Internal and external workshop

OIST-Keio Showcase Talk Series Vol. 9 – Proteins in Focus: Cryo-EM and Structural Frontiers

The ninth edition of the OIST-Keio Showcase Talk Series brings together experts from Keio University, The University of Osaka’s Institute for Protein Research, and OIST to explore cutting-edge advances in protein science and cryo-electron microscopy. Talks will cover drug design, photosynthetic complexes, molecular motors, enzyme evolution, and viral architectures. This symposium highlights how cryo-EM is transforming our understanding of molecular mechanisms and driving innovation in medicine, biotechnology, and environmental science - with the aim of connecting researchers across institutions to enable interdisciplinary innovation.

This symposium will be followed by the 2026 Cryo-Electron Microscopy Course from January 28 to 30, which is aimed at beginners (admission is free). There experienced researchers will provide an overview of the current state-of-the-art and share their experiences in demonstrations and hands-on practice.

Title: A single emitter emitting resonance fluorescence into a coherent beam

Speaker: Mr Tomas Lamich, ICFO, Spain

Language: English

Guest Seminar by Bourguignon Unit. Guest: Dr. Chisaki Kitajima, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Design, Kyushu University

Title: Design of Deployable Structures Based on Geometry and Biomimetics

Abstract This research investigates deployable structures that can be compactly folded for transportation and storage and expanded to form spatial configurations. To address challenges such as material interference due to thickness, fabrication complexity, and construction safety, three fundamental operations—folding, cutting, and weaving—are identified and systematically applied as design strategies. Drawing on biomimetic principles inspired by insect hindwings and fungal net-like structures, the study develops geometry-based design models for each operation. By integrating geometry, biomimetics, and deployable design, this research demonstrates new possibilities for architectural deployable structures.

進化ゲノミクスユニット：ゲストセミナー ゲスト： 北島千朔氏, 九州大学大学院芸術工学研究院人間生活デザイン部門助教

発表タイトル： 幾何学および生物模倣に基づく展開構造物の設計

要旨： 本研究は、運搬・収納時に小さく折りたたみ、展開によって空間を構成する展開構造物を対象とする。部材厚みによる干渉や施工の複雑性といった課題に対し、「折る」「切る」「編む」という三つの形態操作を整理し、それぞれに対応した設計手法を提案した。さらに、ハサミムシ後翅やキヌガサタケ菌網などの生物構造を模倣し、幾何学的条件に基づく設計モデルを構築した。これにより、展開構造物の新たな設計可能性を示す。

[Speaker] Prof. Jeff Morris, Professor, CUNY City College of New York, Director, Levich Institute and Department of Chemical Engineering

Join us for a special seminar at OIST, part of the A3 Foresight Meeting, presented by Prof. Ohtani and Prof. Takahashi.

Prof. Naoko Ohtani, Osaka Metropolitan University

Prof. Akiko Takahashi, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research

Bruker seminar for Multiphoton imaging

Jan. 23rd (Fri) 13:00-14:00

Open to OIST community

QG Seminar Speaker: Max Velasquez Cotini Hutt (Imperial College London)

Title: Non-invertible Symmetries of 2d Non-Linear Sigma Models

Energy Open Center x I2CNER, Kyushu U, Joint Symposium

Talk Title: AI in Drug Discovery A whirlwind tour of how machine learning and genomics are changing how we are performing drug discovery at Relation Therapeutics.

Pavel Turek , OIST Title: Balanced columns of decomposition matrices

TSVP Talk Language: English (no interpretation). Target audience: General audience / everyone at OIST and beyond. Freely accessible to all OIST members and guests without registration (also via Zoom).

Seminar: DFG Funding Portfolio and the Research Landscape in Germany (German Research Foundation)

Germany offers a diverse and dynamic research environment supported by a wide range of funding schemes, including those for international collaboration. In this seminar, we will introduce the structure of the German research landscape and present DFG’s major funding opportunities for postdoctoral researchers, early‑career scholars, and those aiming for professorship positions.

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is the largest self-governing funding organization for basic research in Germany. The DFG promotes the advancement of science and the humanities by funding research projects and facilitating cooperation among researchers

The registration deadline for OIST-Keio Showcase Talk Series Vol. 9 - Proteins in Focus: Cryo-EM and Structural Frontiers is January 20, 2026.

Speaker: Professor, Deputy Director Yeong-Cherng Liang, Department of Physics | QFort, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Earth and Planetary Sciences Seminar Title: Winds, waves, and volcanoes: geoscience education from indigenous Okinawan Music Speaker: Justin T. Higa, Postdoc, Department of Earth Sciences, Honolulu, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

TSVP Talk Language: English (no interpretation). Target audience: General audience / everyone at OIST and beyond. Freely accessible to all OIST members and guests without registration (also via Zoom).

