46Associate ProfessorSHIRAI KojiAssociate ProfessorTAKASHIMA SeijiOutlook for researchThe picture to the right shows a green larva.Inthis larva, dye-binding proteins arestored in granules in epidermal cells. My labis researching the mechanism by which thesegranules are formed. By discovering how thatoccurs, we hopeamechanism by which secretory proteins canbe maintained within cells.to also discoverOutlook for students after graduationGraduates are active as researchers at food and pharmaceutical manufacturers and as public officials.Outlook for researchThe spermatogenic potential of GS cells is expected tofind application not only in treating male infertility, butalso in producing superior livestock. In addition, mGScells are expected to serve as another source ofpluripotent stem cells such as iPS cells. In this context,GS cells might be called multipotent stem cells with thepotential to contribute to a wide range of fields.Outlook for students after graduationThe value of the market associated with regenerativemedicine is expected to grow to 1 trillion yen in 2020(according to statistics from the Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry).It is my hope that our futurecolleagues will be able to play a remarkable role ingrowth industries, including in regenerative medicine.Department ofApplied BiologysurvivalDepartment ofApplied BiologyAssociate Professor Shirai took hiscurrent position after working as atheCOE specialresearcher atNationalInstitute of Sericulturaland Entomological Science of theMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry,and Fisheries and as an assistantprofessor at Shinshu University.His areas ofspecialization arebiological chemistry and molecularcell biology for utilizing insects andinsect cells.After receiving a doctorate (inengineering)TokyoInstituteTechnology,Associate Professor Takashimaworked as a research fellow atthe University of Tokyo beforecoming Kyoto University as anassistant professor. His areas ofresearch are re generativemedicine and stem cell biology.The green larva of the sweet potato hornworm, Agrius convolvuli,a large lepidopteran insect found throughout Japan.A dye-binding protein extracted from the dermal cell of an insect.The protein contains clues about protein secretion control.GS cells. Left: Mouse GS cells growing in vitro.Center: Spermatogenesis in the testis transplantedwith GS cells expressing green fluorescent protein(GFP). Right: Mouse offspring produced from spermderived from GS cells expressing GFP. The offspringalso exhibited green fluorescence under UV light.The pluripotency potential of GS cells. Left: mGS cellsde-differentiated (rejuvenated) from GS cells. mGS cellspossess pluripotency like iPS cells. Right: mGS cancontribute to the formation of “chimera mice.” mGS-derived tissue in the chimaera mice exhibited GFPexpression.Insects are the most prosperous animals on the earth. Theyemploy artfulto theenvironment, and each species has developed uniqueinvestigate attractive and useful capabilities offeatures.insects in order to leveragethem to benefit our daily lives inthe future. Insects are not completely different from us, afact that is clear even if we only consider their morphology.Research into thespecial features of insects provides uswith important clues to understanding ourselves as humans.Regenerative medicine using iPS cells is expected to serve as a novelapproach for curing disease. My lab is focusing on germline stem (GS)cells, tissue-specific stem cells in testis. Although GS cells have alreadycommitted to germ cell lineage, they also have pluripotency potentialand often de-differentiate into multipotent GS (mGS) cells thatpossess pluripotency like iPS cells. The goal of our research is tounderstand the unique nature of GS/mGS cells and control their fate.Istrategiesto adaptfromofStudying the capabilities and survival strategies of insects and leveraging them in daily lifeUnderstanding the nature of stem cells and controlling their fate
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