OIST’s Highlights of 2022

Year 2022 is drawing to a close, and a new year is just around the corner. Meeting and connecting with people in person, which was interrupted by the pandemic, has now resumed and the OIST campus is bustling again with a rich diversity of people from all over the world.

In many respects, 2022 was a difficult year, in which unexpected social and economic changes greatly affected our lives. Despite these unsettling events, OIST researchers and staff continued publishing innovative and impactful research and activities, envisioning a better world. Here is a digest of OIST's research results and activities conducted by its faculty, staff, and students during this year.

Five research articles to read

This year, OIST produced many research results covering the wide range of fields, from garden eels to Alzheimer's disease.  These are our most-read English press releases on OIST’s research for this year. For the most-read Japanese research releases,  please see the Japanese page. 

1. A family of termites has been traversing the world’s oceans for millions of years 
2. Squid recorded color-matching substrate for the first time
3. Jumping gene found to be strongly linked to depression, fear, and anxiety
4. Two new species of freshwater goby fish discovered in Palawan, Philippines
5. Cheap, eco-friendly catalyst opens new possibilities for organic molecules built from pyruvate

Five OISTers of the year

Throughout this year, OISTers were active  in  a  variety  of  fields,  from research to outreach. Here   we   would   like   to   recognize   five members  of  OIST,  from executives  and faculty to researchers and students, for their outstanding academic achievements, as well as  their  support for OIST  and the  wider Okinawan community.

1. OIST Professor Svante Pääbo wins 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
2. OIST President and CEO Peter Gruss elected as Honorary Member of the Japan Academy
3. OIST researcher Matin Miryeganeh pledges legacy gift to OIST
4. OIST Professor Qi receives Kao Science Award for 2021
5. Otis Brunner inspires next generation of marine conservationist

Five hits in the media

This year, OIST's research continued to receive extensive media coverage in a variety of fields. Here are five of the staff's recommendations from the many news reports that are available online. For the top five coverage in Japanese, go to the Japanese page.

1. GIZMODO “Rare Videos Show Captive Squid Changing Color to Hide in Plain Sight”
2. The Hill “The gene has been linked to the stress response, in mice”
3. earth.com “Treasure map will help experts find new ant species”
4. SYFY “Termites crossed the ocean at least 40 times over the last 50 million years”
5. Nature World News “Biologists Discovered Two New Species of Goby Fish in the Philippines”

Five memorable events

OIST has resumed various activities while taking measures against COVID-19. Here are five particularly memorable events that took place at OIST this year. 

1. 10th Anniversary Ceremony highlights OIST’s journey
2. Experiencing the fun of learning science - OIST Science Festival 2022
3. OIST and Onna Village hold annual summer event Children's School of Science 2022
4. OIST welcomes 10th and 11th class of PhD students
5. Prime Minister Kishida visits OIST

Five initiatives

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, OIST has launched even more dynamic and innovative initiatives. Here are five initiatives that made this year special for OIST.

1. New Center of Innovation at OIST
2. New Center for Quantum Technologies Launched at OIST
3. New Venture Capital Fund to Invest in World-Leading Research and Entrepreneurs
4. Emergency Relief for Ukrainian Scientists
5. “Girls, Be Ambitious!”