Specially Appointed Professor Akira Endo at Graduate School of Agricultural Science has been selected as Persons of Cultural Merit in 2011.

The reason to be awarded is to discover a substance which lowers blood cholesterol from blue mold on a rice grain and to lead to the development of Statin, a drug for hyperlipidemia.

Statin is one of the best selling drugs and used worldwide.

[Contact]

Professor Katsuhiko Nishimori

Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University

E-mail: knishimo*m.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)