Presentation of the 2010 International Prize for Biology

  On 6 December, the 26th annual ceremony for awarding the International Prize for Biology was held in the presence of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan at the Japan Academy, located in Ueno Park, Tokyo. The ceremony was organized by the Committee on the International Prize for Biology, chaired by Dr. Takashi Sugimura, the Vice President of The Japan Academy.

 At the ceremony, an opening message was delivered by Dr. Sugimura and a report on the selection process was provided by Dr. Makoto Asashima, chair of this year’s Selection Committee, after which the prize and an Imperial gift were presented to this year’s awardee, Dr. Nancy Ann Moran, William H. Fleming MD Professor of Biology, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, USA. Congratulatory remarks were followed from the Prime Minister (read by Mr. Tetsuro Fukuyama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary) and from Yoshiaki Takaki, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The ceremony concluded with an acceptance address from Dr. Moran.

  At the reception following the ceremony, a congenial atmosphere prevailed with Their Majesties and Dr. Moran engaging in amicable conversation with each other and with the guests who included embassy representatives and the Prize Committee members.

  The International Prize for Biology Commemorative Symposium and Lecture on “Biology of Symbiosis” was then held on 7-8 December at Tsukuba International Congress Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki.

Dr. Nancy Ann Moran, holding the imperial Gift

Presentation Ceremony

Acceptance Address by Dr. Moran

Dr. Moran with Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress at the reception