Building Workflows for the Rapid Identification of Natural Products to Create New Drugs and Functional Foods

Shimadzu Corporation and the Haruko Takeyama Laboratory (Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University) opened the Waseda Shimadzu Collaboration Laboratory (hereinafter Collaboration Laboratory) at the Waseda University Research Innovation Center. The Collaboration Laboratory will pursue the development of workflows for identifying unknown compounds from natural sources. The rapid screening and identification of natural compounds poses a significant challenge, and workflows that overcome this challenge will lead to the creation of new pharmaceuticals, functional foods, and chemical products.

Photograph: Waseda Shimadzu Collaboration Laboratory

The natural world is full of microorganisms and plants producing countless natural compounds. Each of these compounds has a unique structure and a potentially useful role to play in a wide range of industries such as medicine, chemicals, and food. However, the sheer variety of compound structures in the natural world makes the screening and identification of new compounds a challenging task. Raman spectroscopy is an analytical technique that recognizes differences in molecular structure while mass spectrometry determines molecular composition. The Collaboration Laboratory will combine these two techniques to establish new analytical workflows that offer rapid identification of unknown natural compounds. By increasing the speed with which new natural compounds are screened and identified, the Collaboration Laboratory will help to accelerate the research and development of pharmaceuticals, foods, and chemical products.

Shimadzu Corporation and Haruko Takeyama Laboratory (Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University) have been engaged in research together since 2022. Shimadzu Corporation also started working with Waseda University and HORIBA on an LC-Raman measuring system in August 2020 and commenced product sales in June 2021. Shimadzu Corporation will continue to protect the safety and health of people by fostering development in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and other life sciences through open innovation with a variety of companies and research institutions.

Name

Waseda Shimadzu Collaboration Laboratory

Location

4F, Waseda University Research Innovation Center (Building No. 121) 513, Wasedatsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Facilities

LC-Raman system that combines a Shimadzu high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) with a HORIBA Raman spectrometer, and LCMS-9030 high-performance quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer.

Researchers

Waseda University researchers permanently on-site. Shimadzu engineers resident 3 days/week.