Many types of ions and neurotransmitters exist in our bodies and play important roles. We thought that if we could directly visualize these, we would be able to elucidate previously unknown phenomena. We have been developed an ion image sensor that combines CMOS and biosensor technologies. This technology is being developed as an extracellular imaging technology to simultaneously visualize and analyze multiple types of chemical information that are intricately intertwined in the extracellular microenvironment, with the aim of elucidating neurotransmission mechanisms, clarifying the causes of diseases and drug discovery.

Objects can be levitated, transported, and deformed by radiation force of ultrasound. In this paper, noncontact transportation techniques and optical lenses using acoustic radiation force were introduced. Small objects and liquid droplets can be transported without contact by controlling acoustic fields, and these phenomena are expected to be applied to cell manipulation techniques. Optical lenses where the focal length can be controlled by changing its shape via acoustic radiation force can downsize camera modules.

The advent of airborne ultrasonic phased arrays marked a significant turning point in the fields of mid-air haptics and acoustic levitation. This breakthrough has not only revolutionized academic research but also paved the way for industrialization through the emergence of startups. The author has witnessed this evolution from its inception to the present day. This paper discusses the historical background and related aspects of this technology, while also addressing recent trends and future prospects.

Recently, we have developed a novel method to fabricate quantum wires of a Mott insulator on graphite substrates using pulsed-laser deposition, achieving structures such as stripes, junctions, and nanorings. These single-crystalline wires are one-unit-cell in thickness and precisely two- to four-unit-cell in width, and can extend to several micrometers in length. The spectroscopy measurements along with theoretical calculations reveal the existence of strong electron correlations. Moreover, our findings emphasize the importance of nonequilibrium reaction-diffusion processes in atomic-scale self-organization, opening up exciting avenues for exotic fractionalized states in purely one-dimensional quantum wires.

Soft electronic materials can realize wearable devices that can fully integrate with the skin or electronic artificial skins for robots. Especially, stretchable conjugated polymers show various attractive properties including low Young’s modulus, biocompatibility, and transparency. Here I introduce stretchable materials based on conjugated polymers and the device applications. The first example is a stretchable conducting polymer material and the application in transparent sensor arrays. Another is a stretchable semiconducting material and the application in wireless soft electronic devices.

Nanopore, a tiny aperture within a thin membrane at the nanoscale, offers a remarkably efficient pathway for harnessing electricity from the salinity gradient between ubiquitous seawater and freshwater resources. Over the past decade, significant efforts have been devoted on leveraging the exceptional capabilities of single-nanopore osmotic power generators in form of coupon-scale nanoporous membranes. This manuscript provides a comprehensive review of the latest advancements in this field, elucidating future opportunities and obstacles towards the real-world deployment of nanopore-based power generation systems.

I try to offer some advice on how to write a research grant proposal, primarily targeting graduate students and early-carrier researchers, from the viewpoint of reviewers for such proposals. Since the reviewers are very busy, they evaluate proposals quickly. If you write your proposal with considering the reviewers’ viewpoint and state of mind, there is no doubt that the acceptance rate of your proposal will increase. Additionally, I recommend preparing for your proposal by consciously collecting a wide range of ideas from everyday.