Announcement: EES Seminar (May 21, 4:30 PM–6:00 PM, Dr. Hiroshi Kato)

We are pleased to announce that the EES Seminar will be held on Thursday, May 21, from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM, as detailed below. The speaker will be Dr. Hiroshi Kato, who joined the Group of Environmental Molecular Biology in the Division of Biosphere Science on April 1 as a JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow (PD). We look forward to your participation.

Date and Time: Thursday, May 21, 2026, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Venue: Room D101, Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University
Speaker: Dr. Hiroshi Kato (JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow (PD), Group of Environmental Molecular Biology, Division of Biosphere Science, Faculty of Environmental Earth Science)
Title: How Do Fungi Decompose Wood? — Mechanisms of Lignin-Derived Aromatics Conversion by White-Rot Fungi —
Language: Japanese

Abstract: White-rot fungi, commonly known as mushrooms, have a unique ability: they can completely decompose wood, ultimately converting it into water and carbon dioxide. This process ensures that dead wood is broken down and does not accumulate in the environment, which is essential for the carbon cycle. In particular, the ability to degrade lignin, a recalcitrant aromatic polymer in plant cell walls, is a distinguishing feature of white-rot fungi. Accordingly, extensive research has focused on extracellular lignin-degrading enzymes from white-rot fungi. However, the metabolic pathway of lignin-derived aromatics and the enzymes responsible for their intracellular conversion are still unclear. During my graduate studies, therefore, I focused on intracellular enzymes that convert lignin-derived aromatics, working to elucidate their metabolic mechanisms in white-rot fungi. In this seminar, I will discuss the unique functions of the enzymes from white-rot fungi and the mechanisms underlying lignin-derived aromatics conversion.