Development of methodology for in situ genomic analysis

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K19558
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Pathology, Infection/Immunology, and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Tetsuya Iida 大阪大学, 微生物病研究所, 教授 (90221746)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 微生物ゲノム / メタゲノム / 生物多様性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to establish a methodology for obtaining genetic information of microorganisms observed by electron microscopy. Specifically, we aimed to develop a protocol for extracting nucleic acids from ultrathin sections for electron microscope observation that confirmed the presence of microbial-like structures and determining their draft genome sequences.Through this research, we were mostly able to achieve each step of the goal of methodological construction of in situ genomic analysis method. We are planning to analyze various environmental and clinical samples using the methodology constructed in this study.

Free Research Field

細菌学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、電子顕微鏡による細胞構造解析と次世代シークエンサーによるゲノム解析を同時に行う新たな方法論「in situ ゲノム解析法」を構築し、これまでアプローチの難しかった微生 物の遺伝情報の入手を行うものである。本研究の成果により、これまで知られていなかったさまざまな生物が見出される可能性があり、生物学、特に分類学や生物多様性の分野に大きなインパクトを与えるとともに、これまで病原的意義が不明であった微生物の実体や性状が明らかになり、医学や獣医学の領域への大きな貢献が期待できる。