Akira Kawaguchi was born in Okayama, Japan, in 1976. He graduated from the Faculty of Agricultural Science, Kyushu University in 2000. He was promoted to researcher in 2002 at the Agricultural Experimental Station, Okayama Agricultural General Center, and he obtained his Ph.D. in 2007 from Okayama University. He was posted in 2010 at Agricultural Research Institute, Okayama Prefectural Technology Centre for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. He was promoted to a principal researcher at the Western Region Agricultural Research Center, National Agricultural and Food Research Organization (NARO). He has studied biological control using a new antagonistic microorganism to manage the soil-borne grapevine disease “crown gall”, which occurs all over the world. His research achievements include the discovery of a new antagonistic bacterial strain named ARK-1, evaluation of the positive effect of ARK-1 to control crown gall on not only grapevine but also other plant species in field trials, population dynamics of ARK-1 in grapevine, some mechanisms of the effect of ARK-1, and so on. His final goal is to develop the new biopesticide to control crown gall and clarify the control mechanism of ARK-1 in the near future. For his achievements, he received 12th JSPS Prize and 12th Japan Academy Medal in 2016.