Laboratory of Genome Informatics
- Professor
- Teruo YASUNAGA
yasunaga@gen-info.osaka-u.ac.jp - Assistant Professor
- Naohisa GOTO
ngoto@gen-info.osaka-u.ac.jp - Assistant Professor
- Shota NAKAMURA
nshota@gen-info.osaka-u.ac.jp 
Structual Infomation Biology
Genome Information Research Center
Suita
Research Theme
We analyze the genome sequences and genome information of various organisms by using computers in an effort to identify new biological phenomena and to understand how organisms evolve. In addition, we are developing software tools for bioinformatics and molecular biology. We are also operating a computer system for genome information analyses that we make available to researchers in our university. We are also teaching training courses for genome information analysis at least once every year.
Large-scale genome information analysis
The complete genome sequences of more than 300 organisms are available today. We are analyzing this enormous body of genome data by using bioinformatics and molecular evolution techniques. For example, by analyzing the complete genome sequences of 266 organisms, we identified invariant sequences that may have been present in the last common ancestor of all extant life forms (Goto et al, 2007) (Fig. 2). We are also developing software and methods for large-scale genome analysis.
Development of user-friendly software for molecular biology
Software packages with graphical user interfaces for non-computer experts such as molecular biologists have been developed. We have developed GeneWebIII, which is a web-based analysis environment that supports many analytical tools (Fig. 1). We have also developed GeneAlign, a multiple sequence alignment editor that is written in Java. They are available on our home page.
Genome sequencing projects
We have participated in genome sequencing projects of bacteria and disease-causing organisms with other laboratories. Our role was to perform computational analyses such as genome assembly and annotation, comparative genomics, and the construction of databases.
Bibliography
Goto N., Kurokawa K., Yasunaga T. Analysis of invariant sequences in 266 complete genomes. Gene 401 , 172 - 180 (2007)
Contact
Department of Genome Informatics,
Genome Information Research Center,
Research Institute for Microbial Diseases,
Osaka University,
3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, JAPAN.
Phone: +81-6-6879-8365
FAX: +81-6-6879-2047