Koichi Tanaka
Template:Short description Template:For multi
Template:Nihongo is a Japanese electrical engineer who shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2002 for developing a novel method for mass spectrometric analyses of biological macromolecules with John Bennett Fenn and Kurt Wüthrich (the latter for work in NMR spectroscopy).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Early life and education
Tanaka was born and raised in Toyama, Japan, his biological mother died one month after he was born. Tanaka graduated from Tohoku University with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1983, afterward he joined Shimadzu Corporation, where he engaged in the development of mass spectrometers.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Soft laser desorption
For mass spectrometry analyses of a macromolecule, such as a protein, the analyte must be ionized and vaporized by laser irradiation. The problem is that the direct irradiation of an intense laser pulse on a macromolecule causes cleavage of the analyte into tiny fragments and the loss of its structure. In February 1985, Tanaka found that by using a mixture of ultra fine metal powder in glycerol as a matrix, an analyte can be ionized without losing its structure. His work was filed as a patent application in 1985, and after the patent application was made public reported at the Annual Conference of the Mass Spectrometry Society of Japan held in Kyoto, in May 1987 and became known as soft laser desorption (SLD).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
However, there was some criticism about his winning the prize, saying that contribution by two German scientists, Franz Hillenkamp and Michael Karas was also big enough not to be dismissed, and therefore they should also be included as prize winners.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="GaultMcClenaghan2008">Template:Cite book</ref> This is because they first reported in 1985 a method, with higher sensitivity using a small organic compound as a matrix, that they named matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI).<ref>Template:Cite journal </ref> Also Tanaka's SLD is not used currently for biomolecules analysis, meanwhile MALDI is widely used in mass spectrometry research laboratories. But while MALDI was developed prior to SLD, it was not used to ionize proteins until after Tanaka's report.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Blood-based early disease detection
Tanaka Team have developed a diagnostic technology that enables early detection of diseases from a small amount of blood. By artificially modifying antibodies with polyethylene glycol at their base, the arms can move like springs, allowing simultaneous binding to antigens. In experiments with protein fragments related to Alzheimer’s disease, the modified antibodies captured antigens more than 100 times more strongly than conventional antibodies.<ref name=yomiuri2011>Template:Cite news</ref> Later improvements enabled glycan analysis from trace mixed samples without peptide selection, leading to the detection of Alzheimer’s-related proteins from 1 mL of blood and the identification of eight previously unknown related substances.<ref name=jiji2012>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn<ref name=chuunichi2013>Template:Cite news</ref> This technology is expected to contribute to the early detection of various diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and prostate cancer.<ref name=jiji2012/>
The research originated from work awarded the Nobel Prize in 2002, though the initial methods lacked sufficient sensitivity for medical applications.Template:Sfn In 2009, it was selected for the Template:Ill, Development of Next-Generation Mass Spectrometry Systems and Contributions to Drug Discovery and Diagnosis, which provided about 4 billion yen over five years. With a team of around 60 researchers, a breakthrough analytical method was developed within a year, achieving up to a 10,000-fold increase in sensitivity.Template:Sfn
In November 2011, the team described the results as a technology applicable to early diagnosis and antibody-based drug development, publishing findings in the electronic edition of an English journal issued by the Japan Academy.<ref name=yomiuri2011/> On August 23, 2012, further results were published in the U.S. journal PLOS ONE in collaboration with Motoharu Seiki of the University of Tokyo Institute of Medical Science.<ref name=jiji2012/> By 2014, the technology had advanced to the stage of detecting Alzheimer’s-related substances directly from blood samples,Template:Sfn<ref name=chuunichi2013/> and since April 2014, efforts under a new framework have been directed toward practical application.Template:Sfn
Recognition
- 1989 – Award of the Mass Spectrometry Society of Japan
- 2002 – Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- 2002 – ribbon barOrder of Culture
- 2002 – Person of Cultural Merit
- 2002 – Honorary doctorate from Tohoku University
- 2003 – Honorary citizenship of Toyama Prefecture
- 2003 – Special Award of the Mass Spectrometry Society of Japan
- 2006 – Member of Japan Academy
- 2024 – IEEE Milestone for "LAMS-50K" (one of the 5-member development team)<ref>LAMS-50K is Recognized as an IEEE Milestone Nobel Laureate Koichi Tanaka among Development Team | SHIMADZU TODAY | SHIMADZU CORPORATION</ref>
See also
References
External links
Template:Wikiquote Template:Commons category
- Template:Nobelprize
- Nobel Prize Announcement (Shimadzu Corporation)
- Tanaka Nobel Prize lecture
- Koichi Tanaka
Template:Japanese Nobel laureates Template:Nobel Prize in Chemistry Laureates 2001-2025 Template:2002 Nobel Prize Winners