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Enzyme Chemistry Lab
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The lab seeks a deep understanding of the structure and function of enzymes in order to discover and create new, useful enzymes.
AboutAbout the lab
Searching for useful enzymes, uncovering how they work, and engineering them
The Enzyme Chemistry lab seeks a deep understanding of enzyme structure and function, and works to discover and create new enzymes useful for industrial applications and drug discovery.
Research combines AI-driven searches of gene databases and structure prediction with experimental validation.
Undergraduates are assigned to the lab in their fourth year (graduate school: Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture).
Key terms
- Phosphorylation
- Attaching a phosphate group to a substance. A reaction essential for metabolism and gene regulation in the body
- Terpene
- A family of compounds with diverse functions, such as hormones, fragrances, and raw materials for pharmaceuticals
- Pyrophosphate
- An inexpensive compound made of two linked phosphates. Some enzymes transfer phosphate from it in place of ATP
ResearchResearch themes
Based on a deep understanding of enzyme structure and function, the lab searches for and creates new enzymes useful for industrial applications and drug discovery.
*Illustrative imageEnzymes that work with inexpensive pyrophosphate
Phosphorylation usually uses ATP, but some enzymes use pyrophosphate, which is far cheaper. Using the small differences between the two as clues, the lab aims to develop enzymes that produce phosphorylated compounds inexpensively, through AI-based gene searches and experiments.
*Illustrative imageNew enzymes that produce terpenes
Advances in structure prediction technology have revealed terpene synthases that do not fit existing classifications. The lab studies their function in detail and modifies the regions where the reaction occurs, taking on the challenge of creating enzymes that produce terpenes not found in nature.
MembersFaculty
The lab's members consist of faculty and master's and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorMasahiro Fujihashi
- Assistant ProfessorSaki Maruoka
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: “Crystal Structure of the FokI endonuclease - PDB-2FOK” Marcello002 / Public domain (cropped)
- Enzymes that work with inexpensive pyrophosphate: “Pyrophosphate-3D-balls” Benjah-bmm27 / Public domain (cropped)
- New enzymes that produce terpenes: “Abietadiene biosynthesis” Mephisto spa / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular Biology and Bioresponse Lab): “Zinc foils” Mauro Cateb / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Food Physiology and Function Lab): “Food-healthy-vegetables-potatoes ( )” www.Pixel.la Free Stock Photos / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Agricultural Product Manufacturing Lab): “Production of cheese 1” MatthiasKabel / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Basic and Applied Molecular Biotechnology Lab): “Observing Bacteria with a Microscope” M Joko Apriyo Putro / CC0 (cropped)
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