Dr. Akira Kitamura

Newly information

Final update: 24th Sep. 2024

My profile

Affiliation and academic degree

• Associate Professor and Principal Investigator, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Ph.D.

My educational background

• 1999 Apr: Admitted in Undergraduate School of Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
• 2003 Mar: Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Chemistry, Kyoto University (Adviser: Prof. Takenao Yoshizaki)
• 2003 Apr: Admitted in Graduate School of Science (Department of Biophysics, Division of Biological Science), Kyoto University
• 2005 Mar: Master of Science in Kyoto University (Adviser: Prof. Kazuhiro Nagata)
• 2008 Mar: Ph.D. in Biological Science, Kyoto University (Adviser: Prof. Kazuhiro Nagata)

My professional experiences

• 2006 Apr - 2008 Mar: JSPS Research Fellow for Doctor course student (DC2) in Nagata Lab., Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University
• 2008 Apr - 2010 Mar: JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Kinjo Lab., Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
• 2010 Apr - 2019 Mar: Assistant Professor in Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University (Concurrently in Graduate School of Life Science and School of Science, Hokkaido University)
• 2019 Apr - 2024 Aug: Senior Lecturer in Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University (Concurrently in Graduate School of Life Science and School of Science, Hokkaido University)
• 2024 Sep - present: Associate Professor in Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University (Concurrently in Graduate School of Life Science and School of Science, Hokkaido University)
• 2017 Oct - 2017 Dec: Guest Researcher in Experimental Biomolecular Physics Group, KTH Royal Institute for Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
• 2018 May - 2018 Jun: Guest Researcher in Experimental Biomolecular Physics Group, KTH Royal Institute for Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
• 2018 Aug - 2018 Nov: Visiting Scholar in Prof. Richard Morimoto Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
• 2017 Feb - 2020 Mar: JSPS Scientist for Joint International Research (Concurrently)
• 2012 - 2015: Visiting Lecturer in Faculty of Engineering Science, Akita University, Akita, Japan
• 2019 Oct - present: Faculty member in Research and Education Center for Brain Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
• 2023 Aug - present: Visiting Researcher in RIKEN BDR, Japan
• 2023 Aug - present: Principal Investigator in Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

Research Keywords

Protein aggregation, Protein folding/misfolding, Molecular Chaperone, Protein quality control (PQC), Proteostasis, Neurodegenerative disease, Protein traffic, Inclusion bodies, Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), Förster/fluorescnece resonance energy transfer (FRET), Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM), Transient state (TRAST) monitoring spectroscopy, Fluorescent proteins, Cell Biology, Biophysical Chemistry, Protein Science, TDP-43, Optineurin, SOD1, FUS, polyglutamine (polyQ), ALS, Huntington's disease.

Research Themes

1. Elucidation for relationship between protein aggregation and neuronal cell death

A hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington's disease, is aggregation formation of misfolded protein inside and outside the neuronal cells, because accumulation of protein aggregation due to mutations, dysfunction of molecular chaperones, and dysregulation of proteasome, leads to cell death [Kitamura A. et al., Genes Cells 2014; Tashiro E. et al., J. Biol. Chem. 2013; Kitamura A. and Kubota H., FEBS Lett. 2010; Kitamura A. et al., Nat. Cell Biol. 2006]. It is believed that a kind of conformation of the aggregation may be involved in cytotoxicity; however, no general theories linking protein aggregation to cell death has been clarified yet. Thus the theory for neuronal cell death by protein aggregation should be constructed to not only unveil a cellular function but also establish curing strategies for the diseases.

We have recently investigated that depletion of RNA leads to aggregation of a 25 kDa fragment of ALS-associated TDP-43 (TDP25) [Kitamura A. et al., Sci. Rep. 2016]. Moreover, nuclear localization signal-tagged TDP25, which preferably binds to RNA, exerts low cytotoxicity with altering the oligomeric conformation comparing to cytoplasmic TDP25 [Kitamura A. et al., Sci. Rep. 2016; Kitamura A. et al., Genes Cells 2017]. Therefore, we're going to elucidate a novel mechanism inhibiting protein aggregation via RNA in the cells using advanced fluorescence imaging techniques including fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), Förster/fluorescnece resonance energy transfer (FRET), and so on.

