Kosuke Fujishima is an Associate Professor at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Institute of Science Tokyo. His research focuses on the origin of life and cell-free system, particularly the transition from prebiotic chemistry to biological systems. With a background in molecular evolution and synthetic biology, he investigates the interplay between RNA and peptides, testing the "peptide-RNA coevolution hypothesis" using in vitro synthesized de novo peptides and proteins. Dr. Fujishiima has pioneered work on the role of ancient proteins in metabolism and genetic systems, contributing to the emerging field of Synthetic Astrobiology. His recent research includes the development of a cell-free Fe-S protein synthesis system for studying oxygen-sensitive metalloenzymes and the integration of amino acid biosynthesis into a mixotrophic PURE system, advancing efforts toward a self-sustaining artificial cell. His work has been published in leading journals, including ACS Catalysis. Prior to his current role, he held research positions at NASA Ames Research Center in Rothschild lab, where he worked extensively on utilizing synthetic biology for future Mars exploration and life detection missions.

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