Department of Macromolecular Science, Graduate School of Science
I study how the bacterial flagellum builds itself.
The flagellum is a supramolecular complex made up of more than 20,000 molecules of about 30 different kinds of proteins, and bacteria move by rotating it. Flagellar formation begins with the construction of the basal body, which serves as the export apparatus. The component proteins are then transported through the central channel of the axial structure to its distal tip, where they are stacked one on top of another to build the axial structure. However, the detailed mechanism that regulates the order and amount of protein export is still unknown.
To address this, I aim to elucidate the mechanism of flagellar formation at the molecular level by using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to capture snapshots of various structures during flagellar assembly.
It is said that we understand less than 10% of living organisms, and I believe there is still a great deal that humans can learn from them. I want to learn from living things and unravel their mysteries.