January 4th, 2024
Call for Urgent Joint Research with Researchersin Noto Peninsula Earthquake Disaster Area
We would like to offer our sincere sympathy to the people living in Noto Peninsula hit by theearthquake.
All of the staff at our institute are wishing for earliest relief and restoration on the affected areas andwill try to provide the best possible support. We understand that universities and research institutes
in Noto Peninsula were severely damaged and have a lot of trouble with their research activities.
National Institute of Genetics (hereafter, NIG) will provide an opportunity for the researchers andstudents who are suffering from the disaster to continue their research in our institute for a certain
period of time. For this reason, the NIG is inviting proposal for the “Urgent Joint Research” asfollows.
“Urgent Joint Research”
We offer research opportunity for those who have difficulty in conducting research due to damage totheir laboratories. If you are interested in this program, please refer to the list of our faculty members
and their research outlines shown below and contact a member whose research is most closely
related to your own. If you have any trouble finding your host partner, please contact Research
Promotion Team at kyodo-mail@nig.ac.jp
1. How to apply
Application will be accepted in accordance with the annual National Institute of Genetics NIGJOINT (A) and (B).
Please download an application form from the link below and submit it in Word format to theaddress below.
Application Form for Urgent Joint Research （Word）／（PDF）【Send your application to】kyodo-mail@nig.ac.jp (Research Promotion Team)
2. Application *Application was closed
Beginning from today, you can submit your application to our office. Screening will be held
immediately and the result will be informed by e-mail.
3. Expenses
The NIG will provide up to five hundred thousand yen per project within its budget. It can be used fortransportation of materials, research expenses at the NIG, or travel expenses (transportation andaccommodation) for visiting the NIG. Travel and other expenses should be decided based on ourregulations.
4. Research Term
From the date of adoption to March 31st, 2024
5. Report
Research report should be submitted within 30 days after finishing the research.
・Report Form （Word）【Contact/Inquiry】
Research Organization of Information and System
National Institute of GeneticsResearch Promotion Team1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka-ken, 411-8540
Phone: 055-981-6728
E-mail: kyodo-mail@nig.ac.jp

Fumio Hanaoka
Director-General, National Institute of Genetics
Research Organization of Information and Systems
Inter-University Research Institute Corporation

Research Outline（Updated: October 1st, 2023）
Department/Center
Department ofInformatics

Laboratory

Gene- Expression
Analysis

Faculty

OKUBO, Kousaku / Professor

Genetic Informatics KAWAMOTO, Shoko /Associate Professor

Genome Evolution

Genome Diversity

Department ofGenomics andEvolutionary Biology

KUROKAWA, Ken / Professor
HIGASHI, Koichi / Assistant Professor

MORI, Hiroshi / Associate ProfessorBiologicalNetworks

ARITA, Masanori / Professor

GenomeInformatics

NAKAMURA, Yasukazu / Professor

DNA Data Analysis

KOSHIMIZU, Shizuka / Assistant Professor

TANIZAWA, Yasuhiro / Assistant Professor

IKEO, Kazuho / Associate Professor

Research outline“How can we make use of data and information at our
finger-tip in making smarter decisions in our own
contexts?” Without solving this question, all analytical anddescriptive efforts that digitalize the reality end up in vain.
Our tentative answer/goal for this is to develop method toenhance “fluidity” and “utility"of medical knowledge among
humans and machines.
We are working on research and development of databases
and information retrieval system for the national
bio-resource project (NBRP).
We are interested in understanding about microbial
genome evolution and microbial community dynamics, andwe are currently reaching out in the following two major
research directions; I. Facilitate the development of an
integrated database “MicrobeDB.jp”, II. Microbialcommunity dynamics.
Our main research goal is to understand the relationships
between the habitat of organisms and genome diversity. To
facilitate the studies using comparative genomics andmetagenomics, we arealso developing various
bioinformatics methodologies.
Network analysis of metabolic pathways based oncomprehensive identification and quantification ofmetabolites (metabolomics); Bioinformatics related to plantsecondary metabolism and lipid metabolism
Intelligent information technology for structural andfunctional annotations of large-scale nucleotide sequences.
Evolutionary study of genomic structure and gene
expression pattern to elucidate the evolutionary
mechanism of central nervous system and sensory organs.
Evolutionary genomics analysis of various species.
Metagenome analysis.Developing databases and computer
software for biological research.

SATO, Yutaka / Professor
Plant Genetics

EvolutionaryGenetics

Ecological Genetics
ComparativeGenomics
Molecular LifeHistory
Symbiosis and Cell
Evolution

Department of Gene
Function andPhenomics

Model FishGenetics

Plant Cytogenetics

NOSAKA (TAKAHASHI), Misuzu / AssistantProfessor

AKASHI, Hiroshi / Professor

KITANO, Jun / Professor
YAMASAKI, Yo / Assistant Professor
TOYODA, Atsushi / Project Professor
KURAKU, Shigehiro / Professor
KAWAGUCHI, Akane / Assistant Professor
MIYAGISHIMA, Shin-ya / Professor
FUJIWARA, Takayuki / Assistant Professor

SAKAI, Noriyoshi / Associate Professor

NONOMURA, Ken-ichi / Associate Professor
TSUDA, Katsutoshi / Assistant Professor

Mammalian Neural IWASATO, Takuji / Professor
Circuits
NAKAGAWA, Naoki / Assistant Professor

