Location: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Hokkaido Center, Sapporo, Japan

Date & Time: 18th September 2026

Host: Dr. Kyohei Kuroda, Senior Researcher, AIST

1. Introduction

NEXUS team visited the laboratory of Dr. Kyohei Kuroda at AIST Hokkaido. Dr. Kuroda’s research covers the microbial ecology of anaerobic and industrial wastewater treatment, metagenomics and bioinformatics, the isolation and cultivation of uncultured microorganisms including the Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR), methanogenic archaea, and plastic (PET) degradation and chemical recycling. The visit aimed to learn about the research activities and facilities at AIST, and to explore potential collaborations between AIST and the participating institutions.

2. Visit Programme

2.1 Welcome and laboratory introduction

Dr. Kuroda welcomed the participants and introduced his laboratory, including its research themes, facilities, and how AIST works together with universities.

2.3 Group work and short presentations

Following the tour, the participants worked in their teams on the guiding question, “If I had access to this instrument or analysis, what could I do in my research?” Each team then gave a short presentation in which every member spoke, followed by an open discussion with Dr. Kuroda on specific samples and research ideas that could form the basis of future collaborations.

3. Conclusion

The visit to AIST Hokkaido provided the participants with first-hand insight into cutting-edge research on anaerobic microbial ecology and environmental biotechnology at a national research institute in Japan. The discussions on specific research ideas will serve as a starting point for future collaboration between AIST and the participating institutions. We sincerely thank Dr. Kyohei Kuroda and AIST Hokkaido for kindly hosting the visit.