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Crop Science Lab
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The lab aims to develop high-quality crops that withstand environmental stress, focusing mainly on tomato.
AboutAbout the lab
Toward high-yield, high-quality crops resistant to environmental stress
The Crop Science Lab studies how stress in the cultivation environment affects crop quality, focusing mainly on tomato.
Tomato flavor is determined by three components: sugars, organic acids, and amino acids. The lab analyzes genes involved in regulating the metabolism of these components in the fruit.
Research topics include sugar accumulation in fruit, tolerance to salt stress, the timing of flowering, and the transport of assimilates in the stem.
The lab's website is titled "Crop Science Research Field, Matsukura Lab" and introduces the research of Prof. Matsukura's group.
Key terms
- Gluconeogenesis
- The reaction that synthesizes sugars from organic acids. The enzyme PEPCK controls its entry point.
- Assimilates
- Substances produced by photosynthesis. They are carried from the leaves through the stem to seeds and fruit.
- PETIS
- An analysis method that images the movement of substances produced by photosynthesis in real time without damaging the plant.
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
Focusing mainly on tomato, the lab studies how stress in the cultivation environment affects crop quality. It aims to clarify why cultivation conditions change flavor and fruit quality, and to produce high-quality fruit that withstands environmental stress.
*Illustrative imageTomatoes that accumulate high levels of sugars and organic acids
The lab investigates the function of the enzyme PEPCK, which is thought to be important for sugar and organic acid accumulation in fruit. In transgenic tomatoes with altered expression of the gene, fruit sugar content increased or decreased substantially, showing that gluconeogenesis plays a major role in sugar accumulation in red ripe fruit.
*Illustrative imageSalt stress tolerance in crops
Building on its experience studying how salt stress promotes sugar accumulation in tomato fruit, the lab investigates how crops tolerate salt stress. By isolating salt-tolerant mutants and analyzing transgenic lines, it works to develop new genetic resources for salt tolerance and to uncover new salt tolerance mechanisms.
*Illustrative imageThe relationship between nitrogen environment and flowering
The lab investigates how the nitrogen environment around the roots affects the timing of flowering in crops. It has confirmed that applying low-nitrogen stress to tomato makes flowering earlier, and is working to clarify the mechanism.
*Illustrative imageTransport and partitioning of assimilates in the stem
The lab considers that the stem is not merely a transport organ but plays an active role in controlling the transport and partitioning of assimilates. Using PETIS to capture the movement of photosynthetic assimilates non-destructively and in real time, it works to clarify the regulatory functions of the stem.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Crop Science Lab consist of faculty, technical assistants, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.
- ProfessorChiaki Matsukura
- Assistant ProfessorNing Wang
- Assistant ProfessorMorio Kato
VoicesStudent voices
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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: “Tomato cultivation in France (2)” Mouh2jijel / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Tomatoes that accumulate high levels of sugars and organic acids: “Tomatoes 2026 G1” George Chernilevsky / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Salt stress tolerance in crops: “Salt marsh plants, Y Foryd - geograph.org.uk - 6261163” Christine Johnstone / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- The relationship between nitrogen environment and flowering: “Tomato Plants ( )” Jennifer C. / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Transport and partitioning of assimilates in the stem: “Ruscus hypophyllum - stem cross section - vascular bundle detail” TCdeOLiveira / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (代謝ネットワーク科学研究室): “Metabolomic analyses ( )” Oak Ridge National Laboratory / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (蔬菜・花卉学研究室): “Plant tissue culture of Violces” 22Kartika / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (植物遺伝情報解析学研究室): “The budding Seedling” Martin Stübler / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (植物育種学研究室): “Cucumis melo - Диня - Український сорт Забавка” Zenon Sych / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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