Newswise — KYOTO, JAPAN – JUNE 19, 2026 – The Inamori Foundation today announced Farooq Azam, a marine microbiologist and distinguished professor emeritus at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, as the recipient of its 2026 Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences. Among Azam’s many contributions to science is his discovery of the “microbial loop,” which has influenced our understanding of the ocean’s role in sustaining life and regulating the planet.
The Kyoto Prize, Japan’s highest private award for global achievement, is awarded annually in the categories of Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences, and Arts and Philosophy. Full details are available at https://www.kyotoprize.org/en.
Proposing the Microbial Loop
Azam proposed the microbial loop concept in 1983 based on his findings that dissolved organic carbon, previously assumed to be lost from the marine food web, is instead recycled by bacteria and protists.
His discovery revealed the vital role of microorganisms in global biogeochemical cycles, especially the carbon cycle, leading to significant advancements in the fields of marine ecology and biogeochemistry. He has continued as a leader in the fields of microscale ecology of marine microbes and biogeochemistry.
Azam’s previous honors include the G. Evelyn Hutchinson Award from the American Society for Limnology and Oceanography, Tiedje Award from the International Society for Microbial Ecology, D.C. White Research and Mentoring Award from the American Society for Microbiology, and Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa from Linnaeus University, Sweden. In 2004, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.
In addition to Azam, other laureates of the 2026 Kyoto Prizes include chemist Tsutomu Miyasaka, receiving the prize in Advanced Technology for his development of perovskite solar cells; and multimedia artist Laurie Anderson, receiving the prize in Arts and Philosophy for her lifelong contributions to experimental music and the performing arts.
Each laureate will receive a diploma, a 20-karat gold medal, and a monetary award of 100 million yen (more than US$600,000) during the 41st annual Kyoto Prize ceremony, Nov. 10 in Kyoto. Laureates will later convene for the 26th annual Kyoto Prize Symposium in San Diego, Calif. in March 2027, and the Kyoto Prize at Oxford events in Oxford, UK, in May 2027.
About the Inamori Foundation and the Kyoto Prize
The Kyoto Prize is an international award bestowed by the non-profit Inamori Foundation to honor those who have contributed significantly to the scientific, cultural, and spiritual betterment of humankind. The Foundation was established in 1984 by the late Dr. Kazuo Inamori, who served as founder and chairman of Kyocera Corporation; founder and honorary adviser to KDDI Corporation; and chairman and honorary adviser to Japan Airlines. Inamori created the Kyoto Prize in line with his belief that a human being has no higher calling than to strive for the greater good of humanity and the world, and that the future of humanity can be assured only through a balance of scientific progress and spiritual depth.
Counting the 2026 recipients, the Kyoto Prize has honored 130 laureates worldwide — 129 individuals and one group (the Nobel Foundation). Individual laureates range from scientists, engineers and researchers to philosophers, painters, architects, sculptors, musicians and film directors. For more information, see: https://www.kyotoprize.org/en.
AloJapan.com