Cell Architecture Laboratory

Kimura Group

Cell architectonics: how do the cells organize themselves?

Faculty

KIMURA, Akatsuki
Professor

akkimura@nig.ac.jp

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TORISAWA, Takayuki
Assistant Professor

t_torisawa@nig.ac.jp

researchmap

 Lab HP

Research Summary

Cells are a beautiful example of architecture made by the nature. How such harmonious architecture is constructed ‘without an architect’ remains a mystery. This laboratory is studying, using approaches involving quantitative microscopy and theoretical modeling, the mechanisms underlying the movements of intracellular materials, such as organelle positioning and cytoplasmic streaming. We also investigate how neighboring cells physically interact to achieve appropriate arrangements. Through our studies, we aim to understand the secrets of constructing the cell.

Cell division at the 1-cell stage (left) and cell arrangement pattern during development (right) in the C. elegans embryo. The upper panels show actual C. elegans embryos and the lower panels show our quantitative simulations. (The lower right visualization was obtained using software developed by Dr. A. Funahashi [Keio Univ].)

Selected Publications

  • Ishikawa T, Torisawa T, Wada H, Kimura A. Swirling instability mediated by elastic and hydrodynamic couplings in cytoplasmic streaming. PRX Life. 2025.3, 013008.
  • Goda M, Shribak M, Ikeda Z, Okada N, Tani T, Goshima G, Oldenbourg R, Kimura A. Live-cell imaging under centrifugation characterized the cellular force for nuclear centration in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Oct 22;121(43):e2402759121.
  • Kimura A. Quantitative Biology–A Practical Introduction. Springer 2022.