Awardee: Mone Ishida (Supervisor: Prof. Sachihiro Matsunaga)
Presentation Title: Intracellular Dynamics of the Uptake and Maintenance of Cyanobacteria via Phagocytosis in Animal Cultured Cells
Conference: The 2nd Annual Meeting of the Japan Mendel Society (June 15, Fukui Chamber of Commerce and Industry)

In this presentation, Ms. Ishida reported her success in experimentally reproducing the phenomenon known as "primary endosymbiosis," which is thought to have occurred on ancient Earth. Primary endosymbiosis refers to the evolutionary process in which photosynthetic bacteria such as cyanobacteria were engulfed by primitive eukaryotic cells and subsequently evolved into chloroplasts. The findings of this study not only deepen our understanding of biological evolution but also hold potential applications in addressing environmental challenges and advancing medical research. This award marks Ms. Ishida's second consecutive recognition with the Excellent Presentation Prize, following her award at last year's meeting.

Award Comment:
"I am truly honored to receive the Excellent Presentation Prize. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Professor Sachihiro Matsunaga for his dedicated guidance, as well as to the senior colleagues and staff members of our laboratory for their unwavering support. I will continue to advance my research steadily and strive to deliver results that can benefit society."