Assistant Professor Miyuki Nakata, Plant Metabolic Regulation Laboratory, Division of Biological Science (Demura Lab.)
I was motivated to apply because the research project I was working on at my previous organization, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), was close to the research topic of Professor Demura at my current lab, and I knew the previous female researcher at Demura Lab, so I thought the university would be a good place for women to work.
The research I conducted with the Start-up Research Grant is a topic I have been working on since I was a fourth-year undergraduate student. Until my previous position, I was a postdoctoral fellow and was required to devote myself to a research project, which made it difficult for me to work on research that was different from my topic. I am grateful that this time I have been allowed to work on this topic, which I had to interrupt in the middle of my research and for which it is difficult to apply for a Grant for Scientific Research. I would like to present the results in the form of a paper or other publication in the future.
The research funds were mainly used to purchase supplies necessary for the experiments and to subcontract the preparation of experimental samples. We also used the funds to produce remote monitoring equipment to improve the efficiency of crop management. Although it would have been embarrassing to use our lab's budget for this research, which is outside the main focus of our lab, we are very grateful that we were able to use the budget for this project.
(March 2022)
