's Award of the Chubu Branch of the Japanese Biochemical Society for fiscal 2024
A master's student received an Encouragement Award at the 20th Wakate no Chikara Forum
ResearchResearch themes
Polysialic acid is a glycan that appears transiently in the fetal brain and is also expressed in certain cancer cells. It has been found to be involved in learning, memory, emotion, and social behavior. Using methods from biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, and glycan engineering, the lab investigates how its structure is built, what functions it has, and how its disruption leads to disease.
*Illustrative imageEstablishing systems to evaluate polysialic acid chains
To study the relationship between the structure and function of polysialic acid chains, the lab builds evaluation systems that combine surface plasmon resonance, isothermal titration calorimetry, atomic force microscopy, and an immunoassay using antibodies developed in the lab.
*Illustrative imageMechanisms regulating the expression of polysialic acid chains
The lab investigates the mechanisms that determine the amount and quality of polysialic acid chains at the level of whole organisms and cells, looking at both genetic factors, such as the genes for the biosynthetic enzymes ST8SIA2 and ST8SIA4, and environmental factors, such as stress.
*Illustrative imageThe relationship between brain evolution and polysialic acid chains
Polysialic acid chains are found in deuterostomes. The lab hypothesizes that their ability to attract various neuroactive factors contributes to making the function of the large brains of vertebrates more efficient, and examines their structure and function in various animals.
*Illustrative imageStructures shared by glycoproteins and glycolipids
Di- and oligosialic acid is usually found on glycolipids, where it is a component of membranes. The function of disialic acid on glycoproteins has been little analyzed, so the lab investigates the roles of the structures shared with glycolipids by analyzing ST8SIA3 and ST8SIA6.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Glycoscience Lab are faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and a secretary.As of 2026
- ProfessorChihiro Sato
- Project Associate ProfessorNao Yamakawa
- Assistant ProfessorMasaya Hane
- Assistant ProfessorTakayuki Omoto
- Project ProfessorKen Kitajima
- Assistant ProfessorDi Wu
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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: “Bureau of Chemistry Carbohydrate Laboratory - DPLA - 0ba4f3b22c981b59794a8e8032bc4fa8” United States. Food and Drug Administration / Public domain (cropped)
- Establishing systems to evaluate polysialic acid chains: “Atomic force microscope by Zureks” Zureks / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Mechanisms regulating the expression of polysialic acid chains: “PLoSBiol4.e126.Fig6fNeuron” Wei-Chung Allen Lee, Hayden Huang, Guoping Feng, Joshua R. Sanes, Emery N. Brown, Peter T. So, Elly Nedivi / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- The relationship between brain evolution and polysialic acid chains: “Ultrametric phylogenetic tree concept diagram” Esculenta / CC0 (cropped)
- Structures shared by glycoproteins and glycolipids: “Cell Membrane” Blackout Sea / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Food Neuroscience Lab): “Man using microscope in laboratory LCCN” Harris & Ewing, photographer / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Plant Signaling Molecules Lab): “Iss064e ) --- Photo documentation of the Plant Habitat-02 investigation aboard the International space Station (ISS)” NASA Johnson Space Center / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Animal Cell Function Lab): “Biochemistry student at work” Victoria Fomchenkova / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Integrative Plant Physiology Lab): “"Arabidopsis thaliana" in vitro” MatasNavickas / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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