Toward Making Greenhouses and Indoor Vertical Farms More Efficient and Sustainable
I am studying the relationship between plants and their environment, primarily to apply the findings to controlled environment agriculture (CEA), i.e., greenhouse horticulture and indoor vertical farming. Unlike open fields, greenhouses and indoor vertical farms allow us to control the above-ground environment, including light intensity, air temperature, and CO2 concentration, as well as the below-ground water and nutrient content, which enables strict regulation of plant growth and development. However, plant production in these systems requires significant energy inputs and is expensive. To establish sustainable agriculture and industries relevant to CEA, my primary interest is in how we should develop greenhouses and indoor vertical farms, and how we can use both systems efficiently and effectively.
My current research focuses on the following topics. Regarding greenhouse horticulture, I aim to improve environmental control in greenhouses by better understanding dynamic plant responses to changing environments, particularly the light environment. To accomplish this, we are also developing research tools and methodologies to examine the effects of fluctuating light environments in a greenhouse under reproducible laboratory conditions. Regarding indoor vertical farming, I expect it to be used not only in conventional food production but also in high-value-added biomaterial production, including biopharmaceutical proteins used as vaccine antigens and therapeutic antibodies. A key and unique aspect of our approach is to utilize knowledge and techniques both in engineering, to measure and control physical environments, and in plant science, to analyze plant responses to controlled environments.
Educational approach
Controlled Environment Agriculture Study: An Engineering Perspective to Agriculture
At the undergraduate level, I am in charge of courses such as "Plant-Environment Systems," which lectures on a variety of topics, from basic knowledge about CEA to recent research and practical examples; "Bioenvironmental Engineering," which lectures on specialized knowledge of environmental control in greenhouses and indoor vertical farms; and "Exercises in Bioenvironmental Engineering," which cover the transport and balance of energy and mass, and mathematical models of plant responses to the environment. At the graduate school, I teach a course, "Advanced Bioenvironmental Engineering," that explores the future of greenhouses and indoor vertical farms, primarily through group work and presentations.
Our Bioenvironmental Engineering Lab has a tradition of over half a century of research into environmental control in greenhouses and indoor vertical farms. It has accumulated a wealth of tangible and intangible knowledge. You can learn systematically and broadly about CEA, from the historical background of research and development to cutting-edge initiatives, and from vegetable production to plant molecular farming. CEA is also an ideal example for learning about engineering approaches to agriculture. If you would like to study greenhouse horticulture and indoor vertical farming at the University of Tokyo, please consider our laboratory as an option.
Indoor vertical farming, in particular, has only recently become widely known, and after a quick online search, you will find both praise and criticism. I would like students to be aware of public opinion to some extent, but also to acquire accurate academic knowledge, thoroughly consider the advantages and disadvantages, and then think for themselves about truly effective ways to utilize them. This kind of attitude toward technology is helpful not only in this field but also in many others where science and technology are applied.
Vision for industry-academia collaboration
Studies on Plant-made Biopharmaceutical Protein Production and Photosynthesis and Growth of Greenhouse Crop Plants
I have knowledge and know-how in technologies for the production of proteins (biopharmaceuticals, reagents, cosmetics, etc.) in plants using transient gene expression and stable transformation, particularly those in the upstream process, e.g., plant cultivation, environmental control, and vacuum infiltration for gene transfer. This type of "ultra" high-value-added biomaterial production using plants is promising as a direction for expanding the uses of indoor vertical farms, and I hope to contribute to their future development.
I also have extensive research experience in the photosynthesis of greenhouse crops. My research methods include gas-exchange measurements using the LI-6800/6400 and custom-made chamber systems, data analysis using the C3 photosynthesis model, chlorophyll fluorescence analysis using PAM fluorometers, biochemical analysis such as quantifying photosynthetic pigments (e.g., chlorophyll) and enzymes (e.g., Rubisco), and growth analysis. Potential contributions include analyzing photosynthetic responses to environmental factors and cultivation conditions, as well as differences between cultivars.
