Developmental Biology

Kumano lab.　Developmental Biology
　 Asamushi Research Center for Marine Biology, Graduate School of Life Science, Tohoku University

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		Asamushi Research Center for Marine Biology >>> Home Page The Asamushi Center was established as an extension facility of Biological Institute, Faculty of Science, Tohoku Imperial University in 1924 with the objective of contributing to basic biology research on marine animals and of providing marine biology courses for students. It has been located in the Asamushi hot spring resort, an area along the Mutsu bay in the northern end of the Japanese main island; this location was chosen among several other candidates as the richest place in marine lives in the Tohoku area by the founder Prof. Hatai. Being benefitted from such location, a variety of marine invertebrate species available around the Center such as those of Hydrozoa, Brachiopoda, Mollusca, Crustacea, Echinodermata, Hemichordata, and Urochordata has been used for the research and education here for many years. The center, on the other hand, has experienced several changes since its foundation including a large scale renovation of the research building, the dormitory and the boat house in 1986 through 1987 and those in the facility name with the latest one in 2011,
following its qualification as a center of education by Ministry of Education. Through these years, reflecting Prof. Hatai’s and others’ ambitions, intentions and desires, the center has performed numerous achievements in the research field and welcomed a countless number of international and domestic researchers conducting their research as well as students participating in marine biology courses not only from Tohoku University but also from many others, mainly in the Tohoku area. The current research projects in the Asamushi Center are grouped mainly into two areas: developmental biology and behavioral ecology. In the developmental biology unit, we are interested in understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms and evolutionary aspects of early development of marine invertebrates, ranging from egg maturation through fertilization to embryogenesis. In the behavioral ecology unit, on the other hand, its interest is in elucidating the processes of adaptation, speciation and evolution in the event of the transition to land, of marine invertebrate species through ecological and ethological studies. Our strong belief is and has been that a key to unravel the mystery of life phenomenon and evolution sits right in the sea where the life began and is found through the study of marine animals.