2. Applications of live cell imaging techniques for cell biology

We're also going to investigate various cellular functions and biomolecular charaterization using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), Transient state (TRAST) monitoring, Förster/fluorescnece resonance energy transfer (FRET), Image correlation spectroscopy (ICS), and so on. Related publications are selected below:

1. Kitamura A., et al., Nucleic Acids Research (2023) [DOI] 

2. Kitamura A., et al., Scientific Reports (2023) [DOI] 

3. Fujimoto A., Kitamura A. et al.,, Applied Science (2021) [DOI] 

4. Takakura A., Kitamura A. et al.,, J. Photochem. & Photobiol., A: Chem. (2021) [DOI] 

5. Kitamura A., et al., J. Biochem. (2018) [DOI] 

Published Original Papers [*Corresponding authors]

1. Short Repeat Ribonucleic Acid Reduces Cytotoxicity by Preventing the Aggregation of TDP-43 and Its 25 KDa Carboxy-Terminal Fragment.
   Fujimoto A., Kinjo M., *Kitamura A.
   JACS Au, 4, 3896-3909, 2024
   [DOI (Open Access)]  [bioRxiv] 

2. Interaction of receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant with hACE2 and actin.
   Fujimoto A., Kawai H., Kawamura R., *Kitamura A.
   Cells, 13(16), 1318, 2024
   [DOI]  [bioRxiv] 

3. Hetero-oligomerization of TDP-43 carboxy-terminal fragments with cellular proteins contributes to proteotoxicity.
   *Kitamura A., Fujimoto A., Kawashima R., Lyu Y., Sasaki K., Hamada Y., Moriya K., Kurata A., Takahashi K., Brielmann R., Bott L.C., Morimoto R.I., Kinjo M.
   Communications Biology, 7, 743, 2024
   [DOI]  [bioRxiv] 

4. Stress granule dysfunction via chromophore-associated light inactivation.
   Koizumi T., Fujimoto A., Kawaguchi H., Kurosaki T., *Kitamura A.
   ACS Omega, 9(19), 21298-21306, 2024
   [DOI]  [bioRxiv] 

5. Axonal transport of Frizzled5 by Alcadein α-containing vesicles is associated with kinesin-1.
   Shiraki Y., Mitsuma M., Takada R., Hata S., Kitamura A., Takada S., Kinjo M., Taru H., Müller U.C., Yamamoto T., Sobu Y., *Suzuki T.
   Molecular Biology of the Cell, 34(11), ar110, 2023
   [DOI] 

6. Increased intracellular crowding during hyperosmotic stress.
   *Kitamura A., Oasa S., Kawaguchi H., Osaka M., Vukojević V., Kinjo M.
   Scientific Reports, 13, 11834, 2023
   [DOI]  [bioRxiv]  [Press Release] 

7. Light-induced condensates show accumulation-prone and less dynamic properties in the nucleus compared to the cytoplasm.
   Hamada Y., *Kitamura A.
   Spectrosc. J., 1(2), 65-71, 2023
   [DOI]  [bioRxiv] 

8. Intracellular conformation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-causative TDP-43.
   *Kitamura A., Yuno S., Kawamura R., Kinjo M.
   Int. J. Mol. Sci., 24(6), 551322, 2023
   [DOI]  [bioRxiv] 

9. Trans-cis isomerization kinetics of cyanine dyes reports on the folding states of exogeneous RNA G-quadruplexes in live cells.
   Kitamura A., Tornmalm J., Demirbay B., Piguet J., Kinjo M., *Widengren J.
   Nucleic Acids Research, 51(5), e27, 2023
   [DOI]  [Press Release] 

10. Interaction between spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and human virus receptor ACE2 using two-color fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy.
    Fujimoto A., Lyu Y., *Kinjo M., *Kitamura A.
    Applied Sciences, 11, 10697, 2021
    [MDPI]  [DOI]  [bioRxiv] 

11. Conformational stabilization of Optineurin by the dynamic interaction of linear polyubiquitin.
    *Kitamura A., Numazawa R., *Kinjo M.
    Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 559, 203-209, 2021
    [DOI] 

