Welcome to Akiko Satake's HP

The life history of organisms is closely linked to seasonal changes. Fundamental biological processes such as growth, mortality, and reproduction are not constant over time; rather, they fluctuate significantly in response to seasonal environmental changes. The temporal organization of biological activities that occur in sync with seasonal transitions is known as phenology, which plays a crucial role in adaptation to variable environments.

Phenology is gaining global attention as a key indicator of biological responses to climate change. We conduct interdisciplinary research to observe phenological changes in organisms inhabiting diverse climatic zones, from high to low latitudes, aiming to understand the mechanisms driving these changes and to predict future trends.

Almost all organisms possess an internal biological clock that operates on a circadian (~24-hour) rhythm. This clock also serves as the foundation for responses to seasonal (~annual) environmental changes, enabling organisms to adapt their physiology and behavior accordingly. Biological rhythms synchronize with environmental fluctuations, ensuring that physiological responses occur at the right timing for survival and reproduction.

Our research aims to uncover the mechanisms underlying biological rhythms with various periodicities by integrating theoretical approaches and empirical studies. Through this interdisciplinary perspective, we seek to understand how biological clocks and synchronization phenomena contribute to adaptation in changing environments.

We are developing ecosystem omics, a comprehensive approach that collects and analyzes molecular-level information on various organisms constituting ecosystems. Our research focuses particularly on forest ecosystems, where we study dominant tree species by integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic data, along with information on volatile organic compounds released by plants. Through data acquisition and analysis, we aim to elucidate the mechanisms by which coordinated gene expression enables organisms to activate essential functions at the right timing in response to environmental cues.

The driving force behind Earth's biological diversity is mutations in the DNA sequences of organisms. Despite their crucial role in shaping evolution, many aspects of how mutations occur in natural environments remain unexplored.

Our research focuses on long-lived plants that dominate forest ecosystems, aiming to elucidate the processes by which mutations arise in natural settings by detecting somatic mutations accumulated over centuries. By uncovering these mechanisms, we seek to reveal the fundamental principles that drive biological evolution

We integrate mathematical modeling with empirical data to investigate how mutations arising in stem cells during growth spread within an individual and are transmitted to the next generation. Additionally, we are exploring the direction of evolutionary processes in extraterrestrial environments, seeking to understand how evolution unfolds beyond Earth.