Iwasaki Lab Header Image

The field of biology has expanded from the traditional approaches of focusing on specific organisms and phenomena to utilizing data science approaches in the pursuit of obtaining a comprehensive understanding of life. Under this context, Iwasaki Laboratory at the University of Tokyo employs interdisciplinary approaches, including but not limited to: bioinformatics, laboratory experiments, mathematics, and field samplings to study evolution and ecology of diverse life forms, and to develop novel biotechnological methods.

Research Keywords and Topics

In particular, we are aiming at the following fundamental research questions:
(1) How have the elaborate and complex living systems evolved?
(2) How are the ecosystems stably maintained?
(3) What unknown gene functions have evolved in 4 billion years?
(4) What is the methodology to reveal unknown gene functions from big data?
(5) How many genes are being born on the earth?

Iwasaki Lab Research Photos


Publications

Please refer to our Full Publication List.

Selected papers include:


Members
Iwasaki Lab Member Photo
April 2023
Wataru IWASAKI, Ph.D. [WebPage]
Professor
Motomu MATSUI, Ph.D. [WebPage]
Project Research Associate
Salvatore COSENTINO, Ph.D. [WebPage]
Project Research Associate
Takao K. SUZUKI, Ph.D. [WebPage]
Project Research Associate
Yuki NISHIMURA, Ph.D. [WebPage]
Research Associate
Hiroshi AKASHI, Ph.D. [WebPage]
Project Research Associate
Mizue ANDA, Ph.D. [WebPage]
Project Research Associate
Kimiho OMAE, Ph.D. [WebPage]
Project Researcher
Kento TOMINAGA, Ph.D. [WebPage]
Project Researcher
Tao ZHU, Ph.D. [WebPage]
Project Researcher
Naohisa WADA, Ph.D. [WebPage]
Project Researcher
Sungjin KAWAI, Ph.D.
Visiting Researcher
Kanae SAKAI, Ph.D.
Visiting Researcher
Fumino MARUO, Ph.D.
Visiting Researcher
Seishiro AOKI, Ph.D.
Visiting Researcher
Emiko U. MAKI
Project Academic Specialist
Ken KUROKI [WebPage]
Ph.D. Candidate
Yuichiro OZAKI
Ph.D. Candidate
Shun YAMANOUCHI
Ph.D. Candidate (JSPS Research Fellow)
Shoma MATSUSHITA
Ph.D. Candidate
Jiwei YANG
Ph.D. Candidate (JSPS Research Fellow)
Tomoya NISHIGUCHI
Ph.D. Candidate (JSPS Research Fellow)
Naoki KONNO [WebPage]
Ph.D. Candidate (JSPS Research Fellow)
Keito WATANO
Ph.D. Candidate (SPRING-GX Student)
Makoto ITO
Ph.D. Candidate (WINGS-PES Student)
Kazuki MIYATA
Ph.D. Candidate
Yuxiang HUANG [WebPage]
Ph.D. Candidate (WINGS-LST Student)
Yuna NAKAGAWA
Ph.D. Candidate (SPRING-GX Student)
Yugo TSUNODA
Ph.D. Candidate (SPRING-GX Student)
Yibang WANG
International Adjunct Researcher (from IOCAS)
Ayaka ISHIGURO
Graduate Student
Masaki FUJIYOSHI
Graduate Student (WINGS-PES Student)
Yoichiro ISHII
Graduate Student
Shumpei TAKEUCHI
Graduate Student (WINGS-SA Student)
Satoshi NISHINO
Graduate Student
Shiina IDE
Graduate Student
Seiji TOKI
Graduate Student
Fei XIA
Graduate Student (WINGS-PES Student)
Kosho ASAGA
Graduate Student
Koki KAMADA
Graduate Student
Kota TSUCHIDA
Graduate Student (WINGS-PES Student)
Masamitsu YASUTAKE
Graduate Student (IIW Student)
Kiyoshi ISHIDA
Undergraduate Student
Rintaro NIIMI
Undergraduate Student
Ryuichi ONO
Undergraduate Student
Lab Alumni:
Shotaro HIRASE, Ph.D. (The University of Tokyo)
Thanet PRANEENARARAT, Ph.D. (Google)
Akira IGUCHI, Ph.D. (AIST)
Haruka OZAKI, Ph.D. (University of Tsukuba)
Mio TAKEUCHI, Ph.D. (AIST)
Tsukasa FUKUNAGA, Ph.D. (Waseda University)
Ching-Chia YANG, Ph.D. (National Yang-Ming University)
Sira SRISWASDI, Ph.D. (Chulalongkorn University)
Satoshi HIRAOKA, Ph.D. (JAMSTEC)
Yohei KUMAGAI, Ph.D. (Tayo Inc.)
Sohta ISHIKAWA, Ph.D. (Sunlit Seedlings Ltd.)
Taiki ADACHI, Ph.D. (National Institute of Polar Research)
Masaki HOSO, Ph.D. (Waseda University)
Kazumori MISE, Ph.D. (AIST)
Motohiro AKASHI, Ph.D. (Seikei University)
Tomoyuki MIKAMI, Ph.D. (National Museum of Nature and Science)
Hannah MUELBAIER (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main)
Arnon PLIANCHAISUK, Ph.D. (The University of Tokyo)
Johnny Chun Lai TAM, Ph.D. (Astellas Pharma Inc.)
Joel H. NITTA, Ph.D. (Chiba University)
Keita MIYAKE, Ph.D. (The University of Tokyo)

