RESEARCH SUPPORT FACILITY

Head: NISHIMURA, Mikio
Associate Professor: WATANABE, Masakatsu
Research Associates: HAMADA, Yoshio
(Tissue and Cell Culture)
UCHIYAMA, Ikuo (Computer)
Technical Staffs: HIGASHI, Sho-ichi
(Large Spectrograph)
NAKAMURA, Takanori
(Large Spectrograph)
MIWA, Tomoki (Computer)
NANBA, Chieko
(Plant Culture, Farm, Plant Cell)
NISHIDE, Hiroyo (Computer)
ICHIKAWA, Chiaki
(Large Spectrograph)
TAKESHITA, Miyako
(Tissue and Cell Culture)
MAKIHARA, Nobuko (Computer)
SUZUKI, Keiko
(Plant Culture, Farm, Plant Cell)

1. The Large Spectrograph Laboratory

This laboratory provides, for cooperative use, the Okazaki Large Spectrograph (OLS), which is the largest spectrograph in the world, dedicated to action spectro-scopical studies of various light-controlled biological processes. The spectrograph runs on a 30kW Xenon arc lamp and has a compound grating composed of 36 smaller individual gratings. It projects a spectrum of a wavelength range from 250nm (ultraviolet) to 1,000nm (infrared) onto its focal curve of 10m in length. The fluence rate (intensity) of the monochromatic light at each wavelength is more than twice as much as that of the corresponding monochromatic component of tropical sunlight at noon (Watanabe et al. 1982, Photochem. Photobiol., 36, 491-498).

An advanced irradiation system composed of CW lasers (364nm, 390-410nm, 440-460nm, 532nm, 655nm, 752nm) and uniform-fluence-rate irradiation optics interconnected by optical fibers was constructed in 2003. An advanced observation system for cellular and intracellular photobiological responses utilizing a two-photon microscope (FV300-Ix71-TP with a MaiTai laser) and a microbial photomovement analyzer (WinTrack2000/Ecotox) etc. was also introduced.

2. Tissue and Cell Culture Laboratory

Various equipments for tissue and cell culture are provided. This laboratory is equipped with safely rooms which satisfy the P2/P3 physical containment level. This facility is routinely used for DNA recombination experiments.

3. Computer Laboratory

Computer laboratory maintains several computers to provide computation resources and means of electronic communication in this institute. Currently, the main system consists of three servers and two terminal workstations: biological information analysis server (SGI Origin 2000), database server (Sun Enterprise 450), file server (Sun Enterprise 220R), data visualization terminal and molecular simulation terminal (both are SGI Octanes). Some personal computers and color/monochrome printers are also equipped. On this system, we provide various biological databases and data retrieval/analysis programs, and support large-scale data analysis and database construction for the institute members. At the end of this year, a new computer system with enhanced performance was introduced as a replacement for the current system. The service of the new system will start at the beginning of the next year.

Computer laboratory also provides network communication services in the institute. Most of PCs in each laboratory as well as all of the above service machines are connected each other with local area network (LAN), which is linked to the high performance multimedia backbone network of Okazaki National Research Institute (ORION). Many local services including sequence analysis service, file sharing service and printer service are provided through this LAN. We also maintain a public World Wide Web server that contains the NIBB home pages (http://www.nibb.ac.jp/).

4. Plant Culture Laboratory

There are a large number of culture boxes, and a limited number of rooms with environmental control for plant culture. In some of these facilities and rooms, experiments can be carried out at the P1 physical containment level under extraordinary environments such as strong light intensity, low or high temperatures.

5. Experimental Farm

This laboratory consists of two 20 m2 glass-houses with precise temperature and humidity control, three green houses (each 6 m2) at the P1 physical containment level, a small farm, two greenhouses (45 and 88 m2) with automatic sprinklers. The laboratory also includes a building with storage and work space.

6. Plant Cell Laboratory

Autotrophic and heterotrophic culture devices and equipment for experimental cultures of plant and microbial cells in this laboratory. A facility for preparation of plant cell cultures including an aseptic room with clean benches, is also provided.

II. Research Activities

Cooperative Research Program for the Okazaki Large Spectrograph

The NIBB Cooperative Research Program for the Use of the OLS supports about 20 projects every year conducted by visiting scientists including foreign scien-tists as well as those in the Institute.

Action spectroscopical studies for various regulatory and damaging actions of light on living organisms, biological molecules, and artificial organic molecules have been conducted (Watanabe, 2004, In “CRC Handbook of Organic Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2nd ed.” pp. 115-1~115-16).

Publication List:

Cooperative Research Program for the Okazaki Large Spectrograph

Aoki, M., Furusawa, Y., Higashi, S-I. And Watanabe, M. (2003) Action spectra of apoptosis induction and reproductive cell death in L5178Y cells in the UV-B region. Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 2004, 3, 268-272.

Kami, C., Mukougawa, K., Muramoto, T., Yokota, A., Shinomura, T., Lagarias, J. C. And Kohchi, T. (2004) Complementation of phytochrome chromophore-deficient Arabidopsis by expression of phycocyanobilin: ferredoxin oxidoreductase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 101, 1099-1104.

Kraebs, G., Watanabe, M. And Wiencke, C. (2004) A monochromatic action spectrum for the photoinduction of the uv-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acid shinorine in the red alga Chondrus crispus. Photochem. Photobiol. Sci.79, 515-519.

Ohmori, M. And Okamoto, S. (2004) Photoresponsive cAMP signal transduction in cyanobacteria. Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 3, 503-511.

Terauchi, K. And Ohmori, M. (2004) Blue light stimulates cyanobacterial motility via a cAMP signal transduction system. Molecular Microbiol. 52, 303-309.

Watanabe, M. (2004) Action spectroscopy for photosensory processes. In CRC Handbook of Organic Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2nd ed.(Horspool, W. and Lenci, F. eds.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 115.1-115.16.

Yoshihara, S. And Ikeuchi, M. (2004) Phototactic matility in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Photochem. Photobiol. Sci.3, 512-518.