We focus on membrane proteins expressed on the surface of cells, especially active transporters. By looking at the shape (structure) of these proteins using an electron microscope, we can understand how it works. Once the structure has been determined, we can design a compound that fits inside it- it has a potential to be a drug. Employing artificial intelligence for the compound design, we are trying to develop new drugs.

I started working on the gastric proton pump, which is still an important target of our research, when I was a student here in Hokkaido University. When we have food intake, our stomach becomes veeery acidic (pH 1). The gastric proton pump is responsible for gastric acid secretion. Among the many pumps or transporters expressed in our body, no other tissue, except the stomach, has a pH of 1. In other words, this gastric proton pump is the “strongest” pump in our body. To understand why this guy is the strongest pump, I decided to become a scientist.

Our lab started in April 2024, so it is a new and small lab with only me as a staff, one post-doc, one PhD student, and four B4 students. So far, our official language is English, as the majority of the members are non-Japanese. I believe that our small lab allows us to work intimately with each other and conduct meticulous research. Also, we recently installed a coffee maker, and anyone can enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee for 100 yen. If you are interested in our research, please come to our lab with a 100-yen coin in your hand😊

It might be a boring answer, but research is my hobby. But when it comes to research on gastric proton pump, I am proud to say that I am one of the best in this planet😉 Now I have many friends and colleagues all over the world related to our scientific interest. Sometimes I visit them at conferences or for collaborations. After work, I always look for a microbrewery in the visiting area, and have a beer with them, which is also kind of my hobby.