EFFORTS OF UNIVERSITY OF TSUKUBAEfforts of University of Tsukuba
Identification and characterization of environmentally-friendly insecticides
The insect steroid hormone, so-called ecdysteroid, plays an essential role in insect development. Our laboratory has contributed to the elucidation of the molecular mechanism of ecdysteroid biosynthesis. Some of these mechanisms discovered to date are found only in insects. Therefore, if ecdysteroid biosynthesis can be inhibited by disturbing these mechanisms, it may act only on pests and be used as an environmentally-friendly insecticide. We currently aim at the development of new environment-friendly insecticides by uncovering substances that disturb the function of ecdysteroid biosynthesis regulators found by ourselves. From this research, if a completely-new conception of insecticides with low toxicity to non-pest and harmonized with the environment can be realized, it would contribute to the stable production of food and the maintenance of the sanitation environment, and contribute to the realization of a society with reduced environmental impact. It can, in turn, contribute to one side of SDGs.
ProfessorLife Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA)
FUJIKAWA Yuuta
Assistant professorSchool of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences
SENDA Toshiya
ProfessorStructural Biology Research Center, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)
KOIWAI Kotaro
ResearcherStructural Biology Research Center, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)
KOJIMA Hirotatsu
ProfessorDrug Discovery Initiative, The University of Tokyo
