GO TOP

Field

Molecular and Chemical Life Science :
Multilevel Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics

Research

JAPANESE
Lecturer KUROKAWA Hirofumi
Campus Katahira campus
Laboratory Molecular Analysis of Biological Functions
Tel +81-22-217-5382
E-mail hirofumi.kurokawa.e2＠tohoku.ac.jp
Website https://www2.tagen.tohoku.ac.jp/lab/yonekura/
Orcid
　
Career
1991: Graduated from Kyoto University, Graduate School of Agricultural Science (Food Science and Technology).
1995: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Research Fellow. (Kyoto University)
1996: Completed Doctoral Program in Food Science and Technology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University. Awarded Ph.D. in Agriculture.
1997: JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow for Research Abroad (University of Toronto).
1999: JSPS Research Fellow (Tokyo Metropolitan University).
2002: Assistant Professor, Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University.
2007: Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University.
2008: Lecturer, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University.
2014: Lecturer, Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University.
 
Selected Publications
  1. Kurokawa, H.; Maki-Yonekura, S.; Takaba, K.; Higashino, T.; Inoue, S.; Hasegawa, T.; Yonekura, K. 3D Electron Diffraction Structure of an Organic Semiconductor Reveals Conformational Polymorphism. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147 (7), 5669–5678. 
  2. Higashino, T.; Inoue, S.; Arai, S.; Tsuzuki, S.; Matsui, H.; Kumai, R.; Takaba, K.; Maki-Yonekura, S.; Kurokawa, H.; Inoue, I.; Tono, K.; Yonekura, K.; Hasegawa, T. Effects of Thiophene-Fused Isomer on High-Layered Crystallinity in π-Extended and Alkylated Organic Semiconductors. Chem. Mater. 2024, 36 (2), 848–859. 
  3. Kurokawa, H.; Ambo, T.; Takahashi, S.; Koyama, T. Crystal Structure of Thermobifida Fusca Cis-Prenyltransferase Reveals the Dynamic Nature of Its RXG Motif-Mediated Inter-Subunit Interactions Critical for Its Catalytic Activity. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 2020, 532 (3), 459–465.
  4. Komatsu, M.; Kurokawa, H.; Waguri, S.; Taguchi, K.; Kobayashi, A.; Ichimura, Y.; Sou, Y. S.; Ueno, I.; Sakamoto, A.; Tong, K. I.; Kim, M.; Nishito, Y.; Iemura, S. I.; Natsume, T.; Ueno, T.; Kominami, E.; Motohashi, H.; Tanaka, K.; Yamamoto, M. The Selective Autophagy Substrate P62 Activates the Stress Responsive Transcription Factor Nrf2 through Inactivation of Keap1. Nat. Cell Biol. 2010, 12 (3), 213–223. 

Recent Activities

Currently, I'm tackling the challenging task of analyzing the structure of nanoscale crystals using cryo-three-dimensional electron diffraction (cryo-3D ED), a method that overcomes the limitations of conventional techniques. While my career has long been focused on protein crystal structure analysis, I recently published a paper on the crystal structure of organic semiconductors. Even I'm surprised by this new direction!
 

Research