12. Molecular basis of functional compatibility between ezrin and other actin-membrane associated proteins during cytokinesis.
    Yang G., Hiruma S., Kitamura A., Kinjo M., Mishra, M., *Uehara R.
    Exp. Cell Res., 403, 112600, 2021
    [PubMed]  [DOI] 

13. Membrane surface modulates slow diffusion in small crowded droplets.
    Harusawa K., Watanabe C., Kobori Y., Tomita K., Kitamura A., Kinjo M., *Yanagisawa M.
    Langmuir, 37, 437-444, 2021
    [PubMed]  [DOI] 

14. Analysis of the Triplet-state Kinetics of a Photosensitizer for Photoimmunotherapy by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy.
    Takakura H., Goto Y., Kitamura A., Yoshihara T., Tobita S., Kinjo M., *Ogawa M.
    J. Photochem. & Photobiol., A: Chem., 408, 113094, 2021
    [DOI] 

15. Characterization of intracellular crowding environments with topology-based DNA quadruplex sensors.
    Takahashi S., Yamamoto J., Kitamura A., Kinjo M., *Sugimoto N.
    Anal. Chem., 91, 2586-2590, 2019
    [PubMed]  [DOI] 

16. Encapsulation of biomacromolecules by soaking and co-crystallization into porous protein crystals of hemocyanin.
    Hashimoto T., Ye Y., Matsuno A., Ohnishi Y., Kitamura A., Kinjo M., Abe S., Ueno T., Yao M., Ogawa, T., Matsui T., *Tanaka Y.
    Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 509, 577-584, 2019
    [PubMed]  [DOI] 

17. The AAA+ ATPase/ubiquitin ligase mysterin stabilizes cytoplasmic lipid droplets.
    Sugihara M., *Morito D., Ainuki S., Hirano Y., Ogino K., Kitamura A., Hirata H., Nagata K.
    J. Cell Biol., 218, 949-960, 2019
    [PubMed]  [Rockefeller Press]  [Hokudai Press release (Only Japanese)] 

18. The cytoplasmic region of the amyloid beta-protein precursor (APP) is necessary and sufficient for the enhanced fast velocity of APP transport by kinesin-1.
    Tsukamoto M., Chiba K., Sobu Y., Shiraki Y., Okumura Y., Hata S., Kitamura A., Nakaya T., Uchida S., Kinjo M., Taru H., *Suzuki T.
    FEBS Letters, 592, 2716-2724, 2018
    [PubMed]  [FEBS Press] 

19. Molecular chaperone HSP70 prevents formation of inclusion bodies of the 25-kDa C-terminal fragment of TDP-43 by preventing aggregate accumulation.
    Kitamura A., Iwasaki N., *Kinjo M.
    Cell Stress and Chaperones, 23, 1177-1183, 2018
    [PubMed]  [Oxford] 

20. Determination of cytoplasmic optineurin foci sizes using image correlation spectroscopy.
    Kitamura A., Shimizu H., *Kinjo M.
    The Journal of Biochemistry, 164, 223-229, 2018
    [PubMed]  [Oxford] 

21. Analysis of the substrate recognition state of TDP-43 to single-stranded DNA using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.
    Kitamura A., Shibasaki A., Takeda K., Suno R., *Kinjo M.
    Biochem. Biophys. Reports, 14, 58-63, 2018
    [ScienceDirect (OpenAccess)] 

22. Detection of substrate-binding of a collagen-specific molecular chaperone HSP47 in solution using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.
    #Kitamura A., #Ishida Y., Kubota H., Pack C.G., Homma T., Ito S., Araki K., Kinjo M., *Nagata K. (#Equally contributed)
    Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 497, 279-284, 2018
    [PubMed]  [ScienceDirect] 

23. Physicochemical properties of mammalian molecular chaperone HSP60.
    Ishida R., Okamoto T., Motojima F., Kubota H., Takahashi H., Tanabe-Ishida M., Oka T., Kitamura A., Kinjo M., Yoshida M., Otaka M., *Itoh H.
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 8, 489, 2018
    [PubMed]  [OpenAccess]

