Research First !

Thank you for visiting the website of our department.

The Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University is working to analyze

the molecular pathogenesis of infectious diseases and cancer from a new perspective based on sulfur metabolism,

as well as to develop new treatments for these diseases.

• 2025/04/27 [Seminar held] On Saturday, April 26, 2025, we welcomed Prof. Philip Eaton from Queen Mary University London, UK and Prof. Motohiro Nishida from Kyushu University, Japan for a seminar and presentation by lab members. <link>
• 2025/04/22 [Award] Foysal-san and Guo-san won the Travel Award at the Redox Week in Sendai 2025 which took place April 17-21 in Sendai, Japan. Congratulations! <link>
• 2025/04/22 [Publications] A paper by Prof. Shiiba and his group at Gakushuin University has been published in Nat Commun. Congratulations! Prof. Sawa also participated as a co-author. <link>
• 2025/04/22 [Publications] A paper by Prof. Shingai and his group at Hokkaido University has been published in J Virology. Congratulations!  Prof. Sawa also participated as a co-author. <link>
• 2025/04/16 [Publications] A review article by Dr. Zhang (currently Assistant Professor at Akita Univ.) was published in Frontiers in Immunology. It is the result of collaborative research with Prof. Akaike at Tohoku University. <link>
• 2025/04/16 [Symposium] A mini-symposium on “Supersulfides and nitric oxide in plants and microorganisms” was held on Monday afternoon, April 14, 2025, at the Kurokami Campus, Kumamoto Univ. <link>
• 2025/03/29 [Publications] A paper of Prof. Yamagata et al. of the Department of Medical Biochemistry has been published in Int. J. Mol. Sci.  From our Lab, Assistant Professor Ono, Dr. Zhang (now at Akita Univ.) and Prof. Sawa joined as co-authors. Congratulations! <link>
• 2025/03/28 [Graduation] The graduation ceremony for the academic year of 2024 was held on March 25. <link>
• 2025/02/18 [Publications] Dr. Zhang's (now at Akita Univ.) review article was published in Microbiol Immunol. <link>
• 2025/01/28 [Publications] A paper first authored by Mr. Azizur Rahman, Technical Assistant, has been published in Int. J. Mol. Sci. <link>
• 2024/10/29 [Award] Ms. Guo, a graduate student, received the Young Investigator Award at The 11th Biennial Meeting of Society for Free Radical Research-Asia (SFRR-Asia 2024) held in Beijing on October 21-23, 2024. <link>
• 2024/10/04 [Admission] We are pleased to announce that Ms. Jahan Nusrat has enrolled as a master's student on October 1 (fall enrollment). <link>
• 2024/09/27 [Degree Conferral] Ms. Li Xiaoyan, a graduate student in the working course, received her degree. <link>
• 2024/09/21 [Award] Ms. Ayaka Uegama, a graduate student, received the Best Poster Presentation Award at the Kyushu Microbial Research Forum 2024. <link>
• 2024/09/16 [Award] Dr. Zhang (currently Assistant Professor at Akita University) received the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 35th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Host Defense Research. <link>
• 2024/09/08 [Internship] Mr. Hanyu Liu, an internship student from China, has successfully completed the program. <link>
• 2024/09/04 [Publications] Virus Team's Paper Accepted by J Biol. Chem. This is the work of graduate student Nyame and Prof. Monde et al. <link>

Graduate Student Recruitment !

The origin of medical education in Kumamoto is said to be the "Saishunkan Medical Dormitory" established by Shigeken Hosokawa, the lord of the Higo domain, in 1756. Furthermore, Shibasaburo Kitasato, who is known as the father of bacteriology in Japan, studied under a Dutch doctor, Dr. Mansfeldt, as a medical student at the "Kojo Medical School" established by the Kumamoto domain in 1870.

The Department of Microbiology was established in 1907, shortly after the private Kumamoto Medical School, the predecessor of Kumamoto University School of Medicine, was approved as a medical school.

Since the inauguration of the first Professor Hidekazu Nakajima, the following professors have been appointed: the 2nd Professor Toyokichi Ohtahara (Kumamoto Medical College), the 3rd Professor Tokichi Rokutanda (National Kumamoto University School of Medicine), the 4th Professor Yorio Hinuma (National Kumamoto University School of Medicine), the 5th Professor Hiroshi Maeda (moved to National University Corporation), the 6th Professor Takaaki Akaike (Kumamoto University Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Microbiology; currently Tohoku University), and the current Professor Tomoaki Sawa (Department of Microbiology, Kumamoto University Graduate School of Life Sciences), have taken over the Department of Microbiology and have a history of more than 100 years.

Our department has produced many researchers and educators who have led the field of infectious diseases not only in Japan but also in the world.

Inheriting this illustrious tradition, since 2014, under the leadership of Professor Tomohiro Sawa, we have been conducting research on the molecular pathogenesis of infectious diseases, immunity, and cancer from the new perspective of sulfur metabolism, while at the same time providing undergraduate and graduate education for the development of outstanding human resources.