Research activities:
General direction
We are surrounded by diverse types of life in the environment. Human
body has also evolved to sustain its life by organizing cooperative
functions of organs. Our research is concerned with the biological
functions that enable the cooperation in and between human body and
the environment, especially focusing on the human metabolism and
plant uptake of xenobiotics. To diagnose human disease by using P450
biomarkers and to clean the environment, we apply molecular
biological techniques, micro-fabrication and sensing techniques, and
transgenic plants.
Hiromasa Imaishi (Professor)
The human is exposed to the environmental substances such as
agrochemical, medical, and industrial chemical every day. Some
chemical substances have a risk of impairing human health. From a
viewpoint of safety evaluation of environmental substances, we have
been studying the metabolism of chemicals in human body. It is well
known that drug-metabolizing enzymes play an important role in the
detoxification and activation of foreign substances. Cytochrome P450
monooxygenases are the most important enzymes for the metabolism of
chemicals in an organism. Our research is focusing on the production
of toxic chemicals in human body by cytochrome P450. Furthermore, we
are also working on the development of novel diagnostic biomarkers
for human diseases by using cytochrome P450 monooxygenase.
Hideyuki Inui (Associate professor)
Environmental contaminants including dioxins and dioxin-like
compounds, endocrine disruptors, and pesticide residues are widely
distributed into the environment by our social activities and have
adverse effects to ecosystem and the human by their bioaccumulation
via the food chain. Development of new technologies on remediation
and monitoring of them is important for maintenance of safety in
food supply. Animals have metabolism (enzymes) and perception
(receptors) abilities toward exogenous compounds. In contrast,
plants have absorption and accumulation toward low concentrations of
compounds via their root systems. We have developed integrated
remediation and monitoring (bioassay) systems with these features of
animals and plants. The transgenic plants with drug-metabolizing
enzymes and receptors succeeded to remediate and monitor
environmental contaminants, respectively. Researches on absorption
and accumulation mechanisms of environmental contaminants in plants
and utilization of antibodies for monitoring are in progress.
Staff:
Hiromasa Imaishi (Professor)
Professional Experience
2008-present Professor, Kobe University (Kobe, Japan)
1998-2008 Associate professor, Kobe University (Kobe, Japan)
1994-1995 Postdoctoral fellow, Rockefeller University (New York,
USA)
1992-1998 Assistant professor, Kobe University (Kobe, Japan)
1990-1992 Assistant professor, Yamaguchi University (Ube, Japan)
Higher education
1987-1990 Division of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto
University (Kyoto Japan), Ph.D.
1985-1987 Department of Chemistry, Kyoto Institute of Technology
(Kyoto, Japan) Master in Engineering
1981-1985 Department of Chemistry, Kyoto Institute of Technology
(Kyoto, Japan) Bachelor in Engineering
Research Area
1) Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Chemical biology
2) Pharmacokinetics of Environmental Chemicals
3) Agrochemical Science
Hideyuki Inui (Associate professor)
Professional Experience
2012-Present Associate professor, Research Center for Environmental
Genomics, Kobe University (Kobe, Japan)
2012-Present Associate professor, Graduate School of Agricultural
Science, Kobe University (Kobe, Japan)
2009-2012 Senior Assistant Professor, Research Center for
Environmental Genomics, Kobe University (Kobe, Japan)
2009-2012 Senior Assistant Professor, Graduate School of
Agricultural Science, Kobe University (Kobe, Japan)
2001-2009 Assistant Professor, Research Center for Environmental
Genomics, Kobe University (Kobe, Japan)
2001-2002 Visiting Assistant Professor, Rockefeller University, (New
York, USA)
2000-2000 Research Assistant, Rockefeller University, (New York,
USA)
1999-2009 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe
University (Kobe, Japan)
Higher education
1996-1999 Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University
(Kobe, Japan) Ph.D
1994-1996 Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University
(Kobe, Japan) Master in Agriculture
1990-1994 Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University (Kobe, Japan)
Bachelor in Agriculture
Research Area
1) Phytoremediation
2) Bioassay
3) Plant genetic engineering