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Environmental Conservation Engineering Lab
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A lab that uncovers, starting from genes, how bacteria break down pollutants.
AboutAbout the lab
Putting the power of bacteria to work for environmental cleanup
The Environmental Conservation Engineering Lab studies the ability of bacteria to break down environmental pollutants at the level of enzymes, genes, and cells.
The lab aims to understand the unusual metabolic capabilities of bacteria at the molecular level and to apply that knowledge to uses such as pollution cleanup.
Researchers use a wide range of biotechnology methods, including biochemistry, genetic engineering, genome biology, and structural biology.
The lab puts effort into training researchers who can communicate their work internationally, for example by creating opportunities for graduate students to present overseas, and it actively welcomes international students.
Key terms
- Plasmid
- A small piece of DNA that exists separately from a bacterium's chromosome. It can sometimes be passed from one bacterium to another.
- Post-Koch technologies
- Science and engineering techniques that follow the conventional method of isolating bacteria and growing them individually, allowing microorganisms to be studied as a community.
- Nucleoid-associated proteins
- Proteins that bind to bacterial DNA, similar to histones in eukaryotes. They also play a role in gene function.
NewsLab news
A PhD student received the Excellent Presentation Award at the Kanto Branch Meeting of the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry
A paper on the structural analysis of TurB was accepted by Microbiology Spectrum
A PhD student received a Poster Award at the annual meeting of the Japanese Society for Extremophiles
A master's student received the Student Excellent Presentation Award at the annual conference of the Society for Biotechnology, Japan
Assistant Professor Mizuguchi received the Encouragement Award from the Society for Environmental Biotechnology, Japan
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies how useful and harmful microorganisms actually function in real environments, including the ability of bacteria to break down environmental pollutants and the emergence of drug resistance. Using a variety of methods, it works to uncover the mechanisms behind microbial activity that are specific to the environment and cannot be understood simply by growing microbes alone in test tubes.
*Illustrative imageInteractions between microorganisms
Using "post-Koch technologies" such as microfluidic devices, flow cytometry, and Raman spectroscopy, the lab investigates interactions between microorganisms that are involved in the breakdown of pollutants and the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria.
*Illustrative imageGene transfer and bacterial evolution
The lab investigates how plasmids, which carry genes between bacteria, behave in environments where many kinds of bacteria are mixed together. It also focuses on nucleoid-associated proteins, which help determine the "compatibility" between a plasmid and its host.
*Illustrative imageSearching for new microbial functions
The lab isolates new bacteria that break down environmental pollutants and examines their abilities. Its work includes analyzing the enzymes and genes involved in the breakdown of organochlorine compounds and benzene, and isolating bacteria that degrade organofluorine compounds.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Environmental Conservation Engineering Lab include faculty, project researchers, PhD, master's, and undergraduate students, international research students, technical assistants, and secretaries.As of 2026
- ProfessorHideaki NojiriPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorChiho Mizuguchi (Suzuki)
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Pseudomonas putida on King's B agar under UV light” Mroghair / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Interactions between microorganisms: “Lab on a Chip ( )” National Institute of Standards and Technology / Public domain (cropped)
- Gene transfer and bacterial evolution: “Plasmid (NIH BioArt )” Courtesy of NIAID Ryan Kissinger / Public domain (cropped)
- Searching for new microbial functions: “Trichloroethylene-3D-balls” Ben Mills and Jynto / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (微生物エコテクノロジー社会連携講座): “Разнообразие почвенной микрофлоры в чашке Петри” Oksana Lastochkina / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (細胞機能工学研究室): “Streptomyces hygroscopicus” Snuupo / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (栄養・生命科学研究室): “Human iPS cells colonies” Christine Hale, Amy Yeung, David Goulding, Derek Pickard, Kaur Alasoo, Fiona Powrie, Gordon Dougan ほか
（PLOS ONE） / CC BY 4.0 (cropped) - Related lab (土壌圏科学研究室): “Soil profile 0-125cm” Mclund / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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