At the International Symposium on Isotope Physiology, Ecology, and Geochemistry 2019 (IsoPEG 2019) held from June 14–27 at Hokkaido University, a paper by Assistant Professor Minamo Hirahara of Soka University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering was awarded the Best Presentation Award among approximately 20 papers submitted from seven countries.

This international conference, which focuses on the isotopic matter cycle, was established anew this year, centering on researchers at Hokkaido University, Hanyang University (South Korea), and the University of Wisconsin (U.S.).
In her presentation, titled “Metabolic flow in calanoid copepod Acartia steueri based on isotopic discrimination of 15N/14N for amino acids,” Assistant Professor Hirahara shared research results on how plankton, which supports the marine ecosystem, adapt to changes in the environment, examining physiologic mechanisms using stable isotopes.

Regarding the award, Assistant Professor Hirahara shared, “I am extremely honored and happy to receive such an award. I will continue to pursue natural science that can contribute to human society and will exert myself in my research activities.”