Biological physics based on soft matter physics, chemical physics of interface, non-linear and non-equilibrium sciences are our researches, which are complex but inherently interesting and attracting us. We study mechanisms of the active motions exhibited in, especially, migration/swimming of living cells, self-propelled objects, and bio-mimicking behaviors emerged in lipid membrane system, reconstituted model cell, non-equilibrium interface, and active matter.

Motions of a living cell, Reconstituted model cell

Amoeboid cell migration, swimming of protists, motions of reconstituted model cells are studied. Reconstituted model systems composed of active actomyosin exhibiting blebbing motion, buckling motion and fluctuation motion have been created. Biological functions emerged from material based phenomena, this is our research interest to make the model systems.

Lipid membrane, Interface

A liposome is a vesicle of lipid bilayer membrane, which has been frequently used as a model of cell membranes. Dynamics of liposome formation and non-equilibrium deformation and fluctuation of the membrane are investigated. Interface related phenomena such as coffee ring effect, coffee mist, Marangoni effect, active behaviors of micro droplets, etc., are also research topics.

Self-propelled object, Active matter

The word active matter indicates a self-propelled object and its collective behavior. A simple micro-swimmer, water in oil droplet, is one of the attractive model systems to study about shape-motion and convection-motion couplings. We have investigated a propelling oil-soup composite, thermally driven droplets, electrically driven droplets and dumbbell-shaped particles.