NEXTAGE and Tokyo University of Science started a joint project with Mr. Suwazono!
We are pleased to announce that we have decided on the adopted themes from the ad-venture scholarships for which applications were received at the ad-venture forum held in April 2025.
For information on the Ad Venture Scholarship, please contactthis way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker)and others
<Adopted theme
Title: Establishment of a sterile tissue culture system for Wasabi to improve the variety and establish a foundation for a stable supply.
Company: NEXTAGE Corporation
Researcher: Yu Suwazono, Tokyo University of Science
Below are the scholarship applications from students.
Theme Outline
Horseradish is susceptible to environmental stress, making stable production difficult. Genetic modification and genome editing technologies are solutions to this problem, but these technologies require tissue culture under aseptic conditions as a prerequisite. However, horseradish seeds are difficult to handle, and although tissue culture from plant bodies is expected, it is extremely difficult to establish a sterile state. This study aims to establish an aseptic tissue culture system and to create unique, high-value-added strains in addition to future variety improvement and stable supply.
Reason for Application
Wasabi is an essential part of Japanese cuisine, and its cultural value is extremely high. In recent years, wasabi has been attracting attention overseas, and wasabi farms have even been introduced as tourist attractions. On the other hand, even Japanese people do not have many opportunities to taste wasabi, and its market distribution is very limited. This "low supply" in relation to the "high name recognition and interest" has resulted in a significant opportunity loss.
The applicant specializes in plant biotechnology and thought that the technology in this field could solve this gap.
Vision for the future
The ultimate goal of this activity is to establish a tissue culture system for horseradish. As a step toward this goal, we will first establish a disinfection method to ensure sterility from horseradish grown in a normal environment. Next, we will establish a tissue culture method that enables re-differentiation from sterile plant fragments, and aim to establish a protocol for stable plant regeneration. This will provide the basis for future gene transfer and breeding research.
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