Integrated Research

Based on the accumulated results of our basic research, as well as the current situation and government policies, we will launch integrated research projects to be conducted over a defined period. This integrated research will focus on cross-disciplinary themes and will be conducted in collaboration with researchers and research institutions in Japan and abroad.

The Natural History Research Network of Myanmar and the foundation of an International Research Center

In Myanmar, a country with limited basic data on its natural history, we will conduct comprehensive inventory surveys. This joint project with the local Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation will be a collaborative effort across several fields such as botany, mycology, phycology, lichenology, zoology, and geoscience. We will collect specimens, materials, and DNA samples from numerous taxonomic groups, including new and undescribed species, aiming to build one of the world's foremost natural history collections for Myanmar and contribute to a deeper understanding of the country's natural history. Furthermore, at the biodiversity research center to be constructed with assistance from the Japanese government, we will enhance technology transfer and capacity building in specimen preparation, collection, and management. The goal is to establish this center as a long-term hub for natural history research in Myanmar.

• "Inventory of Flora and Fauna of Myanmar: A Frontier of Asian Biodiversity"（リンクを新しいタブで開きます）
  

Empirical Research on Biological Responses to Environmental Change
-Capturing Morphological and Functional Changes in Response to Environmental Variation Across Various Timescales-

To understand the impact of environmental changes, such as accelerating global warming, on living organisms, we will conduct a multifaceted comparison and analysis of their morphological and functional adaptations and changes across various timescales, aiming to empirically verify whether common mechanisms drive such evolutionary changes. This research will, in turn, contribute to new developments in evolutionary biology. In addition, the research will investigate emerging issues in biological changes driven by rapid, human-induced environmental shifts. This scope includes the effects of intentional anthropogenic changes, such as those from ex-situ conservation programs.

Research on Changes in the Urban Biota over the Past 150 Years
-Analysis of Specimens from Central Tokyo, with a Focus on the Imperial Palace-

This research aims to elucidate the impact of significant environmental changes on organisms, both at global and urban scales. To achieve this, we will conduct biotic surveys in large urban green spaces like the Imperial Palace. By comparing specimens collected in central Tokyo over the past 150 years, we will investigate changes in the overall biota and within individual species. Furthermore, we will genetically analyze the selective pressures on urban organisms and the relationship between these observed changes and human activities.

Integrated Research on Extreme Environments

Through interdisciplinary research, we aim to clarify the geological phenomena on the Earth's surface that create extreme environments (deep sea, polar regions, volcanoes, and high altitudes) where common animals and plants cannot survive, and how ecosystems adapt to these conditions. We will also collect rare and academically valuable rocks and biological specimens from these inaccessible areas to build a national collection that is a leader both at home and abroad.