Reason for Selection

Theme: "Development of high-resolution electron cryo-microscopy for the determination of membrane protein structures"

It has been notoriously difficult to elucidate structure-function relationships in membrane proteins and their associated complexes, because extraction from the membrane and purification in detergent often results in their deformation and/or denaturation. Dr. Yoshinori Fujiyoshi has developed a superfluid helium stage for high-resolution electron cryo-microscopy, which enables scientists to study the structure of membranes proteins in their native environment, the lipid bilayer. His developments in electron cryo-microscopy helped to minimize radiation damage and facilitated the collection of electron diffraction patterns and micrographs, thus greatly improving the resolution that can now be achieved. Dr. Fujiyoshi has succeeded in the challenging structure analyses of a number of medically and biologically important membrane proteins, such as water channels, the acetylcholine receptor, bacteriorhodopsin and ion channels. His initiative and enthusiasm for international collaboration have made it possible to elucidate the structure-function relationships in these proteins. Dr. Fujiyoshi's findings have had an enormous impact on biomedical research and the life sciences.

Background

＜Education＞

1971

Nagoya University, B. Sc. in Chemistry

1976

Kyoto University, M. Sc. in Chemistry

1982

Kyoto University, Ph. D. in Chemistry

＜Academic Positions＞

1980-1987

Research Assistant (1980-1984); Instructor(1985-1987), Institute for Chemical research, Kyoto University

1987-1994

Senior research Scientist (1987-1988); Research Director (1988-1994), Protein Engineering Research Institute

1994-1996

Research Director, International Institute for Advanced Research, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

1996-

Professor, Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Kyoto University

1998-2003

Multisome team leader, MD group, RIKEN Harima Institute

1999-2004

Structural Genomics team leader, Japan Biological Information Research Centre

2003-

MD group leader, RIKEN Harima Institute

（as of September 2005）

＜Major Awards and Honors＞

1988

Setoh Prize, the Japanese Society of Electron Microscopy

2005

Minister of Science and Technology Policy Award for the Industry-Academia- Government Collaboration Contributor Awards