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Kikawada Lab
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The lab aims to develop room-temperature preservation technology by studying Polypedilum vanderplanki, an insect that revives after drying out completely.
AboutAbout the lab
Turning the mechanisms of surviving extreme conditions into new biotechnology
The Kikawada Lab studies anhydrobiosis in Polypedilum vanderplanki, an insect that does not die when it dries out and revives when it gets water.
The lab aims to clarify how living things survive extreme environments such as desiccation, freezing, and strong acidity, and to apply those mechanisms to new biotechnology.
It is working to build the foundations of technology that lets cells and biological materials be stored, transported, and used at room temperature without refrigeration.
The lab is a cooperative chair of the Department of Integrated Biosciences, run by a NARO research group.
Key terms
- Anhydrobiosis
- A state in which the body is completely dried out and metabolism has stopped entirely, yet the organism comes back to life when it gets water
- Omics analysis
- A method of measuring and analyzing genes, proteins, and other molecules all together as a whole, rather than one at a time
- Genome editing
- A technology for cutting or rewriting the sequence of a target gene at a chosen location
ResearchResearch themes
The lab's research is based on Polypedilum vanderplanki, an insect that revives after complete desiccation, and Pv11, a cultured cell line that inherits this ability. Alongside investigating the mechanism of anhydrobiosis, the lab aims to develop technology for dry storage of pharmaceuticals and other materials at room temperature without freezing.
*Illustrative imageUncovering the mechanism of anhydrobiosis
Anhydrobiosis is a state in which all metabolism has stopped but the organism can still revive. The lab established a rearing system for Polypedilum vanderplanki, analyzed its genome, and confirmed that cultured cells also have the ability to undergo anhydrobiosis. It is now investigating the molecular mechanism using omics analysis and genome editing.
*Illustrative imageTechnology for dry storage at room temperature
It is known that when a gene is introduced into Pv11 cells from outside, the target protein can be stored dry at room temperature for a long time. The lab also plans to reproduce this in a test tube using cell components, and to apply it to long-term storage of RNA.
*Illustrative imageGenomes of animals living in extreme environments
The lab is working to sequence the genomes of invertebrates, including insects that live in environments that would kill ordinary animals, such as the Sanyusurika midge, which lives in strongly acidic swamps, and the petroleum fly, which lives in oil-filled tar pits.
MembersFaculty
- Visiting ProfessorTakahiro Kikawada
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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: “Single Bloodworm” Bill Kasman / CC0 (cropped)
- Uncovering the mechanism of anhydrobiosis: “Male Chironomid non-biting midge ( )” Martin Cooper from Ipswich, UK / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Technology for dry storage at room temperature: “Binder CB 210 incubator interior” Shinryuu / Public domain (cropped)
- Genomes of animals living in extreme environments: “Helaeomyia.petrolei.imago.-.sbmnh” Michael S. Caterino & Cristina Sandoval, The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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