Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo

Fundamental and applied research on chemistry of plant-originating cellulose

Cellulose is a polysaccharide and present as a major component of plants, and is photosynthesized through accumulation of atmospheric CO2 and water. Cellulose is the most abundant naturally occurring polymer on Earth. Expanding the quantitative and qualitative utilization of cellulose has the potential to contribute to solving worldwide issues such as global warming and to building sustainable social infrastructure.
Cellulose has many unresolved scientific issues, including its biosynthetic mechanisms, chemical structures such as branching structures, crystalline and amorphous structures of cellulose molecules and their distributions, and interactions with other major plant components. These fundamental issues should be figured out for promoting the advanced utilization of cellulose. Our laboratory conducts research on cellulose, chemically modified cellulose, cellulose nanofibers, and composites of cellulose and polymers, using structural analysis as a method related to chemistry, with the aim of solving fundamental issues and developing new applications.

We are developing and expanding a new field of research in cellulose chemistry. We are only accepting applications from doctoral students.

We are promoting joint research and information exchanges with companies based on the results of our research in cellulose chemistry.

Using“structural analysis”related to the“chemistry”of cellulose as a technique, we are conducting joint research, exchanging information, and providing advice to companies to solve fundamental issues and to develop applications of cellulose, chemically modified cellulose, cellulose nanofibers, and composites with polymers to new materials.