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Crop Physiology Lab
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A lab that uncovers the mysterious traits of crops through genes and proteins.
AboutAbout the lab
Going deeper into the questions about crops.
The Crop Physiology Lab studies the various traits of crops using molecular biology methods.
Its research ranges from basic studies to work aimed at practical application, and has used many plants as materials, including onion, watermelon, potato, and rare orchids.
It deals not only with plants but also with microorganisms and viruses.
Laboratory experiments (lab work) are at the center of the research.
Key terms
- Mycorrhizal fungus
- A fungus that enters plant roots and lives in symbiosis with them. Orchids receive nutrients from this fungus when their seeds germinate.
- Fructan
- A carbohydrate in which many fructose units are linked to sucrose. It is stored in places such as onion bulbs.
- Parthenocarpy
- The growth of fruit without fertilization, which produces seedless fruit.
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to reveal the still-unknown abilities that crops have to adapt to their environments and survive. Using molecular biology methods, it studies orchid-mycorrhizal fungus symbiosis, sugar metabolism in onion, parthenocarpy in watermelon, and more.
*Illustrative imageOrchid-mycorrhizal symbiosis
Using the Rebun lady's slipper (Cypripedium macranthos var. rebunense), which grows only on Rebun Island, as its material, the lab has established an artificial germination method that uses mycorrhizal fungi. It is now investigating the orchid genes required for forming mycorrhiza and the mechanisms behind differences in how readily fungi induce germination.
*Illustrative imageFructan metabolism in onion
The amount of fructan that accumulates in onion bulbs differs greatly among cultivars. In collaboration with other universities and NARO, the lab studies the molecular mechanisms involved in fructan synthesis and degradation, and has identified the first fructan-degrading enzyme found in onion.
*Illustrative imageHow seedless watermelons form
When watermelon is pollinated with bottle gourd pollen, it sets fruit parthenocarpically and becomes seedless. In joint research with NARO, the lab uses next-generation sequencing to comprehensively search for the genes involved in this parthenocarpy.
*Illustrative imageAsparagus, garlic, and potato
The lab also works on building viral vectors for the genetic modification of asparagus, on removing viruses from garlic, and on the mechanisms of sprouting and dormancy in potatoes.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Crop Physiology Lab are faculty and students in the doctoral, master's, and undergraduate programs.As of 2026
- ProfessorHanako Shimura
- Project ProfessorKaien Fujino
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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: “Cypripedium marcanthum var. rebunense” ほくなん / Public domain (cropped)
- Orchid-mycorrhizal symbiosis: “Cypripedium macranthum var. rebunense ( )” hoge asdf / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Fructan metabolism in onion: “Onion crop” Kasyap / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- How seedless watermelons form: “Honblommavattenmelon” Robosk / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Asparagus, garlic, and potato: “Potato with sprouts” ZooFari / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab
(作物学研究室): “Wheat fields in Rokugo, Furano” 掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) - Related lab (細胞工学研究室): “Lilium lancifolium orange tepals with spots - Fukufukurou” Fukufukurou / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (植物病理学研究室): “Culture of soil fungus Thanatephorus cucumeris (anamorphic Rhizoctonia solani)” Tashkoskip / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab
(動物生態学研究室): “Salvelinus malma malma from Quicksilver Creek” Jim Gaither, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Public domain (cropped)
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