A research project led by Professor Makoto Ashinai of the Department of Life, Environmental, and Medical Sciences in the School of Integrated Sciences has been selected for the 2nd Agricultural and Agricultural Chemistry SME Industry-Academia and Industry-Government Collaborative Research Grant.
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A research project led by Professor Makoto Ashinai of the Department of Life and Environmental Medicine at this university, titled “Development of Advanced Functional Materials Using Poly-γ-Glutamic Acid Ion Complexes,” has been selected for the 2nd Agricultural and Agricultural Chemistry SME Industry-Academia and Industry-Government Collaborative Research Grant (April 2020–March 2022).This grant program aims to promote industrial development among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the field of agricultural and chemical sciences. It recognizes outstanding proposals for joint research projects between researchers affiliated with public research institutions—such as national and public universities, private universities, technical colleges, national research and development corporations, independent administrative agencies, and local public testing laboratories—and SMEs in the agricultural and chemical sciences field, with the goal of supporting the early generation of research results and their industrialization.
The research group succeeded in converting "poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGA)"—known as the main component of natto's sticky texture—into a plastic. Their new proposal, which aims to advance these results to the practical application stage (in the field of fibers) through joint research with Shinwa Co., Ltd. (Corporate Research Leader: Kei Nagamine), was highly evaluated, leading to its selection for this program. The group will continue to contribute to the university's research initiatives aimed at revitalizing regional industries.