24. Determination of diffusion coefficients in live cells using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching with wide-field fluorescence microscopy.
    *Kitamura A. and *Kinjo M.
    Biophysics and Physicobiology, 15, 1-7, 2018
    [PubMed]  [J-STAGE (Free Access)] 

U6 snRNA expression prevents toxicity in TDP-43-knockdown cells.
Yahara M., Kitamura A., *Kinjo M.
PLOS ONE, 12, e0187813, 2017
[OpenAccess]  [Hokudai Press release]  [PubMed] 

Different aggregation states of a nuclear localization signal-tagged 25 kDa C-terminal fragment of TAR RNA/DNA-binding protein 43 kDa.
Kitamura A., Yuno S., Muto H., *Kinjo M.
Genes to Cells, 22, 521-534, 2017
[PubMed]  [Wiley Online] 

Development of new fusion proteins for visualizing amyloid-beta oligomers in vivo.
*Ochiishi T., Doi M., Yamasaki K., Hirose K., Kitamura A., Urabe T., Hattori N., Kinjo M., Ebihara T., Shimura H.
Scientific Reports, 6, 22712, 2016
[OpenAccess]  [Hokudai Press release]  [AIST Press release]  [PubMed]

Dependence of fluorescent protein brightness on protein concentration in solution and enhancement of it.
Morikawa T. J., Fujita H., Kitamura A., Horio T., Yamamoto J., Kinjo M., Sasaki A., Machiyama H., Yoshizawa K., Ichimura T., Imada K., Nagai T., *Watanabe T. M.
Scientific Reports, 6, 22342, 2016
[OpenAccess]  [Hokudai Press release]  [RIKEN Press release]  [PubMed]

Interaction of RNA with a C-terminal fragment of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-associated TDP43 reduces cytotoxicity.
Kitamura A., Nakayama Y., Shibasaki A., Taki A., Yuno S., Takeda K., Yahara M., Tanabe N., *Kinjo M.
Scientific Reports, 6, 19230, 2016
[OpenAccess]  [Press release]  [PubMed]

In vivo fluorescence-correlation spectroscopy analyses of FMBP-1, a silkworm transcription factor.
Tsutsumi M., Muto H., Myoba S., Kimoto M., Kitamura A., Kamiya K., Kikukawa T., Takiya S., Demura M., Kawano K., Kinjo M., *Aizawa T.
FEBS Open Bio, 6, 106-125, 2016
[Open Access]  [Selected Cover Figure]

Efficient and dynamic nuclear localization of green fluorescent protein via RNA binding.
Kitamura A., Nakayama Y., *Kinjo M.
Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 463, 401-406, 2015
[PubMed]  [Open from HUSCAP]

Moyamoya disease-associated protein mysterin/RNF213 is a novel AAA+ ATPase, which dynamically changes its oligomeric state.
Morito D., Nishikawa K., Hoseki J., Kitamura A., Kotani Y., Kiso K., Kinjo M., Fujiyoshi Y., *Nagata K.
Scientific Reports, 4, 4442, 2014
[PubMed]  [Kyoto Sangyo Univ. Press Release] 

Dysregulation of the proteasome increases the toxicity of ALS-linked mutant SOD1.
Kitamura A., Inada N., Kubota H., Matsumoto G., Kinjo M., Morimoto R.I., *Nagata K.
Genes to Cells, 19, 209-224, 2014
[PubMed]  [Selected Cover Figure Title]

Prefoldin prevents aggregation of alpha-synuclein.
Takano M., Tashiro E., Kitamura A., Maita H., Iguchi-Ariga M.M.S., Kinjo M., *Ariga H.
Brain Research, 1542, 186-194, 2014
[PubMed]

The interaction of Hsp104 with yeast prion Sup35 as analyzed by fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy.
Ohta S., Kawai-Noma S., Kitamura A., Pack C.G., Kinjo M., *Taguchi H.
Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 442, 28-32, 2013
[PubMed]

