Laboratories
Enzyme Research Team
Keiji NUMATA
Team Leader
Keiji NUMATA (Ph.D.)
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Research Areas

Biomass Engineering Program, which has started since April 2010, is a new and terminable research program. "Enzyme Research Laboratory", one of the core research laboratories of Biomass Engineering Program, aims to search for, create, and develop "new functional enzymes" based on relationship between structures and functions of biopolymer synthases. The final goal of the laboratory is to design and develop the novel functional cellulases as well as synthases for practical and industrial uses.

Research Subject

  1. 3D structures and polymerization mechanisms of biopolymer synthases.
  2. Searches & developments of microorganisms, polymerases, and depolymerases.
  3. Design and biosynthesis of bioinspired functional peptides.
  4. Biopolymer production in recombinant plants.

Related links

  1. RIKEN Biomass Engineering Program Website_Laboratories PageNew Window

List of Selected Publications

  1. Numata, K., and Kaplan, D. L.:
    " Silk-based delivery systems of bioactive molecules.t"
    Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews in press, 2010.
  2. Numata, K., and Kaplan, D. L.:
    " Differences in Cytotoxicity of β-Sheet Peptides Originated from Silk and Amyloid β."
    Macromolecular Bioscience in press 2010.
  3. Numata, K., Hamasaki, J., Subramanian, B., and Kaplan, D. L.:
    " Gene Delivery Mediated by Recombinant Silk Proteins Containing Cationic and Cell Binding Motifs"
    Journal of Controlled Release Volume 146, Issue 1, p136-143, 2010.
  4. Tandon, N., Marsano, A., Maidhof, R., Numata, K., Montouri-Sorrentino, C., Cannizzaro, C., Voldman, J., and Vunjak-Novakovic, G.:
    "Surface-patterned electrode bioreactor for electrical stimulation."
    Lab Chip Volume 10, Issue 6, p692-700, 2010.)
  5. Numata, K., and Kaplan, D. L.:
    "Mechanisms of Enzymatic Degradation of Amyloid Beta Microfibrils Generating Nanofilaments and Nanospheres Related to Cytotoxicity. "
    Biochemistry Volume 49, Issue 15, p3254-3260, 2010.
  6. Numata, K., Cebe, P., and Kaplan, D:
    " Mechanism of Enzymatic Degradation of Beta Sheet Crystals. "
    Biomaterials Volume 31, Issue 10, p2926-2933, 2010.
  7. Qin, G., Lapidot, S., Numata, K. Hu, X., Meirovitch, S., Dekel, M., Podoler, I., Shoseyov, O., and Kaplan, D. L.:
    " Expression, Cross-Linking and Characterization of Recombinant Chitin Binding Resilin. "
    Biomacromolecules Volume 10, Issue 12, p3227-3234, 2010.
  8. Numata, K., Subramanian, B., Currie, H., and Kaplan, D:
    "Bioengineered Silk Protein-Based Gene Delivery Systems. "
    Biomaterials Volume 30, Issue 29, p5775-5784, 2009.
  9. Numata, K., Abe, H., and Iwata, T.:
    "Biodegradability of Poly(hydroxyalkanoate) Materials."
    Materials Volume 2, Issue 3, p1104-1126, 2009.
  10. Numata, K., Srivastava, R. K., Finne-Wistrand, A., Albertsson, A., Doi, Y., and Abe, H.:
    "Branched Poly(lactide) Synthesized by Enzymatic Polymerization: Effects of Molecular Branches and Stereochemistry on Enzymatic Degradation and Alkaline Hydrolysis."
    Biomacromolecules Volume 8, Issue 10, p3115-3125, 2007.

Members

Principal Investigator

Keiji NUMATA
Team Leader

Staff Scientist

Shigeharu MORIYA
Masato OTAGIRI
Research Scientist

Postdoctoral Fellow

Koichiro TACHIBANA
Postdoctoral Researcher
Peter James BAKER
Postdoctoral Researcher

Student Trainee

Manoj KUMAR
International Program Associate
Jo-Ann CHUAH
International Program Associate

Technical Assistant

Yoko MOTODA
Technical Staff I