LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Pedosphere Science Lab
Machine-translated · View original
The lab uncovers how carbon and nitrogen cycle through the soil beneath our feet.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring the cycles of matter and life through soil
The Pedosphere Science Lab studies the properties and functions of soil.
Soil is a mixture of minerals, organic matter, and microorganisms, and it has attracted attention as a key hub in the cycling of carbon and nutrients.
Building on soil science, biogeochemistry, and microbial ecology, the lab uses a wide range of methods, from field surveys and laboratory experiments to synchrotron X-ray analysis.
The lab is recruiting graduate students and postdocs who aim to become researchers active worldwide.
Key terms
- Biogeochemistry
- The study of how elements such as carbon and nitrogen cycle among living organisms, rocks, water, and the atmosphere
- Soil organic matter
- Organic matter in soil derived from plants and microorganisms. Much of the carbon in soil exists in this form
- Soil aggregate
- A porous clump formed when soil particles bind together through organic matter, metals, and other materials
- Nitrogen fixation
- The reaction that converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia. Only certain microorganisms can carry it out
NewsLab news
Artificial soil experiments demonstrate how rock weathering stabilizes soil organic matter
Study reveals a new pathway for N2O formation in soil bacteria that convert nitrate to ammonium
Adding iron oxide to paddy soil activates nitrogen-fixing bacteria and suppresses methane, study confirms
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria discovered in paddy fields are found to be widespread in soils around the world
ResearchResearch themes
By combining studies of the physical structure, chemical composition, and microbiology of soil, the lab investigates how soil supports ecosystems and agriculture. Its work covers how carbon accumulates in soil and the microorganisms that drive the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
*Illustrative imageHow carbon accumulates in soil
Soil is the largest carbon reservoir on land. The lab studies how soil organic matter is stabilized by binding to minerals and metals or by being trapped inside soil aggregates, with the aim of applying the findings to climate change projections and farmland management.
*Illustrative imageSoil structure and microbial diversity
The lab examines the relationship between the structure of soil aggregates, which form when soil particles cluster together, and the diversity of the microorganisms living in them. It is also working to reduce N2O by identifying the habitats of microorganisms that convert N2O, a greenhouse gas, into nitrogen.
*Illustrative imageIron-reducing bacteria that fix nitrogen in paddy fields
The lab has found that iron-reducing bacteria play a major role in nitrogen fixation in paddy soil. In joint research with the Social Collaboration Research Division, it is investigating the conditions and mechanisms under which these bacteria are active, with the aim of cultivating rice with less nitrogen fertilizer.
*Illustrative imageMicroorganisms driving the carbon and nitrogen cycles
In soil, the carbon and nitrogen cycles are linked through microbial metabolism. Using isotope tracing and gene analysis, the lab studies ammonia-producing bacteria and the connections between the two cycles.
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorRota WagaiPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorYoko MasudaPublications ↗
VoicesStudent voices
Compiled from answers by students who were in the lab. Ratings and reviews reflect individual students' experiences, not the lab's official views.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Who is this lab for?
What's great about this lab?
What did you learn after joining?
What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
Where do graduates go?
RelatedLabs similar to Pedosphere Science Lab
Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer LabFaculty of Agriculture, Major in Biological Chemistry and BiotechnologyPlant response mechanisms to nutrients and toxic substances
Radiation Plant Physiology LabFaculty of Agriculture, Major in Biological Chemistry and BiotechnologyNon-destructive, real-time visualization of inorganic substa…
Plant Functional Engineering LabFaculty of Agriculture, Major in Biological Chemistry and BiotechnologyElucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of photosynthesis a…
Nutrition and Life Sciences LabFaculty of Agriculture, Major in Biological Chemistry and BiotechnologyClarifying skeletal muscle function regulation and aging mec…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
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: “Soil profile 0-125cm” Mclund / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- How carbon accumulates in soil: “Een bodemprofiel van een moerpodzolgrond met een zanddek” Cultureel Gelderland / CC0 (cropped)
- Soil structure and microbial diversity: “Subangular Blocky Soil Aggregate in Spain” Antonio Jordán (University of Sevilla) (https://imaggeo.egu.eu/user/ajordan/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Iron-reducing bacteria that fix nitrogen in paddy fields: “Transplanting rice seedlings by hand into the flooded paddy after mechanical transplanting leaves gaps” Gpwitteveen / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Microorganisms driving the carbon and nitrogen cycles: “Soil samples - waiting to be tested - geograph.org.uk - 1303159” Evelyn Simak / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (植物栄養・肥料学研究室): “Roots of a hydroponically-grown plant” Banana patrol / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (放射線植物生理学研究室): “Soybean Plants in the Field ( )” United Soybean Board / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (植物機能工学研究室): “Arabidopsis thaliana sl13” Stefan.lefnaer / 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)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.