"D" Theme - 66 Result(s)

 D

Development of devices regulating inter-organ neural network for diabetes therapy

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • Diabetes induces several complications, including retinopathy and nephropathy. In patients with type 1 diabetes as well as those with type 2 diabetes, pancreatic beta cells have reportedly decreased. Therefore, regeneration therapy of pancreatic beta cells may be very effective for major populations of diabetic patients. We discovered a neuronal network, from the liver, which selectively elicits pancreatic beta cell proliferation (Science 2008, Fig.). In a murine model with insulin-deficient diabetes, stimulation of this network improved diabetes. Thus, building devices which regulate the inter-organ neuronal network may lead to “regenerative therapy” for diabetes which regenerates pancreatic beta cells in the pancreas using patients’ own cells and patients’ own systems. We hope to conduct collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application of this technology.
実用化イメージ

Researchers

Graduate School of Medicine

Hideki Katagiri

Development of Entangled Photon Sources

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • The quantum information and communication technology (QICT) is expected to overcome the difficulties that classical information technology is confronted with. Quantum entanglement carried by photons is one of the most fundamental resources in QICT. We have been developing efficient, high-quality entangled photon sources utilizing semiconductor materials and quasi-phase-matched optical nonlinear devices, with a number of patents awarded.
実用化イメージ

We hope to conduct collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application of this technology.

Researchers

Research Institute of Electrical Communication

Keiichi Edamatsu

Development of Fall-Prevention Footwear Based on Mechanical Analysis of Slip-Related Falls

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • The number of fatalities due to falling accidents indoor/outdoor has increased in Japan as well as in other advanced countries. The fatalities due to falling accidents in a year have exceeded those due to traffic accidents in Japan recently. Because more than 80% of the fatalities are elderly people, it is considered an urgent issue to prevent their falling. We have conducted researches on falling during walking due to induced slip, in the contact interface of shoe sole and floor, through tribological and biomechanical approaches. We clarified the required values of static friction coefficient (figure 1), between shoe sole and floor, and how to gait to prevent slipping through kinetic analysis of gait. We also succeeded in the development of a unique footwear outsole having the high-grip property (figure 2) and high slip-resistant concrete pavement blocks (figure 3) through the collaboration with regional companies. We have recently conducted research and development of footwear that is able to prevent falls due to balance loss after slipping.
実用化イメージ

Products for fall prevention in daily life or in work site. Evaluation of slip resistance of footwear and floor materials.

Researchers

Graduate School of Engineering

Takeshi Yamaguchi

Development of High Performance Carbon Nanotube-Alumina Composite

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • One of the important challenges in the development of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced ceramic composites is uniform dispersion of CNTs in the matrix. The mechanical properties of CNT/ceramics composites have been limited to date due to the formation of CNT agglomerates in the composite. We have successfully produced CNT/alumina composites with world top class strength and toughness, by employing a newly developed CNTs dispersion technique based on a flocculation method. The processing method developed in this study enables us to prepare high performance CNT materials using a pressureless sintering method.
実用化イメージ

The possible applications of the CNT/alumina composites developed in this study include tribological materials (ball bearing), biomaterials (artificial hip joint), micro-actuator materials utilizing electrostrictive effects, electromagnetic wave absorber, particularly in the frequency range of several GHz and several ten GHz.

Researchers

New Industry Creation Hatchery Center

Toshiyuki Hashida

Development of High Sensitive Magnetic Sensor Operating at Room Temperature with Tunnel Magnetoresistance Devices

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • Recently, many tunnel magnetoresistance devices with high magnetoresistance effect are reported. These are expected to be applied to high sensitive magnetic sensors. There are many magnetic sensors with variety of the mechanism, in order to meet the demand of the very wide range of sensing magnetic field. However, there is no magnetic sensor which has high sensitivity, easy to use, operation at room temperature and low cost. Only a magnetic sensor with tunnel magnetoresistance devices can satisfy all the demand in principle. As the device has very wide range of the sensing magnetic field, it can be designed for any demand to the sensors.
実用化イメージ

For example, this device can sense a bio-magnetic field easily at room temperature, so that it could be replaced SQUID device, which is popular now but is very expensive and not easy to use personally. Therefore, by using this device, we expect we can conduct effective collaborative research in medical field.

