Dr. Akihiko Kosugi graduated from Tokyo University of Agriculture (M.S. in Brewing) and received a Ph.D. in Applied Biology and Chemistry from Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan, in 2000. He worked as a Postdoctoral fellow (Molecular & Cellular Biology) at the University of California, Davis, USA (2000-2003). He also worked as Researcher in Fine Chemicals Division, Kaneka Corporation (2003-2005). He joined Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in 2005 and is now working at JIRCAS as a biomass research project leader and division director. He is also a Professor at the Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Tsukuba. He is also the CEO of “JIRCAS Dream Biomass Solutions Co,” a JIRCAS venture company he started in October 2022 based on biomass research achievements.