Biological Chemistry
Biological Chemistry
Summary
Since ancient era, human being have used living things to make alcoholic beverages, vinegar, cheese, and bread. Today with the advancement of biotechnology, the various functions of living things are being elucidated and utilized more extensively than ever previously.
For our Department, we are conducting research to bring out the excellent unknown functions of microorganisms, plants, and animals, elucidate the detailed mechanism, and use it for food/ food production, medical treatment, and environmental restoration.
Faculty members

Yoshihiko Akakabe
- Position
- Professor
- Research Field
- Organic Chemistry
- akakabe (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Investigation and synthesis of physiologically active compounds (pheromones and allelochemials)
・Elucidation of mechanistic pathway for the biogeneration of volatile aroma compounds and its physiological roles

Hiroyuki Azakami
- Position
- Professor
- Research Field
- Molecular Microbiology
- azakami (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Molecular mechanisms of bacterial colonization to host surface
・Bacterial communication and its application to medicine and industry

Yoshihito Iuchi
- Position
- Professor
- Research Field
- Functional Food Chemistry
- yiuchi (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Functional analysis of insect for food.
・Study on biomolecular mechanism of the long-lived termite for anti-aging and longevity.

Shin-ichi Ozaki
- Position
- Professor
- Research Field
- Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing
- ozakis (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Studies on structure-function relationship of metalloproteins
・Rational design of artificial enzymes

Kenji Matsui
- Position
- Professor
- Research Field
- Plant metabolism and physiology
- matsui (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Ecophysiological evolution of plant chemical defenses.
・Metabolism of plant functional compounds and its applications.

Jun'ichi Mano
- Position
- Professor
- Research Field
- Plant Molecular Physiology
- mano (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Regulation and action of oxidative signal in plant development and stress ressponses
・Investigation of plant ingredients to detoxify aldehydes and its application to health improvement

Hirofumi Miyata
- Position
- Professor
- Research Field
- Neuromuscular Physiology
- hiro (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Physiological and biochemical studies on neuromuscular adaptation in mammalian
・Optimal training stimulation for muscle adaptations during development and aging

Toshiharu Yakushi
- Position
- Professor
- Research Field
- Microbial Biochemistry
- juji (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Study on microbial metabolism and enzyme
・Study on enzyme complex in biomembrane

Kazuhira Yokoyama
- Position
- Professor
- Research Field
- Soil Microbiology
- wahei (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Molecular ecology of environmental microorganisms mediating nitrogen transformation.
・Ecological suppression of soil-born plant pathogens.

Yoko Kimata
- Position
- Associate Professor
- Research Field
- Biomolecular Science
- kimata (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Regulation between assimilatory metabolisms in plant plastids
・Mechanisms for molecular interaction and electron transfer between ferredoxin and its dependent proteins

Tomoyuki Kosaka
- Position
- Associate Professor
- Research Field
- Applied Information Technology for Biology
- tkosaka (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Study on metabolism and robustness of microorganisms
・Study on unique metabolic mechanism of microorganisms

Takao Koeduka
- Position
- Associate Professor
- Research Field
- Plant Metabolism and Biochemistry
- takaori (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Biosynthetic mechanisms underlying formation of plant volatiles, Production of bioactive compounds from plants by metabolic engineering

Naoya Kataoka
- Position
- Associate Professor
- Research Field
- Applied Microbiology
- nkataoka (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Microbial fermentation physiology and metabolic engineering
・Bioproduction of useful compounds by microbes

Yu Sato
- Position
- Associate Professor
- Research Field
- Genome Microbiology
- yusato(at)yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Physiological ecology of microbes in the Subterranean Biosphere
・Elucidation of temperature adaptation mechanisms of microbes

Ikuko Yuyama
- Position
- Associate Professor
- Research Field
- Environmental microbiology
- yuyama (at) yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
* Please convert (at) to @. - Main Research Theme
- ・Study on the role of symbiotic microorganisms in the stress resistance of marine invertebrate.
・Elucidation of the establishment mechanism of host–microbe symbioses.