Professor TOMITA Koichi

 Our final goal is to figure out the molecular and cellular mechanisms to form functional ocular dominance（OD）columns in the primary visual cortex. OD columns are known to be fundamental units of processing visual information to sense vision, and are anatomically well documented as models in the research area of neuronal plasticity.
 Coarse OD columns are set up by molecular cues before eye open, which are subsequently remodeled to the functional structure by visual activity after eye open. We have already isolated two candidate molecules that might regulate above two steps respectively, and are now analyzing the function of these two molecules.