LABORATORY

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Microbiology

  • account_circleNorio OhashiPhD, Prof.
Molecular Characterization of Probiotic Bacteria and Infectious Pathogens
Research into Health-Promoting Probiotics or Prebiotics and Health-Damaging Bacterial Pathogens of Tickborne Origins
Microbes are found in tremendous numbers everywhere in nature. Among these, there are microbes that are good for human health, and those that are bad for it. In our laboratory, we focus on lactic or butyric acid-producing bacteria that are good for human health, and on bacterial pathogens of tickborne origins causing emerging infectious diseases that are bad for human health. Additionally, we perform the functional analysis of prebiotic materials or food through the change of intestinal environments.
1. Development of new probiotics using novel lactic or butyric acid-producing bacteria or bifidobacteria
2. Functional analysis of new prebiotics through the population change of intestinal microbiota
3. Molecular epidemiology of bacterial pathogens, especially obligatory intracellular parasites transmitted by ticks, and the analysis of the pathogenic mechanisms of such bacteria (tickborne infection)
Figure 1
Adhesion of a new probiotic bacterial candidate to the Caco-2 human colonic carcinoma cell line used as a model of epithelial cells on intestine
Figure 2
THP-1 human acute leukemia cell line infected with an obligatory intracellular parasite, Anaplasma phagocytophilum (3-D imaging) Red arrow: intracellular inclusion of live Anaplasma bacteria Yellow arrow: THP-1 host cell nucleus
References
  1. Sci Rep. 11, 687 (2021)
  2. Nat Prod Commun. 15, 1-14 (2020)
  3. Diagn Micribiol Infect Dis 95, 125-130 (2019)
  4. Emerg Infect Dis. 24, 2105-2107 (2018)
  5. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 364(6) (2017)