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Cell Culture Engineering Lab (Muroran Marine Station)
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A lab that studies the cells of brown algae such as kelp and wakame.
AboutAbout the lab
From seaweed cells to how an organism is built.
The Cell Culture Engineering Lab studies brown algae, including kelp and wakame, using the methods of cell biology and molecular biology.
Brown algae have complex alternation of generations and reproductive modes, and they are the largest multicellular photosynthetic organisms living in water.
The lab investigates how the multicellular body is built and maintained, by looking at how cells divide and how cells are connected to one another.
To help sustain seaweed resources, the lab also explores conditions that promote maturation and growth by taking the life cycle through to completion.
Key terms
- Brown algae
- A group of brown seaweeds, including kelp and wakame. They are major primary producers that fix carbon in coastal waters.
- Alternation of generations
- A life pattern of algae in which a haploid gametophyte and a diploid sporophyte alternate, linking one generation to the next.
- Plasmodesmata
- Structures in which the plasma membranes of adjacent cells connect through the cell wall. They are involved in the movement of substances between cells.
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies, at the cellular level, how the multicellular bodies of brown algae are built and maintained. It also studies completion of the life cycle, which is essential for sustaining seaweed as a resource.
*Illustrative imageHow the Division Plane Forms in Cytokinesis
It has become clear that cytokinesis in brown algae proceeds from the inside of the division plane toward the outside, as vesicles derived from the Golgi apparatus fuse with flat cisternae. By following how cellulose, alginate, and fucoidan accumulate, the lab investigates the origin and function of the flat cisternae.
*Illustrative imageConnections Between Cells
Brown algae also have plasmodesmata, which connect the plasma membranes of neighboring cells. Because their structure differs from that of land plants, the lab aims to clarify their function by examining the relationship between how they are formed and how they arise.
*Illustrative imageGerm Cells That Link Generations
In brown algae, the haploid gametophyte and the diploid sporophyte are independent, and fertilization and zoospores link the two generations. The lab studies how mitochondria, chloroplasts, and centrioles are passed on across generations, as well as the formation and development of germ cells.
*Illustrative imageHow Male and Female Gametes Meet
It is known that male gametes are attracted to a substance released by female gametes, but the receptor on the receiving side remains unknown. Based on the hypothesis that the receptor is located in the flagella, the lab isolates flagella from gametes and examines them using comparative proteomics.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Cell Culture Engineering Lab are faculty, an emeritus professor, technical staff, administrative assistants, and master's students.As of 2026
- ProfessorChikako Nagasato
- Associate ProfessorKensuke Ichihara
- Project Assistant ProfessorNana Terauchi
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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: “CSIRO ScienceImage 905 Undaria pinnatifida Japanese kelp” division, CSIRO / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- How the Division Plane Forms in Cytokinesis: “Ectocarpus siliculosus sur Ulva” Akirapeters / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Connections Between Cells: “Cladostephus spongiosus” Prasionella / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Germ Cells That Link Generations: “Kelp forest at Alphard Banks P4100481” Peter Southwood / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- How Male and Female Gametes Meet: “Flagellat - 1000x - 20µ ( )” Picturepest / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Morphology and Function II Lab): “Arabidopsis thal kz1” Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Diversity Biology and Evolution Lab): “Laminaria kelp on top of the pinnacle at 13th Apostle PA031640” Peter Southwood / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Naramoto Lab): “Arabidopsis thaliana kz07” Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Diversity Biology II Lab: Algae and Extant Organism Diversity Research): “Volvox Aureus 400x” Massimo brizzi / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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