Yuya Kumagai: Plant Physiology First Author

Yuya Kumagai, first author of “Introduction of a second ‘Green Revolution’ mutation into wheat via in planta CRISPR/Cas9 delivery”

Current Position: Assistant Professor

Education: Ph.D., Hokkaido University, Japan

Non-scientific Interests: hiking, swimming, traveling

Brief bio: I received my Ph.D. from Hokkaido University. During my Ph.D. work, I studied on molecular and biochemical mechanisms of marine polysaccharide-relating enzymes. After several years of postdoc research, I started my plant science career in the Imai lab at the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization. There, I used wheat to introduce mutation via in plant CRISPR/Cas9 delivery. This was my first time to use plants for study, but I was able to accomplish my project with generous supports from my supervisor Prof. Ryozo Imai and colleagues. Now, I came back to Hokkaido University as a faculty member, and started a study on seaweed utilization.  This is also my first time to study algal science. Changing the research field is sometime difficult, but I would like to enjoy new researches and to take on challenges.