The challenge to the “origin of life”
Movie: “Understanding what is Macromolecular Science and Engineering in three minutes.”
Since the nature of life phenomena has been revealed due to the rapid advance in life sciences now, research on the function and synthesis of individual substances that work in the body of an organism has attracted a lot of attention.
In the Biological Science course (Macromolecular Science and Engineering), we are facing the challenge of the proposition of “What is Life” based on the most advanced life science and nanotechnology.
Development of a new discipline that reinforces comprehensive strength
”Macromolecular which has functions” can be synthesized from a substance of a structural unit. In this course, “life” at all levels can be the target of the study. It ranges from a biological macromolecule such as protein, nucleic acid and polysaccharides, to functional macromolecule gel which is the network of biological macromolecule, and even living cell tissue.
Most advanced research connecting with the society
We are developing new bio-materials and medicines that have the new characteristics and functions called functional macromolecule. We also perform analysis of the characteristics of life molecules. In addition, our research fields also include macromolecular gel that may be applied to artificial muscles and automated synthesis of sugar chain that is expected to be useful for cancer treatment. Those fields have been receiving attention. Moreover, phenotypic expression in the cell, cell movement and conformational analysis of biological macromolecules, such as protein, nucleic acid and sugar chain, will bring achievement essential to the understanding of biological phenomena. Therefore, it can be said that research of these fields are currently the most glamorous as a post-genome science.