Prefoldin protects neuronal cells from polyglutamine toxicity by preventing aggregation formation.
Tashiro E., Zako T., Muto H., Ito Y., Sorgjerd K., Terada N., Miyazawa M., Kitamura A., Kitaura H., Kubota H., Maeda M., Momoi T.,Iguchi-Ariga M.M.S., Kinjo M., *Ariga H.
Journal of Biological Chemistry, 288, 19958-19972, 2013
[PubMed]

Nonmuscle myosin II folds into a 10S form via two portions of tail for dynamic subcellular localization.
Kiboku T., Katoh T., Nakamura A., Kitamura A., Kinjo M., Murakami Y., *Takahashi M.
Genes to Cells, 18, 90-109, 2013
[PubMed]

Direct association of unfolded proteins with mammalian ER stress sensor, IRE1beta.
Oikawa D., Kitamura A., Kinjo M., *Iwawaki T.
PLoS One, 7, e51290, 2012
[PubMed]

Atg9 vesicles are an important membrane source during early steps of autophagosome formation.
Yamamoto H., Kakuta S., Watanabe T.M., Kitamura A., Sekito T., Kondo-Kakuta C., Ichikawa R., Kinjo M., *Ohsumi Y.
Journal of Cell Biology, 198, 219-233, 2012
[PubMed]

Autophagic elimination of misfolded procollagen aggregates in the endoplasmic reticulum as a means of cell protection.
Ishida Y., Yamamoto A., Kitamura A., Lamandé S.R., Yoshimori T., Bateman J.F., Kubota H., and *Nagata K.
Molecular Biology of the Cell, 20, 2744-2754, 2009
[PubMed]

MKKS is a centrosome-shuttling protein degraded by disease-causing mutations via CHIP-mediated ubiquitination.
Hirayama S, Yamazaki Y, Kitamura A., Oda Y, Morito D, Okawa K, Kimura H, Cyr DM, Kubota H, *Nagata K.
Molecular Biology of the Cell, 19, 899-911, 2008
[PubMed]

Cytosolic chaperonin prevents polyglutamine toxicity with altering the aggregation state.
Kitamura A., Kubota H., Pack C.G., Matsumoto G., Hirayama S., Takahashi Y., Kimura H., Kinjo M., Morimoto R.I., *Nagata K.
Nature Cell Biology, 8, 1163-1170, 2006
[PubMed]  [JST Press Release]

Type I collagen in Hsp47-null cells is aggregated in endoplasmic reticulum and deficient in N-propeptide processing and fibrillogenesis.
Ishida Y., Kubota H., Yamamoto A., Kitamura A., Bächinger H.P., *Nagata K.
Molecular Biology of the Cell, 17, 2346-2355, 2006
[PubMed]

Published Review papers (Only English available)

1. Physico- and chemical biology using nanomanipulation and micromanipulation technologies.
   *Kitamura A., *Iizuka R.
   Biophysics and Physicobiology, 19, e190044, 2022
   [DOI]

2. Pinhole Closure Improves Spatial Resolution in Confocal Scanning Microscopy.
   *Kitamura A.
   Methods in Molecular Biology, 2274, 385-389, 2021
   [DOI]

3. Detection of protein aggregation using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.
   *Kitamura A., Fujimoto A., Kinjo M.
   Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), e62576, 2021
   [HUSCUP ePrint] [JoVE] [DOI]

4. Spatial Image Correlation Spectroscopy (ICS): A Technique for Average Size Determination of Subcellular Accumulated Structures from Fluorescence Microscopic Images.
   *Kitamura A. & Kinjo M.
   Bio-protocol, 10, e3624, 2020
   [DOI]

5. Session 2SHP report-decoding intracellular architecture using visualizing device development and mathematical modeling
   *Kitamura A. & Kabayama K.
   Biophysical Reviews, 12, 281-282, 2020
   [Springer] [HUSCAP ePrint]

6. New trends in Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, development and application
   Yamamoto J., Kitamura A., *Kinjo M.
   Seibutsubutsuri (Japanese-only), 59, 125-131, 2019
   

7. TDP-43 depletion: mechanism of neuronal cell death in ALS.
   *Kitamura A.
   Future Neurology, 13, 143-149, 2018
   [Future Medicine] [Research Gate]

