- Q: Could you explain your current research topic in an easy-to-understand way?
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We are conducting research with the aim of contributing to the cultivation of shrimp.
Currently, the biggest research issue is disease. Fish can be protected against disease with vaccines, just like humans, but shrimp cannot be protected against disease through acquired immunity using antibodies. Therefore, if we do not ensure that the shrimp are always healthy, diseases will quickly spread in the pond and the shrimp will die. How can we detect and diagnose diseases as early as possible? And what kind of diseases are prevalent in shrimp farms? And how can we keep them healthy? These are the main areas of our research.
Like humans, shrimp diseases can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. To research what bacteria are causing the diseases, we analyze the genomes of those bacteria, investigate what toxins they contain, and search for bacteria that are useful for aquaculture and can defeat pathogenic bacteria. If we can find bacteria that are useful for aquaculture, we might be able to prevent disease by mixing them into feed, or we might be able to suppress disease by spreading them in aquaculture ponds. We are also working with students to develop methods for searching for such "good bacteria."
- Q: What motivated you to start your research?
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- I have been enrolled in my current laboratory at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, from my undergraduate studies through to my doctoral studies. When I joined the laboratory, I learned that shrimp farming is actually carried out all over the world and is a very important industry with a greater production volume than fish within the fishing industry. I found this interesting and started researching it.
- Q: What is interesting and rewarding about your research?
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It's exciting to come across research results that no one has ever seen before. This may not be very scientific, but when the results of an experiment are plotted in a diagram, trends and colors appear, making it visually appealing and intuitively easy to understand, while also suggesting its importance. I believe this experiment is rewarding for students.
- Q: Tell us about the future of this research.
: Short-term (1-2 years from now) and long-term (up to 10 years from now)
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In the short term, as mentioned earlier, we are developing methods to quickly find effective bacteria that can prevent and suppress disease, and conducting experiments to elucidate the biological defense system of kuruma shrimp itself.In addition, as it has recently become clear that there may be differences between individual virus particles, even within the viruses that cause viral diseases, we have begun analysis to look at the more detailed characteristics of each individual virus.
In the long term, we currently order farmed shrimp for use in experiments, but instead of doing that, we would like to take eggs from shrimp grown in the lab and grow them there again. By doing this, we will be able to conduct experiments such as genetic modification experiments and experiments using small shrimp, so we are considering moving forward with this as part of our long-term plan. - Q: Which SDGs can your research contribute to?
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Goal 2: Zero Hunger
If a disease breaks out, the electricity, water, and labor hours used up until that point will all be for nothing, so preventing disease will undoubtedly increase food productivity. Shrimp are more feed-efficient than fish, so I think shrimp farming is important in utilizing marine resources.
"Goal 14: Protect and sustainably use the oceans and seas"
If a disease breaks out, it could contaminate nearby waters, so we are conducting research to raise shrimp that do not get sick and to detect diseases early. - Q: What are the advantages of doing research at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology?
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- The biggest advantage is that everyone's interests are quite similar. When I make a statement about marine life, the reaction is something I don't get at other universities. Also, we have an experimental field, so I think it's a great advantage that I can research by raising and sampling fish while staying in Tokyo.
- Q: What are your priorities and policies when conducting research?
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What I value is not to hesitate to adopt new technologies and to conduct interesting research. I think that research that looks cool and impressive is important in running a lab.
Furthermore, because we believe that a university is both a research and educational institution, we want our students to become people who can contribute to society through their research. We believe that it is important for students to improve as members of society through their research, such as by gaining international experience through interactions with people from overseas in the lab, interacting with local people at domestic and international conferences, and getting opportunities to learn about the local culture. - Q: What is your method for refreshing yourself when you feel tired from your research?
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- In the lab, we exercise from 12 noon to 1pm. Those who want to do so can play softball outside, and recently they have also started playing soccer. By incorporating such events at set times throughout the day, you can practice organizing your schedule around them, and I think it will create a rhythm in your life and help refresh your mind.
- Q: What message would you give to people who want to become researchers?
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- I think it's important to concentrate deeply on something when doing research, but I also want you to always remember to have a broad perspective. Just because it's a maritime university doesn't mean you only need to know about the ocean and fish. People who want to do research are more likely to run into trouble if they don't have a wide range of knowledge, and I think that having a wide range of knowledge will allow you to conduct a wide range of interesting research. I don't want you to just study fish because you like them, but I believe it's important to always have a broader perspective when doing research, so I want you to remember that perspective.
