Masato Akutsu

High Energy Accelerator Research Organization

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About

Dr. Masato Akutsu is a leading figure in structural biology and high-throughput protein crystallography. His research focuses on overcoming critical bottlenecks in macromolecular structure determination, particularly through the automation of protein crystallization—a process essential for X-ray crystallographic analysis. Dr. Akutsu’s most impactful contribution is the development of the PXS (Protein Crystallization System), an automated large-scale platform for protein-crystallization and monitoring. This system integrates parallel subsystems under unified control software, enabling efficient dispensing, incubation, and real-time imaging of crystallization trials. By significantly accelerating the screening and optimization of crystallization conditions, his work has streamlined the path from gene to three-dimensional protein structure. With 66 citations, his seminal 2006 paper on the PXS system has become a foundational reference for laboratories seeking to automate and scale up structural studies. Dr. Akutsu’s innovations have proven instrumental in advancing high-throughput structural genomics initiatives, making him a key contributor to the infrastructure that underpins modern structural biology.