Laboratory for Physical and Chemical Computing
& Intelligent Living Soft Matter Physics
Living Systems Materialogy (LiSM) Research Group, International Research Frontiers Initiative (IRFI);
Department of Computer Science, School of Computing;
Department of Life Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology,
Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), Japan
Pioneering new science through the fusion of information science, life science, and physics
Using bio-nanotechnology and computational simulations, our laboratory conducts research on (1) Information science for novel computation with materials, (2) Bottom-up synthetic biology for adaptable and evolvable artificial cells, and (3) Physics for information biopolymers and autonomous, intelligent materials.
Living organisms are anomalous matter with information, autonomy, and intelligence. It is necessary to construct novel science and technology that can deal with such an anomalous matter because this is an integrated theme that cannot be handled by the conventional divisions such as information science, life science, physics, etc. Through the research described above, we will pioneer a new science related to the autonomous and intelligent matter, such as living organisms.
The results obtained will be applied to the development of highly functional biological informational systems like living organisms, such as intelligent molecular systems and nanorobots that adapt and evolve. In addition, the fundamental question, “What is life?” from the standpoints of physics and information will be revealed through the research. In the future, we will develop molecular computers, molecular robots, operating systems for artificial cells, artificial cells for in vivo therapy, drug delivery nanomachines, micro soft molecular robots that can repair themselves like living organisms, and computers based on new principles, and so on.
Research Theme 1
DNA Nanotechnology, DNA Computing, Molecular Robotics
Molecular reactions are the basis of information processing in living systems. Therefore, if information processing systems can be created by molecular reactions, the secrets of information processing and autonomy of life may be revealed. We are constructing molecular computers by designing DNA sequences and cellular molecular robots integrating multiple elements. [See more…]
Research Theme 2
Artificial Cells, Artificial Nuclei, Microreactors
The smallest unit of an organism is a cell, which is an ultra-microvessel made of a membrane called a cell membrane. We aim to understand the physics of living systems by constructing artificial cell models that mimic cell functions, as well as constructing microreactors that mimic cells. [See more…]
Research Theme 3
Soft Matter, Active Matter
Biopolymers and colloidal particles such as DNA/RNA, proteins, and lipids are classified into a group of materials called soft matter. In addition to elucidating the properties of soft matter, we are studying hybrid systems between electricity and electric systems, and active matter such as spontaneous collective transport phenomena of particles. [See more…]
Join our laboratory
- A postdoc position for the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP)
- A JSPS postdoc position
- Ph.D. student positions for International Graduate Program (A) and (C), Tokyo Tech
