(F)Structure, function, and molecular mechanism of the brain

In the nervous system, intracellular signaling events are closely linked with electrical activities and play essential roles in information processing. To identify and characterize the mechanisms by which signals are organized inside cells, we analyze spatiotemporal patterns of signaling pathways. On the other hand, neural circuitry operates as an ensemble in the nervous system. To investigate the patterns of neuronal firing, we monitor multiple transmembrane voltages or signals that result from electrical activity in complex tissues or intact animals. Over the past decade, various probes have been generated principally using luminescent proteins. We are developing novel probes that will advance our understanding of the spatio-temporal regulation of biological functions inside neurons and brains. We are also engaged in the development of new technologies that would advance the imaging depth limit in living and fixed brain samples. Through comprehensive and in-depth analyses of proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, furthermore, we will grasp molecular features of the primate brain.