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＜GRADUATE STUDENTS/POSTDOC WANTED!＞
Our group studies the molecular mechanisms of sensory functions and behavioral responses using the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as a model. Additionally, we develop novel pest control strategies targeting insect sensory and neural functions.
We are seeking highly motivated PhD students and postdocs who are interested in these research topics and have a passion for neuroscience and sensory biology.
Feel free to contact Takaaki Sokabe (sokabe "at" nips.ac.jp) to have more information.
Laboratory Internships for international students: Available year-round. Experience laboratory experiments and daily research life.
About the Graduate School (SOKENDAI)
The international internship program is competitive. Inquiry via email is always welcome.
Elucidating the Molecular Basis and Physiological Significance of Sensory Function, and Creating Novel Pest Control Strategies
Our laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms and physiological significance of sensory function, which serves as the gateway for environmental information that organisms rely on for adaptation and survival. In particular, we focus on the functional interplay between membrane receptors—such as TRP channels—and the membrane lipids surrounding them, aiming to propose a new mechanism of sensory transduction in which receptors and lipids function as an integrated unit. Our approach spans multiple levels of biological organization, from the whole organism to individual molecules: we combine behavioral analyses—such as thermotaxis and mechanical stimulus responses—using Drosophila genetic techniques, with neuronal and cellular imaging, and electrophysiological analyses of cultured cells expressing the receptors of interest, in order to reveal the true nature of sensory function.
We are also investigating how oxidative stress—one of the contributing factors to the sensory dysfunction seen in aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease—affects membrane lipids and receptor function, using both Drosophila and mammalian cell models, with the goal of elucidating the mechanisms underlying sensory dysfunction and developing technologies for its restoration. Furthermore, by exploring and developing novel repellent and insecticidal compounds that target insect sensory receptors and neuronal function, we aim to create next-generation pest control strategies.
In this way, with sensory function and its underlying mechanisms as our central theme, our laboratory pursues both basic research aimed at elucidating sensory transduction processes and applied research that contributes to solving societal challenges related to medicine and agriculture. We are also actively engaged in collaborative research and graduate education to advance these efforts.
Figure 1. Mechanism of sensory transduction through the integration of membrane receptors and membrane lipids
Figure 1. Mechanism of sensory transduction through the integration of membrane receptors and membrane lipids
The structure and function of sensory receptors in the cell membrane are maintained by the lipids that surround them. Our laboratory has identified numerous cases in which lipid metabolites and membrane lipids regulate the activity and expression of sensory receptors through mechanisms such as signal transduction, the propagation of membrane physicochemical properties, and the regulation of gene expression. The functions of the diverse lipids present in the membrane remain largely unexplored, and we aim to comprehensively elucidate the physiological roles that lipids play in sensory function.
Figure 2. Next-generation pest control targeting insect receptors
Figure 2. Next-generation pest control targeting insect receptors
We are exploring and developing novel compounds that act as repellents or insecticides, or that disrupt physiological function, targeting TRP channels—which play key roles in nociception and the regulation of physiological function—as well as ion channels that govern neuronal function. We are also analyzing receptor-modulating substances that enhance the effects of these compounds. Beyond this, we envision realizing "ecological distancing"—a state in which humans and other organisms coexist at an appropriate distance, without killing more than necessary.
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