Applying the fields I am strong in as well as my own curiosity allows me to enjoy my work.
Science Research
Hisashi Udagawa
Genetic research for developing variants of tobacco plants
I use genetic techniques to perform research on the disease resistance of tobacco plants.
I joined the JT Group in 2011, and in my first year was affiliated with a team for analysis of the component ingredients of tobacco leaves, where I learned about various analysis techniques. From my second year, I joined a team involved in developing tobacco plants variants by using genetic approaches. Even now, I am continuing my research as a part of that team while applying the latest technology. Just like other agricultural crops, when tobacco plant becomes infected by viruses its harvest yield will decrease and its quality will deteriorate, so developing variants with a high resistance to disease is an important research topic. Viruses use the genes of their host (= tobacco plant) when they multiply. In my studies, I have identified the genes used by viruses that cause major types of diseases, and applied for patents on that content. I have also summarized these research results in papers, and acquired a doctoral degree in 2020.
Research is not performed by a single person alone. Cooperation with colleagues who possess diverse knowledge and experience is essential.
Since my entry into our company, I have been involved in research for more than 10 years, and I believe that research is not something performed by a single person. Cooperation with colleagues who possess diverse knowledge and experience is essential. Coming into contact with different views and ideas offered by colleagues with different specialties can give us inspiration and allow us to learn new things. I also believe it is extremely important to communicate with other members on an everyday basis and make efforts to improve one's own skills. Finding out about the specialties and interests of individual members, and making it a point to actively take in new knowledge, will encourage others to regard you with a sense of trust.
While identifying “points of contact” between myself and the JT Group, I want to continue research that is valuable to product development.
Research work is rewarding and interesting in many different ways. For example, it is satisfying for an experiment to proceed according to a hypothesis and produce the expected results, but it is also exciting to perform research whose results cannot be determined without making actual attempts, and to see completely unexpected outcomes. Furthermore, I feel great motivation to apply my own abilities and curiosity toward challenges indicated by our company. It is like searching for the “points of contact” between what our company requires and what I want to research myself. This allows me to experience both a sense of achievement at successfully contributing to the company, and a sense of fulfillment at dedicating myself to my research. I feel that simply doing what I am told is not only uninteresting, but cannot lead to new developments in work. In my case, my research is in molecular biology, but what is important is to utilize your own strengths and actively suggest new ideas yourself.
From here on, I will continue to place great value on the “points of contact” between the results desired by our company and my own feelings of interest, and while receiving inspiration from new members and new ways of thinking, I want to continue performing research that is valuable to product development.