Professor Asuka Nanbo

Speciality / Research theme / Keywords

Virology, Cellular biology

Supervision

Masters Programme

Qualifications

Ph.D. (Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University), Pharmacist

Personal/work Web page addresses

https://www.ccpid.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/annex/nanbo/en/index.html

Background

• 1999: Ph.D., Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University
• 1999-2000: Research Associate, 2000-2002: JSPS Research Fellow, 2002-2003: Assistant professor, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University
• 2003-2008: Assistant Scientist, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
• 2008-2013: Lecturer at Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University
• 2013-2019: Associate Professor at Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University
• 2019-present: Professor at CCPID, Nagasaki University

Teaching

Giving lectures (Basic virology) in Nagasaki University

Research

Because viruses consist of the nucleic acid as their genetic materials and an outer shell of protein (capsids), they are allowed to replicate by exploiting various cellular machineries. Ebolavirus and Epstein-Barr virus both cause major infectious diseases in humans, such as Ebolavirus disease and EBV-associated malignancies, respectively. We are elucidating the mechanism underlying viral replication with a focus on host membrane traffic dynamics by use of various microcopy technics. The long-term goal of our study is to provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of their pathogenesis in the aspect of host-virus interaction, which shall lead to the development of rational therapies and diagnosis for them.

The country/countries where you work currently

Japan

Five MOST IMPORTANT/INTERESTING recent publications

1. Satoh AO, Fujioka Y, Kashiwagi S, Yoshida A, Fujioka M, Sasajima H, Nanbo A, Amano M, Ohba Y. Interaction Between PI3K and the VDAC2 Channel Tethers Ras-PI3K-positive Endosomes to Mitochondria and Promotes Endosome Maturation. Cell Reports.2023; 42(3):112229.
2. Furuyama W, Sakaguchi M, Yamada K, Nanbo A. Development of an imaging system for visualization of Ebola virus glycoprotein throughout the viral lifecycle. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2022; 13:1026644.
3. Nanbo A. Current insights in the maturation of Epstein-Barr Virus particles. Microorganisms. 2024; 12(4): 806.
4. Nanbo A, Furuyama W, Lin Z. RNA Virus-Encoded miRNAs: Current Insights and Future Challenges. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2021; 12:679210.
5. Nanbo A. Epstein–Barr Virus exploits the secretory pathway to release virions. Microorganisms. 2020; 8(5):729.

Message

Join us and enjoy the fascinating phenomenon caused by virus infection under the scope! We welcome inquiries regarding opportunities in the lab for energetic and motivated graduate students from various background.