ASAHI, Toru

写真a

Affiliation

Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Advanced Science and Engineering

Job title

Professor

Homepage URL

http://asahi-lab.jp/index.html

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Concurrent Post 【 display / non-display 】

  • Faculty of International Research and Education   School of International Liberal Studies

  • Affiliated organization   Global Education Center

  • Faculty of Science and Engineering   Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering

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Research Institute 【 display / non-display 】

  • 2020
    -
    2022

    理工学術院総合研究所   兼任研究員

  • 2019
    -
    2023

    グローバル科学知融合研究所   プロジェクト研究所所長

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Education 【 display / non-display 】

  • 　
    -
    1991

    Waseda University   Graduate School, Division of Science and Engineering  

  • 　
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    1991

    Waseda University   Graduate School, Division of Science and Engineering  

  • 　
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    1986

    Waseda University   Faculty of Science and Engineering   応用物理学科  

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Degree 【 display / non-display 】

  • Waseda University   Master of Business Administration (MBA)

  • 早稲田大学   経営学修士（専門職）

  • Waseda University   Doctor of Science

  • 早稲田大学   博士(理学)

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Research Experience 【 display / non-display 】

  • 2007
    -
    　

    同大学理工学術院先進理工学部 生命医科学科 教授

  • 2004
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    同大学先端科学・健康医療融合研究機構 生命医療工学インスティテュート 教授

  • 2003
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    同大学大学院理工学研究科ナノ理工学専攻 客員助教授

  • 2002
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    同大学理工学総合研究センター 客員助教授

  • 1997
    -
    　

    同研究所 客員助教授

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Professional Memberships 【 display / non-display 】

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    The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan

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    The Electrochemical Society of Japan

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    The Ceramic Society of Japan

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    The Magnetics Society of Japan

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    The Crystallographic Society of Japan

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Research Interests 【 display / non-display 】

  • Bio-Solid State Science / Chiral Science / Magnetic thin film

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Research Seeds 【 display / non-display 】

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Papers 【 display / non-display 】

  • The Neuroprotective Effect of Thalidomide against Ischemia through the Cereblon-mediated Repression of AMPK Activity

    Naoya Sawamura, Mariko Yamada, Miku Fujiwara, Haruka Yamada, Hideki Hayashi, Norio Takagi, Toru Asahi

    Scientific Reports   8 ( 1 )  2018.12

    　View Summary

    Thalidomide was originally used as a sedative and found to be a teratogen, but now thalidomide and its derivatives are widely used to treat haematologic malignancies. Accumulated evidence suggests that thalidomide suppresses nerve cell death in neurologic model mice. However, detailed molecular mechanisms are unknown. Here we examined the molecular mechanism of thalidomide's neuroprotective effects, focusing on its target protein, cereblon (CRBN), and its binding protein, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which plays an important role in maintaining intracellular energy homeostasis in the brain. We used a cerebral ischemia rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). Thalidomide treatment significantly decreased the infarct volume and neurological deficits of MCAO/R rats. AMPK was the key signalling protein in this mechanism. Furthermore, we considered that the AMPK-CRBN interaction was altered when neuroprotective action by thalidomide occurred in cells under ischemic conditions. Binding was strong between AMPK and CRBN in normal SH-SY5Y cells, but was weakened by the addition of H2O2. However, when thalidomide was administered at the same time as H2O2, the binding of AMPK and CRBN was partly restored. These results suggest that thalidomide inhibits the activity of AMPK via CRBN under oxidative stress and suppresses nerve cell death.

    DOI

  • Consolidation of Sm2Fe17N3 magnets with Sm-based eutectic alloy binder

    Kohei Otogawa, Kenta Takagi, Toru Asahi

    Journal of Alloys and Compounds   746   19 - 26  2018.05

    　View Summary

    Consolidation of Sm2Fe17N3 powder with a new Sm-based alloy as a metal binder was examined. Investigation of various Sm-based alloys led to the discovery of a Sm-Fe-Cu-Al alloy having a low melting point of 495 °C, which is more than 100 °C lower than the thermal decomposition temperature of Sm2Fe17N3. The metallographic structure of the Sm-Fe-Cu-Al alloy ingot was a SmCu/Sm eutectic structure containing solid-solution Fe, Cu and Al. Pulverized Sm-Fe-Cu-Al powder as a binder was mixed with Sm2Fe17N3 powder, and the mixture was hot-pressed by a current sintering apparatus. The Sm-Fe-Cu-Al alloy binder did not affect the magnetization of Sm2Fe17N3 adversely after consolidation. The binder-added Sm2Fe17N3 hot-pressed compacts successfully maintained the coercivity of the raw powder over a wide range of hot-pressing temperatures, whereas additive-free Sm2Fe17N3 hot-pressed compacts showed a significant decrease in coercivity. Therefore, the Sm-Fe-Cu-Al alloy binder overcame the weakest point of Sm2Fe17N3 magnets. XRD analysis suggested that the Sm-Fe-Cu-Al binder restrained precipitation of the α-Fe phase, which is thought to be the probable cause the decrease of coercivity.

