Applied microbiology, Drug Discovery

2022
助教 (特定雇用)

2022 - 2022
Associate Research Scientist, Antimicrobial Discovery Center, Northeastern University 

2015 - 2022
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Antimicrobial Discovery Center, Northeastern University

2011 - 2015, Shinshu University, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Technology

2009 - 2011, Shinshu University, Graduate School, Division of Agriculture

2005 - 2009, Shinshu University, Faculty of Agriculture

2025
公益社団法人 日本生物工学会, 第4回 生物工学若手賞

2022
日本農芸化学会, 2022 年度大会トピックス賞

2019
American Society for Microbiology, ASM microbe 2019 Outstanding Abstract Award
Yu Imai

A novel homoarginine-containing cyclic peptide pioamide with selective antipseudomonal activity isolated from the nematode symbiont Photorhabdus khanii
Yu Imai; Sangkeun Son; Miho Sasaki; Libang Liang; Michael F. Gates; Meghan Ghiglieri; Takeshi Shimosato; Chandrashekhar Honrao; Xiaoyu Ma; Jason J. Guo; Kim Lewis
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 91(10), Oct. 2025, Refereed
Lead, Corresponding

Overproduction of secondary metabolites in Photorhabdus noenieputensis through rpoB mutations
Yu Imai
Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 139(6), 399-405, Jun. 2025, Refereed
Lead, Last, Corresponding

Phenomenological interpretations of the mechanism for the concentration-dependent positive effect of antibiotic lincomycin on Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)
Keiichiro Mukai; Tomoko Shibayama; Yu Imai; Takeshi Hosaka
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 89(10), Oct. 2023, Refereed

Evybactin is a DNA gyrase inhibitor that selectively kills Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Yu Imai; Glenn Hauk; Jeffrey Quigley; Libang Liang; Sangkeun Son; Meghan Ghiglieri; Michael F. Gates; Madeleine Morrissette; Negar Shahsavari; Samantha Niles; Donna Baldisseri; Chandrashekhar Honrao; Xiaoyu Ma; Jason J. Guo; James M. Berger; Kim Lewis
Nature Chemical Biology, 18(11), 1236-1244, Nov. 2022, Refereed
Lead

A Silent Operon of Photorhabdus luminescens Encodes a Prodrug Mimic of GTP
Negar Shahsavari; Boyuan Wang; Yu Imai; Miho Mori; Sangkeun Son; Libang Liang; Nils Böhringer; Sylvie Manuse; Michael F. Gates; Madeleine Morrissette; Rachel Corsetti; Josh L. Espinoza; Chris L. Dupont; Michael T. Laub; Kim Lewis
mBio, 13(3), Jun. 2022, Refereed

A selective antibiotic for Lyme disease
Nadja Leimer*; Xiaoqian Wu*; Yu Imai*; Madeleine Morrissette; Norman Pitt; Quentin Favre-Godal; Akira Iinishi; Samta Jain; Mariaelena Caboni; Inga V. Leus; Vincent Bonifay; Samantha Niles; Rachel Bargabos; Meghan Ghiglieri; Rachel Corsetti; Megan Krumpoch; Gabriel Fox; Sangkeun Son; Dorota Klepacki; Yury S. Polikanov; Cecily A. Freliech; Julie E. McCarthy; Diane G. Edmondson; Steven J. Norris; Anthony D’Onofrio; Linden T. Hu; Helen I. Zgurskaya; Kim Lewis
Cell, 184(21), 5405-5418.e16, Oct. 2021, Refereed
Lead

The antibiotic darobactin mimics a β-strand to inhibit outer membrane insertase
Hundeep Kaur; Roman P. Jakob; Jan K. Marzinek; Robert Green; Yu Imai; Jani Reddy Bolla; Elia Agustoni; Carol V. Robinson; Peter J. Bond; Kim Lewis; Timm Maier; Sebastian Hiller
Nature, 593(7857), 125-129, Apr. 2021, Refereed

A putative mechanism underlying secondary metabolite overproduction by Streptomyces strains with a 23S rRNA mutation conferring erythromycin resistance
Kanata Hoshino*; Yu Imai*; Keiichiro Mukai; Ryoko Hamauzu; Kozo Ochi; Takeshi Hosaka
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 104(5), 2193-2203, Mar. 2020, Refereed
Lead