Joining Our Lab as a Graduate Student

We are accepting graduate students as faculty of the following departments at the University of Tokyo. Whereas they have different systems of lectures, degrees, and scholarships, students of both departments spend laboratory life similarly.
We highly welcome those who majored in bioinformatics and/or were involved in research projects related to bioinformatics during their undergraduate or master courses, and aim at earning a Ph.D by pursuing the research goals described above. If you are interested in joining our lab, please examine our publication list and email the Principal Investigator.

Notes: We have experience in accepting students from outside of Japan. Japanese language is not mandatory if you have enough English skills; however, a will to learn Japanese would be necessary because it makes you enjoy Japan more, and many optional classes are held in Japanese. As the University of Tokyo provides Japanese language classes, we usually encourage colleagues from abroad to take them. Also, we highly encourage international students to obtain scholarships because of financial support and credit for life in Japan (Also refer to the information provided by UTokyo International Education Support Office and Japan Student Services Organization). The best one would be Japanese Government Scholarship (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Monbukagakusho or MEXT) Scholarship). Please consult with your local Japan Embassy for the selection information. In addition, International Student Handbook and Information for Prospective Students are available at UTokyo website. Last but not least, the living cost near our laboratory on the UTokyo Kashiwa campus is much cheaper (single room rent is around 50,000 JPY per month) than that in the center of Tokyo, and many students stay at lodgings near the campus.

Joining Our Lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow

If you are interested in pursuing the research goals described above in our laboratory, please examine our publication list and email the Principal Investigator. Information on our post-doc position availability may be posted in JREC-IN Portal, or we might have an open position even if there is no posted information. In addition, we may help you obtain fellowships such as Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and Human Frontier Science Program Postdoctoral Fellowships.

Notes: We have experience in accepting Postdoctoral Fellows from outside of Japan. Japanese language is not mandatory if you have enough English skills; however, to enjoy life in Japan, a will to learn Japanese to some extent would be necessary. As the University of Tokyo provides Japanese language classes, we usually encourage colleagues from abroad to take them. For more information about life on the Kashiwa Campus, please also refer to the website of International Liaison Office at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, UTokyo.

Affiliations in the University of Tokyo
The University of Tokyo
/ Graduate School of Frontier Sciences / Department of Integrated Biosciences & Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences
/ School of Science / Department of Biological Sciences & Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
/ Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute / Center for Earth Surface System Dynamics / Genetic Research Section
/ Institute for Quantitative Biosciences
/ Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology
Software and Databases

Our laboratory is developing bioinformatic software and databases such as:

For other software and databases, refer to Wataru Iwasaki's Webpage.


Address and Access
Bioscience Building

[Address]
#601 Iwasaki Lab, Bioscience Bldg, the University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, JAPAN

[Access]
Getting to the Kashiwa Campus (PDF) (Bioscience Building is "7")
Google Maps (Bioscience Building, Kashiwa Campus, UTokyo)

Our laboratory is located on the 6th floor (#601) of Bioscience Building on the Kashiwa Campus of the University of Tokyo.
Please note that the entrance of Bioscience Building is only on the east side you see in the photo above.

[Tips]
If you use Tobu bus, please get off at either UTokyo-Front (東大前, Todai-mae) or UTokyo-West (東大西, Todai-nishi) Stop.
If you use UTokyo shuttle bus from Kashiwanoha-campus Station, please get off at the second stop (Environmental Studies Bldg (環境棟前, Kankyoutou-mae) Stop).
If you take a taxi from Kashiwanoha-campus Station, it will take less than 10 minutes and cost about 1,000 JPY.

Highway bus is also available from Haneda Airport and Narita Airport to National Cancer Center East Hospital (国立がん研究センター, Kokuritsu-Gan-Kenkyu Center) Stop, which is just next to the Kashiwa Campus, or Kashiwanoha-campus Station.

Photos of Our Campus and Laboratory

You can see photos and learn about life on the Kashiwa Campus via the following pages of Department of Integrated Biosciences:
Environment and facilities on the Kashiwa Campus
Restaurants on the Kashiwa Campus

The followings are laboratory photos.

Bioinformatics Laboratory
Iwasaki Lab Photo 1

Computing Server and Experimental Laboratory
Iwasaki Lab Photo 2

Bookshelf
Iwasaki Lab Photo 3

Laboratory Life 1
Iwasaki Lab Photo 4

Laboratory Life 2
Iwasaki Lab Photo 5

Graduation
Iwasaki Lab Photo 6