When Professor Suzuki retired in 2005, the year following the University of Tsukuba’s designation as an Independent Administrative Agency, he was extremely concerned that the school’s corporate transformation would result in a decrease in research funding for instructors and researchers who followed in his footsteps. He was especially interested in having research funding for his successors whose major fields were close to his.
Therefore, with his family’s understanding, it was decided to name the fund the Suzuki Takahisa Memorial Grant for Research Support in his honor.

PhD in Agriculture,
Professor Emeritus, University of Tsukuba
Professor Suzuki Takahisa

1967　Teaching Assistant, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Education
1978　Assistant Professor, Applied Biochemistry, University of Tsukuba
1992　Associate Professor, Applied Biochemistry, University of Tsukuba
1993　Professor, Applied Biochemistry, University of Tsukuba
2005　Retired from the University of Tsukuba
2006　Named Professor Emeritus, University of Tsukuba
Prof. Suzuki passed away in January 2021

At the time, Prof. Suzuki was giving numerous important lectures and conducting experiments in applied biochemistry. Furthermore, he conducted research with the theme of Semiochemicals that function among organisms. Specifically, this involved studies on insect defense secretions, insect pheromones, insect feeding stimulants, feeding inhibitors, feeding attractants, and spawning attractants contained in plants, and aggregation pheromones of stored grain pests, among others. Against this background, he identified the structures of aggregation pheromones secreted by male Tribolium castaneum, and his discovery of their biosynthetic pathways has been cited as a major accomplishment. Today, these substances are sold commercially as pheromone agents that are used to control insect pests.

Although limited in the research time he wanted to take due to a chronic illness, he made use of his innate methodological character by vigorously managing the time he had, dividing it well between teaching and research.

As an episode that illustrates Prof. Suzuki’s methodological character, he used to record the first observation day of each year. The Japan Meteorological Agency uses certain animals for seasonal observations of organisms, and in the same vein, Prof. Suzuki’s hobby was recording the day of the year’s first butterfly sighting, the day the first cicada sound of the year was heard, and so on.
In addition, he enthusiastically took photos of plants, and he went to various places to take photos with his expert skills. He planned trips to visit the many places he wanted to photograph. After his retirement, he published a collection of his photos.

This is from a conversation with Dr. Matsuyama, who conducted research with Prof. Suzuki.

The following are articles of Prof. Suzuki’s that appeared in the Tsukuba Journal of Biology. By all means, please take a look at these works by a truly remarkable man.
Tsukuba Journal of Biology (2006) 5: TJB200603SE2.
Tsukuba Journal of Biology (2004) 3: TJB200408Suzuki