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Development of Production Techniques for Highly Functional Biomaterials Using Plant and Other Organism Smart Cells

Project overview

Project period: FY2016 to FY2021, FY2021 budget: JPY 60 million
PL: KUHARA Satoru (Professor Emeritus, Kyushu University)
SPL: MATSUMURA Takeshi (Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Research Group Leader)

In recent years, due to the development of biotechnology, materials production technology that uses plants, microbes, and other living organisms has attracted attention, and the related global market is expected to rapidly expand. In response, efforts to capture this market are currently underway in Europe and the United States in particular. In order for Japan to ensure its competitiveness as well, it is necessary to establish Japanese technology that fuses rational genetic design based on the utilization of information technology and large-scale gene recombination.

The goal of this project is to develop technology to industrialize a system for gathering precise, large-scale information regarding organisms at high speeds (necessary for genetic design), intracellular process design, genome editing, and similar processes. These processes will then be utilized to control and modify materials production by plants in order to realize technology to inexpensively produce high-performance products using minimal amounts of energy.

  • Utilization of biological resources and biofunctions Plant cells utilized Production of materials utilizing smart cells High-functionality raw materials such as functional polymers Smart cell (organism cell) Microbial cells utilized. Production of materials utilizing bioprocesses ・High-functionality products can be produced only by cultivating plants and microorganisms.・Amount of energy required for production can be reduced

Basic information

Technical field
  • Materials and components
Project code P16009
Department in charge
  • Materials Technology and Nanotechnology Department (TEL: 044-520-5220)

Last Updated : April 26, 2022