Welcome! †

　　Our group is engaged in research on microorganisms, particularly members of the Archaea. Archaea are a group of organisms that are phylogenetically distinct to members of the Bacteria and Eucarya. They are a diverse group of organisms and include the methanogens, halophiles, hyperthermophiles and many others. Members of the archaea exhibit many biological features not found in bacteria and eukaryotes. One example is their membrane lipids, which consist of isoprenoid chains linked to the glycerol carbons by ether bonds, whereas in bacteria and eukaryotes, straight chain fatty acids are linked to glycerol by ester bonds. The stereochemistry of these linkages also differs between archaea and bacteria/eukaryotes. Archaea, although similar to bacteria in size and shape (without a nucleus), harbor a number of features that resemble those of eukaryotes. This includes the machinery involved in DNA replication and basal transcription. Archaea also utilize a number of metabolic pathways not found in bacteria/eukaryotes. We are interested in various aspects of archaeal physiology, with a focus on metabolism and transcriptional regulation.

News †

2024年度 新四回生の集合日時と場所 †

4/4（木）10:00　
桂キャンパスA4棟216号室に集合
（2Fラウンジにて顔合わせ、その後、研修の予定）

The 11th International Congress on Extremophiles (Extremophiles2016) was held at Kyoto University from September 12 to 16, 2016. †

Awards †

Poster Award †

Mizuna Kittaka
Identification of ubiquitination residues modified by a ubiquitin system reconstituted from an uncultured thermophilic archaeon.
“Ubiquitin Neo-Biology”, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; 2015 Winter meeting.

Poster Award †

Riku Aono
The pentose bisphosphate pathway: an archaeal metabolic pathway involved in nucleoside degradation.
The Japanese Society for Extremophiles, 2015 Annual meeting.

Poster Award †

Mizuna Kittaka
In vitro reconstitution of a ubiquitin system found in an uncultured thermophilic archaeon.
The Japanese Society for Extremophiles, 2015 Annual meeting.

Young Scientist Award †

Takaaki Sato
Discovery of a novel pathway involved in pentose metabolism in hyperthermophilic Archaea.
The Japanese Society for Extremophiles, 2015 Annual meeting.

Poster Award †

Hiroya Tomita
Functional characterization of enzymes involved in archaeal coenzyme A biosynthesis.
Thermophiles 2013, Regensberg, Germany.

Poster Award †

Hiroya Tomita
Studies on the regulation mechanism of coenzyme A biosynthesis in the Archaea.
The Japanese Society for Extremophiles, 2012 Annual meeting.

Poster Award †

Takuya Ishibashi
Enzymatic analysis of a novel enzyme, phosphopantothenate synthetase, involved in coenzyme A biosynthesis in the Archaea.
The Japanese Society for Extremophiles, 2011 Annual meeting.

Young Scientist Award †

Tamotsu Kanai
Gene regulation mechanism relating to environmental adaptation of hyperthermophilic microorganisms.
The Japanese Society for Extremophiles, 2010 Annual meeting.

Poster Award †

Ryo Takemasa
Studies for overexpression and secretion of proteins in Thermococcus kodakaraensis.
Thermophiles 2009, Beijing, China.

Poster Award †

Ryo Takemasa
Development of a protein secretion system in Thermococcus kodakaraensis.
The Japanese Society for Extremophiles, 2009 Annual meeting.