Researchers

Graduate School of Engineering

Yasuo Ando

Development of Immunobiotic Evaluation System for Functional Feeds as a Livestock Animal Model

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • Pattern recognition receptor (PRR) family plays an important role in the defense through recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns or microorganisms-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs/MAMPs).
  • Some functional feed materials are thought to regulate intestinal immunity by contact and stimulation of epithelial cells and immunocompetent cells via PRRs in the gastrointestinal tract and induction of cytokine production. In this "new world" of feed immunology, however, much remains unknown about the underlying mechanisms of intestinal immunity because of lack of appropriate intestinal immunoassay system for livestock animals.
  • We have advanced application of originally established porcine and bovine intestinal epitheliocytes (PIE, BIE) cell lines (see photo) for evaluation of immunobiotics and immunogenics exerting anti-inflammatory responses both in PIE cell monolayer and co-culture system with porcine peyer's patch immune cells as a peyer's patch culture model (see illustration).
実用化イメージ

This evaluation system may also contribute to elucidate immunoregulatory mechanism of immunobiotics and immunogenics mediated by pattern recognition receptors essential to future development of not only immunobiotic feeds but also vaccines using immunobiotics to prevent specific diseases. This can benefit mankind by offering immunobiotic feeds as a safer alternative to conventional antibiotic drug therapy.

Researchers

Graduate School of Agricultural Science

Haruki Kitazawa

Development of integrated safety management technology for hydrogen energy systems

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • To investigate the diffusion and combustion phenomena of reactive hydrogen gas leakage when a high-pressure hydrogen tank fails due to crack propagation caused by an initial defect, we have developed a coupled analysis method that simultaneously analyzes the material structure and reactive turbulent multiphase flow through an interdisciplinary research approach. Furthermore, we have developed a new numerical prediction method related to the diffusion flow characteristics and combustion limits of hydrogen leaking due to crack propagation failure of high-pressure tank bulkheads.
実用化イメージ

We contribute to the design of hydrogen storage containers for various types of transportation equipment and the development of safety guidelines and risk management for hydrogen station configurations.

Researchers

Institute of Fluid Science

Jun Ishimoto

Development of Intelligent Molecules for the Regulation of Gene Expression in Cells

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • The artificial control of gene expression by synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) has been the subject of considerable interest. In particular, ODNs conjugated with a cross-linking agent have been expected to enhance the inhibitory effect. Recently, microRNAs (miRNA) endogenously expressed small regulatory non-coding RNAs, are recognized as playing a critical role in regulating gene expression and the great concerns have been raised about efficient antisense oligonucleotides against miRNAs. We have already demonstrated that ODNs bearing a 2-amino-6-vinylpurine (2-AVP) derivative exhibited efficient interstrand cross-linking to cytosine selectively. The unique structural features of AVP are to possess both the hydrogen bond donor-acceptor sites as recognition sites and the vinyl group as a reactive moiety in a single molecule. Recently, we have developed of the novel cross-linking agents, which are designed based on the unique structure of AVP. These derivatives can react to thymine at the complementary site with highly selective and efficient under neutral conditions. We hope to conduct collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application of this technology in industry.
実用化イメージ

Researchers

Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials

Fumi Nagatsugi

Development of Interconnect Materials and Processes for High Performance and High Reliability Electric Devices

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • Electronic products can be operated not only by semiconductors but also by metal interconnections attached to the semiconductors. Required properties for the metal interconnections are ohmic contact, diffusion barrier property, adhesion with semiconductors, and low resistivity, corrosion resistance, process reliability. Our group has committed ourselves to develop new metals and processes to meet the needs of wide-ranged device producers with consideration of cost performance. Topics of our research include (1) Cu alloys to self-form a diffusion barrier layer in multilayer interconnection of Si devices, (2) Cu alloys to form a reaction-doping layer in IGZO oxide semiconductors, (3) Nb alloys to achieve mechanical and thermal reliability with good ohmic property for SiC power devices, (4) Cu alloys for transparent conductive oxide such as ITO, (5) screen-printable Cu paste lines for solar cells, etc..
実用化イメージ

Our research efforts are targeted at metallization and interconnections for advanced LSI, flat panel displays, touch panels, power modules, solar cells, and other electronic devices. Collaborators include material producers, equipment vendors, and device producers in the entire value chain of electronic products.

