Biomolecular Engineering
At the laboratories…

Understanding the structures, functions and controlling mechanismsof enzymes and applying this knowledge to other fields
Biomolecular Engineering

Applied Life Chemistry（Nakayama Laboratory）

O metabolism, and their applications.
ur research mainly deals with enzymes,

Enzymes refer to biocatalysts that underpin all
forms of biological activities. The body contains
thousands of different enzymes, eachperforming a specific function. Enzymes are
critically important—the absence of a single
enzyme can cause the death of the organism.
Our work involves identification of novel
enzymes from living organisms such as plants
and microorganisms and studying their functions
and catalytic mechanisms, with a view todeveloping engineering applications.
Thanks to recent advances in bioscience andchemistry, we can identify and describe themechanisms underlying vital biological phenomena, something that was previously thought
impossible to decipher. But more importantly, we are now able to manipulate these biologicalprocesses. For example, we previously identified enzymes involved in biosynthesis of yellow color
Professor of Biomolecular Engineeringat the Graduate School of Engineering
Doctor of Agriculture

Toru Nakayama
Graduated from Higashi-Katsushika HighSchool (Chiba Prefecture) in 1977.
Completed a doctorate at Kyoto
University Graduate School ofAgriculture, majoring in agriculturalchemistry, in 1986, and started work atSuntory in the same year. Appointed
assistant professor of the biotechnology
course at the Tohoku University
Graduate School of Engineering in 1998.
Assumed current position in 2005.
"At elementary school I had my own
microscope and I used to like studying
water fleas and other microbes. Seeing
something so small and self-contained
moving about, I was enthralled by themystery of it all."
The slogan of the Nakayama Laboratory
is: Through experimentation we makenew discoveries and find new ways
forward.

pigments in a certain yellow flower. This discovery provided the real breakthrough in 2006 thatenables us to design novel yellow flowers using the enzyme genes. We will continue to study thestrategies and mechanisms by which organisms harness the functionality of enzymes, andgenerate stocks of useful materials from plants and microorganisms for the ultimate benefit ofhumankind. The potential applications for such materials extend beyond engineering to a wide
range of fields including medical science, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food science, andenvironmental science.
Biomolecular research is a highly competitive environment, where leading research groups fromaround the world jostle for supremacy. Some days seem to be little more than an endlesssuccession of testing and experimentation; but then there are the opportunities to share yourfindings with researchers from the other side of the globe and make new friends andacquaintances. We look forward to welcoming young and enthusiastic students to our laboratory.

Main research themes● Exploring and developing applications for new biochemical reactions● Structural analysis and molecular design of enzymes● I dentifying mechanisms for regulation of metabolism and transmission of
intracellular information in higher plants● Environmental microbiology and applied enzymology