2021年度TAMAGO採択課題

Improved technology to reduce cell damage by replenishing mitochondria

Development of a bat-borne infectious disease outbreak prediction system using Bat-On-a-Chip

Developing pathogen-fighting foods

Improved technology to reduce cell damage by replenishing mitochondria

 
Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Yoshihiro Ota

(Institute of Engineering / Division of Biotechnology and Life Science)

 "Mitochondrial Replacement Technology Improvement Team"

Mitochondrial abnormalities are observed in many diseases, including ischemia-reperfusion injury following myocardial infarction or cerebral infarction, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, and autism.
Mitochondrial replacement therapy is a treatment that restores cellular function by providing high-quality mitochondria to cells with reduced mitochondrial function.
However, there are some issues with implementing this therapy, such as the need for high-quality, undamaged mitochondria, the need to use them immediately after removal from cells, and the need for advanced mitochondrial isolation techniques.
In this study, we aim to rapidly develop mitochondrial pretreatment technology to improve the efficiency of cell protection, analyze the mechanism of cell protection using cultured cells, and confirm the range of effectiveness of mitochondrial replacement therapy, thereby improving the cell protective effect of supplemented mitochondria and promoting its global adoption.

Member of the "Mitochondrial Replacement Technology Improvement Team"

Development of a bat-borne infectious disease outbreak prediction system using Bat-On-a-Chip

 
Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Tsutomu Ohmatsu

(Faculty of Agriculture Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Research)

 "Team Bat"

Since 2000, there have been successive outbreaks of coronavirus infections whose natural hosts are bats, including SARS, MERS, and COVID-19, raising concerns about the emergence of the "next bat-borne coronavirus infection."
In this study, bioengineering and veterinary researchers will work together to develop a microdevice that can simulate infection from bats to humans, and collect genetic information on viruses that are amplified in bats and viruses that infect humans from bats.
Furthermore, based on the technology for creating a global model of vegetation changes that takes meteorological conditions into account, we will develop a model for predicting the source and spread of bat-borne infectious diseases on a global scale by combining the collected bat distribution data, vegetation data of the target area, land use data, meteorological data, and viral gene mutation data from infection experiments. With this prediction model, we aim to predict the genes of the next bat-borne virus, develop vaccines and diagnostic methods, and identify outbreak areas to quickly contain infectious diseases.

"Team Bat" Members

Developing pathogen-fighting foods

 
Research Director: Professor Tetsuya Mizutani

(Faculty of Agriculture Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Research)

 "Aggressive Food Development Team"

Unfortunately, about 5 million children under the age of five die every year around the world. Nearly half of these deaths are said to be due to infectious diseases. As stated in the SDGs, many children can be saved from infectious diseases, the main symptoms of which are diarrhea and respiratory symptoms, through vaccines and improved sanitation.
In order to contribute to the SDGs, we aim to develop foods that can fight off COVID-19, a major global problem, and infectious diseases in children in developing countries. We have presented papers and conference results showing that the proteolytic enzymes produced by Bacillus subtilis natto can break down COVID-19 and other diseases, and have been featured in many newspapers and scientific websites both in Japan and overseas (joint research with Takano Foods Co., Ltd., etc.).
It is predicted that the next emerging viral infection will have a vaccine developed within a year. However, the emergence of mutant strains will significantly reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine. To get through this year, food-based measures that do not require clinical trials are effective. In this way, we aim to eliminate infectious diseases and promote health worldwide, now and in the future.

Members of the "Aggressive Food Development Team"