    DOI

  • A dual-ligand-modulable fluorescent protein based on UnaG and calmodulin

    Yoh Shitashima, Togo Shimozawa, Toru Asahi, Atsushi Miyawaki

    Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications   496 ( 3 ) 872 - 879  2018.02

    　View Summary

    UnaG is a green-emitting fluorescent protein that utilizes unconjugated bilirubin (BR) as its fluorophore. While BR has captured the attention of physiologists as an important antioxidant that scavenges reactive oxygen species in biological membranes, its excessive accumulation causes several clinical symptoms. Although the optimal regulation of BR concentration would result in clinical therapies for aging as well as reduce risks of clinical symptoms, UnaG hardly releases BR owing to its extremely high affinity for BR (Kd = 98 pM). Herein, we engineered the BR binding and fluorescence of UnaG to be Ca2+-sensitive via a genetic insertion of calmodulin (CaM). The resultant UnaG/CaM hybrid protein is a dual-ligand modulable fluorescent protein
    binding of the fluorogenic ligand BR is negatively regulated by the other ligand, Ca2+ ion. The affinity for BR differed by three orders of magnitude between the Ca2+-free state (Kd = 9.70 nM) and Ca2+-saturated state (Kd = 9.65 μM). The chimeric protein can release nano- to micro-molar levels of BR with Ca2+ control, and is thus named BReleaCa (BR + releaser + Ca2+). Such a protein hybridization technique will be generally applicable to change the ligand binding properties of a variety of ligand-inducible functional proteins.

    DOI PubMed

  • Walking and rolling of crystals induced thermally by phase transition

    Takuya Taniguchi, Haruki Sugiyama, Hidehiro Uekusa, Motoo Shiro, Toru Asahi, Hideko Koshima

    NATURE COMMUNICATIONS   9 ( 1 )  2018.02

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    The mechanical motion of materials has been increasingly explored in terms of bending and expansion/contraction. However, the locomotion of materials has been limited. Here, we report walking and rolling locomotion of chiral azobenzene crystals, induced thermally by a reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal phase transition. Long plate-like crystals with thickness gradient in the longitudinal direction walk slowly, like an inchworm, by repeated bending and straightening under heating and cooling cycles near the transition temperature. Furthermore, thinner, longer plate-like crystals with width gradient roll much faster by tilted bending and then flipping under only one process of heating or cooling. The length of the crystal is shortened above the transition temperature, which induces bending due to the temperature gradient to the thickness direction. The bending motion is necessarily converted to the walking and rolling locomotion due to the unsymmetrical shape of the crystal. This finding of the crystal locomotion can lead to a field of crystal robotics.

    DOI

  • Two Distinct Fluorescence States of the Ligand-Induced Green Fluorescent Protein UnaG

    Yoh Shitashima, Togo Shimozawa, Akiko Kumagai, Atsushi Miyawaki, Toru Asahi

    BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL   113 ( 12 ) 2805 - 2814  2017.12  [Refereed]

    　View Summary

    UnaG is a recently discovered ligand-induced fluorescent protein that utilizes bound bilirubin (BR) as its fluorophore. The fluorescence of the UnaG-BR complex (holoUnaG) compares in quantum efficiency to that of enhanced green fluorescent protein, but it is superior in that the fluorophore formation is instantaneous and not dependent on oxygen; hence, much attention has been paid to UnaG as a new fluorescent probe. However, many important molecular properties of fluorescent probes remain unknown, such as the association/dissociation rates of BR, which determine the stability thereof, and the dispersibility of UnaG in aqueous solutions, which influence the functions of labeled proteins. In this study, we found, in the process of investigating the association rate, that the holoUnaG takes two distinct fluorescence states, which we named holoUnaG(1) and holoUnaG(2). The holoUnaG(1) initially forms after binding BR and then changes to the brighter holoUnaG(2) by a reversible intra-molecular reaction, thereby finally reaching an equilibrium between the two states. Spectroscopic analysis indicated that the intra-molecular reaction was associated not with a chemical change of BR but with a change in the environmental conditions surrounding BR. We also revealed that the molecular brightness ratio and equilibrium population ratio of the two states (holoUnaG(1)/holoUnaG(2)) were 1:3.9 and 6:4, respectively, using photon number counting analysis. From these results, we have suggested a novel schema, to our knowledge, for the formation of the UnaG and BR complex system and have determined the various rate constants associated therein. Additionally, using analytical ultracentrifugation, we established that UnaG in the apo-state (apoUnaG) and the holoUnaG are monomeric in aqueous solution. These findings provide not only key information for the practical use of UnaG as a fluorescent probe, but also the possibility for development of a brighter UnaG mutant by genetic engineering to constitutive holoUnaG(2).

