| kunieda@bs.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp | |
| TEL | +81-3-5841-7582 | 27582（ext.） |
| Room | Room 33, Faculty of Science Bldg.2, BF |
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Research Field
Extreme biology
Research Subject
Molecular decoding of extremotolerance mechanism in animals
Current Research
Tardigrades, also known as water bears, are small aquatic animals living in various habitats. They enter an almost completely dehydrated state called anhydrobiosis upon desiccation and exhibit exceptional tolerance against various physical extremes, including direct exposure to space. We are aiming to capture the molecular mechanisms underlying the exceptional tolerant ability of tardigrades and rebuild thier ability in other organisms. Tardigrade's anhydrobiotic ability enables a switch of life form between a hydrated metabolically active state and a dehydrated static state of life. My ultimate goal is to build a cell in dry state from scratch. .
The elucidation of tardigrade tolerance mechanisms would not only satisfy our scientific curiosity, but also contribute to develop new technology for medical and industrial applications, or even for future space travel.
Keywords
tardigrade, water bear, anhydrobiosis, extremotolerance, genome