Japanese

Hidehiro Sakurai

Emeritus professor, Waseda University

Guest Research Fellow, Kanagawa University
Research Institute for Photobiological Hydrogen Production, Kanagawa University
Address Tsuchiya 2946, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1293, Japan
Phone +81-463-59-4111
Fax +81-463-58-9684
E-mail [email protected]

Research interests

  1. Photobiological hydrogen production by cyanobacteria
  2. Inorganic sulfur metabolism of green sulfur bacteria
  3. Reaction centers and electron transport pathways of green sulfur bacteria and heliobacteria
  4. Maxwell's demon

Key words

Academic carrier

BSc.(1959) Department of Botany, and PhD (1965) Major Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tokyo.

1975-2007 Professor, Sch. of Education, (and also, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Graduate School, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Science and Engineering) Waseda University.

(1995-1999 Director, Environmental Safety Center, 2000-2006 Director, Research Institute for a Sustainable Future). 2007- Emeritus Professor, Waseda University.

2007-2012 Guest Professor and 2012-present, Guest Research Fellow, Research Institute for Photobiological Hydrogen Production, Kanagawa University.

Publications

  1. Photobiological hydrogen production by cyanobacteria
    • H. Sakurai, H. Masukawa, M. Kitashima, K. Inoue, (2013) (Invited review) Photobiological hydrogen production: Bioenergetics and challenges for its practical application. J Photochem. Photobiol. C: Photochemistry Reviews 17: 1-25
    • M. Kitashima, H. Masukawa, H. Sakurai, K. Inoue, (2012) Flexible Plastic Bioreactors for Photobiological Hydrogen Production by Hydrogenase-Deficient Cyanobacteria. Biosci. Biochem. Biotechnol. 76: 831-833
    • H. Masukawa, M. Kitashima, K. Inoue, H. Sakurai, R.P. Hausinger (2012) Genetic engineering of cyanobacteria to enhance biohydrogen production from sunlight and water. AMBIO 41, suppl. (2) 169-173
    • H. Masukawa, K. Inoue, H. Sakurai, C.P. Wolk, R.P. Hausinger (2010) Site-directed mutagenesis of the Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 nitrogenase active site to increase photobiological hydrogen production. Appl. Env. Microbiol. 76: 6741-6750
    • H. Sakurai, H. Masukawa, M. Kitashima, K. Inoue (2010) A feasibility study of large-scale photobiological hydrogen production utilizing mariculture-raised cyanobacteria. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 675: 291-303
    • H. Masukawa, Xh. Zhang, E. Yamazaki, S. Iwata, K. Nakamura, M. Mochimaru, K. Inoue, H. Sakurai (2009) Survey of the distribution of different types of nitrogenases and hydrogenases in heterocyst-forming cyanobactera. Mar. Biotechnol. 11: 397-409
    • H. Masukawa, K. Inoue, H. Sakurai (2007) Effects of disruption of homocitrate synthase genes on photobiological hydrogen production and nitrogenase of Nostoc sp. PCC 7120, Appl. Env. Microbiol. 73: 7562-7570
    • H. Sakurai, H. Masukawa (2007) Invited review: Promoting R & D in photobiological hydrogen production utilizing mariculture-raised cyanobacteria. Mar. Biotechnol. 9: 128-145
    • F. Yoshino, H. Ikeda, H. Masukawa, H. Sakurai (2007) High photobiological hydrogen production activity of a Nostoc sp. PCC 7422 uptake hydrogenase-deficient mutant with high nitrogenase activity. Mar. Biotechnol. 9: 101-112
  2. Inorganic sulfur metabolism
    • H. Sakurai, T. Ogawa, M. Shiga and K. Inoue (2010) Inorganic sulfur oxidizing system in green sulfur bacteria.Photosynthesis Research. 104: 163-176
    • T. Ogawa, T. Furusawa, M. Shiga, D. Seo, H. Sakurai, K. Inoue (2010) Biochemical studies of the soxF-encoded monomeric flavoprotein purified from the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobaculum tepidum that stimulates in vitro thiosulfate oxidation. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 74: 771-780
    • T. Ogawa, T. Furusawa, R. Nomura, D. Seo, N. H. Matsuda, H. Sakurai, and K. Inoue (2008) SoxAX binding protein, a novel component of the thiosulfate-oxidizing multienzyme system in the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum, J. Bacteriol.190: 6097-6110
  3. Electron transport pathway of green sulfur bacteria
    • D. Seo, K. Kamino, K. Inoue, H. Sakurai (2004) Purification and characterization of ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase encoded by Bacillus subtilis yumC. Arch. Microbiol. 182: 80-89
    • D. Seo, H. Sakurai (2002) Purification and characterization of ferredoxin-NAD(P)+ reductase from the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum. Biochim. Biophys Acta 1597: 123-132
  4. Maxwell's demon
    • H. Sakurai, Speculation: Delayed light emission from photosynthetic materials and chemiluminescence (CIEEL) indicate the possibility of extracting energy from isothermal system. PF009. Abstract of the 54th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists (March 2013, Okayama)