    DOI PubMed

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Books and Other Publications 【 display / non-display 】

  • CSJカレントレビュー13「キラル化学-その起源から最新のキラル材料研究まで」

    朝日透, 田中真人

    化学同人  2013.10

  • 「異方性媒質のキラル光学/磁気光学の精密測定 」

    朝日透

    磁気学会  2013

  • 生命科学概論

    朝日透, 池田康夫, 石井義孝, 井上貴文, 大坂利文, 大島登志男, 岡村好子, 合田亘人, 澤村直哉, 重谷安代, 仙波憲太郎, 武岡真司, 武田直也, 竹山春子, 常田聡, 増田優, 南沢享

    朝倉出版  2012

  • Magnetic Materials, Processes, and Devices 9 : ECS Transaction Vol. 3 No.25

    J. Sayama, Y. Yamashita, T. Asahi, T. Osaka

    2007

  • SPIE Press

    T. Asahi, J. Kobayashi

    2003

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Industrial Property Rights 【 display / non-display 】

  • 藻類由来の成分を含む細胞培養用組成物、及びそれを用いた細胞培養方法

    岡本 裕太, 朝日 透

    Patent

  • 磁気異方性垂直磁化膜及びその形成方法並びに磁気記録媒体及びその製造方法

    5177407

    逢坂 哲彌, 朝日 透, 杉山 敦史, 吉野 正洋, 小泉 公

    Patent

  • バイオセンシング方法及び固定化方法

    4911639

    逢坂 哲彌, 松永 是, 新垣 篤史, 朝日 透, 横島 時彦, 丹波 大介

    Patent

  • 磁気記録媒体用基板及び磁気記録媒体

    逢坂 哲彌, 朝日 透, 横島 時彦

    Patent

  • 磁気記録媒体

    逢坂 哲彌, 朝日 透, 川治 純

    Patent

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Research Projects 【 display / non-display 】

  • Toward the implementation of evidence-based health policies to the real world-a trial of using big data analyses by the integration of arts and sciences

    Project Year :

    2019.06
    -
    2023.03
     

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    本研究の主要な目的は，日本の健康政策研究を，大規模な医療・介護情報の整備という第1段階から，「文理融合」による「因果推論に裏付けられた科学的根拠」の創出と実装という第2段階へと推し進めることにある．第1に，大規模な行政管理データに自然実験を応用する定量分析と，AIや機械学習によるテキストマイニング等の定性分析とを組み合わせ，新たな健康政策の評価方法を開拓する．第2に，学際的な研究チームの編成・協働のあり方についてのベンチマークを形成する．第3に，団塊世代が全員後期高齢者になる2025年問題，団塊ジュニアが高齢化する2040年問題に対処するため，研究成果の実装についてのテンプレートを示す

  • New Type Catheter Using Photomechanical Crystal Actuator

    Project Year :

    2016.04
    -
    2018.03
     

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    Endoscope and catheter are important medical equipment for inspection and treatment in modern medicine. We have recently developed various photomechanical crystals, which bend upon light irradiation. In this study, we tried to develop new light-driven catheter by using the photomechanical crystals as the actuator. As the results of measurements of Young's modulus and stress as well as the durability of repeated bending, the photomechanical crystals revealed to be available for light-driven actuator. A new photomechanical crystal was also developed which had fast bending speed of 5 Hz. Finally, a prototype light-driven actuator could be made by connecting a photomechanical crystal and an optical fiber. Further improvement is necessary to realize new light-driven catheter enduring practical use

  • Reverse reaction of thalidomide hydrolytic product to thalidomide for reconsidering metabolic pathway of thalidomide

    Project Year :

