Using photosynthetic microorganisms as our main research material, we are trying to elucidate the principles of biological functions that contribute to the fields of energy, food, environment, and medicine through advanced technologies such as molecular genetics, plant physiology, and genome science. Specifically, we are studying the “CO2-concentrating mechanism that supports efficient photosynthesis; regulation of gene expression in response to environmental changes such as CO2, light, and nitrogen; regulatory mechanism of photosynthetic organelle with liquid-liquid phase separation; signal transduction by DYRK family proteins; comparative genome analysis of photosynthetic organisms; production of useful substances and biofuels by genome editing and gene transformation.

• Elucidation and application of the molecular basis of the photosynthetic CO2-concentrating mechanism
• Elucidation and application of molecular mechanisms of emergence, disappearance, and inheritance of photosynthetic organelles with liquid-liquid phase separation
• Elucidation of gene expression regulatory network by environmental sensing including CO2, nitrogen, and light
• Elucidation of protein phosphorylation and other signaling mechanisms involved in cell survival and reproduction
• Development and utilization of genome information and genome resources of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii