Who we are

We are the first startup from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) established on June 25, 2014. The company has grown from advanced structural imaging technology developed by Professor Ulf Skoglund of the OIST Structural Cellular Biology Unit.

Based in Onna-son, Okinawa, headed by CEO Akira Kamei, we provide contracted research services worldwide.

What we do

We provide macromolecular imaging service including proteins in various states at the single molecule-level by combining Cryo Electron Microscopy and a specifically designed 3D reconstruction program known as COMET. The current resolution of a 3D image produced by this technique is approximately 1.5 nanometers and the resolution is steadily improving. For decades, pharmaceutical companies have studied the structure of proteins on the surface of human cells to develop drugs that latch onto the proteins and block the entry of a virus or bacteria. The new technology also allows visualization of protein complexes and their dynamics, serving as an alternative solution to the study of biological samples that are difficult or impossible to crystallize.
The ultimate goal of imaging protein structures is to provide data for new drug design. By utilizing data obtained by the new technology at various stages of the drug development, pharmaceutical companies will be able to analyze drug candidates efficiently and effectively.

More about our services here

More about Protein Tomography here

Our company

Name: Okinawa Protein Tomography Ltd. (OKPT)
Date of Establishment: June 25, 2014
Head Office: Uruma-shi, Okinawa
Branch: Onna-son, Okinawa
Capital: 80 million JPY
Board:
CEO: Akira Kamei
Director: Nobuo Fukuda (BSC)
Director: Kazuhiro Hara (BSC)
Technical Consultant: Ulf Skoglund (OIST)

Scope of Business: Contract research service using imaging and analyzing technology for macromolecules

Detailed company info here