Kou OKURO

Dr. Kou OKURO was born in Kanagawa in 1983. He received B. Sc from Keio University (2006) under the guidance of Prof. Hiromichi Ohta. He completed his Ph.D for development of “molecular glue” designed for non-covalent chemical modification of biomacromolecules under the direction of Prof. Takuzo Aida at the University of Tokyo (2011). Then, he began his academic carrier at the University of Tokyo as an assistant professor. His research interests include biomimetic chemistry and chemical biology for medicinal and clinical application.

Education

BS. Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University (2006)

MS. Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo (2008)

Ph.D Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo (2011)

Antecedents

2008.4–2011.3: JSPS Research Fellow, The University of Tokyo

2011.4–Present: Assistant Professor, The University of Tokyo

Publications

Transferrin-Appended Nanocaplet for Transcellular siRNA Delivery into Deep Tissues

Ai Kohata, P. K. Hashim, Kou Okuro, and Takuzo Aida

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, in press.

Spatiotemporally Controlled Nuclear Translocation of Guests in Living Cells Using Caged Molecular Glues as Photoactivatable Tags

Rina Mogaki, Kou Okuro, Akio Arisaka, and Takuzo Aida

J. Vis. Exp. 2019, 143, e58631.

Dendritic Molecular Glues with Reductively Cleavable Guanidinium Ion Pendants: Highly Efficient Intracellular siRNA Delivery via Direct Translocation

Kou Okuro, Harei Nemoto, Rina Mogaki, and Takuzo Aida

Chem. Lett. 2018, 47, 1232–1235.

Nitrobenzoxadiazole-Appended Cell Membrane Modifiers for Efficient Optoporation with Noncoherent Light

Saya Otake, Kou Okuro, Davide Bochicchio, Giovanni M. Pavan, and Takuzo Aida

Bioconjugate Chem. 2018, 29, 2068–2073.

Caged Molecular Glues as Photoactivatable Tags for Nuclear Translocation of Guests in Living Cells

Akio Arisaka, Rina Mogaki, Kou Okuro, and Takuzo Aida

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 2687–2692.

Mechanically Robust, Readily Repairable Polymers via Tailored Noncovalent Cross-linking

Yu Yanagisawa, Yiling Nan, Kou Okuro, and Takuzo Aida

Science 2018, 359, 72–76.

Guanidinium-based “Molecular Glues” for Modulation of Biomolecular Functions

Rina Mogaki, P. K. Hashim, Kou Okuro, and Takuzo Aida

Chem. Soc. Rev. 2017, 46, 6480–6491.

Adhesive Photoswitch: Selective Photochemical Modulation of Enzymes under Physiological Conditions

Rina Mogaki, Kou Okuro, and Takuzo Aida

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 10072–10078.

Boronic Acid-Appended Molecular Glues for ATP-Responsive Activity Modulation of Enzymes

Kou Okuro, Mizuki Sasaki, and Takuzo Aida

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 5527–5530.

Photoinduced Bioorthogonal 1,3-Dipolar Polycycloaddition Promoted by Oxianionic Substrates for Spatiotemporal Operation of Molecular Glues.

Junichi Hatano, Kou Okuro, and Takuzo Aida

Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 193–198.

Reductively Cleavable Nanocaplets for siRNA Delivery by Template-Assisted Oxidative Polymerization

P. K. Hashim, Kou Okuro, Shigekazu Sasaki, Yasutaka Hoashi, and Takuzo Aida

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 15608–15611.

Molecular glues for manipulating enzymes: trypsin inhibition by benzamidine-conjugated molecular glues

Rina Mogaki, Kou Okuro, and Takuzo Aida

Chem. Sci. 2015, 6, 2802–2805.

Subnanoscale Hydrophobic Modulation of Salt Bridges in Aqueous Media

Shuo Chen, Yoshimitsu Itoh, Takuya Masuda, Seishi Shimizu, Jun Zhao, Jing Ma, Shugo Nakamura, Kou Okuro, Hidenori Noguchi, Kouhei Uosaki, and Takuzo Aida

Science 2015, 348, 555–559.

Structure and Shape Effects of Molecular Glue on Supramolecular Tubulin Assemblies

Matteo Garzoni, Kou Okuro, Noriyuki Ishii, Takuzo Aida, and Giovanni M. Pavan

ACS Nano 2014, 8, 904–914.

Photoclickable Dendritic Molecular Glue: Noncovalent-to-Covalent Photochemical Transformation of Protein Hybrids

Noriyuki Uchida, Kou Okuro, Yamato Niitani, Xiao Ling, Takayuki Ariga, Michio Tomishige, and Takuzo Aida

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 4684–4687.

Friction-Mediated Dynamic Disordering of Phospholipid Membrane by Mechanical Motions of Photoresponsive Molecular Glue: Activation of Ion Permeation

Yushi Suzuki, Kou Okuro, Tadashi Takeuchi, and Takuzo Aida

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 15273–15276.

Adhesion Effects of a Guanidinium Ion Appended Dendritic “Molecular Glue” on the ATP-driven Sliding Motion of Actomyosin

Kou Okuro, Kazushi Kinbara, Kuniaki Takeda, Yuichi Inoue, Akihiko Ishijima, and Takuzo Aida

Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 3030–3033.

High-water-content mouldable hydrogels by mixing clay and a dendritic molecular binder

Qigang Wang, Justin L Mynar, Masaru Yoshida, Eunji Lee, Myongsoo Lee, Kou Okuro, Kazushi Kinbara, and Takuzo Aida

Nature 2010, 463, 339–343.

Image analysis of α/β-tubulin rings in two-dimensional crystalline arrays of periodic mesoporous nanostructures

Noriyuki Ishii, Kou Okuro, Kazushi Kinbara, and Takuzo Aida

J. Biochem. 2010, 147, 555–563.

Molecular Glues Carrying Multiple Guanidinium Ion Pendants via an Oligoether Spacer: Stabilization of Microtubules against Depolymerization

Kou Okuro, Kazushi Kinbara, Kouhei Tsumoto, Noriyuki Ishii, and Takuzo Aida

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 1626–1627.

Substrate specificity and reaction mechanism of recombinant styrene oxide isomerase from Pseudomonas putida S12

Kenji Miyamoto, Kou Okuro, and Hiromichi Ohta

Tetrahedron Lett. 2007, 48, 3255–3257.

Dr. Kou OKURO 

Assistant Professor 

Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering 

The University of Tokyo 

okuro＠macro.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp

‘Caged’ Molecular Glue in JoVE