Start of Arabidopsis research in Japan: a personal memoir of the seedling stage 1985-2000.
The author received the research award from the Botanical Society of Japan in September 2009 under the title Development of Plant Molecular Biology using Arabidopsis. Here, the author summarizes the motivations and efforts of researchers at the start and subsequent expansion of Arabidopsis research in Japan. Pioneering study that focused on Arabidopsis characteristics started in the 1960s but it did not expand until the mid-1980s when several research groups started their studies with the new and clear objectives of examining the characteristics and capacity of multi-cellular plants by use of a molecular genetics approach. Together, members of these research groups helped to promote the novel research field, and established a nationwide system encouraging students and young researchers to join in Arabidopsis research, and supporting them scientifically and financially.
Okada
Kiyotaka
K
National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki Aichi 444-8585, Japan. kiyo@nibb.ac.jp
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D004493:Education; D018745:Genome, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D049673:History, 20th Century; D020407:Internet; D007564:Japan; D008370:Manuals as Topic; D008967:Molecular Biology; D012106:Research / Q000193:education / Q000266:history*; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
Nature. 2000 Dec 14;408(6814):796-815
11130711
Radiat Res. 1970 Oct;44(1):204-23
5473393
Planta. 1966 Mar;71(1):107-12
24553993
Genetics. 1969 Jan;61(1):191-9
5802560
Plant Cell. 1991 Jul;3(7):677-684
12324609
Planta. 1966 Mar;68(1):88-93
24557725
Genetics. 1965 Apr;51:519-26
14330691
Science. 1998 Dec 18;282(5397):2226-30
9856939