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Transport Phenomena Lab
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Discovering the laws of flow in worlds far from equilibrium.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring flows of matter, energy, and information
The Transport Phenomena Lab (Maeda Lab) studies transport phenomena concerning the flows of matter, energy, and information.
In systems far from equilibrium, such as living cells, patterns and spontaneous flows that do not occur in equilibrium systems emerge, and the principles that govern their control are still not understood.
Through experiments, theory, and computation, the lab investigates transport phenomena in soft matter and active matter, as well as the energetics of nanomachines.
The lab aims to open up a new field that bridges physics and chemical engineering.
Key terms
- Active matter
- A collection of self-propelled entities, such as bacteria, cells, or flocks of birds, that forms swarms and vortices
- Molecular motor
- A nanoscale protein that converts chemical energy into motion to generate force
- Energy dissipation
- Energy that is not put to use and is lost, for example as heat
NewsLab news
A doctoral student received the Student Presentation Award at the Physical Society of Japan 2026 Spring Meeting
Paper on wetting-induced reorganization of the cytoskeleton published in Biomacromolecules
Paper on the geometric transition of collective motion published in Soft Matter
Paper on how active transport shapes the organization of actomyosin published in Nano Letters
ResearchResearch themes
In living cells, pattern formation and spontaneous flows appear that are not seen in equilibrium systems. Highly efficient molecular motors, chemical reactions that give rise to regular patterns, and swarms of self-propelled particles all belong to nonequilibrium systems far from equilibrium, where a new area of chemical engineering is waiting to be explored. The lab studies transport phenomena in a wide range of nonequilibrium systems, from materials to living organisms.
*Illustrative imageTurbulence in Active Matter
When self-propelled matter forms a collective, complex motion like turbulence emerges. The lab controls and measures this turbulence through shape and external fields, then uses theory and computation to find universal laws in the resulting large datasets, extending the study of transport phenomena to nonequilibrium systems.
*Illustrative imageEnergetics of Molecular Motors
Molecular motors convert chemical energy into motion and drive cell movement and division. The lab seeks to understand their energetics, and to determine the optimal way to transport cargo while minimizing wasteful energy dissipation, as well as the physical limits of doing so.
*Illustrative imageReading Flows with Data Science
By combining multipole expansion with machine learning, the lab has succeeded in classifying the growth processes of cellular structures. The lab decodes large-scale image data obtained from well-controlled experiments and uses it to predict flows of matter, energy, and information.
*Illustrative imageSteering Swarms with Magnetic Fields
Using magnetic nanoparticles to control magnetic fields, the lab is making it possible to manipulate active matter in fine detail. With swimming bacteria and artificial colloids, the lab investigates the mechanisms that control both individual motion and collective self-organization.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Transport Phenomena Lab consist of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, doctoral students, master's students, and fourth-year undergraduates.As of 2026
- ProfessorYusuke Maeda
- Assistant ProfessorKazusa Beppu
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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: “A starling murmuration at Galashiels - geograph.org.uk - 5991163” Walter Baxter / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Turbulence in Active Matter: “DETRITUS AND SMALL SWIMMING BACTERIA PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE ATLANTIC MARINE FISHERIES LABORATORY AT SANDY HOOK, NEW... - NARA - 555839” Hope Alexander / Public domain (cropped)
- Energetics of Molecular Motors: “PDB 1f9t EBI” Jawahar Swaminathan and MSD staff at the European Bioinformatics Institute / Public domain (cropped)
- Reading Flows with Data Science: “FLOW VISUALIZATION - NARA - 17426989” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- Steering Swarms with Magnetic Fields: “Magnetofection with labels” Acd88 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Catalytic Reaction Chemistry Lab): “SPring-8 synchrotron SP8 BL01B1” Drac2000 at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Polymer Functions Lab): “Polymer organische Solarzelle 01” Kuebi = Armin Kübelbeck / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Biorecognition Chemistry Lab): “3D cell invasion assay” Kavmic / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Transition Metal Complex Chemistry Lab): “- grapes on the vine - 3 strands dangling side by side - (HiRes focus stack)” Franz van Duns / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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