Professor Kenji Okano is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Chemistry, Materials and Bioengineering at Kansai University, Osaka, Japan. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, after completing his undergraduate and master’s training in chemical science and engineering. He has extensive experience spanning both industry and academia, including research work at Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd., and a long academic tenure at Osaka University as a researcher and later as an Assistant Professor. In 2022, he joined Kansai University as an Associate Professor and currently serves as a JST Emergent Researcher.

Professor Okano’s research focuses on synthetic biology, fermentation technology, enzyme engineering, and biochemical engineering, aiming to develop sustainable and efficient bioprocesses. A major theme of his work is metabolic pathway design and reconstruction, particularly in vitro metabolic engineering using thermophilic enzymes. These approaches enable flexible production of valuable compounds such as organic acids, amino acids, and cofactors, and have contributed to advances in non-phosphorylative metabolic pathways and cell-free ATP regeneration systems.

Another key research direction is microbial community and microbiome engineering. Professor Okano has developed subtractive microbiota modification technologies using antisense peptide nucleic acids and bacteriophages to elucidate gut microbiota functions and identify next-generation probiotic seed microorganisms. His work bridges fundamental microbiology and applied biotechnology, with implications for health, nutrition, and sustainable manufacturing.

Through interdisciplinary research integrating synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and bioprocess design, Professor Okano continues to advance innovative and scalable technologies for next-generation biotechnology.

Prof. Kenji Okano

Faculty of Chemistry, Materials and Bioengineering

Kansai University, Suita-shi, Osaka-fu, Japan

J-GLOBAL ID:201701013701704890

Email: okano.k@kansai-u.ac.jp