Biomolecular Engineering
At the laboratories…

Learning about the wondrous structures and mechanismsof nature through channel-transporter analysis
Biomolecular Engineering Applied Biophysical Chemistry（Uozumi Laboratory）

L plants, animals andiving organisms such as

Professor of the Biomolecular Engineering
at the Graduate School of Engineering
Doctor of Engineering

Nobuyuki Uozumi
Graduated from Okazaki-Kita Senior HighSchool (Aichi Prefecture) in 1982.
Completed most of the doctorate course
at the Nagoya University Graduate
School of Agricultural Sciences before
withdrawing in 1989. Appointed
professor at the Nagoya UniversityBioscienceand Biotechnology Center in
2004. Assumed current position in 2007.
Indeed, the mechanism of life is really
beautiful and astonishing to us. However,living cells comprise molecular materials,
and so we are able to understand themat the genetic level, and utilize
biochemical materials for our life. It had aprofound on me.
The most important thing in research isto enjoy ourexperiments and plan theway forward.

microorganisms contain various
kinds of elements and nutrients,
which are actually required within
the biological membrane. Theorganism selectively takes upmolecule based on factors suchas type, timing and age and theneeds of the tissues and organs.
The role of the checkpoint a kindof "nutrient inspection station"
are performed by moleculardevices embedded in the biological membrane. Channels and transporters, which mediate the transportof ion and solute across the biological membrane provide resistance to environmental changes andstresses associated with salt and high osmotic pressure (typically salt damage and drought). Our
research involves analysis of the critically important channel transporter system at the genetic andmolecular level.
With recent advances in structural analysis of soluble proteins, the focus has shifted to the study ofmore elusive biological membrane proteins. Although the genetics of the membrane transport systemare established, their structures, functions and roles remain to be elucidated. In particular, malfunctionof membrane transport proteins confer some hereditary disease, and hypersensitive response toabiotic and biotic stress. Analysis and applied research in this area will become important in the future.
Our research extends to the biomolecular study of organism, as well as intracellular genes and othermechanisms that regulate the membrane transport system in accordance with changes in the externalenvironment. Our research focuses on molecular and cellular biological elucidation of membranetransport and signal transduction in higher plant cells, microorganism and animal cells using geneticengineering, electrophysiological measurement and cell free transcription, translation and translocation
system.
The experiments rarely proceed as planned. We have to accept that failure is an inevitable part ofthe process, and we have to be persistent. Life is beautiful in its complexity, and the ways in whichliving organisms function are more incredible than we can imagine. There is an immense satisfactionthat comes from pursuing research in new fields and discovering new insights into the structure ofliving things. And while useful applications for the complex mechanisms of life may not be immediately
forthcoming, this work nevertheless has tremendous significance.

Main research themes● M olecular mechanisms in ion channel transporters that control biologicalmembrane information transmission and energy conversion● Biological membrane engineering● Environmental stress resistance mechanisms and environmental adaption biology● Cell-free protein synthesis and cell-free membrane protein formation● Understanding and controlling gene expressions