生体分子の認識と応答の科学

Living systems possess highly specialized regulatory and signaling networks, operating at the cellular, tissue, and organ levels, that utilize distinct molecular repertoires to mediate intra- and intercellular information exchange. These multifaceted systems enable organisms to adapt dynamically to environmental perturbations while maintaining organismal integrity and functional homeostasis. Elucidating the molecular basis of such processes—including the interactions between bioactive signaling molecules, such as low-molecular-weight organic compounds and peptide hormones, and their cognate binding proteins or receptors, as well as the downstream cellular responses they initiate—represents a critical frontier in modern biological research. This course will present state-of-the-art methodologies for dissecting molecular recognition and interaction mechanisms, framed by case studies of diverse physiological phenomena in which these processes play essential roles.