    2014.04
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    2016.03
     

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    Recently, Thalidomide(TD) has attracted attention again because of rediscovery of drug efficacy against some intractable diseases. Previously, we found that α- (2-Carboxybenzamido) glutarimide (CBG), which is a primary hydrolysis product of TD in vivo, slowly changed to TD through dehydration in organic solvents such as acetonitrile. In this study, to comprehend its mechanisms, we investigated the dehydration of CBG under various conditions and examined whether the dehydration occur on phthaloylisoglutamine (PIG) and phthaloylglutamine (PG), which are other primary hydrolysis products of TD. We have concluded that the dehydration of CBG occurred in acetonitrile and ethanol within a range of 20-60 oC, whereas PIG and PG were not dehydrated in the condition described above. Moreover, the kinetics of CBG dehydration suggests that the reaction mechanism was not simple first-order reaction but catalytic reaction which involve both TD and CBG as a catalyst

  • Functional modification of live cells by focused ion beam doping

    Project Year :

    2012.04
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    2014.03
     

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    A novel heavy-metal implantation method for living cells using focused ion-beam (FIB) were proposed. We performed Au and As ion doping into living cells by using the FIB implantation method; then intracellular level of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecule, which is the energy storing molecule for organisms, was evaluated. The ATP level of the implanted cells was found to be modified compared with that of the non-implanted control cells. Our ion implantation technique may be a more accurate tool to quantitatively elucidate the dose-dependent effects of dopants than the conventional methods

  • Constructing cDNA for hypothesis verification of crystal melting of Ca2+driven contractile protein

    Project Year :

    2011.04
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    2014.03
     

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    1)In order to analyze peptide sequences of a putative protein of spaconnectin which considered to have a co-operative contractile role with the another protein (spasmin), Thus, we intended to collect the peritrich ciliate (Zoothamnium arbuscula strain Lake Biwa) at the shallow water around the Karasuma Peninsula at Lake Biwa. The physiological role of this spaconnectin is supposed to be entropic contraction of spasmoneme.2) In this year, we could get abundant amounts of the organisms. And We have also collected and incubated some amounts of green vorticella and other species for determining small subunit RNA genes in pure ethanol. 3)We intended to investigate if animal erythrocyte have properties of Ca2-stimulative contraction similarly as vorticellae stalk. Cow erythrocyte was tested. Result of research was obscure so the the Jenopus erythrocyte was investigated. The result was successful. It means that the erythrocyte contracted at about 10µ amounts of Ca2+

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Presentations 【 display / non-display 】

  • CeF3単結晶の光軸に垂直な方向のFaraday効果の正確な測定

    中川鉄馬, 張堃, 朝日透

    日本磁気学会学術講演会 

    Presentation date： 2018.09

  • アミノ酸ドープ硫酸トリグリシン結晶の強誘電性とキラリティ

    寺沢有果菜, 石川和彦, 一木正聡, 朝日透

    日本物理学会 2018年秋季大会 

    Presentation date： 2018.09

  • 最適及びアンダードープBi2Sr2CaCu2O8+xの光学的性質と対称性の破れ

    チョウコン, 松本匡貴, 中川鉄馬, 松田梓, 朝日透, 綿打敏司

    日本物理学会 2018年秋季大会 

    Presentation date： 2018.09

  • サリチリデンナフチルアミン結晶の光トリガー相転移

    谷口卓也, 佐藤寛泰, 朝日透, 小島秀子

    2018年光化学討論会 

    Presentation date： 2018.09

  • ビスチミン誘導体の自己集体内の光化学反応と形態変化

    稲田萌花, 宇田川瑛弘, 齋藤敬, 小島秀子, 朝日透

    2018年光化学討論会 

    Presentation date： 2018.09

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Specific Research 【 display / non-display 】

  • 強誘電性結晶硫酸トリグリシンのキラリティ制御機構の解明

    2018  

    　View Summary

    キラル分子であるL体およびD体のアラニン、乳酸、スレオニン、セリンを硫酸トリグリシン(Triglycine sulfate ; TGS)にドープした結晶において、アラニンドープTGS（alanine-doped TGS ; ATGS）のみ、アラニンのキラリティによってTGS結晶のキラリティが偏ることを見出した。また、ATGSの結晶構造を決定し、アラニンがTGS結晶のキラリティを決定する分子と置換する可能性があることが分かり、アラニンのキラリティによってTGS結晶のキラリティが制御される機構の解明の手掛かりを得た。

