Introduction of International Institute of Rare Sugar Research and Education
The world leading "Rare Sugar Research" of Kagawa University strengthens a rare sugar production technology, and promotes a study on developments of rare sugar uses for various aspects including foods for specified health, pharmaceutical products, agriculture materials, etc. We will implement these research results into practical use aiming at what society could provide widely for the improvement of the society. For this purpose, Kagawa University reorganized an existing "Rare Sugar Research Center" and maintained it followed by installation of "International Institute of Rare Sugar Research and Education" as a new organization to promote this plan in April, 2016.
International Institute of Rare Sugar Research and Education, Kagawa University, was organized with more than 60 faculty members from many departments to contribute to international and domestic promotions for development of the applied technology by the utilization of rare sugar, an international study education, and contributes to the global community.
The research and development section of International Institute of Rare Sugar Research and Education is comprised of three divisions: rare sugar production, application development, and global outreach. Rare sugar production division consists of the fields of enzyme/gene resource, biochemistry, and sugar organic chemistry. This division pushes forward improvement of the rare sugar production technology with various enzyme/gene resources, analysis of biochemical properties and engineering of the enzymes, and sugar organic chemistry aiming at opening the new door in the rare sugar production by technical fusion of sugar enzymology of Kagawa University and sugar organic chemistry of Oxford University.
Application development division consists of the fields of food science, animal sciences, plant sciences, microbial sciences, clinical trial, molecular tool development, physical sciences, and teaching material development. With a tight cooperation to the Center of Social Collaboration and Intellectual Property, Kagawa University, this division promotes development of not only basic sciences but also applied technology by the utilization of rare sugar for various industrial fields including foods for specified health, pharmaceutical products, agriculture materials, molecular tool development, and a wide range of manufacturing industries.
Global outreach division organizes international cooperative projects with various universities from different regions such as Oxford University, England, University of Florida, USA, University of Brunei Darussalam, Brunei, Chiang Mai University, Thailand, and others for the activation of an international research and education to contribute to the global community.