A new antibiotic selectively kills Gram-negative pathogens
Yu Imai; Kirsten J. Meyer; Akira Iinishi; Quentin Favre-Godal; Robert Green; Sylvie Manuse; Mariaelena Caboni; Miho Mori; Samantha Niles; Meghan Ghiglieri; Chandrashekhar Honrao; Xiaoyu Ma; Jason J. Guo; Alexandros Makriyannis; Luis Linares-Otoya; Nils Böhringer; Zerlina G. Wuisan; Hundeep Kaur; Runrun Wu; André Mateus; Athanasios Typas; Mikhail M. Savitski; Josh L. Espinoza; Aubrie O’Rourke; Karen E. Nelson; Sebastian Hiller; Nicholas Noinaj; Till F. Schäberle; Anthony D’Onofrio; Kim Lewis
Nature, 576(7787), 459-464, Dec. 2019, Refereed
Lead

A possible mechanism for lincomycin induction of secondary metabolism in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)
Misaki Ishizuka*; Yu Imai*; Keiichiro Mukai; Kazuma Shimono; Ryoko Hamauzu; Kozo Ochi; Takeshi Hosaka
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, 111(5), 705-716, May 2018, Refereed
Lead

Lincomycin at subinhibitory concentrations potentiates secondary metabolite production by Streptomyces spp.
Yu Imai; Seizo Sato; Yukinori Tanaka; Kozo Ochi; Takeshi Hosaka
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 81(11), 3869-3879, Jun. 2015, Refereed
Lead

Development of the ability to produce secondary metabolites in Streptomyces through the acquisition of erythromycin resistance
Yu Imai; Tatsuya Fujiwara; Kozo Ochi; Takeshi Hosaka
The Journal of Antibiotics, 65(6), 323-326, Jun. 2012, Refereed
Lead

Phenomenological interpretations of the mechanism for the concentration-dependent positive effect of antibiotic lincomycin on Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)
Keiichiro Mukai; Tomoko Shibayama; Yu Imai; Takeshi Hosaka

線虫共生細菌を利用した抗生物質探索研究
今井 優
生物工学会誌, 104(4), 132 - 137, Apr. 2026

線虫共生細菌培養物から見いだされた結核菌に選択的な抗生物質
今井 優
バイオサイエンスとインダストリー, 82(1), 12 - 15, Jan. 2024

線虫共生細菌を利用した有用抗生物質探索研究
今井 優
未培養微生物研究の最新動向 (第 I 編 未培養微生物の探索: 分担) シーエムシー出版, 16 - 24, Apr. 2023

グラム陰性病原菌を選択的に殺す抗生物質ダロバクチンの発見
今井 優
実験医学 2020年4月号 カレントトピックス, 38(6), 1004 - 1007, 2020

放線菌における抗生物質のホルミシス効果の解析と応用
保坂 毅; 今井 優
バイオサイエンスとインダストリー, 74(6), 516 - 518, 2016

Development of the Potential of Actinomycetes to Produce Secondary Metabolites and Discovery of New Antibiotics by Modulating the RNA Polymerase and/or Ribosome
保坂 毅; 今井 優; 藤原 達也
信州大学農学部紀要, 48(1), 9 - 15, 2012

Antibiotics from nematode symbionts selectively targeting specific pathogens
Yu Imai
第25回 天然薬物の開発と応用シンポジウム, Oct. 2025, Invited

線虫共生細菌が生産する他微生物の二次代謝を調節する化合物の探索と解析
今井 優; Son Sangkeun
第 77 回 日本生物工学会大会, Sep. 2025

線虫共生細菌を利用した抗生物質探索研究
今井 優
第 77 回 日本生物工学会大会 (受賞講演), Sep. 2025, Invited

イヴィバクチン生産菌 Photorhabdus noenieputensis の二次代謝活性化
今井 優
第 76 回 日本生物工学会大会, Sep. 2024

線虫共生細菌 Photorhabdus khanii から発見された緑膿菌に選択的な活性を示す抗生物質 ADC58
今井 優; Son Sangleun; Liang Libang; Gates Michael; 森 美穂; Ghiglieri Meghan; Honrao Chandrashekhar; Ma Xiaoyu; Guo Jason; Lewis Kim
第 75 回 日本生物工学会大会, Sep. 2023

Discovery of darobactin, which selectively kills Gram-negative pathogen, by differential screening
今井 優
第23回 日本蛋白質科学会年会 βバレル型タンパク質研究の最前線 (ワークショップ), Jul. 2023, Invited

有用抗生物質探索源としての線虫マイクロバイオームの利用
今井 優
創立 100 周年記念 第 74 回日本生物工学会大会 生物工学が拓く未培養微生物 (微生物ダークマター) の未来, Oct. 2022, Invited

