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International Joint Lab Osaka

Since 2018, there has been an International Joint Lab at the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology at RUB, which was established within the framework of the Internal Joint Research Promotion Program of Osaka University. The Japanese research presence is conducting research here together with the German partners under the main topic "Structural analysis of the photosynthetic energy transduction for light-driven biohydrogen production by artificial cell".

The RUB Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology and the IPR of Osaka University officially signed a cooperation agreement in October 2017. It complements the cooperation between the two universities that has existed since 2010. In 2017, overall contacts with Osaka University intensified greatly and ended in a joint commitment. Prof. Dr. Uta Hohn, RUB's Vice Rector for Planning and Structure, reached an agreement with Prof. Dr. Yasushi Yagi, Vice President for Research, on the expansion of cooperations during her visit to Japan in September.

Under its university-wide cooperation agreement, RUB has five exchange places with Osaka University, which are in high demand. Students taking advantage of the exchange come from all subject areas. RUB also offers the LabExchange program to support research stays for Master's and Bachelor's students in order to promote student mobility and research-oriented learning and to enable students to develop intercultural skills. The targeted involvement of students in international research contexts is intended to initiate and consolidate lasting cooperation structures. In this context, the RUB research groups offer an eight-week exchange program with Osaka University in the field of protein biochemistry and structural biology. The block practical course is recognized with 15 CP for the M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees. It is also possible to sponsor Master and advanced Bachelor students from RUB partner universities, such as Osaka University. More details here.

Cooperation agreement conclusion

The Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology at RUB and the Institute of Protein Research at Osaka University signed a cooperation agreement in October 2017.

Institute for Protein Research (IPR)

The IPR at Osaka University is one of the world's leading sites for the biochemical and biophysical characterization of proteins and protein complexes.

Prof. Genji Kurisu (IPR) visits us

Kurisu and Happe have a longstanding friendly cooperation.

H2-Lab funded since 2022

The German-Japanese Laboratory for Structure Elucidation for the Development of Biofuel Cells has been funded by the BMBF as a dependency of the International Joint Lab.

Hendrik Wüst as guest

The Prime Minister of NRW visits our H2-Lab in Osaka. On June 8, 2023, we were pleased to present our joint hydrogen and algae research to him.

Visit in Kyoto

In June 2023 Thomas Happe and his co-workers visit the group of Kentaro Ifuku at Kyoto University to intensify our Japanese contacts in the entire Kansai region.

Symposium "Metalloenzymes"

In a three day symposium "Metalloenzymes - cofactor assembly, catalytic mechanism and redox partners" in Bochum in November 2022, the researchers from Japan and Germany had the opportunity to meet each other personally and present their research projects.

Guests from Osaka and Kyoto

With four Japanese guests from Osaka and Kyoto, a valuable scientific and structural exchange was established as a basis for collaboration in the years ahead. The participants of the Photobiotechnology group are already very eagerly looking forward to their return visit to Japan.

H2-Lab - German-Japanese Laboratory for Structure Elucidation for the Development of Biofuel Cells (BMBF)

Fuel cells can be used to efficiently utilize the energy content of hydrogen. Advances in electrode and redox polymer technology show that semi-artificial biofuel cells equipped with environmentally friendly biocatalysts (hydrogenases) can replace conventional chemical processes. By coupling them to flexible, enzyme-based consumer modules, not only electricity but also industrially relevant chemicals can be generated. To optimize these novel modules, knowledge of their microstructure is required. The Photobiotechnology Group at Ruhr University Bochum plans to establish a research laboratory at Osaka University's Institute of Protein Research, which will use the expertise there in state-of-the-art structure elucidation technologies to characterize and optimize biofuel cells. This project will establish a branch of the International Joint Lab in the field of hydrogen catalysis in Japan. To this end, infrastructural conditions for intensive networking of the groups with regard to their scientifically complementary methods and instruments are to be created in Osaka. The world's largest third-generation synchrotron as well as NMR and CryoEM equipment are available there. By using these technologies, German scientists can advance the development of biofuel cells at the highest level and develop cutting-edge technologies on the topic of "green hydrogen".

Molecular protein design for fermentative H2 production

Since 2022, the scientific work of Prof. Happe, PD Dr. Hemschemeier and Prof. Dr. Nowaczyk in cooperation with Prof. Kurisu on the topic of sustainable hydrogen technology as affordable and clean energy has been funded between Europe and Japan within the European Interest Group CONCERT-Japan. The research funding is located in the joint project "Structure-based Metabolic Engineering of H2 Production by Algae (H2M)".