Powering the Future - 立命館大学

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Ritsumeikan University College of Life Sciences Research/Development Areas Design Plastics by the Full Use of the Nanotechnology for Future Materials Associate Professor / Osamu TSUTSUMI Polymers are very important materials that are widely used in our daily life as they have a variety of functions. If the latent functions intrinsic to polymer materials were fully utilizable they could be applied in many more leading-edge fields. In the light of this basic concept our research program focuses on the molecular design and synthesis of highly functionalized and highperformance polymer materials. However, to obtain those highly functionalized polymer materials the primary structures as well as higher structure of the polymers needs to be controlled. Polymers are very large molecules, but they consist of very small units ~ 1 nm (10 -9 m) in size. A large number of those small units are built into polymers. In addition, polymer molecules can spontaneously become organized and construct higher structures ~ µm (10 -6 m) in size. We are trying to precisely control the structure at each level by designing nano-size units and developing new materials that make full use of their intrinsic functions. In other words, we are exploring the development of new polymer materials with novel functions and performance by designing molecules at the nano scale for use in future materials. ■Spontaneous formation of a polymer by designing suitable nano units 49 Ritsumeikan University Powering the Future
Department of Biotechnology Research/Development Areas Isolation and Application of Various Microorganisms Research/Development Areas Molecular Mechanism of Light Sensing and Responses in Plants Professor / Tadayuki IMANAKA, Assistant Professor / Wakao FUKUDA ●Hydrogen production by hyperthermophilic archaeon We succeeded in isolating hyperthermophilic archaeon that grows at temperatures of 60 - 100 degrees from a hot spring in Kodakarajima in Kagoshima Prefecture. We then also succeeded in producing hydrogen using starch from waste at a food plant at high speed using that archaeon. ●Bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil using oil-degrading bacteria We isolated a large number of oil-degrading bacteria from oilfields in the Tohoku area among others. We selected 3 strains that had been observed to have high degrading performance and safety and efficiently decontaminated oil-contaminated soil using them. ●Purification of fresh water (Lake Biwa etc) using lactic acid bacteria We isolated lactic acid bacteria of food product origin and attempted to purify fresh water using them. We would like to contribute to the purification of lakes and ponds that include Lake Biwa. ●Search for extreme environmental microorganisms from Antarctica origin We isolated many interesting microorganisms from samples collected in the Antarctica. A special characteristic of microorganisms from the South Pole is an oligotrophic property that allows them to exist in environments with low concentrations of organic matter. Associate Professor / Masahiro KASAHARA A plant cannot move once it has taken root: a big difference with animals that can escape into shade if the sun is too hot or look for food if they are hungry. Because stationary plants are constantly exposed to changes in their environment they can appropriately sense those changes and quickly adapt. Light plays an important role for plants in providing information on sensing environmental changes, in addition to its role as an energy source for photosynthesis. Optical information enables plants to recognize long-term changes such as a change in season as well as short-term changes such as the change in day and night or short changes in light quantities caused by light being blocked by tree leaves in a forest. We are studying and attempting to elucidate the responses of plants to light at the molecular level. College of L ife Sciences ■Interesting Microorganisms from Antarctica ■Plant cells and chloroplasts Research/Development Areas Construction and Creation of Symbiosis Circulation Earth Environment Research/Development Areas Mechanisms of Microorganisms for Sustainable Society Professor / Motoki KUBO, Assistant Professor / Yoshiki MATSUMIYA ●Construction of environmental diagnosis technology We are developing unique environmental diagnosis technology utilizing bioactivity as an index. We have already started providing a soil environment diagnosis service. ●Bioremediation (environmental purification using microorganisms) We are developing a bioremediation system, and studying the mechanisms of microbial functions. We have developed a new bioremediation system. ●Creation of new resources utilizing biomass We are investigting the creation of new resources utilizing biomass and based on the material circulation that occurs on the earth. We have developed a biomass peptides that can contribute to the growth of plants and livestock using a foreign fish (bluegill) in Lake Biwa. ●Development of bioenergy We are working on the development of bioenergy using microbial functions and biomass. The attempt to produce methane, hydrogen, and glucose from woody biomass is taking place in our laboratory. Associate Professor / Hisaaki MIHARA We have utilized microorganisms and microbial enzymes from long before the word “biotechnology” was first created. The diverse functions of microorganisms can be applied in a wide range of fields such as in solutions to environmental and food problems and the development of drugs. However, we have only utilized a few microbial species, because the number of microbial species is so enormous, far beyond our imaginations. In this laboratory, we aim at elucidating the diverse and unique mechanism of the microbial metabolism as well as the structure and function of enzymes and proteins produced by microorganisms and then applying them in the development of a sustainable society by using techniques in the fields of biochemistry, microbiology, molecular microbiology and genetics. We will be able to efficiently produce many useful products for society by developing “factories” of microbial metabolic systems. ■Root hair promotion by biomass peptide (Left: control, Right: biomass peptide) ■Production of vitamins with microbial systems Ritsumeikan University Powering the Future 50
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Powering the Future - 立命館大学

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