Natural Product Biosynthesis Research Unit
Exploring microbial gene resources and elucidating biosynthetic mechanisms to produce valuable compounds
Unit Leader
Shunji Takahashi D.Sci.
- 1997
- D.Sci., Chiba University
- 1997
- Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Tokyo
- 1998
- Research Associate, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University
- 2002
- Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Kentucky, USA
- 2005
- Postdoctoral Researcher, Antibiotics Laboratory, RIKEN
- 2007
- Senior Research Scientist, Antibiotics Laboratory, RIKEN
- 2011
- Team Head, Cheminformatics and Compound Creation Team
- 2013
- Unit Leader, Natural Product Biosynthesis Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (-current)
| Main Research Fields : | Complex Systems |
|---|---|
| Related Research Fields : | Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering / Biological Sciences |
| Keywords : | Biosynthesis of natural product / Microorganism / Utilization of sleeping genes / Regulation of gene expression / Biosynthetic platform |
| Strategic Program : | Sustainable Bioproduction  Symbiosis and Environment  |
Outline
Microorganisms such as actinomycetes and filamentous fungi are a rich repository of valuable secondary metabolites. The understanding of biosynthetic mechanisms is important to utilize microbial metabolites efficiently. For this reason we elucidate a key reactions of biosynthetic pathways by genetic and biochemical methods. We diversify microbial metabolites by modifying gene clusters and pathway engineering. In addition to utilizing transcriptional regulators, we develop novel methods to activate biosynthetic gene clusters by small molecules and create natural products. We are constructing microbial biosynthetic platforms and efficiently produce valuable natural products using genetic resources from nature.Subjects
- Elucidation of biosynthetic machinery of bioactive microbial metabolites by genetic, biochemical and structural analyses
- Evaluation of transcriptional regulators associated with secondary metabolite gene clusters
- Production of novel secondary metabolites from unknown gene clusters unveiled by genome sequence analysis
- Development of small molecules that enhance production of secondary metabolites
- Construction of biosynthetic platforms using microorganisms
- From genetic resources to chemical resources
- Identification of biosynthetic gene clusters of valuable microbial metabolites
CONTACT
shunjitaka [at] riken.jp
