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Aquatic Natural Products Chemistry Lab
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A lab that searches for compounds made by aquatic organisms and also puts them to use as an energy source.
AboutAbout the lab
Putting compounds made by aquatic organisms to use
The Aquatic Natural Products Chemistry Lab conducts research to make effective use of the low-molecular-weight compounds produced by organisms living in water.
Compounds found only in certain organisms are called secondary metabolites, and many of them, such as penicillin, are used as pharmaceuticals.
The lab works on searching for useful compounds from marine organisms, and on using hydrocarbon-producing algae as an energy source.
Using chemistry as its means, the lab aims to uncover the unique biological phenomena of aquatic organisms.
Key terms
- Secondary metabolite
- A compound found only in certain organisms. For many of them, the role they play within the organism is still unknown.
- Hydrocarbon
- A compound made up of only carbon and hydrogen. It is also a main component of petroleum.
- Botryococcus
- A genus of freshwater green algae. It produces large amounts of hydrocarbons and secretes them outside the cell.
- Filamentous fungi
- Fungi that grow by extending thin, thread-like hyphae. They include molds.
NewsLab news
A master's student published a paper on a virus that infects the fungus found in karebushi
A doctoral student received the Outstanding Student Poster Presentation Award at the Japanese Society for Marine Biotechnology
A master's student received a Special Corporate Award at the Conference on Molecular Biology of Filamentous Fungi
Published a paper showing that the mold of katsuobushi produces antioxidants
Published a paper analyzing the properties of a virus that infects a fungus derived from katsuobushi
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies how to make effective use of the low-molecular-weight compounds produced by aquatic organisms. Its work includes discovering useful substances, determining their chemical structures, and elucidating the mechanisms by which they are produced inside organisms.
*Illustrative imageSearching for useful substances from aquatic organisms and molds
The lab searches for useful compounds among the secondary metabolites produced by marine organisms and others. It is currently also working on finding new substances from molds (filamentous fungi) living in aquatic environments and determining their structures.
*Illustrative imageHow algae produce “petroleum”
Botryococcus, a freshwater green alga, produces large amounts of hydrocarbons and secretes them outside the cell. The lab investigates how hydrocarbons are produced inside the cell, with the aim of producing energy through cultivation.
*Illustrative imageExploring the enzymes that make compounds
The lab works to identify how aquatic organisms produce their unique compounds and searches for useful enzymes that act in those processes. It aims to establish methods for efficiently producing useful substances.
*Illustrative imageViruses that infect the mold of katsuobushi
Focusing on karebushi, katsuobushi (dried bonito) fermented with mold, the lab investigates how viruses that infect molds (mycoviruses) affect the fermentation.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Aquatic Natural Products Chemistry Lab are faculty, technical assistants, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorShigeru OkadaPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorAkihiro NinomiyaPublications ↗
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: “Katsuobushi Kagoshima” Sakurai Midori / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- Searching for useful substances from aquatic organisms and molds: “Sponge at Malindi Reef 1” ordercrazy / CC0 (cropped)
- How algae produce “petroleum”: “Botryococcus braunii” ja:User:NEON / User:NEON_ja / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Exploring the enzymes that make compounds: “3EL3” Boghog / CC0 (cropped)
- Viruses that infect the mold of katsuobushi: “Katsuobushi 02” Sakurai Midori / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (水圏生物環境学研究室): “Marine plankton - Dinoflagellat (Neoceratium horridum), diatom (Coscinodiscus radiatus) - 160x ( )” Picturepest / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (沿岸海洋環境学研究室): “Algal bloom(akasio) by Noctiluca in Nagasaki” Marufish / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (資源生態分野): “Golden Cuttlefish (Sepia esculenta) ( )” Rickard Zerpe / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (魚病学研究室
（伊藤直樹研究室） ): “Matoya Bay 01” Miyuki Meinaka / Public domain (cropped)
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