Product development and commercialization through collaboration with companies and regions from R&D related to Hokkaido foods and food ingredients
Healthy daily living for all
Through the main research areas of immune, cognitive and metabolic function, Bio-S seeks to address the specific problems that modern society faces. If these three functions, which are weakened by aging and changes in lifestyle, can be strengthened and improved, then Quality of Life (QOL) will also improve. Under the Bio-S initiative, we aim to fulfill these modern hopes using the power of biotechnology and science. Research projects are implemented in individual areas categorized into one of three groups according to how R&D is conducted: 1. discovery (biomarkers), 2. development (food ingredient functions) and 3. evaluation (test kits, clinical testing). We believe the foundational technologies to be developed in these three areas will help the intrinsic strengths of Hokkaido-produced materials to blossom and thus open up new prospects.
Adding value to food and food ingredients produced in Hokkaido
Through the main research areas of immune, cognitive and metabolic function, Bio-S seeks to address the specific problems that modern society faces. If these three functions, which are weakened by aging and changes in lifestyle, can be strengthened and improved, then Quality of Life (QOL) will also improve. Under the Bio-S initiative, we aim to fulfill these modern hopes using the power of biotechnology and science. Research projects are implemented in individual areas categorized into one of three groups according to how R&D is conducted: 1. discovery (biomarkers), 2. development (food ingredient functions) and 3. evaluation (test kits, clinical testing). We believe the foundational technologies to be developed in these three areas will help the intrinsic strengths of Hokkaido-produced materials to blossom and thus open up new prospects.
Reference
Bio-S Pamphlet 2011 P007-008【PDF 342KB】
Research of intestinal epithelium function and development of functional foods.
Food products are digested and absorbed as they pass through the digestive tract. It is presumed that the foods or food factors may act directly on gut epithelial cells, thus foods are able to function in our body. Microorganisms or bacterial toxins invade also from the digestive tract. It is believed that their ultimate fate, whether eliminated or succeeded to infect, is determined by the immune reactions mediated by gut epithelial cells. In this research, we will establish systems for evaluating gut epithelial cell functions such as innate immunity and neuro-endocrine function. Further, we will develop new methods to evaluate biological effects of foods or food factors, quantitatively and scientifically. Thereby we will contribute to developing new functional food products with definite regulatory activities for the gut cell function, here in Hokkaido with bountiful foods.
The Challenges From Bio-S
Hokkaido University,Faculty of
Advanced Life Science
Professor
Tokiyoshi AYABE
MD.,Ph.D.
Research of immune balance control and development of functional foods.
It has been demonstrated that immune surveillance mechanisms are regulated by immune balance― type 1 immunity vs. type 2 immunity, or cellular immunity vs. humoral immunity ― and the disruption of immune balance causes the onset of many diseases including cancer, allergies, infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders. Therefore, by targeting the control of immune balance, in particular by conducting research on the isolation, identification, and mechanisms of action of functional molecules obtained from Hokkaido-produced agricultural, fisheries and stock animal products, it will become possible to develop pharmaceuticals and food products which could be useful for the therapy or the prevention of various diseases. In this research, we will develop an efficient evaluation system for immune balance to search for immunoregulatory factors contained in foods. At the same time, we will also build new evaluation systems at the cellular and animal (mouse) levels to test the effect of these candidate factors on immune balance.
The Challenges From Bio-S
Hokkaido University Institute
for Genetic Medicine
Professor
Takashi NISHIMURA
Ph.D.
Research of allergic/inflammation reactions and development of functional foods.
In recent years, it has become clear that sphingolipids are not only lipid constituents in the cell membrane, but that a number of their metabolites also function as signal transduction molecules. In addition, while the ingestion of agricultural product-derived sphingolipids has been suggested for some time to have various beneficial effects such as improvement of skin function and immune activation, a scientific basis for this claim has been lacking. For this research theme I will clarify how sphingolipids are digested/metabolized and come to possess physiological functions, and will create a new evaluation system for functional sphingolipids. Using this evaluation system, we will develop pharmaceuticals/functional foods that possess a scientific basis for immune and allergy control or anti-cancer effects. In addition, we will reveal the activity, structure, function and mechanism of action of proteoglycans from various tissues in salmon, which is a regional resource, and for glycosaminoglycan chains from shrimp or various tissues from sharks, which are abundant marine product resources. We will thereby aim to develop functional foods and cosmetics.
The Challenges From Bio-S
Hokkaido University,Faculty of Advanced Life Science
Professor
Yasuyuki IGARASHI
Ph.D.
Identify the biomarker of dementia using animal models and development of functional foods ngredients with preventive effects.
Interesting scientific facts relating to food and disease have been reported, such as the observation that eating habits in the Mediterranean region lower the frequency of onset of Alzheimer's disease, a representative form of dementia. The development of dementia however, is progressing at pace never before seen by humanity due to the remarkable numbers of aging individuals in the populations of developed nations including Japan. Food materials have a large influence on dementia, which is the greatest problem facing humanity in the 21st century. In this study, I will integrate cell biology and cognitive psychology approaches to establish a system for objectively evaluating cultures, animal models, and human cognitive ability. Using biomarkers obtained from these studies, I will search for functional food materials that are of benefit to Homo sapiens, and through evaluations of food materials and their add-on valuations that are based on scientific evidence, provide a meal-based approach to the problem of dementia at the level of food substances.
