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Plant Molecular Physiology Lab
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The lab studies plants and algae at the genetic level in order to understand and apply them.
AboutAbout the lab
Understanding and applying plants and algae at the genetic level
The Plant Molecular Physiology Lab conducts research and education aimed at understanding and applying plants and algae at the genetic level.
Using methods from plant physiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetic engineering, and genetics, the lab aims to elucidate the unique metabolic physiology of plants.
A long-term goal is also to apply the findings to food and nutrition issues and environmental problems.
The lab's website presents it under the name "Nakamura Lab."
Key terms
- Iodine deficiency disorders
- Iodine deficiency disorders: micronutrient deficiency diseases caused by a shortage of iodine. They are a problem mainly in developing countries.
- Methyl chloride
- Methyl chloride, with the chemical formula CH3Cl. It is thought to contribute to about 15% of stratospheric ozone depletion, and its largest source is tropical plants.
- Model plants
- Model plants: plants commonly used as research materials. This lab uses Arabidopsis and rice.
ResearchResearch themes
Solar energy supports nearly all life activity, yet much remains unexplained about photosynthetic plants and algae. With the long-term goal of elucidating the unique metabolic physiology of plants and using that knowledge to address food and nutrition issues and environmental problems, the lab focuses on the following topics.
*Illustrative imageDeveloping iodine-rich crops
Iodine is an essential nutrient for humans, and iodine deficiency disorders caused by its shortage are a problem mainly in developing countries. Using the model plants Arabidopsis and rice, the lab investigates the mechanisms of iodine uptake and accumulation, with the aim of establishing technologies for producing crops rich in iodine.
*Illustrative imageMethyl chloride released by tropical plants
Methyl chloride contributes to about 15% of stratospheric ozone depletion, and its largest source is tropical plants. Also making use of model plants, the lab aims to identify the genes involved in methyl chloride emission in tropical plants such as dipterocarps, and to clarify its responses to the environment and its physiological significance.
*Illustrative imageHow seaweed accumulates iodine
Saccharina japonica (kombu) is an organism that concentrates iodide ions from seawater by tens of thousands of times and accumulates them. Using axenic clonal strains of Saccharina japonica gametophytes that the lab has established, it investigates the molecular mechanisms of iodine accumulation with molecular biology methods.
*Illustrative imageBreeding seaweeds that produce useful substances
Seaweeds such as Saccharina japonica synthesize and accumulate useful substances, such as alginic acid and fucoidan, that are not found in land plants. By elucidating these mechanisms at the genetic level and improving their quality and quantity, the lab expects that seaweeds can be used as factories for producing useful substances.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Plant Molecular Physiology Lab consist of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, doctoral and master's students, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorTatsuo Nakamura
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: “Harvesting seaweed in Jambiani” Yann Macherez / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Developing iodine-rich crops: “Fresh vegetables and fruits at the market” FranHogan / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Methyl chloride released by tropical plants: “Khao Yai, Thailand, Tropical rainforest” Vyacheslav Argenberg / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- How seaweed accumulates iodine: “Seaweed in Ensenada Baja California” Tomascastelazo / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Breeding seaweeds that produce useful substances: “Seaweed Farmers” Satwika02 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Biological Oceanography Lab): “Lion Pods Live Copepods – Macro Microscope Photography from Thailand” Lion Pods Live Copepods / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Plant Ecology Lab): “Forest Canopy - geograph.org.uk - 200867” Kokai / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Interaction Ecology Lab): “Caterpillar feeding on Catharanthus roseus leaf WSC2025 Rahim Pinjari” RahimPinjari7483 / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Risk Psychology Lab): “Flood warning sign along Cappagh Road - geograph.org.uk - 6422062” Kenneth Allen / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
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