LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Structural Biology and Pharmaceutical Sciences Lab
Machine-translated · View original
The lab determines the three-dimensional structures of proteins to understand, at the atomic level, how drugs work.
AboutAbout the lab
From structural biology to structural pharmacology.
The lab aims to elucidate, through analysis of protein three-dimensional structures, the molecular mechanisms of biological phenomena that underlie drug discovery. Since the 2026 academic year, the lab has been led by Prof. Ogawa.
The goal is not simply to determine three-dimensional structures but to reveal the principles behind their functions. Now that the structures of membrane receptors and transporters can be visualized, "structural pharmacology," which understands drug action at the structural level, has become a reality.
The lab actively adopts cryo-electron microscopy and takes on determining the structures of molecules that are difficult to analyze.
Key terms
- Cryo-electron microscopy
- A technique that rapidly freezes samples and images them with an electron microscope to determine the three-dimensional structures of proteins and other molecules
- Ryanodine receptor
- A channel in muscle cells that releases calcium and causes the muscle to contract
- Single-pass transmembrane receptor
- A receptor that crosses the cell membrane only once and relays signals such as hormones into the cell
ResearchResearch themes
The lab uses cryo-electron microscopy to reveal the three-dimensional structures of targets such as cardiac calcium channels and hormone receptors.
*Illustrative imageCardiac ryanodine receptor
Genetic mutations in ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2) cause fatal arrhythmias. The lab is currently studying how disease-associated mutants and drug candidates modulate RyR2.
*Illustrative imageStructural pharmacology of hormone receptors
Single-pass transmembrane receptors are important drug targets. The lab determined the high-resolution structure of the complex formed by ANP, a hormone that regulates blood pressure, and its receptor NPR-A, revealing a new mechanism by which the receptor recognizes the hormone.
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorHaruo Ogawa
- Assistant ProfessorTomoko Yamaguchi
VoicesStudent voices
Ratings and reviews reflect the experiences of individual current or former students, not the lab's official views. Whether a lab has reviews, or how many, says nothing about the lab itself.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Student ratings (0 students)
--
--
--
--
--
--
Student voices answer questions like these
- What's great about this lab?
- What did you learn after joining?
- What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
- Who is this lab for?
- Where do graduates go?
Your experience can help younger students choose their lab. Your name won't be shown.
Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopRelatedLabs similar to Structural Biology and Pharmaceutical Sciences Lab
Pharmaceutical Functional Analysis LabFaculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of PharmacyElucidation of metabolite diversity and its biological signi…
Metabolic Genome Pharmacology LabFaculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of PharmacyFood and nutrient signaling and neural, immune, and metaboli…
Pharmacogenomics and Genomic Drug Discovery LabFaculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of PharmacyLigand discovery based on functional genomics of G protein-c…
Biofunctional Chemistry LabFaculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of PharmacyCreation of bioactive proteins regulating cell function and …The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
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: “OGA crystal structure dimer” Scheng23 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Cardiac ryanodine receptor: “Coupling of the muscle action potential to Ca++ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum - the dihydropyridine receptor and ryanodine receptor” Daniel Walsh and Alan Sved / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Structural pharmacology of hormone receptors: “2RH1” Boghog at English Wikipedia / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Pharmaceutical Functional Analysis Lab): “Liquid chromatograph with mass spectrometer in CAFIA laboratory, Czech Republic” Sarka Na kopci / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Metabolic Genome Pharmacology Lab): “High Fibre Foods” formulatehealth / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Pharmacogenomics and Genomic Drug Discovery Lab): “Rasyslami” The original uploader was (Automated conversion) at English Wikipedia. / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Biofunctional Chemistry Lab): “Zinc finger rendered” Thomas Splettstoesser (www.scistyle.com) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.