Assoc.Prof. KIMATA Yukio
Please tell us about your own research and what you find interesting about it.
Eukaryotic cells have a variety of organelles, but their size and function are not invariant. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an organelle that synthesizes proteins and lipids for extracellular secretion. Using yeast, our research team is studying the mechanism by which the size and function of the ER are adjusted in response to surrounding conditions and other factors (the ER stress response).
Please tell us about the difficulties and joys of the research field.
Saccharomyces yeast, which is also used in bread and brewing, is easy to genetically manipulate and is widely used as a model for basic biology. Research data can be obtained in a relatively short period of time, and it’s quite possible to write an academic paper or make a presentation at an academic conference while you’re still a student. Let’s do good research and go to conferences together.
Please tell us about the expected results and social significance of the project.
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response has been implicated in a variety of human diseases, and our research is helping to elucidate their causes. One of our goals is to artificially activate the endoplasmic reticulum stress response pathway and to produce yeast with increased endoplasmic reticulum function and size. Such yeasts are expected to be used for the production of useful proteins and fats.
A message of support for students who are about to take the exam
The research conducted in the Divison of Biological Science is mainly in experimental biology using various organisms. The faculty members and other members of the department have a high level of awareness and passion for research and a wide range of experimental equipment at their disposal. Let’s make new discoveries through research and experiments together.
What websites, books, review articles, and so on, do you recommend for studying in order to apply for the lab ?
Chapter 15 of Essential Cell Biology contains a lot of content related to our research.
What do you do to keep yourself fresh?
Since I became a student, I’ve been traveling to Southeast Asian countries as a backpacker. Culturally, you can find both similar and contrasting points there, which is very interesting. There are several international students from Southeast Asia in our laboratory and interacting with them is one of the things I look forward to.