Research Director

Yoko Mizuta

Japan Science and Technology Agency
PRESTO Researcher

Outline

My research aim is to develop a genome modification technology by pollen tubes in plants. In angiosperms, the pollen tube derivers the sperm cells to the egg cell. In this study, pollen tubes are used as vectors to introduce CRISPR/Cas9 into germ cells. Pollen tubes are manipulated to fertilize with the egg cell, therefore genetically modified plant is directly obtained. The morphology of pollen tubes have many common features in angiosperms, suggesting that this study is widely applicable to not only model plants but many other plants including food crops.