The Challenges From Bio-S
Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
Professor
Yasuo KOKAI
MD.
Development of functional food ingredients to
improve carbohydrate metabolism -1
Development of Epilactose
This research theme focuses on rumen bacteria as a genetic resource, which is difficult to culture and in which many beneficial, as yet unknown, enzymes potentially exist. Our proposal sets sights on searching for novel useful enzymes with the goal of developing functional food materials, as well as on developing oligosaccharides with high added-value and producing them for practical use. Cellobiose 2- epimerase, which we have described in past studies, was identified as the enzyme that converts cellobiose into glucosyl mannose. Epilactose is also produced from lactose by the cellobiose 2-epimerase enzyme. Its expectations for practical use are high from both the aspects of effective utilization of materials and of high functionality. Toward this end, we are aiming for detailed analysis of the physiological functions of epilactose and its low cost industrial production.
The Challenges From Bio-S
Hokkaido University,Faculty of Agriculture
Professor
Hirokazu MATSUI
Ph.D.
Development of functional food ingredients to improve lipid metabolism
Plasmalogens are a subclass of phospholipid that act as physiological anti-oxidants in lipoproteins, and are thought to be closely involved in arteriosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. In this research theme, we will establish the clinical significance of plasmalogens as biomarkers and develop assay kits which can clinically measure plasmalogens as well as their oxidation products. Furthermore, upon securing the participation of food and medical product companies, we will develop new food ingredients and functional foods, based on evaluations of physiological actions effective for improving dyslipidemia and oxidation injury that are known to cause metabolic syndrome and lifestyle-related diseases.
The Challenges From Bio-S
Hokkaido University,Faculty of Agriculture
Professor
Hiroshi HARA
Ph.D.
Development of functional foods with anti-oxidative effects
The purpose of this research will be to evaluate from a medical perspective, the effects of functional foods that, until now, have lacked a clear medical basis for their effects, and to develop functional health foods which are scientifically proven. Specifically, we will focus on the farm products that are produced in great quantity in Hokkaido, that contain polyphenol compounds such as anthocyanin or other natural products. We will also search for functional food materials using a number of viewpoints as standards. In parallel with materials development, we will objectively assess the substances constituting these materials for their influence on living organisms (from the medical standpoint of anti-oxidative actions) using molecular biological and biochemical methods at the cellular and individual animal levels.
The Challenges From Bio-S
Asahikawa Medical College School of Medicine
Professor
Nobutaka WAKAMIYA
MD.,Ph.D.
Establish of a platform for developing functional foods
The main purpose of this research is to create a seamless clinical intervention system for evaluation of safety and efficacy of functional foods. By this system, we perform clinical trials for functional foods as well as manage personal data by means of the medical/bioinformatics unit. By deploying the unit, it would become possible to develop functional food materials, which are validated by in vitro and in vivo studies by the cluster, into value added products. Once this system works, it leads to accumulation of knowledge and technologies as of functional foods, which would be materialized as a permanent regional property. The system will also give us a great impact on health promotion by means of nutrient-rich food intake. Furthermore, the strategic system will become successful and fruitful as vitalization of the regional economy by coordination with a personnel training program and regional cohorts.
The Challenges From Bio-S
Hokkaido Information University Department of Medical Managementand Informatics
Professor
Jun NISHIHIRA
MD.,Ph.D.
The creation of fluorescent polymer probes applying the novel solvatochromic fluorescent dyes.
In this research, I endeavor to produce new fluorescent nanopolymer particle probes that possess advantages of organic fluorescent dyes such as a variety of specific fluorescence functions, low toxicity and low cost, combined with advantages of inorganic light-emitting particles such as single wavelength excitation and high stability against light. Specifically, I will first introduce a polymerization site into a novel fluorescent solvatochromic dye capable of single visible light excitation because that absorption wavelength hardly changes by solvent polarity. Second, a series of colorful fluorescent polymer beads with uniform particle size will be provided by embedding the dye into the polymer matrices with various polarities. Third, I will check toxicity of these nanoparticles on living cells compared with those of the commercial probes, and apply a coating onto the particle's surface for reducing toxicity. Finally, I will try to manufacture novel fluorescent probes for various applications in biotechnology.
The Challenges From Bio-S
Hokkaido University,Faculty of Environmental Earth Science Associate
Professor
Koji YAMADA
Ph.D.
Elucidation the physiological activity of
malt lactic acid bacterium against intestinal tract tissue
and the development of functional foods.
The malt origin lactic acid bacterium, developed by a collaborative research company, may confer a protective function to the intestinal tract tissue of Homo sapiens according to ex-vivo experimental results at Asahikawa Medical College.We will apply this research, by clarifying the functionality of the lactic acid bacterium of concern against intestinal tract tissue from model animal testing in vivo and human clinical testing, to the commercialization of functional foods.
A safety test that administered excessive dosage of lactic acid bacterium processed cells at 1g/day consecutively for four weeks in 20 healthy individuals has already been carried out by a collaborative research company, and food safety has been confirmed. Therefore we will establish the foundations toward commercialization of functional foods by testing the effect of the lactic acid bacterium concerned in patients with (or who are suspected of having) enteropathy.
The Challenges From Bio-S
Asahikawa Medical College School of Medicine
Professor
Yutaka KOGO
MD.,Ph.D.
