Our Science – Yuhki Website

Naoya Yuhki, D.D.S., Ph.D

Laboratory of Genomic Diversity Genetics Section Staff Scientist Bldg. 560, Room 21-53 NCI-Frederick Frederick, MD 21702 Phone:   301-846-5295 Fax:   Fax Number not listed E-Mail:   yuhki@ncifcrf.gov

Biography

Dr. Yuhki obtained his Ph.D. and D.D.S. degrees from Hokkaido University in Japan. He studied cellular and molecular biological aspects of differentiating myelomonocytic leukemia cells with professor Hiroshi Kobayashi at Hokkaido University, School of Medicine. He performed his postdoctoral work on major histocompatibility complex genes with Stephen J. O'Brien in the LGD. He is Senior Staff Scientist, LGD, CCR, NCI, National Institutes of Health and Head of Sequencing Core Facility in LGD and responsible for operations of sequencing and genotyping using Biomek Fx automated laboratory workstation and ABI 3730XL automated DNA analyzer.

Research

Molecular Biology/Computational Biology/Comparative Genomics/Epigenetics/ Immunology

Comparative Genome Research of Immune System(s) and Resistant Mechanism(s) against Emerging Infectious Diseases

In the 20th century, two major human pandemics have occurred by interspecies transmission of pathogens. Approximately 100 million people have succumbed to 1918 Spain influenza virus, which is caused by mutation and transmission of avian flu virus to human. More than 55 million people have been infected to human AIDS virus, which is believed to be transmitted from chimpanzee to human in the early 20 th century and spread out to all over the world since early 1980. In recent years, it became more evident that many pathogens in natural hosts can cause emerging diseases in human (i.e. Ebola hemorrhagic fever, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), potential future pandemic of human influenza through mutations and transmission of avian flu H5N1). LGD maintains and organizes extensive collections of tissue, blood, and skin samples of mammals, marsupials, which give important opportunities to study many pathogens to identify pathogens and prevent future pandemics of our species. Particularly, LGD maintains a full set of 37 feline species samples, including more than 13,000 individuals and 3762 DNA samples. Moreover, more than 1,000 feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) positive samples were identified either ELISA/western blotting by serum or PCR methods. Of these 1000 samples, more than 80 percent of FIV positive cases were detected from African lion and puma samples, in most cases, without obvious onsets of AIDS. Based on those backgrounds, LGD has initiated four major projects to study emerging infectious diseases.

Geophylogenetic characterization of FIV

Comparative viral genome characterization of FIV of domestic cat (AIDS-competent) and lion/puma (AIDS-incompetent)

Host-virus interaction

Screening emerging pathogens

My research focuses on specially two major projects, host-virus interation and screening emerging pathogens. (For more details visit: http://home.ncifcrf.gov/ccr/lgd/staffInfo/staff/yuhki.asp)

This page was last updated on 7/15/2008.