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Saito Lab
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A lab that designs RNA to control cells at will, developing technologies for synthetic biology.
AboutAbout the lab
Designing RNA to control cells.
RNA–protein complexes (RNPs), formed when proteins recognize the sequence and structure of RNA, regulate gene expression and cell fate decisions and play a central role in the molecular mechanisms inside cells.
The Saito Lab takes on the development of new technologies for understanding and controlling living systems, through design biology and experimental evolution centered on RNA and RNPs.
The lab provides research supervision to master's and doctoral students in the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, helping them acquire methods in RNA synthetic biology, molecular biology, stem cell biology, and bioengineering.
Key terms
- RNP
- A complex formed when RNA and proteins bind together.
- RNA switch
- A synthetic RNA that responds to a specific molecule in the cell and turns gene activity on or off.
- MicroRNA
- Very short RNA that regulates gene activity.
- Reprogramming
- Switching a cell's state, for example to a more undifferentiated state.
ResearchResearch themes
The lab works on RNA-based next-generation iPS cell generation, RNA switches, synthetic RNA circuits, and nanoscale RNA/RNP devices.
*Illustrative imageSynthetic RNA that recognizes cell states
The lab has developed synthetic RNAs that recognize cell types and states based on molecules inside the cell and can control gene expression.
*Illustrative imageMicroRNAs that promote reprogramming
Reprogramming conventional human iPS cells (primed) into the naive state yields cells that can also differentiate into the placenta and other tissues. The lab has newly discovered microRNAs that promote this reprogramming.
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorHirohide Saito
- Program-Specific Lecturer (Research Base)Hirohisa Ohno
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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: “Immobilization of Different Nucleic Acid Structures” Fozs / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Synthetic RNA that recognizes cell states: “Synthetic Biology Research at NASA Ames” Alexander van Dijk from San Francisco, United States / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- MicroRNAs that promote reprogramming: “Examples of microRNA stem-loops” VTD / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Takashima Lab): “Spectrum of pluripotency in the human embryo” Ávila-González D, Portillo W, García-López G, Molina-Hernández A, Díaz-Martínez NE and Díaz NF / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Nakagawa Lab): “Parkinson's induced pluripotent stem cell” US Department of Energy / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Takahashi Lab): “Ribosome mRNA translation de” Matt / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Yamamoto Lab): “Cellular senescence” Alshaebi F, Sciortino A / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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