Biodiversity / Food / Water

July 13, 2011

 

5th MIDORI Academic Prize Awarded for Quantitative Verification of Polyphenic Functions of Greenery, Etc.

Keywords: Ecosystems / Biodiversity Government University / Research institute 

The Cabinet Office of Japan announced on March 7, 2011, that the 5th MIDORI Academic Prize was awarded to Sadatoshi Tabata, an honorary professor at Chiba University, and Kimiyuki Sato, an honorary professor at Okayama University.

The MIDORI Academic Prize is designed to be given to Japanese people with detailed knowledge about MIDORI or greenery; the prize is given by the Prime Minister to individuals who have made remarkable achievements in research, technology development and academic pursuits in fields related to plants, greenery and nature conservation in Japan.

Dr. Tabata introduced the concept of Open Green Space into landscape architecture and environmental planning; the concept refers to land covered with greenery, including forests, waterfront and farm land in a given area. He also introduced the index of Open Green Space Coverage Rate, which shows the greenery ratio in an area. Using this concept and index, he performed quantitative verification of polyphenic functions for greenery in the regional environment and an analysis of Open Green Space structures in the area. As a result of his study, he devised a unique planning method based on green spaces and the environment called the Green Matrix System, which effectively harnesses existing green spaces. This has contributed to the promotion of green city planning and nature conservation movements.

In plant physiology, for the first time, Dr. Sato successfully refined highly pure photosystem II complex, while retaining its activity. By fully elucidating the complex, in which water is split into oxygen and protons in the early stages of photosynthesis, Sato has contributed greatly to the progress of photosynthesis research.

Posted: 2011/07/13 06:00:15 AM

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