have attracted attention from researchers working on therapeutics
and drug discovery based on the gut microbiome. We continue to
welcome collaborations.îThe importance of standardization and sharing
In 2016, Japan launched the Society 5.0 initiative as part of its
national 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan, which builds on
the four historical social infrastructures of hunting, agriculture,
industry, and information, and hopes to create a new society
where people and technology are increasingly linked, and where
artificial intelligence helps us break previous barriers. Notably,
molecular-level health careógenetic engineeringñbased medicine
for the personalized treatment of chronic diseasesóis an important
pillar of the plan. Noster believes that further advances in this field
necessitate sharing accurate data on lipidomics as part of an open-
access, large-scale data platform.
ìNoster is an active member of Japanís Council on
Competitiveness-Nippon [COCN] and is providing full access to our
library of microorganisms and gut microbial lipid metabolites,î says
Kitao. ìWe fully support projects to standardize data on lipids and
metabolites for use in lipidomics research.îrecombinant bacteria. But it was not easy. For example, in the case
of linoleic and oleic acids, the fatty acid conversion reaction occurs
in multiple steps, and each step of the reaction is catalyzed by a
different enzyme.
Furthermore, these are reversible reactions exhibiting
conversion rates of less than 100%, with the amount of the desired
final product decreasing with each step. Noster researchers
experimented with using multiple strains of recombinant bacteria
to improve efficiency, but the reactions were difficult to control,
and it was not possible to efficiently isolate target compounds.
For instance, it was difficult to simultaneously separate and purify
individual fatty acids from a solution containing a mixture of
multiple fatty acids, because the structures and physical properties
of each fatty acid were similar. ìAfter much experimentation we
were able to improve our yield of a wide range of lipid metabolites
from several milligrams to tens of milligrams,î says Kitao. ìThis was
enough for cell-based experiments and animal tests, accelerating
t he dr ug discover y proce s s.îLibraries for drug discovery
Nosterís technology for cultivating gut microorganisms and
related metabolites has enabled the company to establish two
unique libraires: a microbial library of more than 1,600 strains
and a lipid metabolite collection of more than 300 compounds.
ìOur libraries offer a wealth of information on gut microorganisms
and metabolites that can be candidates for drug discovery. TheyPHOTOS: PROVIDED BY NOSTERFor information about Nosterís gut microbiome libraires:
Microbial library: http://www.noster.inc/products/microbial/.
Lipid metabolite library: http://www.noster.inc/products/metabolite/.Advertorial
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