Yoko Yamakoshi
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Assistant Professor of Radiology
Office: 284 CRET
Lab: 285 CRET
Phone: 215-898-3105
Email: yamy
mail
medupennedu
Research Group Website: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~bpaulose/top.htm
Jump to: Research Statement | Education and Academic History | Selected Publications
Research Statement
How can small molecules affect the bioactivity of large biomolecules?How can small molecules reach their target molecules in the body?
These are common questions in our research projects. We try to solve part of these questions by inventing new synthetic materials and by using nanotechnology.
Chemical Force Spectroscopy with New Tripod Molecular Tip:
Non-covalent interactions (molecular recognitions) play an important role in the expression of biological activity, and the small organic molecules that modulate these activities are critical for drug discovery. Our aspect of our research is ligand-receptor interaction analysis by atomic force microscopy (AFM), which is modified with an organic molecular tip on it's cantilever. New types of molecular tips with a tripod structure are synthesized and AFM force measurements allow us to interrogate the interaction of small molecules with transmembrane receptors at the single molecule scale.
New C60 Materials for Biological Applications:
C60 (buckminsterfullerene) is an efficient photosensitizer, which can be excited by low energy visible light. We have been focused on biological applications of C60 as a photodynamic therapeutic (PDT) reagent. Photo-DNA cleavage, antibacterial activity and superoxide generation were demonstrated in our laboratory using water-soluble complex of C60. We are currently working on non-toxic and polymeric C60 materials, which can be practical PDT treatments for cancer and infectious disease.
Education and Academic History
- B. S. Ochanomizu University (1989)
- M. S. Ochanomizu University (1991)
- Research Chemist, National Institute of Health Sciences, Tokyo, Japan (1991-2002)
- International Society of Free Radical Research, Young Investigator Award (1998)
- Ph. D. The University of Toyo, Tokyo, Japan (1999)
- JST Postdoctoral Fellow, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Z�ich, Switzerland (1999-2001)
- Senior Research Chemist, National Institute of Health Sciences, Tokyo, Japan (2002-2003)
- Associate Researcher, University of California at Santa Barbara (2004-2007)
Selected Publications
Iwamoto, Y.; Yamakoshi, Y.*: Highly Water-soluble C60-NVP Copolymer: A Potential Material for Photodynamic Therapy. Chem. Commun. 2006, 4805-4807. (selected as a Hot Article)Takamatsu, D.; Yamakoshi, Y.*; Fukui, K.*: Photoswitching Behavior of Nobel Single Molecular Tip of Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy Designed for Chemical Identification. J. Phys. Chem. B 2006, 110, 1968-1970. (highlighted in Photonics Spectra Magazine)
Okada, E. #; Komazawa, Y. #; Kurihara, M.; Inoue, H.; Miyata, N.; Okuda, H.; Tsuchiya T.; Yamakoshi, Y.*: Synthesis of C60 Derivatives for Photoaffinity Labeling. Tetrahedraon Lett. 2004, 45, 527-529.
Yamakoshi, Y.*; Umezawa, N.; Ryu, A.; Arakane, K.; Miyata, N.; Goda, Y.; Masumizu, T.; Nagano, T.: Active Oxygen Species Generate from Photoexcited Fullerene (C60) as Potential Medicines: O2•– versus 1O2. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 12803-12809.
Kai, Y. #; Komazawa, Y. #; Miyajima, A.; Miyata, N.; Yamakoshi, Y.*: [60]Fullerene as A Novel Photoinduced Antibiotic. Fullerene Nanotubes and Carbon Nanostructures 2003, 11, 79-87.
Yamakoshi, Y.; Sueyoshi, S.; Fukuhara, K.; Miyata, N.*; Masumizu, T.; Kohno, M.: •OH and O2•– Generation in Aqueous C60 and C70 Solution by Photoirradiation. An EPR Study. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 12363-12367.
