Contribute to the development of interdisciplinary research using advanced analytical equipment
Various analytical instruments, including nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and electron microscopes, are essential equipment for research. With the recent development of science and technology, various experimental equipment and devices have been developed, and the performance of these analytical instruments has been improving. This center was established in 2018 with the aim of centrally managing the cutting-edge analytical equipment, electron microscopes, confocal laser microscopes, and other highly common equipment at Utsunomiya Campus, and promoting their use in research and education as well as their application in various fields. In addition to providing technical support for trace analysis of plant hormones and other substances using cutting-edge analytical equipment, the center also holds technical seminars for Graduate School students and undergraduates. While the university is already actively conducting collaborative research with researchers both in Japan and abroad, it will further enhance its research and educational support system and contribute to the development of interdisciplinary research.
About Advanced Instrument Analysis Center
Center philosophy
The center aims to position the existing equipment on Utsunomiya Campus, as well as the highly-shareable cutting-edge equipment to be introduced in the future, as research resources for the entire university, and to jointly utilize, maintain, manage, and operate it. By centralizing the equipment that drives research at this center, it has become possible to improve the economy and efficiency of operation. It is expected that this will further strengthen the university's research system and make a significant contribution to the development of interdisciplinary research.
Professor Masashi Asahina, Head of Center
In recent years, research has become increasingly interdisciplinary, whether at universities or companies, and advanced equipment and devices are essential to advance research. However, these devices and devices are expensive due to their high performance, making it difficult for individual laboratories to handle them. This center regards these expensive devices and devices as research resources for the entire university, and aims to purchase, use, and operate them economically and efficiently, strengthening the research system on campus while also aiming to improve convenience for researchers, and strive to play a role in promoting research.
Background to the establishment of the Center
There are two teachers who laid the foundation for the founding of this center. The first is Takao Yokota (Professor). The research project on "Steroid Hormone Function and Phylogenesis in Plants," which Dr. Yokota designed and supervised, was adopted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) from 2008 to 2012 as a project to support the formation of a strategic research infrastructure for private universities. The main equipments purchased and installed in this project are as follows
LC-MS / MS (Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometer)
Q-TOF / MS (Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer)
Real-time PCR
The second person is Hisakazu Yamane Professor. Continuing on from Dr. Yokota's project, a research center on "Elucidation of Physiological Functions of Plant Oxylipins and Their Applications" was selected for the same support project as Dr. Yokota's and was established in Faculty of Science and Engineering Department of Biosciences on our campus for five years from 2013 to 2017. The main equipment purchased and installed under this project is as follows
Confocal laser scanning microscope
Desktop scanning electronic microscope
Imaging mass spectrometer
High performance liquid chromatography
Virtual slide scanner
Laser microdissection
Specific net room
In addition to the devices and equipment listed above, Utsunomiya Campus also has a wide variety of research facilities and equipment, including GC-MS (gas chromatography mass spectrometer), LC-MS (liquid chromatography mass spectrometer), LC-TOF-MS (time-of-flight mass spectrometer), NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer), X-ray diffraction equipment, FIB (focused ion beam processing equipment), transmission electron microscope, and scanning electron microscope with EDS elemental analyzer.
As described above, the two large projects for which you two Professor were awarded, together with the existing equipment, represent an enormous research asset for the university. At the same time, during the 10 years that the projects have been ongoing, a solid foundation for collaborative research within the university has been established, as well as know-how on the separation and purification of various samples, which is essential for trace quantitative analysis. With this background, in order to maximize the use of analytical instruments and equipment that excel in both quality and quantity, as well as the analytical technical know-how accumulated thus far, a working group led by Dr. Yamane was formed in 2017 to launch the Analytical Center. President and Chairman With his willing consent, in April 2018, the "Teikyo University Center for Advanced Instrumental Analysis" was established. Teikyo University Center for Advanced Instrumental Analysis" was founded.
Member
Head of Center Professor Masashi Asahina
Professor Kenichi Uchida Professor Jinichiro Koga Associate Professor Koji Miyamoto Senior Assistant Professor Ayaka Takahashi
Advisor Takao Yokota (Professor Emeritus, Teikyo University) Hisakazu Yamane (Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, former Professor at Teikyo University) Naohisa Yanagihara (Professor Emeritus, Teikyo University) Keizo Hashimoto (Professor Emeritus, Teikyo University)
Full-time staff Emi Yumoto
(As of May 2025)
研究内容
Main research contents
Analysis of bioactive substances (plant hormones, etc.) using a mass spectrometer (LC-MS / MS, etc.)
Quantitative analysis of auxin, jasmonic acid and other plant hormones and related secondary metabolites using shepherd's purse, rice, etc.
reference
Number of LC-MS/MS analyses requested (establishment of efficient sample pretreatment methods, establishment of analytical methods for new substances) 2018: 97 cases, 2132 samples 2019: 106 cases, 2934 samples 2020: 130 cases, 2802 samples 2021: 146 cases, 2728 samples 2022: 119 cases, 2773 samples 2023 62 cases 2157 samples 2024 92 cases 2126 samples
Localization analysis of nutrients and functional ingredients using an imaging mass spectrometer
Observation and elemental analysis of biological and inorganic materials using electron microscopes
Other inorganic and organic chemical analysis using ICP and NMR, etc.
It is an indispensable tool for modern cellular and molecular biology. It can acquire continuous tomogram of samples dyed in high resolution and reconstruct three-dimensional information with computer.
Desktop scanning electronic microscope
We can observe from low magnification to high magnification without complicated pretreatment. It has a cooling stage so we can observe
delicate samples without drying.
Laser microdissection
It is a device that can excise and collect a specific part with a laser while observing a tissue section by the microscope.
Imaging mass spectrometer
It is a device that can directly perform mass spectrometry of tissue sections and creat images of biomolecules based on the obtained information.
HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography)
It is a device that can handle a wide range of activities such as separation, detection and isolation of active ingredients from cultured microorganisms, or identification and quantification of active ingredients.
Virtual slide scanner
It is used to acquire high-resolution data of tissue samples or frozen samples.
Desorption Electrospray-Ionization (DESI) Imaging Mass Spectrometry System
Imaging mass that is particularly excellent for imaging low molecular weight metabolites because it is matrix-free and can ionize biomolecules. It is an analyzer.
Mass spectrometer (LC-MS / MS)
It is used for identification of trace components contained in extracts from living organisms and chemicals, and for quantitative analysis. Since there are various types depending on method when ionizing or detecting the sample, we use them properly according to the purpose and the properties of the sample.
Access
The center is based at Utsunomiya Campus.
Teikyo University Advanced Instrumentation Analysis Center 1-1 Toyosatodai, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi, 320-8551 (Utsunomiya Campus Department of Biosciences Building, 1st floor, Laboratory 108)