Researchers

Graduate School of Engineering

Junichi Koike

Development of McH-lpr/lpr-RA1 mouse, a study model that spontaneously develops severe autoimmune arthritis, vasculitis, and sialadenitis

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • McH/lpr-RA1 mice are recombinant congenic mice descended from MRL/lpr and C3H/lpr mice and develop arthritis, vasculitis, and sialadenitis with high frequency and severity, with severe pannus formation similar to rheumatoid arthritis, polyarteritis nodosa, and Sjogren's syndrome. On the other hand, McH/lpr-RA1 mice do not develop systemic lymphadenopathy and severe nephritis as seen in MRL/lpr mice, so they are easy to breed and maintain and can be used for long-term drug administration experiments.
実用化イメージ

Development of diagnostic and therapeutic agents for collagen diseases. It can be applied to the elucidation of the mechanism of onset of immunological adverse events caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors and the development of drugs to prevent the onset of such events, etc. Industry-academia collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, test reagent companies, etc. is possible.

Researchers

Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering

Tetsuya KODAMA

Development of Miniature and Highly-Functional Photonic Devices Using Ultrafine Microstructures

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • In our laboratory, miniature and highly-functional photonic devices based on new optical phenomena caused by the interaction of ultrafine microstructures with light have been studied. In addition, development of new production technology to overcome the problems that have been obvious from the practical application viewpoint of nanophotonic devices has been performed.
    • -Main research topics--
    MEMS tunable metamaterials for optical control.
  • Structural color filters using subwavelength gratings for the applications of display and spectroscopic analyzers.
  • Surface-smoothing technology using surface self-diffusion.
  • Study of low loss silicon nanophotonic devices.
実用化イメージ

We aim to realize optical filters, optical resonators, and color filters, by using above technologies. Also, development of nano-photonic elements fabricated by a nanoimprint technology has been progressed.
We hope to conduct collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application of this technology in industry.

Researchers

Graduate School of Engineering

Yoshiaki Kanamori

Development of Nano-Interface Chemistry for Materials Sciences Using Surface Forces Measurement

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • Our research aims at developing methods, including instrumentation, for characterizing surface (or interface) at the nano-meter level. Most of our research subjects are related to the surface forces measurement, which can directly monitor the interaction between two surfaces. We study phenomena occurring at the solid-liquid interface such as adsorption and structuring of liquids. We have developed the resonance shear measurement which is a sensitive method for evaluating properties of confined liquid for nano-rheology and tribology. Twin-path surface forces apparatus we developed enabled us to study wide variety of samples such as metals, ceramics and plastics.
実用化イメージ

These methods are applicable for characterizing lubricants, nano-materials, paints, sealants, and cosmetics. We hope to conduct collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application of this technology in industry.

Researchers

New Industry Creation Hatchery Center

Kazue Kurihara

Development of Nano-Medical-Agricultural Applied Technology Using Ion-Controlled Plasma

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • Since we have developed the techniques (ion control plasma) to generate and control ions, electrons, reactive species (radicals) in the low temperature non-equilibrium plasmas which I can touch by hand, the composite materials using nanoparticles, nanocarbons, biological molecules are synthesized in the nano-electronics field, the minimally-invasive and highly-efficient drug/gene transfection systems are developed in the medical field, and bacteria and insects are killed by the plasma in place of pesticide in the agricultural field.
実用化イメージ

The ion-controlled plasmas are applied for the minimally-invasive gene transfection system, next-generation agricultural system, the electrode material of highly-efficient battery, and so on. We hope to conduct the collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application of the novel plasma nano-medical-agricultural applied technology in industry.

