Research
Microbial Innovations for Water, Health, and Fermentation
About research
Detoxifying harmful substances via microbial processes
Our aim is to apply the technologies we have developed for exploring and evaluating the functions of microorganisms to establish effective water purification methods and implement them into society. In recent years, serious water contamination caused by perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has become a problem. In response to this societal issue, we are working to develop "bioremediation" technologies that utilize microorganisms. Specifically, we will search for and create microorganisms that have the ability to adsorb and decompose toxic substances such as PFAS, and to develop technologies to maximize their effectiveness. In this way, we aim to purify groundwater and industrial wastewater, as well as apply the technologies to detoxify the human body.
Address the problem of antimicrobial-resistant bacterial contamination in aquatic environments
Antibiotics are released into aquatic environments through wastewater from households, hospitals, agriculture, and aquaculture, and their complete removal by current wastewater treatment technologies is considered difficult. In recent years, the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria has become a serious problem, and rivers as well as wastewater treatment plants are regarded as hotspots for the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes. When antibiotics are present in aquatic environments, they impose selective pressure on environmental microorganisms, potentially leading to the proliferation and spread of bacteria carrying resistance genes. To address this issue, we aim to discover antibiotics from microbes that selectively target specific pathogenic bacteria. Such antibiotics do not affect non-target bacteria, and therefore, even if released into the environment, they are expected to minimize the risk of the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes and pathogens.
Affiliated researchers
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Principal Investigator (PI)
Shimosato TakeshiProfessor
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Yu ImaiAssociate Professor (fixed-term)
