Deputy Director-General, MRU / Director (additional post), BGC / Group Leader (additional post), OMR / Principal Scientist Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC) Shipping Address: Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC) Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima, Yokosuka, 237-0061, JAPAN takano@jamstec.go.jp

Research Interests

•  ● Development and application of new analytical methods for the light elements (C, N, H, O, S, P) and organic molecules coupling with dry- & wet- chemistry, chromatography, and mass spectrometry.
•  ● Organic geochemistry and organic astrochemistry: Water, organics, and mineral interactions.
•  ● Chemical evolution in prebiotic chemistry: Primordial molecules in Earth and Planetary Sciences.
•  ● Origin and evolution of molecular chirality: Enantiomer-specific isotope studies, D-amino acids in nature.
•  ● Deep carbon and deep biosphere: Limit of life, prokaryotic ecology, and biogeochemical processes.

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Education

2003

Ph.D. Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Yokohama National University

2000

M.Sc. Department of Chemistry, University of Tsukuba

1998

B.A. Department of Chemistry, University of Tsukuba

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Research and Professional Experiences

2025-Present

Deputy Director-General at Research Institute for Marine Resources Utilization (MRU),
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

2024-Present

Director at Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC),
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

2020-Present

Group Leader at Organic Molecule Research Group,
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

2017-Present

Project Associate Professor at Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University

2020-2024

Deputy Director at Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC),
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

2014-2019

Senior Scientist at Department of Biogeochemistry,
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

2015-2020

Visiting Associate Professor at Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Tokyo

2015-2017

Visiting Associate Professor at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

2011-2014

Senior Scientist at Institute of Biogeosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

2009-2011

Researcher at Institute of Biogeosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

2009

Guest Researcher at Organic Geochemistry Group in Marum, University of Bremen

2007-2009

Researcher at Institute for Research on Earth Evolution, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

2005-2007

Postdoctoral Fellow; JSPS Research Fellow at Department of Natural History of Sciences, Hokkaido University

2003-2005

Postdoctoral Fellow at Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ), Institute for Marine Resources and Environment, National institute of Advanced Science and Technology

2002-2003

Researcher, National institute of Radiological Science

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Awards

2021

JAXA Honor Award Hayabusa2

2020

Space Engineering Category Award

2017

Nishida Prize for Promotion of Geo- and Planetary Science

2010

Geochemistry Research Association, Award for Young Scientists

2006

The Geochemical Society of Japan, Award for Young Scientists

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Society and Professional Service

2017-Present

Associate Editor, Progress in Earth and Planetary Science (PEPS)

2016-Present

Associate Editor, Geochemical Journal (GJ)

2016-Present

Japan Geoscience Union (JpGU), Representative

2009-Present

Japan Geoscience Union (JpGU), Section Science Board (Biogeosciences)

2013-2014

International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), Science Evaluation Panel (SEP),
Group chair for Biosphere Frontier (BF)

2011-2013

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), Proposal Evaluation Panel (PEP),
Group chair for Biosphere Frontier section, Operation Task Force member

2010

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), Science Steering and Evaluation Panel (SSEP), alternate

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