Speaker:Julius Lohmann JSPS International Research Fellow, Institute of Science Tokyo Title: Dynamic inverse problems regularized with Wasserstein-1 transport Julius Lohmann JSPS International Research Fellow, Institute of Science Tokyo

Abstract: The (classical, balanced) Wasserstein-p distance can be used as a measure of how close a source and sink mass distribution (with equal mass) are. In recent years, the Wasserstein-2 distance has been employed in the temporal regularization of dynamic inverse problems. The so-called Benamou–Brenier formula states that it can be written as the square root of the performed physical work through the transport from the source to the sink. In my talk, I will instead focus on dynamic inverse problems regularized with Wasserstein-1 transport. The Wasserstein-1 distance can be interpreted as the optimal transport cost with respect to the Euclidean distance: it equals infπ R |x−y|dπ(x, y), where measure element dπ(x, y) indicates the (infinitesimal) amount of mass moving from location x to y. I will explain a novel dynamic inverse problem on time-parameterized curves in the induced Wasserstein-1 (metric) space. It is a natural extension of static sparse optimization problems such as lasso or TV regularization. One essential difference to classical regularization with Wasserstein-2 transport is that it allows for discontinuous decision variables (realized as BV curves). Despite this weak regularity requirement and the non-differentiability of the cost function (x, y) 7→ |x − y|, it is possible to prove the existence of a sparse solution and its characterization. I will present this result. Further, I will detail an adaption of the fully-corrective generalized conditional gradient method to the problem and highlight a natural discretization approach. Finally, I will show some numerical examples. Joint work with: Marcello Carioni

Zoom Registration

The Provost Lecture Series 21

QG Seminar Speaker: Martin Cederwall (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden)

Title: Review of Extended Geometry

Title: Normalized solutions and limit profiles of the Gross-Pitaevskii-Poisson equation

Speaker: Prof. Vitaly Moroz (Swansea University)

Dr. Iori Morita, SNSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Science and Technology Austria

Prof. Rachel Kolodny, Professor of Computer Science, University of Haifa, Israel

Prof. Marina Freitag , Professor of Energy/Royal Society University Research Fellow (URF), School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University

[Stress Management Seminar | Mechanisms of Trauma and Self-Management]

Lecturer: Koji Yamamoto (Director, Denenchofu Counseling Office) Date: Friday, December 19, 2025, 14:00–16:00 Venue: Center Building C209 Form at: Hybrid (Zoom & in-person) / Simultaneous interpretation (Japanese–English) Zoom URL: https://oist.zoom.us/j/93859422258?pwd=2fEQK9N7NkbTajrINTapXMyjCVmOH1.1 In this lecture, we will explore stress reactions that arise in daily life and interpersonal relationships, explained clearly from the perspective of a therapist with extensive clinical experience. We will also introduce concrete self-management strategies to help you regulate your own state and navigate challenging situations more effectively.

In addition, we will examine how trauma affects the mind and body, outlining its basic mechanisms. Together with participants, we will consider practical hints for fostering personal resilience.

Recommended for those who:

Want to understand the basics of stress reactions and trauma Wish to gain insights for better managing their emotional and physical well-being Are interested in concrete self-management techniques Seek guidance on strengthening mental resilience

【ストレスマネジメントセミナー｜トラウマのメカニズムとセルフマネジメント】

講師：山本 貢司（田園調布カウンセリングオフィス所長） 日時： 2025年12月19日（金）14:00–16:00 場所： センター棟 C209 開催形式： ハイブリッド（Zoom・会場）／日英同時通訳あり

Zoom URL: https://oist.zoom.us/j/93859422258?pwd=2fEQK9N7NkbTajrINTapXMyjCVmOH1.1 この講演では、日常生活や対人関係で生じるストレス反応について、臨床経験豊富なセラピストの視点からわかりやすく解説します。あわせて、自分の状態を整えるセルフマネジメントの具体的な方法も紹介します。

さらに、トラウマが心身に及ぼす影響やそのメカニズムをひも解き、レジリエンスを育てるためのヒントを参加者の皆さまと一緒に探っていきます。

以下のような方におすすめです：

ストレス反応やトラウマの基礎を理解したい 自分の心身の状態を整える手がかりを得たい セルフマネジメントの具体的な方法を知りたい メンタルのレジリエンスを高めるヒントを探している

Speaker: France Rose(University of Bonn)

Title: Animal behavior analysis enabled by unsupervised deep learning

Prof. Sushma Nagaraja Grellscheid, Professor of Genomics, University of Bergen (Norway) & Durham University (UK). Seminar on biomolecular condensates and FlickerPRINT, a high-throughput flicker spectroscopy approach to probe condensate mechanics in living cells. Language: English, no interpretation.

