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Biofunctional Chemistry Lab
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A lab that chemically synthesizes glycans to elucidate their functions and develop drugs.
AboutAbout the lab
Making glycans to understand and control biological phenomena.
The Biofunctional Chemistry Group, built on organic synthetic chemistry, aims to develop drugs by understanding and controlling biological phenomena at the molecular level.
In particular, it targets glycans (sugar chains), whose functions remain insufficiently analyzed because of their complex and diverse structures, and works to elucidate and control their functions through precise synthesis.
In the future, it aims to develop glycan-based drugs, of which there are almost no practical examples.
It is also elucidating molecular recognition and reaction mechanisms involving nucleic acids and proteins.
Key terms
- Glycan (sugar chain)
- A chain of sugars that covers the surface of cells. It is involved in many biological phenomena, including infection, immune response, and cell adhesion.
- Chemical knock-in
- An approach developed independently by this lab, in which synthesized glycans are reconstituted on the cell surface.
- Adjuvant
- An immune-stimulating agent. When conjugated with an antigen, it can induce an antigen-specific immune response.
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
Glycans cover the surface of cells and are involved in many biological phenomena, such as infection, immune response, and cell adhesion. The lab synthesizes glycans precisely and works to elucidate and control their functions, and to develop immune-based cancer therapies and vaccines.
*Illustrative imageEfficient Synthesis of Glycans
One reason glycan research has lagged is that synthetic methods have not been established. The lab investigates new glycosylation methods and protecting-group strategies, precisely synthesizes biologically active glycans such as N-glycans, and builds a library of synthetic glycans.
*Illustrative imageExploring Glycan Function with Synthetic Glycans
The lab has developed its own method called chemical knock-in, which reconstitutes synthesized glycans on the cell surface, and uses it to elucidate and control glycan function. It is also considering analyses that use glycan biosynthetic substrates and enzyme inhibitors.
*Illustrative imageCancer Therapy That Recruits Natural Antibodies
Glycan antigens such as α-gal are markers of foreign substances, and large amounts of natural antibodies against them exist in the body. The lab made synthesized α-gal into a 16-mer dendrimer and conjugated it to an antibody that targets cancer, successfully recruiting natural antibodies to cancer cells and inducing a strong immune response.
*Illustrative imageVaccines Targeting Glycans
Glycans are promising targets as markers of disease, but their low antigenicity makes vaccine development difficult. The lab has shown that conjugating an antigen with an adjuvant can induce an antigen-specific immune response, and is now investigating options such as nanoparticle carriers.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Biofunctional Chemistry Group are faculty, postdoctoral researchers, project researchers, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, technical assistants, and administrative assistants.As of 2026
- ProfessorYoshiyuki Manabe
- Associate ProfessorJunpei Yamamoto
- Project Assistant ProfessorKimiaki Yano
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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: “Sugar crystals lie” Star61 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Efficient Synthesis of Glycans: “Bureau of Chemistry Carbohydrate Laboratory - DPLA - 0ba4f3b22c981b59794a8e8032bc4fa8” United States. Food and Drug Administration / Public domain (cropped)
- Exploring Glycan Function with Synthetic Glycans: “Plasma membrane structure diagram” Rosanna Hartline (RosieScienceGal) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Cancer Therapy That Recruits Natural Antibodies: “Antibody IgG1 surface” Tokenzero / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Vaccines Targeting Glycans: “Smallpox vaccine” Photo Credit: James Gathany Content Providers(s): CDC / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (光物理化学): “Checking Laser's optics (noirlab- u3s0196)” International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Manuel Paredes / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (有機合成化学): “La fulminaterie” Patrimoinesurvillois / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (ナノ反応工学): “Liquid Crystal Art-1” Ingo Dierking / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (相関分
子機能): “Lodestone (Magnet Cove Complex, mid-Cretaceous, 96-102 Ma; Magnet Cove, Arkansas, USA) 4” James St. John / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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