Researcher's Profile

We are developing tools for microscopy using the latest optical technologies and microfluidic techniques to understand the biological activities of cells.

Live-Cell Imaging of Secretion activity (LCI-S): This tool combines an antibody-based sandwich fluorescence immunoassay with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to observe cellular secretion in real time (Figure 1 upper).

Time-Dependent Cell-State Selection (TDCSS): This tool tracks cellular changes (e.g., activation or cell death) in real time to find cells that have reached a specific cell-state, harvest them, and examine their gene expression. This allows for a detailed investigation of the genes that control cell activation (Figure 1, lower).

For example, LCI-S visualizes the messages that cells release when they are dying. Cells infected with virus or bacteria cause regulated cell death and release inflammation-associated molecules (Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns: DAMPs) to the extracellular space. However, how exactly DAMPs are released from cells has not yet been elucidated, and LCI-S can simultaneously observe the release of DAMPs and the state of cells, contributing to the elucidation of the mechanism of controlled cell death (Figure 2). LCI-S can also track secretion-associated immune cell activity. Immune cells regulate immune system and maintain the well-being of our bodies by secreting proteins such as cytokines. LCI-S can track the secretion activity of immune cells over several days, enabling us to stratify pathological conditions or TDCSS can investigate genes that control activation of immune cells (Fig. 3).

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• Fig.1. LCI-S & TDCSS
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• Fig.2. Visualization of DAMPs release from dying cells
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• Fig.3. Visualization of secretion activity of living cells