About our symposium at Pacifichem2025

Invited Speakers and Tentative Titles

Prof. Ryo Kubota, Kyoto University
"Emergence of non-equilibrium dynamics of supramolecular fibers: dynamic instability and autonomous gel patterning"

Prof. Yi-Tsu Chan, National Taiwan University
"A Well-Coupled Supramolecular System Accelerates Photophosphorylation Li, Zibo Complementary ligand pairing: a facile strategy for constructing polymeric materials"

Prof. Shinya Tsukiji, Nagoya Institute of Technology
"Creating hybrid artificial cells with multi-step signal transduction functions"

Prof. Joseph Moran, University of Otawa and University of Strasbourg
"Coenzymes and Ribonucleotides as Early Catalysts in the Evolution of Metabolism"

Prof. Nevile Bethel, UCSD
"The Biophysics of Protein Design"

Prof. Jaeyoung Jang, Hanyang University
"Developing novel molecular dopants by Lewis acid-base chemistry"

Prof. Eunji Lee, Gwangju Institute Science and Technology
"Harnessing Peptide Self-Assembly for Advanced Biomimetic Cryopreservatives"

Aim of Our Symposium

Despite its obvious aesthetic appeal, supramolecular chemistry has always been practically oriented. Cyclodextrins, for example, have been applied as solubilizers for foods and drugs and as an elastic material for contact lenses. Recently, supramolecular chemistry research in non-equilibrium systems has made tremendous progress, and researchers have explored systems that both mimic living supramolecular assemblies or can be implemented in living systems to help us understand supramolecular reactions in cells. For example, there have been remarkable advances in understanding the non-equilibrium nature of life through chemical reaction networks in liposomes, the synthesis of micro-robotic sensors, and the collective movement of supramolecular assemblies. Furthermore, significant progress has been made in areas that support dynamic supramolecular systems development. These include new methodology in organic and biological supramolecular chemistry, the creation of molecular-based or polymer-based actuators, and the development of structural analysis and analytical techniques. This symposium aims to deepen the discussion on this rapidly evolving multidisciplinary field and link the recent results to futures practical function. This symposium on synthetic and biologically relevant dynamic supramolecular chemistry will cover topics ranging from basic physics, including chemical physics, self-organization, fluid mechanics, to practical applications of dynamic supramolecular catalysis, drug delivery systems, mechanical materials, and other multibody or multimolecular systems including energy conversion and information processing systems and life-like intelligent systems. By focusing on the fundamental recent advances in the field, this symposium seeks to uncover new possible applications and push the boundaries of knowledge in the field. Attendees will be exposed to novel approaches and fresh perspectives that have the potential to shape the future of dynamic supramolecular chemistry.

Construction of Dynamic Integrated Chemical Systems
Systems Chemistry based on Physical Organic Chemistry

|Basic Commitment of Our Group|
Hokkaido University has four basic principles: frontier spirit, emphasis on practical study, all-round education for individual human, and the cultivation of internationalism. Among these, the emphasis on practical study is a fundamental principle that emphasizes the pursuit of academic or scientific essence, rather than the evaluation of honor or prestige. Despite today's competitive research environment, we will continue our research and educational activities so as not to lose sight of this basic principle.

|Current Research Aim|
We have achieved the self-sustained transformation of a microscale object composed of multiple molecules. By utilizing this autonomous motion, our aim is to achieve mechanical work and information transformation at a higher level. I'm afraid that you may confuse. Self-sustaining transformation alone cannot generate mechanical work: further symmetry broken is required. For the information transformation, it is similar. By this way, we aim to establish the concept for an autonomous chemical system with practical functions. As our group is currently a small research unit without students, we are limited to setting specific research themes. However, student assignments are expected to be allowed starting from the 2025FY. When the size of our laboratory group grows, we will create brandnew far-from-equilibrium phenomena in non-equilibrium steady conditions.

Highlights

Featured in web media

"Making Molecular Micororobots a Reality." The background of YK's study is introduced in British web media "AZO Robotics" on 1 Feb 2022.

New Project MOLECULAR ENGINE

"Molecular Engine: Design of Autonomous Functions through Energy Conversion", a Grant-in-Aid for "Scientific Research on Innovative Areas" from MEXT in Japan, is started.
http://www.molecular-engine.bio.titech.ac.jp/

Tackling Global Issues Vol.1 — Soft Matter: Material of the Future

Our research was introduced in the first issue of the magazine "Tackling Global Issues" published by Hokkaido University.
Publisher: Hokkaido University
Article: https://issuu.com/hokkaidouniversity-gro/docs/soft_matter-material_of_the_future/34

Asia Research News 2017 —Ever-shrinking robots

ResearchSEA highlighted our research in the Asia research news magazine.
Publisher: researchSEA
Article: http://issuu.com/asiaresearchnews/docs/arn-2017_issuu_med-high/7

Spotlight on Research 2016-2017 Hokkaido University

Our research was introduced in the international relations magazine of Hokkaido University
Publisher: Hokkaido University
Article: http://issuu.com/hokkaidouniversity-gro/docs/web___1-28p/16

Admission Information

Graduate School Students: Since 2020FY, our group is prevented to accept new students by our department, but it is planned that admissions resume in the near future. We are expecting that it resumes from 2025FY (fiscal year generally starts from April in Japan), the entrance examination for which will be held on August 2024 and February (or March) 2025. If you are interested in, please contact to Yoshiyuki. For the inquiry of admission to doctorial courses, you should send me your research plan and your perspectives about the chemical science, rather than your CV. For the inquiry of admission to masters courses, send me your future plans. We apologize that we could not accept new students during 2020FY-2024FY.

