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Neural and Cellular Pharmacology Lab
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A lab that directly observes molecules at work inside cells, one molecule at a time.
AboutAbout the lab
Observe molecules, and think
Neural and Cellular Pharmacology (Watanabe Lab) studies molecules at work inside cells by directly observing them one molecule at a time.
Cells sense their surroundings and rapidly reorganize their cytoskeleton, which allows them to proliferate, change shape, and migrate.
The lab has shown that fluorescent molecules deep inside cells can be observed one molecule at a time, and has investigated how signals inside cells and the actions of drugs are connected at the molecular level.
Methods for observing the movement of molecules inside cells only emerged in this century, and the lab is also committed to training researchers who will develop the potential of these methods.
Key terms
- Cytoskeleton
- A network of fibers that supports cell shape and generates movement. It is made of proteins such as actin.
- Actin
- A protein that builds the cytoskeleton. It links together into filaments and pushes out the cell edge.
- Super-resolution microscope
- A microscope that can resolve structures finer than the limit of an ordinary optical microscope.
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
Dynamic changes in cell shape play important roles in the spread of cancer, the migration of immune cells, neural plasticity, and more. By visualizing molecules, the lab aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms that regulate drug action, force, and the formation of tissues including nerves.
*Illustrative imageActin Flow at the Cell Edge and How Force Is Transmitted
At the cell edge, actin filaments constantly flow toward the center. Using single-molecule fluorescence imaging, the lab examines how changes inside and outside the cell are linked to this flow, and aims to clarify how cells spread and advance.
*Illustrative imageIRIS, a Microscope That Distinguishes Many Molecules in Fine Detail
IRIS, a super-resolution microscope developed in-house, labels many types of molecules at high density, aiming to reveal fine structures and the true form of molecular distribution. The lab is also developing a method to produce the probes needed for this quickly.
MembersFaculty
The members of Neural and Cellular Pharmacology (Watanabe Lab) consist of faculty, JSPS Research Fellows, researchers, graduate students, and technical staff.
- ProfessorNaoki Watanabe
- Associate ProfessorTai Kiuchi
- Associate ProfessorSawako Yamashiro
- Assistant ProfessorAkitoshi Miyamoto
- Program-Specific Assistant ProfessorEiji Usukura
- Program-Specific Assistant ProfessorKiyoshi Tohyama
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: “3D Dual Color Super Resolution Microscopy Cremer 2010” Andy Nestl / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Actin Flow at the Cell Edge and How Force Is Transmitted: “Actin filaments of cardiac fibroblasts” Lorenzo2697 / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- IRIS, a Microscope That Distinguishes Many Molecules in Fine Detail: “Super Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy (NIH BioArt )” Courtesy of NIAID Ryan Kissinger / Public domain (cropped)
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