The University of Osaka · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Professor Daisuke Motooka's research lab specializes in virology and structural immunology, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of viral immune evasion, particularly in SARS-CoV-2. The lab investigates how viral variants, such as Omicron, evade neutralizing antibodies from vaccines and natural infection using pseudovirus systems and chimeric spike proteins. Their work provides critical insights into the structural basis of immune escape and informs the development of next-generation therapeutics and vaccines. The lab also explores host-pathogen interactions at the structural and functional levels to understand viral pathogenesis and transmission.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
The Omicron (B.1.1.529) SARS-CoV-2 variant contains an unusually high number of mutations in the spike protein, raising concerns of escape from vaccines, convalescent serum, and therapeutic drugs. Here, we analyzed the degree to which Omicron pseudo-virus evades neutralization by serum or therapeutic antibodies. Serum samples obtained 3 months after two doses of BNT162b2 vaccination exhibited 18-fold lower neutralization titers against Omicron than parental virus. Convalescent serum samples from
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