Microbial resources for post-Koch ecology

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Post-Koch Ecology: The next-era microbial ecology that elucidates the super-terrestrial organism system
• Project/Area Number: 19H05689
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Complex systems
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Ohkuma Moriya 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, バイオリソース研究センター, 室長 (10270597)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 微生物資源 / 難培養微生物 / 共生微生物 / 微生物系統分類 / 微生物の分離培養 / 微生物ゲノム情報

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We isolated and cultured many unknown microbial species from various environments, described publicly 14 new genera and 66 new species, and analyzed their physiological properties, genome sequence, and functions. Two species of the DPANN-group Archaea, a representative group in which cultured strains are scarce, were successfully cultured as cocultures with a different Archaea species, respectively, and unveiled their parasitic nature. We disclosed a symbiotic relationship involving organic acid transfer in coculture of human commensal bacteria. Also, we developed inexpensive, simple, and efficient single-cell genome analysis technology, and we collaborated with and supported other researchers in this project through the use of bioresources, culturing them or other techniques.

Free Research Field

微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

新種として分離培養・記載した微生物はすべて、産官学・国内外の一般の研究者が利活用可能な生きた研究材料（バイオリソース）として、解明した性状や解読ゲノム配列等の情報と合わせて整備した。これにより本領域研究の成果を関連分野の研究開発の発展に役立たせることが可能となり、学術的・社会的に意義が高い。培養に成功し新種を提唱したDPANNグループアーキアの微生物は、命名した学名が分類学上最高次の綱、門、界の正式分類名の基となり、学術上に有意義な成果となった。