Members

Nicholas M. Luscombe, Professor
Google scholar

Nick is a leading computational biologist known for his work on gene regulation using bioinformatics. As head of the unit, he employs big data and computational methods to advance genomic research and understand complex biological processes.

Aki Masunaga, Technician

Aki successfully established an impressive culturing facility for the long-term maintenance of Oikopleura dioica at GRSU since she began her career here in 2015. Currently, she is involved in whole genome DNA isolation/sequencing of field samples on NGS (Illumina & Nanopore) platforms and yet still manages to coordinate and conduct field work required for the population study.

Dr Yongkai Tan Technician
Google scholar

Yongkai has provided his expertise in NGS, gleaned while working for Beijing Genomic Institute in Kobe, to the GRSU group since starting in 2016. Currently, he is involved in whole genome DNA & RNA isolation/sequencing of field samples on NGS (Illumina & Nanopore) platforms. He has been successful in optimizing isolation conditions of typically low total-genomic DNA yields found in Oikopleura samples for high-quality long reads from a single individual.

Andrew Liu, Technician
Google scholar

Andy joined the unit in 2017, previously from Neurobiology Unit since starting at OIST in 2010 and RIKEN Center for Brain Science between 2005-2010. With over 35 years of wet lab experience, provides mentoring, culturing, fieldwork, molecular and cell biology support. An avid waterman, surfs and dives the crystal clear waters of Okinawa regularly.

Dr Charles Plessy, Staff Scientist
Google scholar

Charles joined in 2018 hailing from RIKEN Yokohama campus. He brought with him nearly 20 years of genomic and transcript analysis proficiency along with a strong background in bioinformatics and Linux system administration. He likes scientific challenges that can be solved with a high-throughput screen. As an enthusiastic group leader, he leads multiple projects within the unit, and promotes open-source software in OISTs bioinfo user group. He also enjoys practicing aikido on the OIST campus.

Dr. Nicolas Dierckxsens, Research Scientist

A computational biologist from Belgium, Nicolas developed the widely-used organelle assembler, NOVOPlasty during his PhD and later researched disease-causing variants in university hospitals. Passionate about nature, he is now an interdisciplinary postdoc interdisciplinary postdoc between the Marine Climate Change unit of Prof. Ravasi and the Genomics and Regulatory Systems unit.

J. Nicolaus Wibisana, PhD student
Google scholar, Website

Nico joined the unit in 2022 working on the epigenetic landscape of O. dioica. He previously worked on super-enhancer in B cell activation at Osaka University before moving to OIST for PhD, currently working on the gene regulation mechanism in O. dioica.

Arina Mazurova, Rotation student

Arina graduated from Moscow State University as a molecular biologist. She worked as a junior researcher, a biology teacher, a museum scientific consultant and a research unit technician at OIST. She started PhD in 2024 and she is interested in small non-coding RNAs and molecular mechanisms underlying evolutionary events, like host-pathogen (or host-symbiont) co-evolution and interaction.