Nanobiotechnology

MAENOSONO Laboratory
Senior Lecturer：TAKAHASHI Mari

E-mail：
［Research areas］
Nanomaterials; Cell biology
［Keywords］
Nanoparticles; Bioapplications

Skills and background we are looking for in prospective students

Students who have a strong sense of curiosity, like making an effort and have ambitions to improve are suitable to join our lab. Taking the initiative regarding your research is very important. Communication skills and a spirit of cooperation are also important since we often do collaborations.

What you can expect to learn in this laboratory

General knowledge regarding: synthesis, characterization and analysis of nanoparticles; the characteristic features found in metal, magnetic and semiconductor nanoparticles; cell biology. The spirit to boldly tackle new projects.

【Job category of graduates】 Industry and academic research institutes

Research outline

Bioapplications of nanoparticles (NPs) are attracting more attention every year. We utilize the characteristic features of NPs, which are different to those of bulk materials, for a variety of applications, though we mainly focus on the following three areas. In each case, everyone experiences the entire flow from synthesis and characterization to application.

1. Isolation of cellular organelles using magnetic NPs

The comparison of proteins in certain organelles between normal cells and cells which have functional deficiencies is important in order to clarify the molecular mechanisms of diseases. To isolate cellular organelles, we perform magnetic separation using magnetic NPs. Magnetic NPs are synthesized, and their surfaces are modified with biomolecules. Then, the NPs are introduced to cells and the magnetic separation of organelles is performed followed by biochemical analysis. This research will contribute to new drug discovery and development.

2. Immunoassay using magnetic particle spectroscopy

In order to keep healthy and have a long life, the improvement of the accuracy and efficiency of early stage disease detection technology becomes more and more important. Magnetic particle spectroscopy (MPS) has the potential to become a new immunoassay technique. We prepare different types of magnetic NPs and evaluate the NPs with MPS to create probes which are highly sensitive. Our final goal is to establish a multi-analyte MPS-based immunoassay system.

3.Optogenetics using upconversion NPs

Upconversion NPs can convert long-wavelength incident light to short-wavelength emitted light. In Optogenetics, cells with genetically-introduced photoreceptors are used to manipulate cellular activity by light stimulation. Using upconversion NPs and near infrared light, which has high bio-permeability, we try to control cellular activity.

Key publications

1. D. Maemura, T. S. Le, M. Takahashi, K. Matsumura, and S. Maenosono: "Optogenetic Calcium Ion Influx in Myoblasts and Myotubes by Near-Infrared Light Using Upconversion Nanoparticles" ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 15 (2023) 42196
2. T. S. Le, M. Takahashi, N. Isozumi, A. Miyazato, Y. Hiratsuka, K. Matsumura, T. Taguchi, S. Maenosono: "Quick and Mild Isolation of Intact Lysosomes Using Magnetic–Plasmonic Hybrid Nanoparticles" ACS Nano 16 (2022) 885
3. T. S. Le, S. He, M. Takahashi, Y. Enomoto, Y. Matsumura, and S. Maenosono: "Enhancing the Sensitivity of Lateral Flow Immunoassay by Magnetic Enrichment Using Multifunctional Nanocomposite Probes" Langmuir 37 (2021) 6566

Equipment

Transmission electron microscope (TEM); Scanning TEM (STEM); X-ray diffractometer (XRD); X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR); Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID); Dynamic light scattering (DLS); Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis); Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) etc.