Mycobacterium tuberculosis を選択的に殺す DNA ジャイレース阻害剤の発見
今井 優; Hauk Glenn; Quigley Jeffrey; Liang Libang; Son Sangkeun; Ghiglieri Meghan; Gates Michael; Morrissette Madeleine; Shahsavari Negar; Niles Samantha; Honrao Chandrashekhar; Ma Xiaoyu; Guo Jason; Berger James; Lewis Kim
日本農芸化学会 2022 年度大会, Mar. 2022

3’-amino 3’-deoxyguanosine is a natural nucleoside prodrug antibiotic that selectively kills Escherichia coli
N. Shahsavari; Y. Imai; L. Liang; S. Son; N. Böhringer; B. Wang; S. Manuse; M. Morrissette; M. Mori, A; D’Onofrio; M. T. Laub; K. Lewis
2021 Boston Bacterial Meeting, Jun. 2021

抗生物質探索源としての昆虫病原性細菌の利用
今井 優
日本農芸化学会 中部支部第186 回例会 若手シンポジウム, Nov. 2019, Invited

Heterologous expression of the darobactin biosynthetic gene cluster
Z.G. Wuisan; N. Böhringer; L. Linares-Otoya; Y. Imai; K. J. Meyer; A. Iinishi; Q. Favre-Godal; R. Green; S. Manuse; M. Caboni; M. Mori; S. Niles; M. Ghiglieri; C. Honrao; X. Ma; J. Guo; A. Makriyannis; A. Mateus; A. Typas; M. M. Savitski; J. L. Espinoza; A. O’Rourke; K. E. Nelson; A. D'Onofrio; K. Lewis; T. F. Schäberle
International VAAM Workshop Biology of Microorganisms Producing Natural Products, Sep. 2019

Biosynthesis of Darobactin, a novel antibiotic that selectively kills Gram-negative pathogens
N. Böhringer; Z. G. Wuisan; L. Linares-Otoya; Y. Imai; K. J. Meyer; A. Iinishi; Q. Favre-Godal; R. Green; S. Manuse; M. Caboni; M. Mori; S. Niles; M. Ghiglieri; C. Honrao; X. Ma; J. Guo; A. Makriyannis; A. Mateus; A. Typas; M. M. Savitski; J. L. Espinoza; A. O’Rourke; K. E. Nelson; A. D'Onofrio; K. Lewis; T. F. Schäberle
International VAAM Workshop Biology of Microorganisms Producing Natural Products, Sep. 2019

Darobactin, a novel antibiotic selectively kills Gram-negative pathogens.
Y. Imai; K. J. Meyer; A. Iinishi; Q. Favre-Godal; R. Green; S. Manuse; M. Caboni; M. Mori; S. Niles; M. Ghiglieri; C. Honrao; X. Ma; J. Guo; A. Makriyannis; N. Bohringer; L. Linares-Otoya; A. Mateus; A. Typas; M. M. Savitski; J. L. Espinoza; A. O’Rourke; K. E. Nelson; T. F. Sch ̈aberle; A. D’Onofrio; K. Lewis
2019 Boston Bacterial Meeting, Jun. 2019

ADC56 is a Novel Antimicrobial Acting against Gram-Negative Pathogen.
Y. Imai; K. J. Meyer; Q. Favre-Godal; A. Iinishi; M. Caboni; S. E. Niles; M. L. Ghiglieri; R. C. Green; C. Honrao; X. Ma; A. Makriyannis; J. J. Guo; L. Linares-Otoya; N. Böhringer; T. F. Schäberle; A. D'Onofrio; K. Lewis
ASM microbe 2019, Jun. 2019

Hygromycin A, an antimicrobial with selective activity against Borrelia burgdorferi for treatment of Lyme disease.
Y. Imai; X. Wu; M. Caboni; Q. Favre-Godal; S. Niles; K. Megan; A. Iinishi; K. Lewis
256th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Aug. 2018

Discovery of a novel antibiotic from unculturable bacteria by utilizing in situ cultivation devise.
Y. Imai
バイオメディカル研究所セミナー第 12 回特別版, Dec. 2016, Invited

日本細菌学会

日本生物工学会

JAPAN SOCIETY FOR BIOSCIENCE

American Society for Microbiology

Compounds with antimicrobial properties, 特許WO2020018173A1, Patent right
Kim LEWIS,Yu IMAI,Quentin FAVRE-GODAL,Akira IINISHI,Kirsten MEYER

Hygromycin A compounds and methods of treating spirochete diseases, 特許WO2020041179A1, Patent right
Kim LEWIS,Yu IMAI,Xiaoqian WU (Wendy),Anthony D'ONOFRIO