The goal of our research is to understand molecularmechanisms governing early processes of plantdevelopment using a series of rice embryogenesis defectivemutants. Currently we are focusing on the mechanism ofregulating the cell division pattern and plasticity incellular differentiation in rice embryo.
We infer mechanisms of genome evolution using population
genetic andcomparative genomic approaches. Current interests
include global
forces such as biosynthetic constraints that underlie weakselection.
We use threespine stickleback fishes to investigate thegenetic and molecular mechanisms underlying adaptationand speciation.
We have been conducting advanced genomics research on
the plasticity of genome structure and functions using mostadvanced genome technology such as New-Generation
Sequencers.
We focus on vertebrates and bridge molecular-level
laboratory approaches and genome informatics, in order todocument genome evolution and elucidate its mechanism.
In order to understand endosymbiotic evolution of
eukaryotes, we are studying coordinating mechanisms ofeukaryotic cell and organelle/endosymbiont proliferation
using algae, plants, and protists.
We establish reliable protocols for genetically modificationof zebrafish using sperm, and analyze the molecularmechanisms of spermatogenesis and early development inzebrafish.
We aim to elucidate the regulatory system of plant
germ-cell development and chromosome kinetics, mainly
using seed-sterile rice mutants.
We are studying molecular and cellular mechanisms ofneuronal circuit development in the mammals, using
mouse genetics and other related methods.

Multiscale Sensory
Structure
MulticellularOrganization
Brain Function

YONEHARA, Keisuke / Professor
MATSUMOTO, Akihiro / Assistant Professor
SAWA, Hitoshi / Professor
NEGISHI, Takefumi / Assistant Professor
HIRATA, Tatsumi / Professor
KAWASAKI, Takahiko / Assistant Professor
ZHU, Yan / Assistant Professor

Molecular andDevelopmental
Biology
Microbial
Physiology
Mouse Genomics
Resource
Department ofChromosome Science
Genome Dynamics

Cell Architecture

Chromosome
Biochemistry

KAWAKAMI, Koichi / ProfessorASAKAWA, Kazuhide / Specially Appointed
Associate Professor
NIKI, Hironori / Professor

KOIDE, Tsuyoshi / Associate Professor

MAESHIMA, Kazuhiro / Professor
HIBINO, Kayo / Assistant Professor

KIMURA, Akatsuki / Professor
TORISAWA, Takayuki / Assistant Professor

MURAYAMA, Yasuto / Associate Professor
KUROKAWA, Yumiko / Assistant Professor

We use mice and marmosets to understand the structure,function, development, disease, and environmental
adaptation of visual neural circuits at multi-levels,
including genes, neural circuit physiology, and behavior.
We are studying the mechanisms that produce a variety ofcell types through asymmetric cell divisions using thenematode C.elegans.
Development of the vertebrate nervous system with special
focus on neuronal network formation.
Genetic studies on development, morphogenesis andbehaviors by using a model vertebrate zebrafish.
We investigate higher order structure of chromosomes andtheir dynamics in yeast and bacteria through genetic andcell biological analysis.
For understanding genetic basis of behavioral diversity,
behavioral and genetic analyses are applied on a variety ofmouse resources including wild-derived strains. We aredeveloping genome editing methods in mice for analyzing
function of genes.
Our research interest lies in determining how a long stringof genomic DNA is three-dimensionally organized in living
cells, and how the organized genome functions duringcellular proliferation, differentiation, and development. We
are using a novel combination of molecular cell biology andbiophysics to elucidate 3D-organization and dynamics ofhuman genome chromatin.
To understand the three-dimensional architecture of thecell and its dynamics, quantitative imaging and modelingapproaches are employed. Specific targets of the research
are size and shape of organelles, the mechanics ofcytokinesis, and cytoplasmic streaming in the C. elegans
embryo.
We investigate molecular mechanism underling regulationof chromosome organization and dynamics byrecapitulating their biochemical reactions using purified
proteins. We now especially focus on SMC complexes.

Physics and Cell
Biology

Center for Frontier
ResearchSHIMAMOTO, Yuta / Associate Professor
SAITO, Kei / Assistant Professor

Molecular Cell
Engineering

KANEMAKI, Masato / Professor

Invertebrate
Genetics

SAITO, Kuniaki / Professor

Gene Quantity
Biology

MIYOSHI, Keita / Assistant Professor

SASAKI, Mariko / Associate Professor

Theoretical Ecology
YAMAMICHI, Masato / Associate Professorand Evolution
Chemical andRadioisotope
Management Unit

ANDACHI, Yoshiki / Assistant Professor

Our laboratory uses a combination of biophysics,
biochemistry, cell biology, and materials science to study
how the mitotic spindle properly assembles and segregateschromosomes in cell division.
To understand DNA transactions in human cells, we
generate conditional cells using the auxin-inducible degron
technology for genetic and cytological analyses. We also
develop new technologies for construction of mutant humancells.
We investigate molecular mechanisms of Drosophila gene
expression and repression through biochemical and genetictechniques. Especially, we are focusing on the small RNA
pathways and chromatin regulation during germ cell
development.
We study molecular mechanisms underlying genomicchanges in eukaryotic cells. We mainly use budding yeast
and human cell cultures and analyze genomic changes that
result in changes to DNA quantity, using genetic andmolecular biology tools. We specialize in isolatingMbp-sized DNA and separating it by Pulsed-Field Gel
Electrophoresis.
We combine mathematical models, microcosm experiments,and meta-analyses to investigate complex feedbacks
between rapid evolution and ecological processes.
We study microRNA-mediated post-transcriptional
regulation in C. elegans using our original methods for thedetection of microRNAs and target genes.