De Novo Design of Transmembrane Peptides Constructed in Artificial Cell Membrane System
Prof. Ryuji Kawano
Abstract
Artificial cell membranes have emerged as a biomimetic tool in such areas as membrane protein study, synthetic biology, and drug discovery. Planar lipid bilayers are used for functional studies of ion channels and nanopore sensing. The stability of lipid bilayers and the reproducibility of bilayer formation are essential, and it remains a challenge. To address these issues, Prof. Kawano’s research group have used microfabrication and microfluidic technologies that have a significant advantage: easy to handle lipid molecules or solution at the micron scale using microfluidics. Applying these advantages, they propose a stable and reproducible preparation procedure for the planar lipid bilayers using “droplet contact method” and they are applying to measure transmembrane peptides and nanopore sensing. In this presentation, Prof Kawano will share recent results on de novo design of pore-forming peptides and liposomes deforming peptides.
Prof. Ryuji Kawano received his Ph.D. in 2005 from Yokohama National University. He spent 3 years in Prof. Henry S. White’s lab. at the University of Utah as a postdoctoral researcher, where he studied nanopore technologies with glass materials. He then joined Prof. S. Takeuchi’s group at KAST and the University of Tokyo, where he constructed of durable lipid bilayer systems using microfabricated devices. Since 2014 he has worked as an associate professor at his current university and obtained tenure in 2018. His current research interests include molecular robotics based on synthetic membrane proteins, DNA computing, and nanopore technology based on microfabricated technologies.
Cell-like molecular robots based on DNA-integrated microdroplets
Prof. Masahiro Takinoue
Abstract
Molecular robotics is an interdisciplinary research field that aims to construct nanometer–/micrometer-sized dynamical robots made of organic polymer materials and biomaterials such as DNAs, proteins, and lipids. Molecular robots are expected to have molecular sensors, molecular computers, and molecular actuators in their body and to work in a tiny space in an autonomous manner, although the integration of those functions in one molecular robot body is still difficult. To integrate multiple functions for molecular robots and to control those functions in a programmable manner, Prof Takinoue’s research group have currently been constructing DNA-based microcapsules for micrometer-sized cell-like molecular robots and computer-controlled droplet reactors for artifical cells. In this presentation, he will show two types of DNA-based microcapsules for the construction of cell-like molecular robots.
Prof. Masahiro Takinoue received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Tokyo in 2007 through the study of DNA computing and DNA nanotechnology. He joined Prof. Kenichi Yoshikawa’s lab. at Kyoto University as a postdoctoral researcher, where he conducted the study of nonequilibrium nonlinear chemical reactions and microdroplet motions. He then joined Prof. Shoji Takeuchi’s lab. at the University of Tokyo as a project assistant professor, where he carried out research on microdroplet reactors based on microfluidic devices. Since 2011 he has worked as an associate professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology. His current research interests include artificial cell engineering and molecular robotics based on droplet microfluidics, DNA nanotechnology, DNA computing, and biophysics.