This is the 9957th most frequent Japanese word.
赤井
"赤井" (Akai) is a Japanese surname meaning "red well."
In this sentence, '赤井' is used as part of a proper name referring to the person 'Mr. Akai'.
赤井さんは今日も元気そうですね。
Mr. Akai looks energetic today as well.
Here, '赤井' is used to identify the individual whose research is being described—Akai.
赤井の研究は植物学に関するものです。
Akai's research pertains to botany.
In this context, '赤井' refers to a surname, emphasizing its rarity.