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Medicine
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Biology
Sugano Eriko Associate Professor
Course
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Master's Program
Biological Sciences
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Doctoral Program
Fundamental and Applied Sciences
Fields of Research
- Cell engineering
- Visual science
Research Themes
The development of treatments for the neurodegeneration that accompanies aging
Amongst the nerve cells that constitute the retina, the cells that first receive light are the photoreceptor cells. Once these cells degenerate, they cannot be recovered, and lead to blindness. We apply optogenetics to grant the final output cells of the retina that remain even after photoreceptor cell degeneration the ability to receive light in order to restore sight. Green algae genes are used in this research, so various animals are used to investigate safety.
Teaching Philosophy
I aim to educate students through visual science to develop a broad understanding of the molecular biology, cellular engineering, and biochemistry necessary to understand the life sciences, and to conduct research that contributes to society.