  • 異方性二次元キラルナノ構造体の可逆・非可逆光学現象の検証

    2016   成島哲也, 中川鉄馬

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    二次元で鏡面対称 (線対称) を有さないナノメートルサイズの形状を持つ「S」などの構造を異方的に整列させた集合体「異方性二次元キラルナノ構造体 (2D-CNS)」が、直線偏光の偏光面を回転させる性質「旋光性」や楕円偏光化させる性質「円二色性」を示すか否かを我々が独自に開発してきた「高精度万能旋光計 (G-HAUP)」を用いて可逆あるいは非可逆現象の検証を含め調べ、その発現起因 (空間反転対称性の破れ、時間反転対称性の破れ) にまで踏み込んで考察した。本研究成果は、光と物質の相互作用過程に、試料の構造や形状などの二次元的な非対称性がどのように関与しているのかを理解することにつながる。

  • 銅酸化物高温超伝導体Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+xの光学的性質と対称性の破れ

    2016   松田梓, 中川鉄馬, 篠元輝

    　View Summary

    最適ドープ・アンダードープのBi系銅酸化物高温超伝導体Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi2212) 単結晶をフローティング法を用いて育成し，その極薄試料をそのc軸方向の劈開性を利用して作成した。また，常温における光学活性，自然円二色性，Faraday回転，磁気円二色性，直線複屈折，直線二色性の波長依存性を高精度万能旋光計 (G-HAUP) により測定した。それら符号と大きさを比較することにより，銅酸化物高温超伝導体における超伝導発現機構の解明につながると考えられる擬ギャップ相における空間・時間反転対称性の破れの存否を直接的に検証することが可能となった。

  • 異方性物質の磁気キラル光学的研究

    2014   Garcia Villora, 島村清史

    　View Summary

     Faradayrotator single-crystals have attracted much attention in the field ofmagneto-optics due to their broad applications such as optical isolators,optical modulators, and beam splitters. Rare-earth (RE) fluorides (CeF3, PrF3 and LiREF4)single-crystals have been investigated due to their unique transmittance in theUV wavelength region.  Themagneto-optical effects of the RE ions are known to be caused by the intraionicparity allowed electric dipole transition between the 4fN and 4fN-15d1configurations. These transitions are close to the absorption cut-off in thewidely transparent fluorides, so that these achieve outstanding Verdetconstants in the UV wavelength region.   Accurate Faraday rotationmeasurements have been carried out along the optical c-axis in order to avoid the linear birefringence.  However, to investigate the optical and magnetic properties of the REfluorides in more detail, measurements along the perpendicular direction arerequired.  In this study, the wavelength dependencesof the linear and circular birefringences of CeF3 single-crystalalong the a-axis were measured withthe Generalized-High Accuracy Universal Polarimeter (G-HAUP).

  • 精神神経疾患の診断と病態解明を目指したバイオセンサの開発

    2013  

    　View Summary

    特定課題B「精神神経疾患の診断と病態解明を目指したバイオセンサの開発」では、FETバイオセンサを用いて、センサ検出部に修飾されている有機薄膜とAmyloid ßタンパク質(Amyloid ß protein; Aβ)との相互作用に基づいた検出機構について、先端電位変化検出手法を用いて解明する事を目的として研究を行った。さらに、精神神経疾患の診断へ応用できるバイオセンサの実用化目指すとともに、確立したバイオセンサを用いて、精神神経疾患モデル神経細胞や患者サンプルでのアミロイドß蛋白の分泌量を測定し、病態を解明することを目指して研究を行った。本研究では、クロスβ構造を有するアミロイド凝集体と特異的な相互作用を示すコンゴーレッドでゲート表面を修飾したFETによるAβ(1-42)凝集体の検出を試みた。Aβ(1-42)の検出はFET特性（ゲート電圧－ドレイン電流特性）の閾値電圧シフトとして評価した。Aβ(1-42)のモノマーを数日インキュベートして得た試料では、凝集体を形成した場合にのみFET応答が観測された。また、Aβ(1-42)とその亜種であるAβ(1-40)に対する応答を比較したところ、Aβ(1-42)検出が可能なインキュベート日数であっても、凝集能の低いAβ(1-40)にはFET応答は観測されず、コンゴーレッド修飾FETのAβ凝集体への特異的な応答が示唆された。本研究成果は今年２月にChemical Communications に掲載され、日本経済新聞にも取り上げられた。参考文献Hideshima, S., Kobayashi, M., Wada, T., Kuroiwa, S., Nakanishi, T., Sawamura, N., Asahi T., Osaka, T.A label-free electrical assay of fibrous amyloid β based on semiconductor biosensing. Chemical Communications 50, 3476-3479 (2014)2014.3.25日本経済新聞夕刊 014ページ 「アルツハイマー病の原因物質，短時間で検出　早大が開発」

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Syllabus 【 display / non-display 】

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