8. State-of-the-art Fluorescence Fluctuation-Based Spectroscopic Techniques for the Study of Protein Aggregation.
   *Kitamura A., Kinjo M.
   Int. J. Mol. Sci., 19, 964, 2018
   [Open Access]

9. Conformational analysis of misfolded protein aggregation by FRET and live-cell imaging techniques.
   *Kitamura A., Nagata K., Kinjo M.
   Int. J. Mol. Sci., 16, 6076-6092, 2015
   [Open Access]

10. Analyzing the aggregation of polyglutamine-expansion proteins and its modulation by molecular chaperones.
    Kubota H., Kitamura A., *Nagata K.
    Methods, 53, 267-274, 2011
    [PubMed]

11. Fluorescently labeled proteins as a tool for analyzing the dynamics of protein quality control in living cells.
    Kubota H., Kitamura A., Itoh H., Kinjo M., *Nagata K.
    Int. J. Soc. Mater. Eng. Resour., 17, 1-4, 2010
    [J-STAGE]

12. Amyloid oligomers: dynamics and toxicity in the cytosol and nucleus.
    Kitamura A. and *Kubota H.
    FEBS J., 277, 1369-1379, 2010
    [PubMed]

Presentations (Only International Meeting or Course)

1. (2024.Apr) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 2024 Meeting "Protein homeostasis in Health & Disease" Poster presentation, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA.
2. (2023.Nov) Course Functional Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging (fFMI) in Biomedical Research, Talk for FCS/FCCS, Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden)．
3. (2022.Nov) Course Functional Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging (fFMI) in Biomedical Research, Talk for FCS/FCCS, Karolinska Institutet (Online, Stockholm, Sweden)．
4. (2022.Sep) International Workshop on Fluorescence Methods and Applications 2022, Oral, KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Online; Stockholm, Sweden).
5. (2021.Nov) Course Functional Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging (fFMI) in Biomedical Research, Talk for FCS/FCCS, Karolinska Institutet (Online, Stockholm, Sweden)．
6. (2021.Jun) FASEB SRC 2021 "The Protein Aggregation Conference: Function, Dysfunction, and Disease", Psoster Presentation, Virtual.
7. (2020.Nov) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 2020 Meeting "Protein homeostasis in Health & Disease" Poster presentation, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY (online)．
8. (2020.Nov) Course Functional Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging (fFMI) in Biomedical Research, Talk for FCS/FCCS, Karolinska Institutet (Online, Stockholm, Sweden)．
9. (2019 Nov) QBP/QCS Seminar, Invited Talk, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
10. (2019.Nov) Course Functional Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging (fFMI) in Biomedical Research, Talk and Hands-on Lecture for FCS/FCCS, Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden)．
11. (2019 Oct) Asian Pacific Prion Symposium 2019, Poster Presentation & selected talk, RIKEN Suzuki Umetaro Hall, Wako, Saitama.
12. (2018 Nov) Course Functional Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging (fFMI) in Biomedical Research, Talk and Hands-on Lecture for FCS/FCCS, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
13. (2018 Nov) QBP/QCS Seminar, Invited Talk, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
14. (2018 Jul) Hokkaido Summer Institute 2018, Hands-on Lecture for FCS, Hokkaido Univeristy, Sapporo, Japan.
15. (2017 Nov) Course Functional Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging (fFMI) in Biomedical Research, Talk and Hands-on Lecture for FCS/FCCS, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
16. (2017 Jul) Hokkaido Summer Institute 2017, Hands-on Lecture for FCS, Hokkaido Univeristy, Sapporo, Japan.
17. (2017 Jan) 4th AIST International Imaging Workshop, Talk and Hands-on Lecture for FCS/FCCS, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan.
18. (2016 Nov) Course Functional Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging (fFMI) in Biomedical Research, Talk and Hands-on Lecture for FCS/FCCS, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
19. (2016 Jul) Hokkaido Summer Institute 2016, Hands-on Lecture for FCS/FCCS, Hokkaido Univeristy, Sapporo, Japan.
20. (2016 Jun) Leica meets science 2016, Leica Microsystems CMS, Mannheim, Germany.
21. (2016 Jan) 3rd AIST International Imaging Workshop, Talk and Hands-on Lecture for FCS/FCCS, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan.
22. (2015 Nov) Course Functional Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging (fFMI) in Biomedical Research, Hands-on Lecture for FCS/FCCS, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
23. (2015 Jul) Cell Biology Workshop (a microscopy training course), Hands-on Lecture for FCS, Hokkaido Univeristy, Sapporo, Japan.
24. (2014 Dec) 2nd AIST International Imaging Workshop, Talk and Hands-on Lecture for FCS/FCCS, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan.
25. (2012 Jul) FASEB SRC "Protein Folding in the Cell", Poster Presentation, Vermont Academy, VT, USA.
26. (2011 Sep) Cold Spring Harbor Asia Meeting "Protein Homeostasis in Health and Disease" Poster Presentation, Suzho, China.
27. (2011 Mar) NAIST Colloquium on Advances in Natural Language Processing "Protein and Organelle Dynamics under Cellular Stress Conditions" Talk, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Ikoma, Japan.
28. (2010 Sep) "The 3rd International Symposium on Protein Community", Poster Presentation, Hotel Nikko Nara, Nara, Japan.
29. (2010 May) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 2010 Meeting "Molecular Chaperones & Stress Responses", Poster presentation, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY.
30. (2009 Apr) International Conference "Protein Folding and neurodegenerative disease" Talk, Heian-kaikan, Kyoto, Japan.
31. (2007 Nov) 10th Workshop on FCS and related methods, Poster Presentation, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
32. (2006 Jul) FASEB Summer research conferences "Protein Folding in the Cell", Poster Presentaiton, Vermont Academy, VT, USA.

