Latest updates from our laboratory
On October 15, 2026, all Im Lab members gathered on campus for our very first group photo. More photos are available in the Lab Life section of our Gallery.
View Gallery →On October 10, 2026, University Journal Online published an interview with Prof. Im about the new cryo-electron microscopy lab course for undergraduate students at Kyoto Sangyo University. In the article, Prof. Im talks about the role of cryo-EM in drug discovery and his hope that students will experience the excitement of seeing a protein structure they analyzed themselves.
Read the article →A co-authored paper, "Direct Visualization of a Hydroperoxy Intermediate in Fluorescent Protein Chromophore Maturation in PAmCherry1," has been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
View in Publications →
Starting September 1, 2026, the cryo-electron microscope (Thermo Scientific Glacios 2) housed at the Institute for Protein Dynamics is now open for joint use, welcoming researchers and companies from both inside and outside the university. The instrument supports single-particle analysis for structural determination of proteins and other biomolecules. Prof. Im oversees operation of the facility.
View facility introduction →On July 10, 2026, the first group of students assigned to our laboratory was decided: five students in total, joining as the very first generation of Im Lab. We warmly welcome them all and look forward to supporting their research journey ahead.
From left: Prof. So Iwata (mentor, Kyoto University), Dr. Richard Henderson (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology), Prof. Im
On July 2, 2026, our university hosted the KSU International Symposium, welcoming Nobel laureate Dr. Richard Henderson as a guest speaker. The event drew enthusiastic participation from many students, creating a truly lively atmosphere. Prof. Im oversaw the entire program, which also featured special lectures by Prof. Endo and Prof. Yokoyama from our department.
We are actively seeking motivated graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to join our team. If you have a passion for structural biology and membrane proteins, please don't hesitate to reach out. We offer excellent opportunities for training in cutting-edge structural biology techniques.
We are excited to announce the official opening of the Structural Cell Biology Laboratory. Our lab is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for membrane protein structural biology research, including access to cryo-electron microscopy and advanced biochemical analysis equipment.