Keio University Human Biology-Microbiome-Quantum Research Center (WPI-Bio2Q) held a seminar as follows.

The 174th Brain Club & the 1st Structural Biology Club
Lipid Regulation of Ion Channels in Neuronal Excitability: Molecular and Structural Mechanisms
Hosted by the Yuzaki Lab, the Suzuki Lab, and Bio2Q

Date: Friday, April 10, 2026
Time: 16:00-18:00
Venue: Meeting Room, 8th Floor, Center for Integrated Medical Research, Keio University, Shinanomachi

Speakers:

・Yasushi Okamura, M.D., Ph.D.　(Specially Appointed Researcher, WPI-PRIMe, Osaka University） “Electrophysiological Analysis of Lipid Regulation of Inhibitory Neurotransmitter Receptors and K+ Channels”

・Radu Aricescu, Ph.D.
（Programme Leader and MRC Investigator,  Laboratory of Molecular Biology,  Cambridge, UK,
Visiting Professor, PI, WPI-Bio2Q, Keio University,  Neuroscience & Structural Biology, Japan)
“GABAA Receptor Gating Imaged on the Millisecond Timescale”

Ion channel activity is widely known to be regulated by lipids, yet many important questions remain regarding the underlying molecular mechanisms and their physiological significance.

In this seminar, we will focus on the effects of PIP2 on GABA receptors and discuss recent findings from both structural and electrophysiological approaches. In particular, we hope to explore where these approaches converge and where they appear to diverge. We expect this seminar to provide a valuable opportunity to consider lipid regulation of ion channels from both structural and functional perspectives.