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Microbial Functional Engineering Lab
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The lab takes on innovative biotechnology through genetic code expansion and next-generation omics.
AboutAbout the lab
Expanding synthetic biology to take on innovative biotechnology.
The Microbial Functional Engineering Lab is working to create innovative biotechnology that will give rise to next-generation industries by expanding synthetic biology.
The lab expands the genetic code so that far more than the 20 natural monomers can be polymerized, with the aim of making next-generation peptides and proteins with high stability, specificity, and activity.
The lab also develops next-generation omics technologies that measure what could not be measured before, in order to understand life more deeply and comprehensively.
On the lab's website, it is introduced under the name "aoki-lab".
Key terms
- Ribosome
- A supramolecular complex that polymerizes the 20 natural amino acids according to the genetic code. It is an essential factor for life.
- Omics
- A methodology that comprehensively analyzes the levels of DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, and cells in order to understand biological phenomena in a holistic way.
- Nanopore
- A protein that forms a tiny pore. This lab uses it to analyze proteins at the single-molecule level.
- Nanobody
- The variable domain of a heavy-chain antibody. It has affinity comparable to conventional antibodies and is a type of next-generation antibody with excellent tissue penetration and productivity.
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to create innovative biotechnology that will give rise to next-generation industries by expanding synthetic biology. It works on two areas: creating next-generation industries through genetic code expansion, and understanding life functions at the system level through next-generation omics technologies.
*Illustrative imageReinventing Peptides and Proteins
To expand the genetic code so that more than 20 kinds of monomers can be polymerized, the lab works on ribosome engineering, which modifies ribosomes synthesized in vitro. It is building artificial ribosomes that efficiently polymerize D-amino acids, with the goal of realizing "mirror-image protein engineering." Assistant Professor Kosaka, building on an in vitro ribosome biogenesis method, is working to establish evolved artificial ribosomes that translate non-natural monomers with high efficiency.
*Illustrative imageRedesigning Life
To build a minimal artificial cell that has only the ability to self-replicate, the lab is reconstituting an "autonomous central dogma" made up of transcription, translation, DNA replication, and ribosome self-replication. It has succeeded, for the first time in the world, in initiating ribosome self-replication in vitro.
*Illustrative imageData-Driven Analysis with Next-Generation Omics
The lab develops next-generation omics technologies with excellent sensitivity and coverage. It uses nanopores to comprehensively analyze proteins at the single-molecule level, and applies machine learning such as Gaussian process regression to the large amounts of data obtained, in an attempt to model complex biological phenomena.
*Illustrative imageCreating Next-Generation Antibodies
The lab developed "peptide barcoding," an omics method that can evaluate nanobodies in a high-throughput manner in their free state, without immobilizing them on a support. Based on this technology, it founded a biotech venture company and is carrying out joint development with academia and companies. Assistant Professor Motone is applying single-molecule protein sequencing to establish a method for evaluating large binder libraries all at once.
MembersFaculty
Members of the Microbial Functional Engineering Lab consist of faculty, researchers, PhD, master's, and undergraduate students, and secretaries.As of 2026
- ProfessorWataru Aoki
- Assistant ProfessorKeisuke Motone
- Assistant ProfessorYuishin Kosaka
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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: “Ribosome (NIH BioArt )” Courtesy of NIAID Ryan Kissinger / Public domain (cropped)
- Reinventing Peptides and Proteins: “Protein Synthesis Elongation” Christinelmiller / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Redesigning Life: “Phosphatidylcholine liposomes at phase-contrast microscopy” ArkhipovSergey / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Data-Driven Analysis with Next-Generation Omics: “Oxford Nanopore Technologies Mk1c” Rojoxiii / CC0 (cropped)
- Creating Next-Generation Antibodies: “Antibody IgG1 structure” Tokenzero / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Structural Organic Chemistry Lab): “Chemistry Experiment 3D” TeWeBs / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Advanced Device Engineering Lab): “Tektronix 571 Semiconductor Curve Plotter” Fil22plm / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Nanoscale Condensed Matter Theory Lab): “Nanowire; Sensor ( )” National Institute of Standards and Technology / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Bioresource Engineering Lab): “Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (SIMS) Tube - DPLA - 2a22bbd17e faf628d93a557 (page 2)” Honig, Richard E. (Richard Edward) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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