Message from Project Leader
My name is Michio Suzuki from the University of Tokyo, and I serve as the Principal Investigator of this research area. Although biomineralization—the formation of calcium carbonate by living organisms—plays a crucial role in Earth’s carbon cycle, its fundamental mechanisms remain elusive due to the so-called “carbonate paradox.” By bringing together researchers whose expertise spans atoms and molecules, cells and whole organisms, and even their environmental contexts, we aim to foster lively discussion and collaborative research that will generate discoveries capable of reshaping the world’s understanding of this phenomenon.
Our Concept
Rising atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) driven by human activities are expected to trigger a range of environmental changes, including not only global warming but also ocean acidification. Because the ocean plays a pivotal role in Earth’s carbon cycle, our project focuses on the contributions of marine organisms. Do the many reef-building corals, mollusks, foraminifers, and other species that inhabit the world’s oceans actively sequester CO2 when they construct their carbonate skeletons? We are tackling this question—which bears directly on the future of humanity—from multiple scientific angles and spatial scales.
