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Dynamic Materials Design Lab
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A materials lab that mimics the mechanisms of living organisms to control surface properties.
AboutAbout the lab
Learning from living organisms to control surface properties.
The Dynamic Materials Design Lab centers on biomimetics, which imitates the mechanisms of living organisms, and studies functional surface and interface materials that support mechanical systems.
Through nano- and microstructure fabrication, surface modification, and 4D printing, the lab controls wetting, friction, and adhesion to develop materials with functions such as superhydrophobicity and oleophobicity, ultralow friction, and anti-icing.
The lab also develops intelligent materials that change shape in response to their environment and exhibit functions as a result, aiming at applications in sustainable materials, biomaterials for medical devices, and process materials for manufacturing such as semiconductors.
On the lab's website, it is introduced under the name "Manabe Lab."
Key terms
- Biomimetics
- An approach that imitates the structures and mechanisms of living organisms and applies them to new materials and technologies. Also called biomimicry.
- Superhydrophobicity
- The property of strongly repelling water. It is addressed in surfaces that mimic lotus leaves.
- Intelligent materials
- Materials that change shape or exhibit functions in response to their environment.
NewsLab news
Assistant Professor Manabe received the Excellence Award in the FY2026 (Reiwa 8) Research Proposal Awards (Satomi Award) from the Satomi Scholarship Foundation
A paper by Assistant Professor Manabe and colleagues was published in Macromolecular Rapid Communications
A paper by Assistant Professor Manabe and colleagues was published in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials
A paper by Assistant Professor Manabe and colleagues was published in ACS Applied Polymer Materials
A paper by Assistant Professor Manabe and colleagues was published in Surfaces and Interfaces
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to create functional surface and interface materials that control wetting, friction, and adhesion, taking inspiration from the surfaces of living organisms. Using nano- and microstructure fabrication, surface modification, and 4D printing, it develops functions such as superhydrophobicity and oleophobicity, ultralow friction, and anti-icing, as well as intelligent materials that respond to their environment.
*Illustrative imageSuper-slippery surfaces inspired by pitcher plants
Mimicking the surface of the pitcher plant, the lab builds super-slippery surfaces from lubricant layers that are transparent and self-healing. These surfaces can make liquids such as oil and blood slide off, and the lab has also established surfaces whose slipperiness and transparency change with temperature.
*Illustrative imageSuperhydrophobic surfaces inspired by lotus leaves
The lab reproduces the hierarchical microstructure of lotus leaves to create surfaces that repel not only water but also oil. Problems such as loss of transparency from light scattering by the microstructure and reduced durability are addressed with mesh structures and composites with curable resins.
*Illustrative imageAnti-reflective surfaces inspired by moth eyes
Mimicking the anti-reflective properties of moth eyes, the lab studies anti-reflective coatings that reduce light reflection loss. Chitin nanofibers extracted from crab shells are stacked using a water-based method to control porosity, and while examining the refractive index, the lab also brings out durability and anti-fogging properties as additional functions.
*Illustrative imageSelf-healing materials inspired by cephalopods
Mimicking the self-healing mechanism of cephalopods, the lab studies coatings that quickly repair surface scratches with the help of water. Counterions are incorporated into polyelectrolyte multilayer films to imitate the β-sheet structures and noncovalent intermolecular interactions found in cephalopods.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Dynamic Materials Design Lab consist of faculty and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- Assistant ProfessorKengo Manabe
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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 droplets in a lotus leaf1” Aathavan jaffna / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Super-slippery surfaces inspired by pitcher plants: “Nepenthes Khasiana Hook” Prof Ranga Sai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Superhydrophobic surfaces inspired by lotus leaves: “Lotus Drop” Daichungus / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Anti-reflective surfaces inspired by moth eyes: “Rosy ermine moth (Trosia nigropunctigera)” Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Self-healing materials inspired by cephalopods: “Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) moving on sandy seabed during Sentinelle 4 project - Musée Subaquatique de Marseille - Anse des Catalans - 2025” Karim saari / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (光微細加工研究室): “Stereolithography cycloidal drive” Clemenspool / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (数値材料力学研究室): “Fluid-Structure-Interaction-Topology-Optimization-2” Chrlundg / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (流体力学研究室): “Micrograph of magnetic microfluidic chip ( )” National Institute of Standards and Technology / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (先進メカトロニクス研究室): “Flexible heat flux sensor FHF04 by Hukseflux” Hukseflux TS / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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