Takashi Gojobori
Encyclopedia
a Japanese molecular biologist, is Vice-Director of the National Institute of Genetics
(NIG) and Professor at Center for Information Biology and DNA Data Bank of Japan
(DDBJ) in NIG, Mishima
, Japan. He has also been co-appointed as the Special Research Consultant of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
(AIST), as a Visiting Professor of Keio University
and as a Visiting Research Director of RIKEN
.
After finishing his Ph.D. (1979) at Kyushu University
, Japan, he was Research Associate and Research Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Houston for 4 years (1979–1983). He was also Visiting Assistant Professor at Washington University in St. Louis (1985, 1986) and Visiting Research Fellow at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) in London (1989).
Prof. Gojobori is a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
(2006) and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS) (2006). In 2006 Pope Benedict XVI
appointed Prof. Gojobori as a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
. He has received the Gaetano Salvatore Gold Medal from Italy (2004). In 2009 he was awarded the Purple Ribbon Medal and the Medal of Honor of Japan
for a series of his researches to develop the early age of “Molecular Evolutionary Studies using genome information”.
He is the Founding Editor of Genome Biology and Evolution, the Editor of Gene
and FEBS Letters
, Associate Editor of Molecular Biology and Evolution
and PLoS Genetics
, and he has served on the editorial boards of 6 international journals including Genome Research
and BMC Genomics. Previously he was the Editor of Journal of Molecular Evolution
for 8 years (1995–2003). He is leader of the Japanese team of the H-Invitational
international consortium who was tasked with creating a database linking the 21,037 validated human genes to their biological function.
Prof. Gojobori has 321 publications in peer-reviewed international journals, as of October 31, 2007. He has worked extensively on the rates of synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions, positive selection, horizontal gene transfer
, viral evolution, genome evolution, and comparative gene expression
. In recent years, he has focused on the evolution of the brain and CNS
.
Prof. Gojobori has served as the Program Director of the Council for Science and Technology Policy (CSTP) of the Government of Japan and is the Science Officer of the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, Culture, and Technology (MEXT). He has contributed to the DDBJ/GenBank/EMBL database construction as well as the H-Invitational
human gene database.
National Institute of Genetics
The National Institute of Genetics is a Japanese institution founded in 1949.It hosts the DNA Data Bank of Japan....
(NIG) and Professor at Center for Information Biology and DNA Data Bank of Japan
DNA Data Bank of Japan
The DNA Data Bank of Japan is a biological database that collects DNA sequences. It is located at the National Institute of Genetics in the Shizuoka prefecture of Japan. It is also a member of the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration or INSDC...
(DDBJ) in NIG, Mishima
Mishima, Shizuoka
is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 112,078 and a population density of 1,800 persons per km². The total area is 62.13 km²...
, Japan. He has also been co-appointed as the Special Research Consultant of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
The , or AIST, is a Japanese research facility headquartered in Tokyo, and most of the workforce is located in Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki, and in several cities throughout Japan. The institute is managed to integrate scientific and engineering knowledge to address socio-economic needs...
(AIST), as a Visiting Professor of Keio University
Keio University
,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
and as a Visiting Research Director of RIKEN
RIKEN
is a large natural sciences research institute in Japan. Founded in 1917, it now has approximately 3000 scientists on seven campuses across Japan, the main one in Wako, just outside Tokyo...
.
After finishing his Ph.D. (1979) at Kyushu University
Kyushu University
Kyushu University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:The university has been ranked 8th in 2010 and 2009 in the ranking "Truly Strong Universities" by Toyo Keizai...
, Japan, he was Research Associate and Research Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Houston for 4 years (1979–1983). He was also Visiting Assistant Professor at Washington University in St. Louis (1985, 1986) and Visiting Research Fellow at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) in London (1989).
Prof. Gojobori is a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
(2006) and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
(AAAS) (2006). In 2006 Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
appointed Prof. Gojobori as a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Pontifical Academy of Sciences
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences is a scientific academy of the Vatican, founded in 1936 by Pope Pius XI. It is placed under the protection of the reigning Supreme Pontiff. Its aim is to promote the progress of the mathematical, physical and natural sciences and the study of related...
. He has received the Gaetano Salvatore Gold Medal from Italy (2004). In 2009 he was awarded the Purple Ribbon Medal and the Medal of Honor of Japan
Medals of Honor (Japan)
Since the late 19th Century, the Government of Japan has issued six different types of to individuals for achievements in various fields.The Medals of Honor were established on December 7, 1881, and were first awarded the following year. Several expansions and amendments have been made since then...
for a series of his researches to develop the early age of “Molecular Evolutionary Studies using genome information”.
He is the Founding Editor of Genome Biology and Evolution, the Editor of Gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
and FEBS Letters
FEBS Letters
FEBS Letters is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering all aspects of biochemistry. The journal publishes minireviews, hypotheses, and research letters. FEBS Letters is one of two journals published by Elsevier for the Federation of European Biochemical Societies , along with Molecular...
, Associate Editor of Molecular Biology and Evolution
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
and PLoS Genetics
PLoS Genetics
PLoS Genetics is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that reflects the interdisciplinary nature of genetics and genomics research by publishing contributions in all areas of biology. The journal is indexed in PubMed Central, PubMed, and ISI Web of Knowledge, and was originally created by Wayne...
, and he has served on the editorial boards of 6 international journals including Genome Research
Genome Research
Genome Research is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. The focus of the journal is on genome-wide studies in any organism, including single gene studies that are placed in a genomic context. This scope includes both experimental and computational...
and BMC Genomics. Previously he was the Editor of Journal of Molecular Evolution
JME
JME may refer to:* JME , grime artist from Tottenham, North London,* Java Platform, Micro Edition, a Java platform designed for embedded systems* JME Molecule Editor, a Molecule Editor applet* jMonkey Engine, a Java scenegraph API...
for 8 years (1995–2003). He is leader of the Japanese team of the H-Invitational
H-Invitational
the H-Invitational Database is a comprehensive annotation resource for human genes and transcripts....
international consortium who was tasked with creating a database linking the 21,037 validated human genes to their biological function.
Prof. Gojobori has 321 publications in peer-reviewed international journals, as of October 31, 2007. He has worked extensively on the rates of synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions, positive selection, horizontal gene transfer
Horizontal gene transfer
Horizontal gene transfer , also lateral gene transfer , is any process in which an organism incorporates genetic material from another organism without being the offspring of that organism...
, viral evolution, genome evolution, and comparative gene expression
Gene expression
Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product. These products are often proteins, but in non-protein coding genes such as ribosomal RNA , transfer RNA or small nuclear RNA genes, the product is a functional RNA...
. In recent years, he has focused on the evolution of the brain and CNS
Central nervous system
The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
.
Prof. Gojobori has served as the Program Director of the Council for Science and Technology Policy (CSTP) of the Government of Japan and is the Science Officer of the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, Culture, and Technology (MEXT). He has contributed to the DDBJ/GenBank/EMBL database construction as well as the H-Invitational
H-Invitational
the H-Invitational Database is a comprehensive annotation resource for human genes and transcripts....
human gene database.