A research group of Associate Professor Mie Shimojima of the Department of Life Science and Technology, the School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, successfully developed a new method for synthesizing low-molecular 9-hydroxy-10-oxo-12(Z),15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid (KODA), which is linked with plant growth regulation.
The aim of this study is to achieve stable, low-cost production of KODA. A new technique for biochemical production of KODA using plant leaves that contain a large amount of alpha-linolenic acid was already developed. It will now become possible to develop research with the aim gaining a complete understanding of the KODA action mechanism. Compound fertilizers and agricultural chemicals with KODA are expected to become more common in the future.
