Shin‐ichi Yokobori
Papers
1
Total Citations
17
H-Index
1
About
Shin‐ichi Yokobori is a leading astrobiologist whose work probes the origins and interplanetary transport of life. His research centers on extremophile microbiology, space exposure experiments, and the chemical evolution of biomolecules. Yokobori is best known as the principal architect of the Tanpopo mission, a landmark series of astrobiology experiments conducted on the International Space Station’s Japanese Experiment Module (KIBO). The name “Tanpopo”—Japanese for dandelion—reflects the mission’s central hypothesis: that microbial life and organic compounds can be dispersed through space, much like dandelion seeds carried by the wind. His 2014 paper outlining the Tanpopo concept has garnered 17 citations and laid the groundwork for subsequent investigations into the survival of microbes in low-Earth orbit and the capture of interplanetary dust particles. By designing hardware to expose extremophiles to the vacuum, UV radiation, and temperature extremes of space, Yokobori has provided critical experimental data supporting the theory of panspermia. His contributions extend to studying hyperthermophilic archaea and the stability of nucleic acids under prebiotic conditions, making him a pivotal figure in understanding life’s potential to traverse the cosmos.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1