Research Supports

• 2024 Apr - 2029 Mar: JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (A)); 135,720,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  

• 2023 Apr - 2024 Mar: AMED Translational Research Network Program (Seeds A);
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  [Fund website]

• 2022 Oct - 2026 Mar: AMED Advanced Research & Development Programs for Medical Innovation (AMED-PRIME) "Understanding proteostasis and discovering innovative medical applications"; 49,045,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  [Fund website]

• 2022 Sep - 2024 Mar: AMED Translational Research Network Program (Seeds H);
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  [Fund website]

• 2022 Apr - 2024 Mar: JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas "Information physics of living matters"; 3,000,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  

• 2022 Aug - 2024 Mar: JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Exploratory Research; 500,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (non-PI) & Masataka Kinjo (PI)
  

• 2022 Apr - 2025 Mar: JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B); 700,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (non-PI) & Masataka Kinjo (PI)
  

• 2022 Apr - 2023 Mar: Nakatani Foundation Grant Program for Research Study; 5,000,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  [Fund website]

• 2022 Apr - 2023 Mar: Hagiwara Foundation of Japan; 1,000,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  [Fund website (In Japanese)]

• 2021 Apr - 2025 Mar: Hoansha Foundation grant; 2,000,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  [Fund website (In Japanese)]

• 2020 Aug - 2021 Jul: Nakatani Foundation Grant Program for novel coronavirus infection disease study; 3,000,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  [Fund website]

• 2018 Dec - 2019 Dec: JST A-STEP (Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program through Target-driven R&D); 10,000,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI) and related members
  [JST website] [Accepted members]

• 2018 Apr - 2021 Mar: a JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C); 3,500,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  [JSPS website]

• 2018 Apr - 2020 Mar: a Grant-in-Aid from The Canon Foundation; 10,000,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI) and Johtaro Yamamoto
  [Fund website]

• 2017 Jul - 2020 Mar: a JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Joint International Research; 11,700,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  [JSPS website]

• 2016: a grant for Promotion for Young Research Talent and Network in Sapporo from Northern Advanced Center for Science & Technology (Sapporo, Japan); 400,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  

• 2016: a grant from The Akiyama Life Science Foundation (Sapporo, Japan); 500,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  

• 2016: a grant-in-aid of The Nakabayashi Trust for ALS Research (Tokyo, Japan); 1,000,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  

• 2016: a grant-in-aid of Japan Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association (JALSA, Tokyo, Japan) for ALS research; 1,000,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  [JALSA website (Japanese)]

