#Japan #Okayama #Okayama University #Microbial Explorers #KIBINOVE

Okayama University Hosts the 12th Meeting of Microbial Explorers

On February 16, 2026, the National University Corporation Okayama University, located in Okayama City, held the 12th meeting of the research group "Microbial Explorers" at the KIBINOVE (Co-Creation Innovation Lab) on the Tsushima Campus. This initiative aims to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and the establishment of a research hub.

The event brought together various participants, including faculty members, students, and coordinators from industry-academia partnerships. In total, 15 individuals engaged in discussions centered around microbial research. The meeting commenced with opening remarks from Professor Yuhei Chatani, a faculty member in the Environmental Life Sciences Division.

This meeting continued the focus on microbiology, inviting external speakers to provide specialized insights. One of the highlights was a lecture delivered by Chief Researcher Yuichi Furubaki from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. He spoke on the topic of "Next-Generation Gene Evolution Systems and Their Applications in Genetic Code Expansion."

During his presentation, Furubaki explained the principles of a system designed to autonomously evolve target genes through cell culture methods. He introduced prominent systems, including OrthoRep, EcORep, and T7-ORACLE, and discussed their unique features. He also elaborated on research related to