The microbial saccharification technology has been positioned as a key theme driving the project and is the subject of further collaboration between the companies. To further advance this basic technology, we are promoting genetic modification technology for biomass saccharifying bacteria, and basic technologies are being established for some of the saccharifying bacteria. In this invitation research program, we aim to dramatically improve biomass saccharification ability of biomass through gene expression and disruption by identifying and expressing of genes involved in improving the saccharification ability of saccharification microorganisms. By inviting researchers with high environmental awareness and research experience in microbial breeding, we aim to build a network of researchers from developing countries in this research field.

The progress in maize BNI compounds is an important step toward BNI-enabled maize prototype production; however, the path toward demonstrating BNI capacity in the field is still far from complete. To identify the controlling genes of BNI capacity, we are currently working with CIMMYT to generate a double haploid line (DHL) population using CIMMYT Maize inbred Lines (CMLs) parents with different hydrophobic BNI activity and the ability to release the hydrophobic BNI compound, zeanone. This invitation research program aims to elucidate the BNI capacity of the four parental lines (CML-122, CML-133, CML-190, and CML-484) used to generate DHL populations through trials. This activity is needed as a further step toward prototype production.

In the “Yama-Sato-Umi agroecosystem connectivity" project, we aim to develop a compatible system for rural livelihood and resource conservation that contributes to the reduction of soil runoff and soil conservation technologies on mountainous agricultural lands. In this research invitation program at Ishigaki, Japan, taking advantage of JIRCAS Tropical Agriculture Research Front (TARF) having a subtropical climate, this project will focus on hilly land farming techniques that can be applied to tropical islands, and we will evaluate the effects of the following technologies in terms of soil physical properties. These are technologies for multiple uses of tropical fruit trees, useful trees, and non-timber forest products (NTFPs) to reduce soil runoff and technology to use advanced under-drainage machinery “Cut-soiler” for agricultural lands to control the generation of surface water.

In the “Resilient crops” project, we are working on elucidating the mechanism of resistance to harsh environments and the high nutritional value of quinoa, a super crop, using next-generation genomics. Drought in the early stage of growth, including germination, is a serious problem in crop production and determines whether crops can grow in a place or not under harsh environments. In this invitation research program, we aim to develop technologies that will lead to the production of resilient crops. We will use the world-leading research infrastructure of JIRCAS to germinate quinoa, which exhibits excellent germination capacity even in harsh environments.

The objective of our current research is to develop resilient breeding materials for soybeans that can tolerate various environmental stresses. We have already obtained various unique soybean genetic resources and identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to important soybean traits. In this invitation research program, we aim to elucidate the genetic mechanisms that control root growth, a trait closely related to drought tolerance in soybeans. Specifically, we plan to identify genes (or QTLs) that control the growth of primary and lateral roots and conduct a functional analysis of the candidate genes. To this end, we plan to invite excellent researchers from developing countries to participate in this research for improving their research skills by learning advanced crop creation technology and genetic studies for important soybean traits.