LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Quantitative Ecological Genetics Lab
Machine-translated · View original
The lab measures how genetic differences among plants affect their interactions with their surroundings.
AboutAbout the lab
Untangling plant diversity with data.
The Quantitative Ecological Genetics Lab untangles ecological phenomena surrounding plants using bioinformatics techniques.
Responses to the environment and interactions among organisms in the field are complex traits that involve quantitative differences.
Using omics science and statistical methods, the lab seeks to understand the genetic basis behind these traits quantitatively.
The lab mainly works with plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Arabidopsis halleri, and with the leaf beetles that feed on them.
Key terms
- Omics
- A general term for research that comprehensively investigates the genome, gene activity, metabolites, and other molecular components as a whole
- Genome-wide association study (GWAS)
- A method that examines individual differences across the whole genome to find locations linked to differences in traits. Also called GWAS
- Polymorphism
- The presence of multiple forms with different shapes or characteristics within a population of the same species
ResearchResearch themes
The lab is interested in how genetic variation shapes interactions among organisms and is in turn shaped by those interactions. It analyzes quantitative variation in complex ecological traits using computational biology and functional genomics.
*Illustrative imageInteractions between neighboring plants
Plants in the field cannot escape their neighbors. The lab developed methods called Neighbor GWAS and Neighbor QTL, which incorporate the genotypes of neighboring plants into the analysis, and uses them to analyze herbivory and plant communities in Arabidopsis thaliana as well as traits in crops.
*Illustrative imageEvolutionary ecology of plant defense
Plants have various defenses against the insects that eat them, and these traits remain polymorphic within populations. In Arabidopsis halleri, the lab found that hairy individuals suffer less herbivory when surrounded by hairless ones.
*Illustrative imageData analysis in ecology, evolution, and genetics
The lab uses statistical methods to untangle complex interactions. Besides developing new analytical methods, it also engages in collaborative research with other fields.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Quantitative Ecological Genetics Lab consist of faculty and doctoral students.As of 2026
- Assistant ProfessorYasuhiro Sato
VoicesStudent voices
Ratings and reviews reflect the experiences of individual current or former students, not the lab's official views. Whether a lab has reviews, or how many, says nothing about the lab itself.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Student ratings (0 students)
--
--
--
--
--
--
Student voices answer questions like these
- What's great about this lab?
- What did you learn after joining?
- What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
- Who is this lab for?
- Where do graduates go?
Your experience can help younger students choose their lab. Your name won't be shown.
Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopRelatedLabs similar to Quantitative Ecological Genetics Lab
Watahiki Lab (Plant Morphology and Function Ib)Faculty of Science, Department of Biological SciencesPlant physiology
Morphology and Function III LabFaculty of Science, Department of Biological SciencesMolecular genetics
Marine Station Lab (Nakaoka and Isada)Faculty of Science, Department of Biological SciencesMarine ecology and biological oceanography
RTNakano LabFaculty of Science, Department of Biological SciencesPlant-microbe interactions, molecular genetics, cell biology…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: “Arabidopsis halleri plant (02)” Andrea Moro / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Interactions between neighboring plants: “Acker-Schmalwand Passau” Konrad Lackerbeck / CC0 (cropped)
- Evolutionary ecology of plant defense: “CSIRO ScienceImage 2135 Leaf Feeding Beetle Larvae” David McClenaghan, CSIRO / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Data analysis in ecology, evolution, and genetics: “Andragradsfunktion med brus 1” Itangalo / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Watahiki Lab (Plant Morphology and Function Ib)): “Arabidopsis thaliana sl13” Stefan.lefnaer / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Morphology and Function III Lab): “Arabidopsis thal background” Reo On / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Marine Station Lab (Nakaoka and Isada)): “Zostera marina - iNaturalist.org(1)” Brew, John / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (RTNakano Lab): “-Chlorophytum comosum-02” Wildfeuer / CC BY 2.5 (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.