Midori Arai Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University: Exploring Drug Seeds through Chemical Biology Research Based on Natural Products

The Midori Arai Chemical Biology Laboratory at the Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, conducts chemical biology research based on natural products to discover drug seeds effective against cancer and for nerve regeneration from natural products created by microorganisms and plants. We are discovering new natural products using methods such as "fishing" for active compounds with protein beads immobilized with disease-causing proteins, and activating dormant genes through a co-culture method of microorganisms and animal cells. Additionally, we utilize synthetic chemistry to synthesize natural products and their derivatives, creating more potent compounds. Furthermore, we are elucidating their mechanisms of action to understand how these compounds work in the body.