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Sakai Lab
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A lab that advances precision gel science to understand gels and to create hydrogels useful in medicine.
AboutAbout the lab
Fully understanding gels through precision gel science
The Sakai Lab advances "precision gel science," aiming to put hydrogels to medical use on the basis of firm scientific principles.
A gel is a material in which a three-dimensional polymer network holds a liquid. Hydrogels, which contain water, are found in familiar items such as soft contact lenses, diapers, and jelly.
Although gels are familiar materials, many mysteries about them still remain, and the lab seeks to solve them using gels with a controlled structure.
Medical applications are pursued in joint research with institutions such as the University of Tokyo Hospital, under the guidance of clinicians.
Key terms
- Hydrogel
- A gel that holds a large amount of water within a polymer network. Jelly and soft contact lenses are also in this category.
- Gelation
- The process in which a liquid forms a polymer network and turns into a solid gel. Also called the sol-gel transition.
- Polymer
- A large molecule made of many small molecules linked together like a chain. It forms the framework of a gel's network.
NewsLab news
Student wins award at the Polymer Networks Group Meeting
Prof. Sakai receives the Ichimura Prize in Science, Contribution Prize
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to advance precision gel science, solve the mysteries of gels with structure-controlled gels, and fully understand gels. Using the principles obtained, it also works on developing medical hydrogels that can be freely designed to meet the needs of clinicians.
*Illustrative imageTetra Gels with a Uniform Network
Polymer networks are usually heterogeneous, which has made it difficult to control the properties of gels. By combining four-armed polymers that bond with each other, the lab succeeded in making Tetra gels with a highly uniform network.
*Illustrative imageMaking Hydrogels
Controlling the gelation time, in which a liquid turns into a solid gel, and the viscosity of the liquid before it becomes a gel is very important for practical use. The lab aims to control gelation without losing control over the gel's properties.
*Illustrative imageHealing with Hydrogels
Inside the body, gels can release drugs gradually or serve as scaffolds for cells. The lab is designing gels with the desired function while keeping them stiff enough and resistant enough to swelling that they do not damage the surrounding tissue.
*Illustrative imageBreaking Down Hydrogels
A gel placed in the body gradually deteriorates and swells, and eventually dissolves. Some uses require the gel to last a long time, while others require it to break down after a set period, so the lab aims for precise control of degradation.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Sakai Lab consist of faculty, project researchers, staff, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorTakamasa SakaiPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorKousuke TsuchiyaPublications ↗
- Project Associate ProfessorNaoyuki Sakudo
- Project LecturerTsukuru MasudaPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorShohei IshikawaPublications ↗
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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: “Corrective soft contact lenses, with high oxigen permeability” Albarubescens / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Tetra Gels with a Uniform Network: “Superabsorber Hydrogel KSG 2917 pK” Petra Klawikowski / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Making Hydrogels: “Picture of peptide hydrogel formation shown by the inverted vial method” Hutchinson Jessica / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Healing with Hydrogels: “Hydrogel-Wundauflage” Korrupt / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Breaking Down Hydrogels: “ESEM Image of hydrogel fiber” AvasaralaN / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Aida Lab): “Superabsorber Hydrogel KSG 2917 pK” Petra Klawikowski / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Yoshie Lab): “Sbs block copolymer” Peter R Lewis / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Organic Functional Design Lab (Masai Lab)): “Laboratory vacuum distillation apparatus on a benchtop” KiveVictor / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Fluorine Organic Chemistry Lab (Kawaguchi Lab)): “9104 - Milano - Museo storia naturale - Fluorite - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto 22-Apr-2007” Giovanni Dall'Orto / CC BY-SA 2.5 it (cropped)
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