Chief Scientist Laboratories Molecular Physiology Laboratory
Chief Scientist: Rikiya Watanabe (Ph.D.)
Research Summary

Our study aims to understand cellular functions using a bottom-up approach from the single molecule level. To achieve this, we are attempting to elucidate the mechanism by which individual biomolecules or their networks function in a precise manner, by developing novel single-molecule techniques using multidisciplinary approaches, including biophysics, bioMEMS, and chemical biology. In addition, we are developing a methodology to investigate correlations between genetic mutations, dysfunctions, and diseases with single molecule sensitivity, which would provide new insights for biological as well as pharmaceutical studies.
Main Research Fields
- Biology
Related Research Fields
- Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering
- Biophysics
- Nano/Microsystems
Keywords
- Membrane protein
- Artificial Biomembrane
- Artificial cell
- bioMEMS
- Digital Biosensing
Selected Publications
Papers with an asterisk(*) are based on research conducted outside of RIKEN.
- 1.
Iida, T., Ando, J., Yoshimura, M., Makino, A., Nakano, M., Kogo, Y., Shinoda, H., Toyoda, M., Noda, T., & Watanabe, R.:
"Portable wide-field femtoliter-chamber imaging system for point-of-care digital bioanalysis"
iScience (2024) 110868 - 2.
Iida, T., Ando, J., Shinoda, H., Makino, A., Yoshimura, M., Murai, K., Mori, M., Takaeuchi, H., Noda, T., Nishimasu, H., & Watanabe, R.:
"Compact wide-field femtoliter-chamber imaging system for high-speed and accurate digital bioanalysis"
Lab Chip (2023) 23, 684-691 - 3.
Ueda, T., Shinoda, H., Makino, A., Yoshimura, M., Iida, T., & Watanabe, R.:
"Purification/Amplification-Free RNA Detection Platform for Rapid and Multiplex Diagnosis of Plant Viral Infections"
Anal Chem (2023) 95, 9680-9686 - 4.
Shinoda, H., Iida, T., Makino, A., Yoshimura, M., Ishikawa, J., Ando, J., Murai, K., Sugiyama, K., Muramoto, Y., Nakano, M., Kiga, K., Cui, L., Nureki, O., Takaeuchi, H., Noda, T., Nishimasu, H., & Watanabe, R.:
"Automated amplification-free digital RNA detection platform for rapid and sensitive SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis"
Commun Biol (2022) 5, 473 - 5.
Shinoda, H., Taguchi, Y., Nakagawa, R., Makino, A., Okazaki, S., Nakano, M., Muramoto, Y., Takahashi, C., Takahashi, I., Ando, J., Noda, T., Nureki, O., Nishimasu, H., & Watanabe, R.:
"Amplification-free RNA detection with CRISPR-Cas13"
Commun Biol (2021) 4, 476 - 6.
Sakamoto, S., Komatsu, T., Watanabe, R., Zhang, Y., Inoue, T., Kawaguchi, M., Nakagawa, H., Ueno, T., Okusaka, T., Honda, K., Noji, H., & Urano, Y.:
"Multiplexed single-molecule enzyme activity analysis for counting disease-related proteins in biological samples"
Sci Adv (2020) 6, eaay0888 - 7.
*Watanabe, R., Sakuragi, T., Noji, H., & Nagata, S.:
"Single molecule analysis of phospholipid scrambling by TMEM16F"
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2018) 115, 3066-3071 - 8.
*Abe, K., Katsuno, H., Toriyama, M., Baba, K., Mori, T., Hakoshima, T., Kanemura, Y., Watanabe, R., & Inagaki, N.:
"Grip and slip of L1-CAM on adhesive substrates direct growth cone haptotaxis"
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2018) 115, 2764-2769 - 9.
*Watanabe, R., Soga, N., Fujita, D., Tabata, K. V., Yamauchi, L., Kim, SH., Asanuma, D., Kamiya, M., Urano, Y., Suga, H., & Noji, H.:
"Arrayed lipid bilayer chambers allow single-molecule analysis of membrane transporter activity"
Nat Commun (2014) 5, 4519 - 10.
*Watanabe, R., & Noji, H.:
"Timing of inorganic phosphate release modulates the catalytic activity of ATP-driven rotary motor protein"
Nat Commun (2014) 5, 3486
Annual research report
Related Links
Lab Members
Principal investigator
- Rikiya Watanabe
- Chief Scientist
Core members
- Makoto Kimura
- Senior Research Scientist
- Takanori Uzawa
- Senior Research Scientist
- Jun Ando
- Research Scientist
- Hajime Shinoda
- Research Scientist
- Yoshiaki Kinoshita
- Research Scientist
- Asami Makino
- Technical Staff I
- Daisuke Yamazaki
- Technical Staff I
- Noriko Minagawa
- Technical Staff I
- Tatsuya Iida
- Technical Staff I
- Mami Yoshimura
- Technical Staff I
- Yuka Takano
- Assistant
- Kazue Murai
- Research Part-time Worker II
- Tomoe Michiyuki
- Administrative Part-time Worker I
Contact Information
Bioscience Building S252
2-1 Hirosawa, Wako,
Saitama 351-0198, Japan
Email: rikiya.watanabe@riken.jp