研究室紹介

Wood Science

Our Earth is home to a wide range of ecological zones, each inhabited by unique plant species. Over billions of years, plants have acquired diverse life functions that enable them to adapt to their habitats. In our laboratory, we aim to unravel these adaptive functions at the molecular level and optimize them to specific cultivation conditions and species traits. We strive to develop plant resources pre-adapted to the expected environmental changes by optimizing plant productivity through tailor-made approaches.

Research Interests

Understanding How Plants Survive in Various Environments
We study how plants have adapted to a wide variety of environments around the world. We focus on how plants respond to light and to herbivores. By learning how these plants developed unique survival strategies in special environments, we hope to understand their evolutionary history and the biological mechanisms behind their success.

Creating Plant Resources for Future Environmental and Food Challenges
Plants usually take a very long time to adapt to changes in the environment through natural evolution. However, today’s environment is changing so rapidly that plants can’t keep up. To help solve future problems related to the environment and food supply, we use genome editing technology to optimize the natural abilities of plants. Our goal is to create new types of plants that can grow well under future environmental conditions.

Keyword of Research Area