Postdoctoral Fellowships: Ask Yoshiyuki via e-mail. You should get your scholarship by yourself, because I cannot promise you to get funds. I will assist you in preparing your application if necessary. For the inquiry for researcher positions, you should send me your research plan in our group referring to my research results, as well as your perspectives about the chemical science, rather than your CV.

Planned Research Topics from 2025:

1. Generalizing and understanding non-equilibrium chemical phenomena and developping their applications.
2. Creating new dynamical systems chemically (Research on molecular robotics).
3. Linking our research outcomes with cell biology (Research for the creation of micro-cyborgs).

Personal and Team Information

Yoshiyuki Kageyama was born in Hiroshima in 1977 and obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo in 2006 under the direction of Prof. Shigeru Murata. He continued his study of the construction of biomimetic supramolecular systems based on organic chemistry as a postdoc in Prof. Tadashi Sugawara's group at the University of Tokyo. Next he moved to the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science at Tokyo University of Science as a postdoc and studied organic photochemistry and molecular-recognition chemistry in aqueous media under the direction of Prof. Shin Aoki. In 2009, he became an assistant professor at Laboratory for Condensed Matter Chemistry at Hokkaido University. His specialty is physical organic chemistry, especially the kinetic study of organic reactions.

    He is interested in the construction of integrated chemical systems that work cooperatively with their dynamic properties. When considering life phenomena, we can recognize the importance of supramolecular dynamics in their highly functionalized homeostatic feature. A well-known example is the allosteric effect of hemoglobin: the change in its structure realizes the self-catalytic trapping and releasing of oxygen. Heartbeat is another example, in which the cells, which consist of molecules, work cooperatively to beat periodically and enduringly.

    To create excellent chemical systems toward biological systems, he creates and analyzes functional and dynamic soft molecular assemblies in water. His significant studies are listed below.

Auto-catalytic Behavior Exhibited in Heterogeneous System in Water

In this research, we established self-continuous assembly formation under non-equilibrium condition.

"Autocatalytic membrane-amplification on a pre-existing vesicular surface"
H. Takahashi, Y. Kageyama, K. Kurihara, K. Takakura, S. Murata, and T. Sugawara,* Chem. Commun. 46, 8791-8793 (2010).
Unfortunately, our superviser had not understood the importance of autocatalysis to create the life-mimetic behavior, I could not continue this research work. To generate self-sustainable molecular system, non-linear behavior such as autocatalysis is required: read "Robust Dynamics of Synthetic Molecular Systems as a Consequence of Broken Symmetry." Symmetry 12, 1688 (2020).

Current Works

Research Themes:

• 1) Creation of Reaction-Induced Macroscopic Dynamics of Supermolecules Based on the Aspect of Molecular Cooperation
• Organic Chemistry (Synthesis)
• Physical Chemistry (Thermodynamics, Intermolecular Force, Reaction Kinetics)
• Physics (Non-linear Phanomena, Self-Organization, Chaos)
• 2) Dynamics of Water Molecules Related with Soft Self-Assemblies in Water
• Physical Chemistry (DNP-NMR)
• Organic Chemistry (Synthesis of Functional Radicals for DNP-NMR)
• 3) Functional Dynamics of Electrons or Protons in Materials
• Organic Chemistry (Synthesis)
• Physical Chemistry (Thermodynamics, Reaction Kinetics)

Lectures:

• Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido Univ.
• Practical Experimetns (Chemistry)
• General Education Seminor for Fresh Students
• Faculty of Science, Hokkaido Univ.
• Practical Experiments (Physical Chemistry)
• Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido Univ.
• Several practice classes

Financial Grants:

• Private Grants
• Sasakawa Scientific Research, from the Japan Science Society (2010).
• MEXT, JSPS and JST Grants
• Grant-in-Aid for "Transformative Research Areas" from MEXT in Japan [Molecular Cybernetics] (Apr. 2023-Mar.2025)
• Grant-in-Aid for "Scientific Research on Innovative Areas" from MEXT in Japan [Discrete Geometric Analysis for Materials Design] (Apr. 2020-Mar.2022)
• Grant-in-Aid for "Scientific Research on Innovative Areas" from MEXT in Japan [Molecular Engine] (Jun. 2018-Mar.2023)
• Grant-in-Aid for "Scientific Research on Innovative Areas" from MEXT in Japan [Coordination asymmetry] (Apr. 2017-Mar.2019)
• Grant-in-Aid for "Scientific Research on Innovative Areas" from MEXT in Japan [Photosynergetics] (Apr. 2017-Mar.2019)
• Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B), from JSPS in Japan (Apr. 2016 - Mar. 2019).
• PRESTO, from JST in Japan [Molecular Technology] (Oct. 2013 - Mar.2017).
• Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research, from JSPS in Japan (Apr. 2013 - Mar. 2014).
• Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B), from JSPS in Japan (Apr. 2011 - Mar. 2012).
• The innovation research support for young teacher, from Global-COE Program (2010).
• The innovation research support for young teacher, from Global-COE Program (2009).