Proteins are essential biomolecules to life phenomena, such as cell signaling, in vivo catalytic reactions, storage, and transport. Three-dimensional protein structures are closely related to the corresponding functions, and how proteins structurally change when they function has been a hotspot topic of interest. However, new techniques would be required to capture fast-time scale (femto-to-milliseconds) protein movements at an atomic level. 
  In our laboratory, we are developing time-resolved experiment techniques using quantum beams (e.g., X-ray free-electron laser and synchrotron radiation) to visualize actual chemical reactions and protein structural changes. These methods enable the observation of movements and changes as “a molecular movie”’. We elucidated the reaction mechanism of light-sensitive proteins used in an optogenetics tool and captured the intermediate structures of enzymes that catalyze unique reactions. Furthermore, based on the obtained dynamic structural information, we aim to design protein molecules rationally and create molecules with new functions.