Title: Unbounded viscosity solutions of Hamilton-Jacobi equations with mechanical Hamiltonian in Wasserstein space

Speaker: Dr. Othmane Jerhaoui (IRMAR - INSA Rennes)

Dr Marion Cromb, Post-doctoral experimental researcher, University of Nottingham

A talk by Moritz Piening

Mathematics, Technische Universität Berlin

The OIST Center for Quantum Technologies (OCQT) is pleased to invite you to the next installment of the OCQT Seminar Series. This time, we are excited to host Prof. Kazuki Sakurai from the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw (Poland), who will deliver a talk entitled:

“Quantum Measurements at Particle Colliders and Their Applications to New-Physics Searches”

Title : "Introduction to Isogeny-based Cryptography"

Registration Deadline: January 15, 23:59 JST Registration fee: 8000 JPY (free for members of OIST)

This school is part of the Thematic Program on " Isogeny-Based Cryptography (TP25IC) " which is held at OIST from January 13 to February 28, 2026.

OIST-Keio Showcase Talk Series Vol. 8 "Science Meets Society: Twist, Flow, and Instability"

The 8th OIST-Keio joint symposium explores the interplay of fluid mechanics, wave phenomena, and structural transformations, highlighting their impact on science and society. From gravity waves and multiphase reactors to extreme wave events, evaporating drops, and geometric linkages, six talks will showcase cutting-edge research at the intersection of physics, engineering, and applied mathematics. Additional topics will be explored in a poster session. The event aims to foster a dialogue between Keio and OIST researchers, enabling innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Dr. A. Kevin G. DJOTAN, who will soon join the Microbial and Ecosystem Ecology Unit, is a JSPS postdoctoral researcher currently based at Mie University in Japan.

*Venue has Changed=> L5D23 * 【Seminar】Prof. Mathias Middelboe

Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Helsingør, Denmark

Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark

"The role of bacteriophages in marine ecosystems and their potential use in disease control in aquaculture"

This is your chance to help shape StrucShare and make it as useful as possible for you and all structural biologists at OIST. Please feel free to spread the word to anyone interested in structural biology, from beginners to experts.

Speaker: Dr. Ariel Boiardi, Postdoctoral Scholar, Mechanics and Materials Unit (Fried Unit), OIST

QG group meeting Speaker: Yasha Neiman Title: "Cubic interactions of massless fields in (A)dS lightcone formalism - Part 2"

Duc-Khanh Nguyen , OIST Title: Branching rule on winding subalgebras of affine Kac-Moody algebras

TSVP Talk Language: English (no interpretation). Target audience: General audience / everyone at OIST and beyond. Freely accessible to all OIST members and guests without registration (also via Zoom).

Speaker: Dr. Riko Hatakeyama, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

Title: TORC1-containing signaling endosomes: Discovery and characterization of a cellular signaling centre.

Speaker: Dr. Xavier Bonet-Monroig, Honda Research Institute Europe

Monday, December 8, 2025, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Speaker: Dr. Kotaro Inami, Nagoya University

The OIST Center for Quantum Technologies (OCQT) is pleased to invite you to the next installment of the OCQT Seminar Series. This time, we are excited to host Prof. Giulio Chiribella from the University of Hong Kong, who will deliver a talk entitled:

“The quantum communication power of indefinite causal order”

TSVP Talk Language: English (no interpretation). Target audience: General audience / everyone at OIST and beyond. Freely accessible to all OIST members and guests without registration (also via Zoom).

QG Seminar Speaker: Arundhati Goldar (IIT Mandi) Title: Bulk Reconstruction in De Sitter Spacetime

A symposium featuring short talks selected from across OIST neuroscience research units, panel discussions, and a poster session.

Target audience: Open to the OIST community

Language: English

Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2025 - 14:00 to 15:00

Title: "Patterning the cerebral cortex by transcription factor gradients"

Speaker: Dr. Shen-Ju Chou, Research Fellow, Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan

QG group meeting Speaker: Yasha Neiman Title: "Cubic interactions of massless fields in (A)dS lightcone formalism"

ICIIBMS 2025 will be held at OIST University , December 2-5, 2025, Okinawa, Japan