お知らせ

We are pleased to announce the establishment of the Institute for Supersulfides Redox Life Science at Osaka Metropolitan University. The institute officially commenced its operations in 2025 with the aim of advancing cutting-edge research on novel sulfur-based biomolecules.

■ Background and Mission

Sulfur is an essential element in all forms of life, playing critical roles in redox reactions, energy metabolism, and cellular signaling. In recent years, the discovery of supersulfides—molecules containing multiple sulfur atoms linked in linear chains—has opened a new frontier in life sciences. These reactive sulfur species are enzymatically generated in vivo and have been implicated in diverse physiological functions, many of which challenge existing textbook paradigms.

Due to their inherent instability, supersulfides require advanced technologies for structural and functional analysis. The mission of this institute is to establish a robust research platform for the synthesis, characterization, and functional investigation of these molecules, and to explore their applications in medicine, veterinary science, drug discovery, food science, and environmental and energy technologies.

■ Research Overview

• Synthesis and Structural Analysis of Supersulfides
  Development of stabilization strategies and synthetic methodologies, coupled with advanced analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry, NMR, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography.

• Dynamic Profiling in Biological Systems
  Establishment of omics-based analytical pipelines to comprehensively quantify and profile supersulfides in animals, plants, microbes, and human clinical samples.

• Elucidation of Biological Functions
  Multilevel analysis—ranging from cells and tissues to whole organisms—of the physiological roles of super-ulfides, with a focus on antioxidant activity, signal transduction, and protein modification.

• Applications in Functional Foods and Therapeutics
  Investigation of preventive and therapeutic effects in diseases such as neurodegeneration, cancer, and inflammation; development of biomarkers and drug candidates; and design of supersulfide-based functional foods.

• Environmental and Energy Applications
  Utilization of unique chemical properties of sulfur species to develop innovative technologies in environmental remediation and energy conversion, such as sulfur-based catalysis and efficient biofuel production.

■ Organization

Director:
Dr. Hideo Ihara (Professor, Graduate School of Science)

Core Researchers:
Faculty members from the Graduate Schools of Science, Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, and Medicine.

Visiting Researchers:
Distinguished scientists from institutions including Tohoku University and Kumamoto University.

■ Vision

The Institute for Supersulfides Redox Life Science is committed to pushing the frontiers of academic research on sulfur biochemistry and promoting interdisciplinary applications that contribute to medical innovation, environmental sustainability, and the realization of a healthy and long-lived society.

We sincerely appreciate your continued interest and support.