Researchers

Graduate School of Engineering

Toshiro Kaneko

Development of New Drugs and Devices Regulating Inter-Organ Neural Network for Obesity Therapy

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • Obesity induced the metabolic syndrome, which causes cardiovascular diseases. Obesity has now become a major health concern not only in developed countries but developing countries. However, diet and exercise are still major therapies. We discovered endogenous systems maintaining homeostasis of energy metabolism and revealed several neuronal networks among organs to be responsible for the regulation systems.
  • 1) Afferent neuronal signals from adipose tissue regulate appetite and prevent over-eating during obesity development (Cell Metab 2006)
  • 2) Neuronal network from the liver enhances basal metabolic rates to prevent obesity development when energy store is increasing (Science 2006) 3) Neuronal network from the liver suppresses adaptive thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (Cell Metab 2012).
実用化イメージ

On the basis of these original discoveries, we are aiming at developing new drugs and/or building devices which regulate the inter-organ neuronal networks and hope to conduct collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application to obesity therapy.

Researchers

Graduate School of Medicine

Hideki Katagiri

Development of New Reactions Using Organocatalyst

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • Organocatalyst is a synthetically useful catalyst in synthetic organic chemistry, because of the several merits. We have been investigating the development of new and efficient organocatalysts derived from proline. We have already reported the diphenylprolinol silyl ether, which is called as a Jorgensen-Hayashi catalyst, and siloxyproline, which is effective in the presence of water. We have also developed several practical asymmetric catalytic reactions based on the organocatalysts. We also applied these reactions to the total synthesis of natural products and drugs. We have already synthesized Tamiflu in one-pot reaction, and prostaglandin E1 methyl ester via three one-pot procedure.
実用化イメージ

Our newly developed reactions using organocatalysis can be widely used for synthesis of medicines, agrichemicals, and chemical products.

Researchers

Graduate School of Science

Yujiro Hayashi

Development of next-generation sterilization method by a plasma flow at atmospheric pressure

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • Plasma sterilization has been developed as an alternative sterilization method due to its chemical activity, operation at low temperature and atmospheric pressure, low power consumption, low cost and safety. We have studied a mechanism of chemical species generation and transport in a plasma flow and, the sterilization efficacy and mechanism for several plasma sources at atmospheric pressure, such as a microwave plasma flow, a dielectric barrier discharge in a tube and a water vapor plasma flow. We already clarified that the damages of outer membrane and destructions of the cytoplasmic membrane of Escherichia coli by exposure to the microwave plasma flow. Fig. 1 shows the effect of plasma exposure on the E. coli. When the E. coli was exposed to the plasma, the height of the E. coli decreased and the potassium leakage of cytoplasmic material increased. For sterilization in a tube, we also clarified that an induced flow in the narrow tube by DBD transports chemical species and sterilize the whole inside surface of a tube as shown in Fig. 2. We hope to conduct collaborative research with a willing company for a practical application of this technology in industry.
実用化イメージ

Researchers

Institute of Fluid Science

Takehiko Sato

Development of Novel Bone Substitute Biomaterials Showing Highly Osteoconductive Property

NEXT
PREV
特徴・独自性
  • Novel bone substitute biomaterials should have a property not only to support cellular attachment on the material surfaces but also activate cellular function of osteoblasts that promote regeneration of bone tissue. Our laboratory successfully developed such materials composed of octacalcium phosphate (OCP) (Suzuki O et al. Dent Mater J 39:187, 2020. doi: 10.4012/dmj.2020-001), obtained by a restricted synthesis condition originally developed, with specific crystal characteristics, and various natural polymers, such as gelatin, collagen, alginate and hyaluronic acid. The materials consist from OCP and these polymers are capable of enhancing new bone formation concomitant with their own biodegradations. The concept to develop such materials is that (1) design of reaction of calcium phosphate ceramics and the synthesis; (2) design of material strength to meet the mechanical stress from living body; (3) selection of natural and synthetic polymer materials for the calcium phosphate ceramics. Furthermore, we are conducting research to improve the ability of OCP itself to replace new bone (Suzuki O et al. Acta Biomater 158:1, 2023).
実用化イメージ

We are prepared to provide academic consultations to companies interested in our research.

Researchers

Graduate School of Dentistry

Osamu Suzuki