Japan-headquartered Shimadzu Corporation and Tohoku University have opened the Shimadzu × Tohoku University Supersulfides Life Science Co-Creation Research Centre.

The two parties will engage in joint research at the Co-Creation Research Centre for 3 years, starting from April 2024. By identifying the properties of supersulfides involved in the ageing mechanism of biological organisms, the collaboration is intended to contribute toward establishing diagnostic and treatment methods for a variety of diseases and developing foods with functional benefits that help improve health.

Supersulfide is the generic term for substances with sulfur bound to an organic compound, such as amino acids present in blood or body organs. Due to their powerful antioxidant properties, they are thought to help control the function of reactive oxygen. Excessive reactive oxygen levels are considered to be a factor for causing fatigue, ageing, or diseases.

At the newly established Co-Creation Research Centre, researchers will engage in developing new techniques for simultaneously analysing a greater variety of supersulfides, observing the distribution of supersulfides within organs using a Shimadzu iMScope imaging mass microscope.