[1S01e] 10. ASPIRE - Part 3

4:30 PM - 4:45 PM JST(7:30 AM - 7:45 AM UTC)

[1ASPR-14] Engineering climate-resilient plants for a sustainable bioeconomy -Global Centers: Alliance for Socially-acceptable & Actionable Plants (ASAP)

○Atsushi Takemiya1, Taishi Umezawa2, Kenji Miura3  (1. Yamaguchi University, 2. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3. Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba (Japan)) (1. Yamaguchi University (Japan))

Keywords:

Biotechnology

Fossil fuel use has increased atmospheric CO₂ levels, accelerating climate change and causing significant environmental and socioeconomic impacts. In response, Green Transformation (GX) initiatives are promoting a transition toward low-carbon, decarbonized societies and expanding demand for a sustainable bioeconomy. In particular, lipid production by bioenergy crops is attracting attention as a carbon-neutral alternative to fossil fuels. However, climate change is also reducing crop productivity worldwide due to water stress. Stomata play a key role in regulating both CO₂ uptake and water loss, making their control critical for improving plant water-use efficiency and resilience.
This project applies plant synthetic biology to engineer crops that produce and accumulate high-energy lipids in leaves while enhancing water-use efficiency through precise control of stomatal density and aperture. These strategies aim to develop bioenergy crops capable of high lipid production with reduced water input, contributing to a sustainable plant-based bioeconomy. The symposium will also introduce ASAP initiatives and highlight international collaborative research fostered through the mobility of early career researchers and graduate students.