What is bioproduction?

Bioproduction is a research field which covers the whole process of that living organisms produce various types of products, such as materials for food, pharmaceutical products, biofuels, biological tools, bio-plastics. Extraction and purification processes are needed in certain types of products, while the living organisms themselves are often used as they are. Breeding and production process management are the key points in the research field.

Why bioproduction is important for us?

One of the important features of bioproduction is that these bioproducts are made from low cost materials, such as light, CO₂, inorganic salts, starch, and feed crops. Certain products can be produced by bioproduction with far lower cost than by chemical synthesis. Not only cost effective, bioproduction is regarded as environment friendly and more sustainable. Here we propose research strategies to promote the research in bioproduction, particularly to create the methodology for effective breeding and production process management in a systematic way. As the research background, current issues and relevant industries vary among the types of organisms, our proposals are divided into 3 parts. The first part argues the bioproduction by microorganisms and cultured cells, the second part is regarding the fishery and livestock industry (animal part), and the third part refers to crop production (plant part).

Aim and approach

The global human population is still rapidly expanding and the food demand to feed them is getting higher and higher. In order to meet such high food demand, increasing cultivation and breeding new varieties which promises high yield are, however, not an ideal solution, as modern agriculture is confronted with the polluted soil system and the climate change. As modern crops are designed to have high performance under the huge application of chemical fertiliser, yield increase would not be accomplished without high dose of chemical fertiliser which for sure worsen soil pollutions. In addition, in the future, the climate change would highly possibly bring the environment in which high concentration of ambient CO₂ and high temperature are observed simultaneously. Although such conditions are highly influential for crop growth and yield, unfortunately scientists do not have enough insight regarding the biological effects of such double stress to the crop physiology.

Thus, the next generation crop design which could conquer the global challenges has to fulfil following three conditions.

• 1. Lower environmental load.
• 2. Higher performance under the high concentration of CO₂ and high temperature.
• 3. Higher yield.

Current status

The next generation crops should grow well without heavy application of chemical fertiliser and show good performance under high concentration of CO₂ and high temperature. As recent research outcomes uncover that soil system conditions, crop physiology and microclimate in the agri-ecosystems closely interacts each other, the next generation crops should be designed to have good balance between them. For example, the amount and circulation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphate (P) in agricultural soil system including nutrient exchange between crop root systems and surrounding microorganisms have been well described in DNDC models. The yield of cereals and pulses can be calculated via the crop (yield) models, where crop growth and its physiological response to various environmental cues including soil nutrient availabilities are simulated. Microclimate models exhibit the interactions between crop Moreover, physiological responses of crops such as photosynthetic activities, respirations, and leaf N content, under various agricultural conditions are now examined. Mass scale field transcriptome project provided an excellent model where gene expressions were able to be predicted according to the climate conditions. Molecular genetics on model plants uncovers genes contribute to efficient nutrients uptake. Now researchers have almost all pieces of a jigsaw puzzles which should open a new door to design next generation high yielding and environment friendly and climate change tolerant crops.

Challenges to be conquered.

Above mentioned various measurements and modelling attempts provide powerful clues to design next generation crops; however, the linkage between the key components have remained ambiguous. Particularly, genotype-environmental interaction (G×E) has not been well examined, notably, the crop responses to the double stress of high concentration of CO₂ and high temperature have remained almost untouched. To build up a comprehensive model where G×E is fully considered, simultaneous data acquisition of all components in the same environmental conditions should provide the crucial foundation.

List of proposed research targets

• 1. To establish a model which describes soil system substance (C, N, P) circulation and exchange including crop G×E, scoping to decrease salt formation and greenhouse gas emission.
• 2. To understand and model crop metabolism including crop G×E, particularly targeting the double stress of high concentration of CO₂ and high temperature.
• 3. To establish a comprehensive microclimate model in which crop G×E is fully considered, especially targeting lowering the crop temperature.
• 4. To understand the changes in agri-ecosystem under the climate change, particularly focusing crop disease and pests.