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Physical Chemistry of Dispersed Systems Lab
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A physical chemistry lab that approaches the mechanisms of life through gels.
AboutAbout the lab
Approaching the principles of biological function through gels
The Physical Chemistry of Dispersed Systems Lab studies gels, a type of material found in the body, in order to get closer to the principles of biological function.
The lens of the eye and articular cartilage are also gels, and biological functions arise when such biological gels change their properties in response to changes in the environment inside the body.
Taking living organisms as a model, the lab also takes on the challenge of using gels to artificially design and build materials and systems that substitute for or mimic biological functions.
Key terms
- Vitreous body
- A water-rich, gel-like tissue located between the lens and the retina of the eye. Its main components are collagen and sodium hyaluronate.
- Block copolymer
- A polymer made of polymer chains with different properties joined end to end.
- Brillouin light scattering
- Light scattering produced by the interaction between light and the sound waves naturally present in a sample. Viscoelasticity is measured from the shift in its spectrum.
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies how gels in living organisms work from the standpoint of physical chemistry, aiming to get closer to the principles of biological function. Taking living organisms as a model, it also works on designing materials and systems that use gels to substitute for or mimic biological functions.
*Illustrative imagePhysical chemistry of biological gels such as the vitreous body of the eye
The vitreous body is a dilute gel composed mainly of collagen and sodium hyaluronate, and much about its structure and function remains unexplained. Using mainly porcine vitreous bodies, the lab built a theory describing the density fluctuations of the gel from observations of the behavior of scattered light.
*Illustrative imageColloidal complexes of polymers and surfactants
The lab studies the phase behavior and microstructure of complexes formed in water by block copolymers consisting of a neutral polymer and a polyelectrolyte, together with oppositely charged surfactants. It also treats these complexes as model compounds for studying nucleosomes, which form when DNA wraps around proteins.
*Illustrative imageDynamic structure of hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymers
The lab uses stress relaxation measurements and dynamic light scattering to study how flower-shaped micelles, formed in water by polymers with hydrophobic groups at their ends, connect to form a network above a certain concentration.
*Illustrative imageDevelopment of new bioimaging methods
The lab develops imaging technology that uses Brillouin light scattering to measure the mechanical properties of tissues, cells, and biomaterials without touching them. In ophthalmology, it aims to turn this into a diagnostic tool that helps detect diseases of the lens and cornea at an early stage.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Physical Chemistry of Dispersed Systems Lab are faculty, doctoral students, and undergraduate students.
- ProfessorMasahiko Annaka
- Associate ProfessorYasuyuki Maki
- Assistant ProfessorShintaro Yashima
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Water beads (42106)” Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Physical chemistry of biological gels such as the vitreous body of the eye: “Eye orbit anatomy anterior2” Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- Colloidal complexes of polymers and surfactants: “Micelles” Jwleung / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Dynamic structure of hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymers: “Superabsorber Hydrogel KSG 2917 pK” Petra Klawikowski / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Development of new bioimaging methods: “Fluorescence microscopy of the oral cancer cells” Korinna / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (量子生物化学研究室): “A water droplet splash” Luke Peterson from Sydney, Australia / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (理論化学研究室): “H2O Kalottenmodell und Stäbchenmodell 8127” Bin im Garten / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (生物有機化学研究室): “Biology apparatus” Abdsomod / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (生体分子化学研究室): “Molymods” Sonia / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
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