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Biological Machinery Engineering Lab
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The lab studies the use of algae and biomass for energy, as well as agricultural robots.
AboutAbout the lab
Bioenergy and Bioproduction Machinery
The Biological Machinery Engineering Lab studies "bioenergy" and "bioproduction machinery."
The lab works on energy derived from living organisms, such as producing fuel feedstock from algae and making biogas and ethanol from biomass.
In agriculture, to improve work efficiency while reducing environmental impact, the lab studies autonomous vehicles and weeding robots that work precisely without human operators.
Other themes include robotic boats for managing aquatic plants in lakes and automating the production of dried persimmons with robots.
Key terms
- Biomass
- Biomass: resources derived from living organisms, such as plants, algae, and livestock manure. It can be used as a raw material for fuel and fertilizer.
- Hydrocarbon
- Hydrocarbons: substances made only of carbon and hydrogen. They are the main components of petroleum and natural gas.
- Methane fermentation
- Methane fermentation: a process in which microorganisms break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen and produce gas containing methane.
- LCA
- LCA (Life Cycle Assessment): a method of evaluating a product by adding up the energy used and the greenhouse gases emitted at every stage, from raw material production to disposal.
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies two fields, "bioenergy" and "bioproduction machinery," with the aim of reducing environmental impact and improving sustainability. Its work includes energy research such as hydrocarbon production by algae and methane fermentation, as well as research on machines such as mowing robots and robotic boats for managing aquatic plants.
*Illustrative imageProducing Fuel Feedstock from Algae
This research focuses on efficiently cultivating Botryococcus braunii, a species of algae that produces hydrocarbons, and extracting those hydrocarbons. Algae are expected to be more efficient per unit area than land plants.
*Illustrative imageProducing Biogas by Methane Fermentation
This research produces biogas by methane fermentation of biomass and uses the liquid left after fermentation (digestate) as fertilizer.
*Illustrative imageMaking Fertilizer Mixed with Biochar
This research produces highly effective fertilizer by mixing biochar with organic fertilizer and compacting it. The lab works on projects such as manufacturing pellets made of livestock manure compost mixed with biochar.
*Illustrative imageLCA of Biofuels
This research analyzes the energy and material inputs and outputs of each step in biofuel production, and evaluates how much fossil energy is saved and how much greenhouse gas emission is reduced.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Biological Machinery Engineering Lab include faculty, researchers, staff, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and non-degree research students.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorYutaka KaizuPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorKenichi FuruhashiPublications ↗
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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: “Titan FT35 FarmWise3” PaulineCant / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Producing Fuel Feedstock from Algae: “Botryococcus braunii” ja:User:NEON / User:NEON_ja / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Producing Biogas by Methane Fermentation: “Farm-scale biogas reactors ( )” SuSanA Secretariat / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Making Fertilizer Mixed with Biochar: “Biochar pile” Oregon Department of Forestry / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- LCA of Biofuels: “Work of rice straw baling in Minamitaku” Pekachu / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Farmland and Environmental Engineering Lab): “Transplanting rice seedlings by hand into the flooded paddy after mechanical transplanting leaves gaps” Gpwitteveen / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Irrigation and Water Environment Engineering Lab): “Irrigation channel beside a rice field 8298941” 夢の
散歩 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped) - Related lab (Biological and Environmental Engineering Lab): “Plant production with LED lighting” Flatengine / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Hosoi Lab): “Agricultural art” Antarsih / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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