We are the first startup from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) established on June 25, 2014. The company has grown from advanced structural imaging technology developed by Professor Ulf Skoglund of the OIST Structural Cellular Biology Unit.

Based in Onna-son, Okinawa, headed by CEO Akira Kamei, we provide contracted research services worldwide.

What we do

Okinawa Protein Tomography provides macromolecular imaging service that includes proteins in various states at the single, individual molecule-level by combining conventional electron tomography and a specifically designed 3D reconstruction program known as COMET. The current resolution of a 3D image produced by this technique is approximately 15A and the resolution is steadily improving.

The ultimate goal of imaging protein structures is to provide data for new drug design. By utilizing data obtained by the new technology at various stages of the drug development, pharmaceutical companies will be able to analyze drug candidates efficiently and effectively.

Thanks to our technology it is now possible:

I. Visualization of protein and/or protein complexes and their dynamics, serving as an alternative solution to the study of biological samples that are difficult or impossible to crystallize

II.To approach the study of individual proteins as well as protein complexes, revealing properties such as shape, binding domains and flexibility,

III. To reveal conformational distribution of flexible molecules, by taking images of individual proteins and protein complexes,

IV. Visualization of membrane proteins. It is now the only method that can provide this information,

V. To analyze proteins in a variety of contexts