Ms. Sze Wing Lok (1st year Ph.D. student) from the Hayashi Laboratory received the Poster Award at the 15th Molecular Motor Society Conference held at the Izusan Learning Center in Shizuoka Prefecture between September 10 to 11, 2026.

Award Recipient: Sze Wing Lok (Supervisor: Professor Kumiko Hayashi)
Presentation Title: Comparative analysis of stall forces between kinesin-1 and kinesin-3 using a DNA origami nanospring
Venue: Izusan Learning Center, Shizuoka Prefecture

Our focusing motor protein – kinesin, is a motor protein that transports cargo vesicles inside cells and there are about 40 types of kinesins in humans. While kinesin-1 transports a wide variety of cargoes within cells, kinesin-3 plays particularly important roles in neuronal long-distance transport. Based on the force measurement technique using DNA origami nanosprings developed in our previous study, this research investigated differences in the mechanical properties of KIF1A and KIF5B. Our results showed that kinesin-1 generates greater force than kinesin-3 (KIF1A). In the future, we would like to continue to investigate how these differences in mechanical properties are related to the biophysical roles of each kinesin.

Award Recipient’s Comment:
I am deeply honored to receive the Poster Award at the 15th Molecular Motor Society Conference. I sincerely appreciate the continuous support from my supervisor and collaborators. This conference had provided a valuable opportunity for me to present our work and build connections with other experts in the motor protein field.