Unit Leader
Makoto Taiji
D.Sci.
Drug Discovery Molecular Simulation Platform Unit
Location Kobe / Integrated Innovation Building
E-mail taiji[at]riken.jp
Please replace [at] with @.
This unit aims to use leading computational technologies using large-scale, high-speed supercomputers for in silico drug discovery. In particular, we are focusing on molecular simulation technologies to predict high-precision binding affinity, taking into account the dynamics of complex structures consisting of proteins and other low molecular compounds while in aqueous solution for better estimations on binding affinities and other drug efficacy parameters. Such studies will help identify drug behavior at the molecular level and help predict what structural formulas make for highly effective and selective drug candidates.
Research Theme
- Large-scale, high-speed super computing for in silico drug discovery
- In silico screening of drug compounds for protein targets
- Developing of high affinity compounds based on the simulations from (2)
Selected Publications
Okimoto N, Suenaga A, Taiji M.
Evaluation of protein–ligand affinity prediction using steered molecular dynamics simulations.
Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics
35(15), 1-11 (2016)
doi: 10.1080/07391102.2016.1251851
Yamagishi J, Okimoto N, Morimoto G, Taiji M.
A New Set of Atomic Radii for Accurate Estimation of Solvation Free Energy by Poisson-Boltzmann Solvent Model.
Journal of Computational Chemistry
35(29), 2132-2139 (2014)
doi: 10.1002/jcc.23728
Kondo HX, Okimoto N, Morimoto G, Taiji M.
Free-Energy Landscapes of Protein Domain Movements upon Ligand Binding.
Journal of Physical Chemistry B
115(23), 7629-7636 (2011)
doi: 10.1021/jp111902t
Okimoto N, Futatsugi N, Fuji H, et al.
High-Performance Drug Discovery: Computational Screening by Combining Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulations.
Plos Computational Biology
5(10), e1000528 (2009)
doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000528
Suenaga A, Takada N, Hatakeyama M, et al.
Novel mechanism of interaction of p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and ErbB3 receptor-derived phosphotyrosyl peptides.
Journal of Biological Chemistry
280(2), 1321-1326 (2005)
doi: 10.1074/jbc.M410436200
Suenaga A, Hatakeyama M, Ichikawa M, et al.
Molecular dynamics, free energy, and SPR analyses of the interactions between the SH2 domain of grb2 and ErbB phosphotyrosyl peptides.
Biochemistry
42(18), 5195-5200 (2003)
doi: 10.1021/bi034113h
