Series Researcher Interview Vol. 1 Rio Kita. Feb 6th. 2020

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Tokai University Micro / Nano Research and Development Center Researcher Interview 

“Fascinated by the physical universality of soft materials and system-dependent diversity”

Rio Kita.  Professor, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Micro and Nano Research and Development Center, Tokai University

(Published on Feb 2020, interviewed by Takahashi and Mori)

―Please tell us about your research.

If I roughly divide my research,

① Study on phase equilibrium and phase separation dynamics of polymer solution

② Analysis of blood rheology and gelation of plasma proteins

③ Characterization of polymer (Study on molecular properties in thermal equilibrium)

④ Analysis of irreversible transport phenomena in non-equilibrium phenomena of polymers

⑤ Molecular dynamics analysis of soft materials

In short, it means “to study the properties of soft substances at the molecular level.“

Since joining Tokai University in 2005, I have been conducting molecular dynamics research on soft materials as a member of the Dielectric Spectroscopy Group with Prof. Shin Yagihara and Prof. Naoki Shinyashiki of the Department of Physics. Soft materials containing water (synthetic polymers [Ref. 1-7], gels [Ref. 8-11], biopolymers etc. [Ref. 12-16], mixed solution of low molecules [Ref. 17-19], ultra thin polymer film we have been studying the molecular properties of dispersions,using various methods such as laser interferometry, light scattering, small-angle X-ray scattering, thermal analysis, viscoelasticity measurement, and broadband dielectric spectroscopy.

As a subject of physics, we are actively adopting basic research on the structure and function of biological macromolecules such as polysaccharides, nucleic acids, and proteins, which are complex systems, and methods and methodologies of polymer physics. In addition, it will be quite challenging in terms of physics. Based on this, we also conduct molecular biology research and research aimed at industrial applications. Recently, in cooperation with the teachers of the Micro / Nano Research and Development Center, we are focusing on fusion research between humanities and science, and hope to return the results to education.

－Please tell us about your activities at the Micro / Nano Research and Development Center.

In 2014, adopted the Private University Strategic Research Support Project “Next-Generation Medical Technology Created from Ultrathin Polymer” (5 years in Tokai University ) by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, I was involved in the establishment and operation of the company and has been conducting joint research with teachers from each department and department of Tokai University. There were many encounters, and I was able to understand the difficulty of collaborative research beyond the boundaries of the field, as well as experience its effectiveness and the impact of success. Communicating with a variety of professional teachers gives me lots of new realizations and makes me study a lot. Sometimes it’s difficult to keep up, but I feel that it’s also fun.

-I heard that you represent a venture company.

There is a venture company from Tokai University that was established to return the results of the private-sector strategic business “Next-Generation Medical Technology Created from Ultrathin Polymer Films” to society. One of the achievements of the Micro-Nano Research and Development Center, which has been conducting basic to applied research in a medical-engineering collaboration system, is the application of ultra-thin polymer films to imaging tools. This was developed by Professor Okamura of the Department of Applied Chemistry, but because of the many inquiries, I thought it would be useful as a new research tool for researchers around the world.

It’s Tune Co., Ltd. The officers are eight faculty members who have been involved in the private strategic business together. Check out the students and teachers who are observing light microscopy.
Tune Co., Ltd .:http://www.tune-tech.co.jp/

－What is innovation that is useful for society?

I don’t have enough experience to talk about innovation, but there are a lot of things I’ve noticed when brainstorming with researchers in other fields. The joint research themes launched from there are challenging but not easy to accomplish. In the process, it is a business mind, or if you have not noticed before, but realize that you can solve the problems that are in trouble in the world, it will actually be useful to the world and at the same time will lead to industrial promotion, possibly. In that sense, I need to work closely with the industry and I feel it is important to have the courage to practice it. I have been doing basic research for a long time, and of course I should not neglect basic research, but at the Micro-Nano Research and Development Center, there are many opportunities for industry-government-academia collaboration, so many people have a WIN-WIN relationship. I want to create innovation while building.

-Please give a message to the students.

Tokai University is often ranked 3rd to 7th among private universities in Japan in recent global university rankings, and I think this is amazing. Although there is some variation due to ranking by various indicators, it keeps a single digit among about 800 private universities  lead to personal growth.

Professor Rio Kita (Professor, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science)

Completed the doctoral program at Gunma University Graduate School of Engineering in 1999. After serving as a research fellow at RIKEN, a research scholar at Basic Chemistry, and a group leader at Max Planck Institute (Polymer), Germany, he was a lecturer at the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Tokai University in 2005. Associate professor in 2008, present post since 2014. Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Colloid and Polymer Science. Director of the Japanese Society of Biorheology.

He specializes in polymer physics, thermodynamics, and solution theory, and is engaged in equilibrium and non-equilibrium physical property studies on soft materials.

Also serves as of Tokai University Micro / Nano Research and Development Center.

President and CEO of Tokai University-based venture company Tune Co., Ltd.

