RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research Laboratory for Nutritional Biology
Team Leader: Fumiaki Obata (Ph.D.)
Research Summary

Our healthspan is influenced by the dietary environment. Diet contributes to metabolic and physiological homeostasis by altering nutritional balance and gut microbiota, yet the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Our laboratory studies the functions of each nutrient and gut bacterial species that are dynamically altered in response to various dietary conditions. We also aim to elucidate the mechanisms by which early-life diet impacts lifelong health. Our goal is to reveal evolutionarily conserved "dietological" mechanisms that govern organismal homeostasis and healthspan.
Main Research Fields
- Biology
Related Research Fields
- Agricultural Sciences
- Biological Sciences
- Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy
- Environmental physiology
- Developmental biology
- Biological pharmacy
Keywords
- Nutrition
- Lifespan
- Gut microbiota
- Metabolism
- Innate Immunity
Selected Publications
Papers with an asterisk(*) are based on research conducted outside of RIKEN.
- 1.Hina Kosakamoto, Naoki Okamoto, Hide Aikawa, Yuki Sugiura, Makoto Suematsu, Ryusuke Niwa, Masayuki Miura, Fumiaki Obata.:
"Sensing of the non-essential amino acid tyrosine governs the response to protein restriction in Drosophila."
Nature metabolism 4, 944–959 (2022) - 2.
*Yamauchi T, Oi A, Kosakamoto H, Akuzawa-Tokita Y, Murakami T, Mori H, Miura M and Obata F.:
"Gut Bacterial Species Distinctively Impact Host Purine Metabolites during Aging in Drosophila."
iScience 23, 101477, 2020 - 3.
*Kosakamoto H, Yamauchi T, Akuzawa-Tokita Y, Nishimura K, Soga T, Murakami T, Mori H, Yamamoto K, Miyazaki R, Koto A, Miura M, Obata F.:
"Local Necrotic Cells Trigger Systemic Immune Activation via Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis in Drosophila."
Cell Reports 32, 107938, 2020 - 4.
*Obata F, Tsuda-Sakurai K, Yamazaki T, Nishio R, Nishimura K, Kimura M, Funakoshi M, Miura M.:
"Nutritional control of stem cell division through S-adenosylmethionine in Drosophila intestine."
Developmental Cell 44, 741-751, 2018 - 5.
*Obata F, Fons CO, Gould AP.:
"Early-life exposure to low-dose oxidants can increase longevity via microbiome remodelling in Drosophila."
Nature Communications 9, 975, 2018
Recent Research Results
Related Links
Lab Members
Principal investigator
- Fumiaki Obata
- Team Leader
Core members
- Chisako Sakuma
- Research Scientist
- Hina Kosakamoto
- Special Postdoctoral Researcher
- Ayano Oi
- Junior Research Associate
- Taro Onuma
- Student Trainee
- Yuka Fujita
- Student Trainee
- Rina Okada
- Technical Staff I
- Okiko Habara
- Research Part-time Worker I
- Mari Shoji
- Assistant
Contact Information
Developmental Biology Buildings A N705
2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047
Tel: +81-(0)7-8306-3368
Email: fumiaki.obata [at] riken.jp