Our laboratory participated in the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Toxicology (JSOT 2025) held in Naha, Okinawa, from July 2 to 4, 2025. Two faculty members and three 6th-year veterinary students from the Laboratory of Toxicology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, attended this exciting event.

This year’s conference theme was:
“Diversity in Toxicological Sciences for Sustainable Environment and Human Health.”
The meeting brought together not only Japanese researchers but also leading scientists from the Society of Toxicology (SOT, USA) and various Asian countries, creating an excellent opportunity for exchanging ideas and exploring the latest advances in toxicology.

Our team enjoyed three days filled with cutting-edge science, active discussions, and diverse presentations!

We Organized Two Young Investigator Workshops!

This year, in addition to research presentations, Dr. Kazuki Takeda served as a planning committee member and organized two special workshops for young researchers.

Workshop 1: Survival Strategies for Toxicology Researchers – Career Path Perspectives

Presentation:
Y1-1: Overview of Career Path Questionnaire Analysis at JSOT Annual Meeting Using Machine Learning
Presenter: Kazuki Takeda

We analyzed responses from 403 JSOT members to explore career paths and challenges related to research and childcare using machine learning-based data analysis.
By visualizing the influence of factors such as gender, years of experience, and parenting responsibilities on career awareness, we provided new insights into career development in toxicology.

Workshop 2: Toxicology × New Technologies – Rethinking the Future of Toxicology

Introduction Presentation:
Y2-0: Introduction Kazuki Takeda

This session focused on the integration of next-generation technologies such as AI, molecular docking, and omics analyses with toxicology.
We explored the question: “How can we update the future of toxicology?” The discussion was lively, stimulating, and highly forward-looking.

Four Poster Presentations Showcasing Our Latest Research

Our lab members presented four cutting-edge research posters:

✅ P-8S
Exploring Rodenticidal Effect and Toxicity Mechanisms of Dcha-20, a Novel Vitamin D Receptor Agonist with a Lithocholic Acid Backbone
Presenter: Misaki Fukamatsu

✅ P-30E
Comprehensive Molecular Docking Analysis (“Binding Proteomics”) on the AlphaFold Protein Structure Proteome to Identify Toxicity Targets of Puberulic Acid
Presenter: Kazuki Takeda

✅ P-31S
Performance Evaluation of Target Discovery by Comprehensive Molecular Docking: The “Binding Proteomics” Approach
Presenter: Rin Sugawara

✅ P-36S
Testicular Toxicity of a Nine-Compound Mixture of PFAS at Human Daily-Intake-Equivalent Levels in Male Mice
Presenter: Wakana Yoshimura

Conference Highlights

This year’s meeting featured a wealth of forward-thinking topics, including:

• Integration of Toxicology and Data Science

• Cutting-Edge Research from Asian Toxicology Communities

• Risk Assessment of Environmental Chemicals

Our contributions reflected this diversity, covering:

• Machine learning-based career path analysis

• Comprehensive target prediction using “Binding Proteomics”

• Toxicological evaluation of PFAS mixtures

• Mechanistic studies on novel rodenticides

We are proud that our work contributed to the diversity and innovation highlighted at JSOT 2025.
A big thank you to everyone who stopped by our posters and engaged in discussions!

Breaking News!

Our much-discussed “Binding Proteomics” approach for comprehensive molecular docking on the AlphaFold-predicted protein structure proteome—which attracted significant interest during the conference—has been published in the July 2025 issue of The Journal of Toxicological Sciences!

Citation:
Teppei Hayama, Rin Sugawara, Ryo Kamata, Masakazu Sekijima, Kazuki Takeda,
Comprehensive molecular docking on the AlphaFold-predicted protein structure proteome: identifying target protein candidates for puberulic acid,
Journal of Toxicological Sciences, 2025, Vol. 50, Issue 7, pp. 309-324.
https://doi.org/10.2131/jts.50.309

The full pipeline is also available on GitHub—we hope many researchers will try it out!

Breaking News!!

Congratulations to Misaki Fukamatsu, a 6th-year veterinary student, whose poster:
“Exploring Rodenticidal Effect and Toxicity Mechanisms of Dcha-20, a Novel Vitamin D Receptor Agonist with a Lithocholic Acid Backbone”
was awarded Best Student Poster Presentation Award at JSOT 2025! 🎉

https://en.kitasatoxlab.jp/blog/detail/4030

Stay tuned for more updates, including photos and behind-the-scenes stories from the conference!