News

In a paper in the June 5 issue of Neuron, researchers in the Cell Signal Unit and colleagues identified the mechanism behind how synapses assemble in cortico-basal ganglia circuits.

Behind the doors of the Churaumi Plaza at the Ocean Expo Park in Okinawa, visitors can now view a live display of the exact staghorn coral whose genome was first decoded by the OIST Marine Genomic Unit.

In an effort to expose local children to the wonders of science, the Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit made a trip to Kunigami to take about 30 children on an ant and termite adventure.

Noriyuki Satoh and researchers have found the first genomic evidence for a common deuterostome ancestor – bringing together a diverse lineage of animals ranging from humans to sea stars.

As we grow, an intricate choreography of genetic controls begins to differentiate our cells, turning some genes off and others up to full-blast, eventually yielding fully-formed animals. Researchers at OIST are working to learn more about this choreography.

In a paper published yesterday in Science, a team of researchers that includes OIST's Nick Luscombe shows that the long-accepted view of how male fruit flies manipulate their genes’ activity should be revised. Their finding shows how cells use a single, crucial regulator to change the activity of large numbers of genes at the same time.

The Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, led by Evan Economo, uses classic tools of taxonomy—as well as genomic sequencing and computer modeling—to study how species evolve, move around, and adapt to their environments.

Professor Alexander Mikheyev of the Ecology and Evolution Unit and his collaborator Professor Steven Aird are studying snake venom to better understand the stories it tells.

Ken Maeda, a researcher in OIST’s Marine Genomics Unit, has identified a new freshwater goby species on the islands of Okinawa and Iriomote. The species, Stiphodon alcedo, is described in the latest issue of the journal Cybium.

A team led by Nicholas Luscombe has answered a key question about the mechanism of genetic mutation and evolution. His new study shows that living things are able to tightly guard their most valuable genes, while leaving others more vulnerable to chance mutations.

The Plant Epigenetics Unit, headed by Hidetoshi Saze, studies how epigenetic changes come about, a question with wide-ranging implications for plants and animals.