Early this December 2018, we invited Distinguished Professor Takashi Gojobori and Emeritus Professor Ichiro Imai, two outstanding Japanese professors, to Chile. Through their thoughtful presentations, they gave us many insights that push us our project forward.
Professor Gojobori emphasized, through his talks ranging from study of the origin of evolution of eye by means of algal study to integration of automatic sampling and cutting-edge studies of metagenomics and single cell genomics, the importance of basic science and how researches of the top-level science promote surrounding advances of sciences and technologies, and even further stimulate more practical studies to solve problems in relation to our daily lives.
Professor Imai introduced the history and current situation related to harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Japan in detail, based on his long career of HAB studies. He then suggested several practical environment-friendly approaches that can be considered in Chile, such as polyculture of fish and seaweeds, and bottom sediment perturbation.
It is our great pleasure that our research activities have started with their stimulative seminars. Note that the two professors are also advisers of this project (link) and will keep in touch with us closely. We hope we will have good progresses when we would welcome them again in Chile in the future.