OIST and Nago City sign comprehensive partnership agreement

The process by which a vesicle fuses to a membrane within a cell is moderated by a group of proteins called the SNARE complex. When one SNARE protein on the surface of a vesicle meets the three other SNARE proteins on the target membrane it triggers the vesicle fusion process. Two other proteins, β-SNAP and NSF, then disassemble the SNARE complex to prepare for another round of fusion. Using zebrafish with a nonfunctional β-SNAP protein as a model organism, the researchers found that when the SNARE complex failed to disassemble, one of the SNARE proteins on the target membrane, BNip1, activated the apoptosis of the photoreceptor cell. When β-SNAP is functional properly, however, it prevents BNip1 from initiating programed cell death. In this way, the dual function of BNip1 as a member of the SNARE complex and a protein that can initiate photoreceptor apoptosis provides the link between these two processes. Credit: Nishiwaki et al

Mealybugs, often regarded as pests since they feed on plant juices, survive on a tripartite symbiotic relationship that resembles a Russian doll. Source: Cell Volume 153 Issue 7, photo by Alex Wild (http://alexanderwild.com/) 

On June 29 and 30, the International Conference on Climate Change and Coral Reef Conservation (organized by the Ministry of Environment and Okinawa Prefecture with the support of OIST and the University of the Ryukyus) was held at the OIST campus.

On June 29 and 30, the International Conference on Climate Change and Coral Reef Conservation (organized by the Ministry of Environment and Okinawa Prefecture with the support of OIST and the University of the Ryukyus) was held at the OIST campus. Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara was guided around the OIST campus and visited the Energy Materials and Surface Sciences Unit (led by Prof. Yabing Qi), in which new solar energy materials are being developed. He also stopped by at the Marine Genomics Unit (led by Prof. Noriyuki Satoh), which conducts genome research of marine organisms such as corals.

Assistant Professor Evan P. Economo