RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center
Director
Toshio YANAGIDA (Ph.D.)
In recent years, advances in fields such as biochemistry, molecular biology, and structural biology have led to rapid developments in the biological sciences. For the most part, such research has focused on the individual elements that constitute a biological system. To truly understand such systems, however, it is important to study the complex spatiotemporal relationships that exist between these elements, as these relationships are crucial for the dynamic systems that are required for life. The RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC) aims to study these complex relationships through innovative measuring and imaging technologies, high performance computing, and techniques to recreate the dynamics of a fundamental biological system - the cell - by modeling it in a holistic manner. Along with new technologies and techniques, however, a new approach is necessary. Cellular components communicate with each other in elaborate, complex networks that regulate an extraordinary number of cellular functions. As such, whenever an external stimulus is applied to a cell, these internal elements must respond accordingly to preserve proper function. In some ways, this is like giving an input to a computer and receiving the corresponding output. Yet this analogy is not apt, as cells use far less energy and are more adaptable to a stimulus. Thus a different paradigm is needed. This is to come from the new technologies and techniques designed at QBiC, which will then be used to predict and manipulate cellular phenomena. Such abilities are expected to revolutionize the life sciences and their applications, including fields like regenerative medicine and patient diagnostics.
| Cell Dynamics Research Core | Toshio YANAGIDA (Ph.D.) | ||
| Laboratory for Cell Dynamics Observation | Toshio YANAGIDA (Ph.D.) | ||
| Laboratory for Single Cell Gene Dynamics | Yuichi TANIGUCHI (Ph.D.) | ||
| Laboratory for Cell Signaling Dynamics | Masahiro UEDA (Ph.D.) | ||
| Laboratory for Comprehensive Bioimaging | Tomonobu WATANABE (Ph.D.) | ||
| Laboratory for Nano-Bio Probes | Takashi JIN (D.Sci.) | ||
| Laboratory for Single Cell Mass Spectrometry | Tsutomu MASUJIMA (Ph.D.) | ||
| Laboratory for Developmental Dynamics | Shuichi ONAMI (D.V.M.,Ph.D.) | ||
| Laboratory for Cell Polarity Regulation | Yasushi OKADA (M.D.,Ph.D.) | ||
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| Computational Biology Research Core | Makoto TAIJI (D.Sci.) | ||
| Laboratory for Computational Molecular Design | Makoto TAIJI (D.Sci.) | ||
| Drug Discovery Molecular Simulation Platform Unit | Makoto TAIJI (D.Sci.) | ||
| Laboratory for Biomolecular Function Simulation | Yuji SUGITA (D.Sci.) | ||
| Laboratory for Biochemical Simulation | Koichi TAKAHASHI (Ph.D.) | ||
| Laboratory for MetaSystems Research | Todd TAYLOR (Ph.D.) | ||
| Laboratory for Multiscale Biosystem Dynamics | Chikara FURUSAWA (Ph.D.) | ||
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| Cell Design Research Core | Hiroki UEDA (M.D.,Ph.D.) | ||
| Laboratory for Synthetic Biology | Hiroki UEDA (M.D.,Ph.D.) | ||
| Laboratory for Cell-Free Protein Synthesis | Yoshihiro SHIMIZU (Ph.D.) | ||
| Laboratory for Integrated Biodevice | Yo TANAKA (Ph.D.(Eng.)) | ||
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| Research Collaboration Office | |||
| Office for Multicellular Dynamics Research Collaboration | Yoshiki SASAI (M.D.,Ph.D.) | ||
| Office for Supramolecular System Dynamics Research Collaboration | Keiichi NANBA (Eng.) | ||
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| Initiative Research Unit | |||
| Frey Initiative Research Unit | Urs FREY (D.Sci.) | ||
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| Research Unit | |||
| Laboratory for Cardiovascular Molecular Dynamics | Atsuo KAWAHARA (Ph.D.) | ||