Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, NARO

Division of Plant Molecular Regulation Research

Plants interact with various microorganisms, out of which some are beneficial, and others are detrimental for their optimal growth. Upon infection of fungi, bacteria, or viruses, plants activate various reactions to combat or cooperate with these microorganisms. Our research division focuses on understanding and utilizing the mechanism of the plant-microorganism interaction for improving crop productivity. Another focus of our research is adaptation and robustness of crops under environmental stress conditions, such as heat and drought that have risen as serious issues under recent global warming. We aim to reveal the underlying mechanisms of stress tolerance and adaptation of plants at molecular levels and to develop tools that enable to produce new crop varieties yielding stably under harsh environmental conditions. We challenge for extending the fundamental data obtained in the lab to agricultural fields and develop new techniques contributing to stable crop supply in the next generations.

Manager

NISHIMURA Marie

Research Group

Centers・Institutes