Research concept

Plants synthesize a variety of organic compounds through photosynthesis and unique metabolic pathways. Numerous metabolic processes are involved in plant productivity, such as an efficient photosynthetic capacity, effective transport, and the storage of biosynthesized products. We have conducted research and development on production control aimed at effectively utilizing plant resources that aid in the production of useful biomaterials and energy. On the basis of plant hormone research, we are conducting studies to understand systems involved in plant productivity, sink-source regulation, and effective material transport, as well as R&D on techniques aimed at productivity control. We hope to utilize various genomic functions of model plants and comparative studies on genomes as a foundation for the production of more and better crops and trees.

Research contents

• Identification of key genes regulating agronomical traits improving crop productivity
• Functional analysis of key genes regulating plant productivity, especially enzymes involved in cytokinin biosynthesis and metabolism
• Identification of key genes in agricultural traits using high-throughput hormone analysis system
• Development of clean-up technology of heavy metal pollutants using bryophyte