Researchmap: https://researchmap.jp/read0122295/?lang=japanese

Scopus Author ID: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7006395467

Rio Kita, Recent Publications

  1. K. Sasaki, M. Takatsuka, R. Kita, N. Shinyashiki and S. Yagihara, “Enthalpy and Dielectric Relaxation of Poly(vinyl methyl ether)”, Macromolecules 51, 5806-5811 (2018). doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.8b00780
  2. T. Fukai, N. Shinyashiki, S. Yagihara, R. Kita and F. Tanaka, “Phase Behavior of Co-Nonsolvent Systems: Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) in Mixed Solvents of Water and Methanol”, Langmuir 34, 3003-3009 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b03815
  3. H. Saito, S. Kato, K. Matsumoto, Y. Umino, R. Kita, N. Shinyashiki, S. Yagihara, M. Fukuzaki and M. Tokita, “Dynamic Behaviors of Solvent Molecules Restricted in Poly (Acryl Amide) Gels Analyzed by Dielectric and Diffusion NMR Spectroscopy”, Gels 4, 56 (2018). doi.org/10.3390/gels4030056 PDF
  4. S. Yagihara, R. Kita, N. Shinyashiki, M. Fukuzaki, K. Shoji, T. Saito, T. Aoyama, K. Matsumoto, H. Masuda, T. Kawaguchi, H. Saito, Y. Maruyama, S. Hiraiwa and K. Asami, “Physical Meanings of Fractal Behaviors of Water in Aqueous and Biological Systems”, presented at the 2018 12th International Conference on Electromagnetic Wave Interaction with Water and Moist Substances, ISEMA 2018, 2018.doi.org/10.1109/ISEMA.2018.8442299
  5. K. Sasaki, Y. Matsui, M. Miyara, R. Kita, N. Shinyashiki and S. Yagihara, “Glass transition and dynamics of the polymer and water in the poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-water mixtures studied by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy”, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 120, 6882-6889 (2016).https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b05347
  6. K. Sasaki, R. Kita, N. Shinyashiki and S. Yagihara, “Dielectric Relaxation Time of Ice-Ih with different preparation”, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 120, 3950-3953 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b01218
  7. 【Patent】 Rio Kita, Keishi Kimura, Kazu Morohoshi , Separation method of water containing hydrogen isotope, Japanese patent application, 2016-109028.
  8. T. Yasuda, K. Sasaki, R. Kita, N. Shinyashiki and S. Yagihara, “Dielectric Relaxation of Ice in Gelatin-Water Mixtures”, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 121, 2896-2901 (2017).https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b00149
  9. T. Kawaguchi, R. Kita, N. Shinyashiki, S. Yagihara and M. Fukuzaki, “Physical properties of tofu gel probed by water translational/rotational dynamics”, Food Hydrocolloids 77, 474-481 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2017.10.025
  10. K. Sasaki, A. Panagopoulou, R. Kita, N. Shinyashiki, S. Yagihara, A. Kyritsis and P. Pissis, “Dynamics of Uncrystallized Water, Ice, and Hydrated Protein in Partially Crystallized Gelatin-Water Mixtures Studied by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy”, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 121, 265-272 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b04756
  11. K. Sasaki, R. Kita, N. Shinyashiki, and S. Yagihara, “Glass transition of partially crystallized gelatin-water mixtures studied by broadband dielectric spectroscopy”, J. Chem. Phys. 140, 124506 (2014).
  12. Dueramae, M. Yoneyama, N. Shinyashiki, S. Yagihara and R. Kita, “The effect of hydrophobicity using optical beam deflection technique”, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 132, 997-1003 (2019). doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2018.12.054
  13. J. Sakamoto, R. Kita, I. Duelamae, M. Kunitake, M. Hirano, D. Yoshihara, T. Yamamoto, T. Noguchi, B. Roy and S. Shinkai, “Cohelical Crossover Network by Supramolecular Polymerization of a 4,6-Acetalized beta-1,3-Glucan Macromer”, Acs Macro Letters 6, 21-26 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.6b00706
  14. D. Niether, T. Kawaguchi, J. Hovancová, K. Eguchi, J. K. G. Dhont, R. Kita and S. Wiegand, “Role of Hydrogen Bonding of Cyclodextrin–Drug Complexes Probed by Thermodiffusion”, Langmuir 33, 8483-8492 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b02313
  15. I. Dueramae, M. Yoneyama, N. Shinyashiki, S. Yagihara and R. Kita, “Self-assembly of acetylated dextran with various acetylation degrees in aqueous solutions: Studied by light scattering”, Carbohydrate Polymers 159, 171-177 (2017). Ibid 161, 306 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.01.042
  16. 【Book】R. Kita and T. Dobashi, Eds., “Nano/Micro Science and Technology in Biorheology: Principles, Methods, and Applications” (2015) Springer, NY.
  17. K. Eguchi, D. Niether, S. Wiegand and R. Kita, “Thermophoresis of cyclic oligosaccharides in polar solvents”, European Physical Journal E 39, 86-1 – 86-8 (2016).https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2016-16086-5
  18. K. Maeda, N. Shinyashiki, S. Yagihara, S. Wiegand, and R. Kita, “Ludwig-Soret effect of aqueous solutions of ethylene glycol oligomers, crown ethers, and glycerol: Temperature, molecular weight, and hydrogen bond effect”, J. Chem. Phys. 143, 124504-1 ~ 124504-7 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4931115
  19. K. Maeda, N. Shinyashiki, S. Yagihara, S. Wiegand, and R. Kita, “How does thermodiffusion of aqueous solutions depend on concentration and hydrophobicity?”, Eur. Phys. J. E 37, 94-100 (2014).
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