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Polymer Structural Science Lab
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A lab that studies the three-dimensional structures of biomolecular machines such as the bacterial flagellar motor.
AboutAbout the lab
Understanding how biomolecular machines work by observing and reconstructing them.
The Polymer Structural Science Lab studies how biological molecular machines work, such as the flagellar motors that bacteria use to swim.
Bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella swim by rotating tiny motors made of proteins.
The lab investigates how molecular machines like this motor operate through atomic-level three-dimensional structure analysis and reconstitution of the molecular machines.
The lab's website introduces it under the name "Imada Lab."
Key terms
- flagellum
- A twisted, filamentous locomotory organ on the surface of bacteria. A rotary motor at its base turns to generate propulsion.
- X-ray diffraction
- A method in which X-rays are directed at a crystal or similar sample, and the arrangement of atoms inside the molecule is determined from the diffraction pattern.
- yellow fluorescent protein
- A variant of green fluorescent protein (GFP), originally from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, that emits yellow fluorescence.
ResearchResearch themes
Mainly using X-ray diffraction, the lab investigates the molecular-level structures, structural changes, and formation processes of macromolecular substances, and studies how these relate to interactions and functions. Subjects include molecular motors in living organisms and related proteins, oxidases, synthetic polymers, and complexes of polymers and low-molecular-weight compounds.
*Illustrative imageHow the flagellar motor works
The flagellum is a locomotory organ on the surface of bacteria, and it obtains propulsion from a rotary motor at its base. The lab examines the structures of the proteins that make up this supramolecular nanomachine and traces how the motor works from its molecular structure.
*Illustrative imageHow the flagellum is assembled
In flagellum formation, the basal body is built first. Then proteins sent from the shaft of the motor through the hollow channel of the flagellum build a structure at the tip, and the flagellum elongates. The lab investigates which proteins act in what form, and how, during this process.
*Illustrative imageFluorescent protein sensors
The lab is developing new sensors using variants of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). Inserting glycine was found to make the protein work as a pressure sensor, and based on structural analysis, the lab thinks that the interaction between water in a void and the chromophore is related to the fluorescence properties.
MembersFaculty
Members of the Polymer Structural Science Lab include faculty, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and secretaries.
- ProfessorKatsumi Imada
- LecturerTatsuya Kawaguchi
- Assistant ProfessorNorihiro Takekawa
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: “Caulobacter crescentus CcrM” Jcaceresvergara / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- How the flagellar motor works: “Flagellar Motor Assembly” PKS615 / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- How the flagellum is assembled: “Physical model of a bacterial flagellum” Alan Wolf / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Fluorescent protein sensors: “1xa9” Deposition authors: Remington, S.J., Wachter, R.M., Yarbrough, D.K., Branchaud, B., Anderson, D.C., Kallio, K., Lukyanov, K.A.; visualization author: User:Astrojan / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Supramolecular Functional Chemistry Lab): “Monoclonal antibodies (5)” Linda Bartlett (Photographer) / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Polymer Solution Lab): “Starch granules of potato01” Ganímedes / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Natural Products Organic Chemistry Lab): “Gram negative cell wall-id” Gram_negative_cell_wall.svg: Jeff Dahl derivative work: 24Adrianus (talk) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Polymer Physical Chemistry Lab): “Capillary rheometer 2” Cjp24 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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