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Marine Bioproduction and Utilization Lab
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A lab that finds health-promoting functions in components of seaweed and other marine organisms.
AboutAbout the lab
Passing the gifts of the sea on to the future.
The Marine Bioproduction and Utilization Lab searches marine algae, invertebrates, and microorganisms for functional substances useful for health and daily life.
In collaboration with research institutions in Japan and abroad, the lab studies new functions and uses of components expected to help with allergies, obesity, skin beauty, and more.
Using methods of cell biology and molecular biology, the lab also investigates how these components work and how they are absorbed in the body.
Undergraduates join the Marine Biological Science course in their third year and are assigned to this lab within the course in their fourth year (graduate students belong to the Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture).
Key terms
- Functional component
- A component contained in food that provides not only nutrition but also the function of maintaining health.
- Carotenoid
- Yellow and red pigments found in seaweed, vegetables, and other foods. In the body, they act as antioxidants, among other roles.
NewsLab news
Students received the Poster Award and the Koyama Award at the Carotenoid Research Meeting, Young Researchers' Session
Paper by Associate Professor Manabe accepted in BBB
Associate Professor Manabe received the Oleoscience Award (29th J. Oleo Sci. Editor's Award)
Professor Sugawara received the FY2026 (Reiwa 8) Award of the Japan Society of Nutrition and Food Science
Paper from the lab accepted in JNB
ResearchResearch themes
The lab searches marine algae, invertebrates, and microorganisms for functional substances that help maintain health and benefit daily life. Using methods of cell biology and molecular biology, it investigates how the components act and how they are absorbed into the body.
*Illustrative imageMarine components that prevent lifestyle-related diseases
From the fish, shellfish, and algae common in the Japanese diet, which is considered healthy, the lab searches for substances that prevent lifestyle-related diseases such as arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity, and examines their effects through the mechanisms by which they regulate gene expression.
*Illustrative imageSuppressing allergies with marine pigments
The lab has found anti-inflammatory effects in pigments contained in nori and in carotenoids characteristic of marine organisms. It has identified that tiny microdomains of the cell membrane are involved in these effects, and is now investigating how signals are transmitted inside cells.
*Illustrative imageHow components are absorbed in the body
For a functional component to work, it is important to know how it is absorbed and metabolized. For components derived from marine organisms, the lab studies the mechanisms of absorption from the digestive tract and how that absorption is regulated.
MembersFaculty
The Marine Bioproduction and Utilization Lab consists of faculty members, technical assistants, a secretary, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.
- ProfessorTatsuya Sugawara
- Associate ProfessorYuki Manabe
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: “Seaweed salad ( )” pelican from Tokyo, Japan / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Marine components that prevent lifestyle-related diseases: “Nori making, Mishima Island” Smilykaz at Japanese Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Suppressing allergies with marine pigments: “Nori” Alice Wiegand, (Lyzzy) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- How components are absorbed in the body: “A heap of shrimp shells on a plate in Tuntorp 1” W.carter / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Animal Nutrition Science Lab): “Water reflection of a boy feeding hay to a cow in a paddy field at golden hour in Laos” Basile Morin / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Animal Husbandry Resources Lab): “Longhorn cattle grazing marsh pasture - geograph.org.uk - 1520789” Evelyn Simak / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Insect Physiology Lab): “Bombyx mori - Naturhistorisches Museum, Braunschweig, Germany - DSC04999” Daderot / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Plant Pathology Lab): “Septoria-tritici” Maccheek / Public domain (cropped)
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