Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology OIST

News

Brown mushrooms with paler stems on the forest floor amid green moss.

Gene swapping helped build the planet's decomposers

A new study reveals that horizontal gene transfer contributed to the repeated evolution of fungi-like, absorption-feeding life across eukaryotes.

Salt crystals are exposed along the edge of a large, serene body of water. The water reaches some far-off, cloud-capped mountains in the background.

Research Update

Extreme adaptation helps Dead Sea single-celled organisms to swim

Cryo-electron microscopy unveils the unique sheathed filament structure that supports survival and mobility in salty seas.

Panoramic photograph of a tall transmission line, with a wind farm in the background against a blue sky.

Research Update

Risk of renewable power fluctuations made predictable

Giant dataset of electricity generation and weather conditions informs new physics-based framework that helps mitigate grid fluctuations and inform wind farm placements.

The lefthand side depicts a black and white image of a closed fist, while on the right hand side, the hand is open and holding a complex protein shape. The background is a mottled blue, and is darker on the right.

Research Update

Scientists reveal how dividing cells precisely trigger spindle formation

The newly found, step-by-step process ensures that a key protein needed to kickstart spindle formation only switches on at the right place and time.

A close-up photo of crystals of two different complexes, one shown in yellow and one in orange, on a grey background

Research Update

Capturing an elusive step in molecular sandwich making

First structural characterization of a double ring-slipped intermediate brings new possibilities for stimuli-responsive materials design

Research and Faculty

OIST has no academic departments. Researchers from more than 50 countries collaborate across and combine scientific disciplines to pioneer new approaches to discovery and problem-solving.

Research at OIST

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Faculty and Research Units

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How to build a quantum computer

A beautiful gold machine with lots of wires in the foreground, at which a man in the background stares intently.

Quantum technology holds the potential to tackle complex problems across a wide range of applications. Yet today’s systems still face major limitations. Explore the fundamentals of quantum computing, the challenges for practical, large-scale quantum computing, and hear directly from the OIST experts developing the future of this field.

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Research Events

02 - 05 Jun 2026

OIST Workshops

Advances in Photoemission Techniques: Probing Space, Energy, Momentum, and Time

08 - 12 Jun 2026

OIST Workshops

[OIST Workshop] Solid State Systems for Quantum Information Processing (SQuIP)

08 Jun 2026

Seminar

Seminar"Epigenetic variation and its possible role in adaptation and plant breeding"

09 Jun 2026

Seminar

[Seminar] From spontaneous to intentional action: measuring and modelling 3-month-olds’ behavior during environmental interaction, Dr. Ryo Fujihira, National Institute for Physiological Sciences

09 Jun 2026

Seminar

OIST Representation Theory Seminar

09 Jun 2026

Seminar

[Seminar] On human emergence, Prof. Gentaro Taga, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo

Study at OIST

Apply for our 5-year PhD program in Science. We also offer short-term Research Internships. Both programs are competitive, cross-disciplinary, fully funded, and taught entirely in English by world-class international faculty.

Science Without Boundaries

A university with no departments, OIST has no artificial barriers between people working in different fields, thus encouraging innovation. With a state-of-the-art research environment, OIST attracts outstanding students and faculty around the world.

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PhD and Research Internship Program

OIST offers an individualized, cross-disciplinary PhD program that funds students up to 5 years. The Research Internship program offers financial and travel support for 2 to 6 months of experience working in an OIST research lab under OIST faculty.

Student Life

OIST offers a first-class postgraduate experience – both inside and outside the classroom. A wide range of educational, recreational, social, and cultural activities provide many opportunities to explore your passions and master something new.

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Driving Innovation Toward Impact

OIST connects world-leading research and global business to co-create solutions to society’s most pressing challenges – attracting talent to Okinawa’s emerging innovation ecosystem.