The 42nd and 43rd JUACEP Seminars

Prof. Katsuo Kurabayashi of Univ. Michigan talked about why do research (the 42nd Seminar) for Japanese students and about his study field titled "Electrokinetic and nanomechanical transport of biomolecules for ultrasensitive bio-detection" (the 43rd Seminar) for JUACEP students.

Summary:

(The 42nd)
研究立案には、問題の明確化、アプローチの選定、研究のインパクトの予想等のプロセスが必要となります。研究者としての成功は、研究発表の場や論文執筆の際に、いかに論理的に話の筋道を立てて情報を発信できるかにかかっています。このセミナーでは、そもそも工学系大学院教育においてなぜ研究活動が必要なのか、研究の基本的なプロセスをいかに身に着けるか、いかにインパクトのある研究論文を英文で書くことができるかということについて話を進めていきます。また、同時にミシガン大学工学部機械工学科の短い紹介も行います。（講演言語：日本語）


(The 43rd)
On-chip high-throughput, ultrasensitive screening for emerging diagnostic applications and innovative scientific discovery require systems for detecting protein concentrations in the nano- to picomolar range (~ a few molecules per cell). Low volume technology is expected to promise sensitivity, cost, and speed advantages associated with small scales. However, such small scales pose crucial challenges to biodetection owing to friction against fluid transport at low Reynolds numbers and random motion of molecules. These challenges significantly compromise on-chip nano-biosensors. To address these issues, we have developed integrated microsystems that control mass transport of biomolecules under micro- to nanofluidic environments with AC electroosmosis flow and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)- fueled motor proteins. Our system integrates AC electroosmosis flow-inducing microelectrodes with plasmonic nanoparticle biosensors. Another system implements nanoscale mechanical manipulation of the stochastic motion of motor proteins for protein concentration. Motor proteins are nanometer-scale biomaterials that convert chemical energy stored in ATP into mechanical work. This seminar talk discusses fundamental statistical mechanics, electrodydrodynamics, and mass transport theories, nanomaterial synthesis, and microfabrication that provide the foundations of our technological approaches and their impacts on clinical diagnosis of immune diseases.

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