• 2014 Apr - 2017 Mar: a JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C); 3,800,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  [JSPS website]

• 2012 Oct - 2017 Mar: From a grant for Development of Systems and Technologies for Advanced Measurement and Analysis from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED); 15,200,000 JPY as the allotment (partial responsibility)
  Yasushi Hiraoka (PI)
  [JST website]  [AMED website]

• 2011 Apr - 2015 Mar: a JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B); 4,000,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  

• 2008 Apr - 2010 Mar: a JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Research Fellow (PD); 3,000,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  

• 2006 Apr - 2007 Mar: a JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Research Fellow (DC2); 1,800,000 JPY
  Akira Kitamura (PI)
  

Teaching Experiences

• [Graduate School of Life Science in Hokkaido Univ.]
  Functional Cellular Sciences: Molecular Cell Dynamics Science
  Lecture for graduate students (Partial responsibility)
  Title: Molecular Cell Dynamics Science
  Theme: Super-resolution microscopy, adaptive optics, and bioluminesense
  (2013 - present)
  

• [Inter-Graduate School Classes (Educational Program) in Hokkaido Univ.]
  Brain Science II
  Talk and practice course for graduate students (Partial responsibility)
  Title: Advanced microscopy imaging techniques for Brain Science
  (2011 - present)
  

• [School of Science in Hokkaido Univ.]
  Cell Structural Science III
  Lecture for undergraduates (Partial responsibility)
  Textbook: Essential Cell Biology; Chapters 13, 14, and a part of 18
  Theme: Energy generation in the cells and prokaryotic cell division
  (2017 - )
  

• [School of Science in Hokkaido Univ.]
  Cell Structural Science III
  Lecture for undergraduates (Partial responsibility)
  Textbook: Essential Cell Biology; Chapters 13 and 14
  Theme: Energy generation in the cells
  (2013 - 2016)
  

• [School of Science in Hokkaido Univ.]
  Cell Structural Science II
  Lecture for undergraduates (Partial responsibility)
  Textbook: Essential Cell Biology; Chapter 15
  Theme: Unfolded stress response, protein transport into the organelle, and disease
  (2016 and 2017)
  

• [School of Science in Hokkaido Univ.]
  Laboratory Work on Bio-macromolecular Science II
  Practice course for undergraduates (Partial responsibility)
  Theme: Fluorescence spectroscopy and live cell imaging
  (2013 - present)
  

• [School of Science in Hokkaido Univ.]
  Fundamental Laboratory Work on Bio-macromolecular Science
  Practice course for undergraduates (Partial responsibility)
  Theme: Diffraction and interference of light
  (2012 - present)
  

• [School of Science in Hokkaido Univ.]
  Experimental Biological Science
  Lecture for undergraduates (Partial responsibility)
  Title: Frontiers of Live cell imaging
  (2012 - present)
  

• [School of Engineering Science, Akita Univ., Akita, Japan]
  A short, intensive course: Cell Biology for Engineering II
  Lecture for undergraduates (Partial responsibility)
  Theme: Applications of molecular diffusion measurments and super-resolution microscopy
  (2012 - 2015)
  

• [NICT/Osaka Univ./Hokkaido Univ.]
  Cell Biology Workshop; Microscopy Training Course
  Practice course (Partial responsibility)
  Theme: Time-lapse imaging, FRAP, and FCS using confocal microscopy
  (2007 - present)
  

• [Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden]
  Functional Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging (fFMI); Microscopy Training Course
  Practice course and lecture (Partial responsibility)
  Theme: FCS and FCCS in live cells
  (2015 - present)
  

　

External Links

• Hokkaido University: [Link]
• Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University: [Link]
• Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University: [Link]
• Biological Sciences (Macromolecular Functions), School of Science, Hokkaido University: [Link]
• School of Science, Hokkaido University: [Link]
• Frontier Research Center for Advanced Material and Life Science, Hokkaido University: [Link]
• PubMed: [Link]
• I love GFP (GFP wiki): [Link]
• Research Gate: [Link]
• JSPS Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research: [Link]
• HUSCAP (Hokkaido University collection of Scholarly and Academic Papers): [Link]