演題：大規模塩基配列情報を活用したRNAウイルス進化解析
日時：2023年5月16日(火) 16:00 – 17:40
会場：早稲田大学120-5号館 121会議室
※ハイブリットで開催いたします。遠隔参加希望の場合は以下参照
講師：中川 草（東海大学医学部基礎医学系分子生命科学 准教授）
対象：学部生・大学院生、教職員、学外者、一般の方
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主催：早稲田大学 先進理工学部 生命医科学科
問合せ：早稲田大学 理工センター 総務課
TEL：03-5286-3000
演題：The importance of ventilation for sleep quality
日時：2023年5月17日(水) 15時00分～16時40分
会場：西早稲田キャンパス63号館2階04，05会議室
講師：Pawel Wargock
（Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark）
対象：学部生・大学院生、教職員、学外者、一般の方
参加方法：入場無料 直接会場へお越しください。
主催：創造理工学部 建築学科・創造理工学研究科 建築学専攻
問合せ：早稲田大学 理工センター 総務課
TEL：03-5286-3000
演題：Prediction of dynamic behaviours of moisture and temperature in buildings
日時：2023年5月9日(火) 15時20分～17時00分
会場：西早稲田キャンパス63号館2階04，05会議室
講師：Hartwig Künzel（Head of department hygrothermics,FraunhorerInstitute for Bunding Physics）
対象：学部生・大学院生、教職員、学外者、一般の方
参加方法：入場無料 直接会場へお越しください。
主催：創造理工学部 建築学科・創造理工学研究科 建築学専攻
問合せ：早稲田大学 理工センター 総務課
TEL：03-5286-3000
Wearable wireless biosensors are an integral part of digital healthcare and monitoring. Commonly used chipless resonant antenna-based biosensors are simple and affordable, but have limited applicability due to their low sensitivity. Now, researchers from Japan have developed a novel, wireless, parity–time symmetry-based bioresonator that can detect minute concentrations of tear glucose and blood lactate. This highly sensitive, tunable, and robust bioresonator has the potential to revolutionize personalized health monitoring and digitized healthcare systems.
Wireless wearable biosensors have been a game changer in personalized health monitoring and healthcare digitization because they can efficiently detect, record, and monitor medically significant biological signals. Chipless resonant antennae are highly promising components of wearable biosensors, as they are affordable and tractable. However, their practical applications are limited by low sensitivity (inability to detect small biological signals) caused by low quality (Q) factor of the system.
To overcome this hurdle, researchers led by Professor Takeo Miyake from Waseda University, Professor Yin Sijie from Beijing Institute of Technology, and Taiki Takamatsu from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, have developed a wireless bioresonator using “parity–time (PT) symmetry” that can detect minute biological signals. Their work has been published in Advanced Materials Technologies.
In this study, the researchers designed a bioresonator consisting of a magnetically coupled reader and sensor with high Q factor, and thus, increased sensitivity to biochemical changes. The reader and sensor both comprise an inductor (L) and capacitor (C) that are parallel-connected to a resistor (R). In the sensor, the resistor is a chemical sensor called a “chemiresistor” that converts biochemical signals into changes in resistance. The chemiresistor contains an enzymatic electrode with an immobilized enzyme. Minute biochemical changes at the enzymatic electrode (in response to changes in the levels of biomolecules such as blood sugar or lactate) are thus converted into electrical signals by the sensor, and then amplified at the reader.
Explaining the technical concept behind their novel biosensor, Miyake says, “We modeled the characteristics of the PT-symmetric wireless sensing system by using an eigenvalue solution and input impedance, and experimentally demonstrated the sensitivity enhancement at/near the exceptional point by using parallel inductance–capacitance–resistance (LCR) resonators. The developed amplitude modulation-based PT-symmetric bioresonator can detect small biological signals that have been difficult to measure wirelessly until now. Moreover, our PT-symmetric system provides two types of readout modes: threshold-based switching and enhanced linear detection. Different readout modes can be used for different sensing ranges.”
The researchers tested the system (here containing a glucose-specific enzyme) on human tear fluids and found that it could detect glucose concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.6 mM. They also tested it with a lactate-specific enzyme and commercially available human skin and found that it could measure lactate levels in the range of 0.0 to 4.0 mM through human skin tissue, without any loss of sensitivity. This result further indicates that the biosensor can be used as an implantable device. Compared to a conventional chipless resonant antenna-based system, the PT-symmetric system achieved a 2000-fold higher sensitivity in linear and a 78% relative change in threshold-based detection respectively.
Sharing his vision for the future, Miyake concludes, “The present telemetry system is robust and tunable. It can enhance the sensitivity of sensors to small biological signals. We envision that this technology can be used for developing smart contact lenses to detect tear glucose and/or implantable medical devices to detect lactate for efficient monitoring of diabetes and blood poisoning.”
This novel PT-symmetric wireless wearable bioresonator may soon usher in a new era of personalized health monitoring and efficient digitized healthcare systems!
Title of original paper: Wearable, Implantable, Parity-Time Symmetric Bioresonators for Extremely Small Biological Signal Monitoring
DOI: 10.1002/admt.202201704
Journal: Advanced Materials Technologies
Article Publication Date: 08 April 2023
Authors: Taiki Takamatsu1, Yin Sijie1, Takeo Miyake1,2
Affiliations:
1 Faculty of Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, Waseda University, Japan
2 PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan
演題：細胞内情報伝達の可視化に向けた蛍光タンパク質の応用
日時：2023年4月25日(火)13：10－14：50
会場：オンライン開催（ZOOM）
講師：水野 秀昭（ルーヴェン・カトリック大学 教授）
対象：学部生・大学院生、教職員、学外者、一般の方
参加方法：時間になりましたら、下記アドレスよりご参加ください。
https://zoom.us/j/94631422854?pwd=MVFOWXJ1ak83WXFXNUcwaVdaTWpPdz09
ミーティングID: 946 3142 2854
パスコード: 224783
主催：先進理工学研究科 応用化学専攻
問合せ：早稲田大学 理工センター 総務課
TEL：03-5286-3000
演題：エピゲノムを利用したHIV複製機構の理解
日時：2023年5月11日(木)13：10－14：50
会場：西早稲田キャンパス 54号館 204教室（予定）
講師：町田 晋一（国立国際医療研究センター テニュアトラック部長）
対象：学部生・大学院生、教職員、学外者、一般の方
参加方法：入場無料 直接会場へお越しください。
主催：先進理工学部 電気・情報生命工学科
問合せ：早稲田大学 理工センター 総務課
TEL：03-5286-3000
演題：Fascinated by hydrothermal reactions and soft chemistry
（水熱反応とソフトケミストリーに魅せらせて）
日時：2023年4月28日(金)16：00－17：40
会場：西早稲田キャンパス 55N号館 1階 第二会議室
講師：熊田 伸弘（山梨大学 教授）
対象：学部生・大学院生、教職員、学外者、一般の方
参加方法：入場無料、直接会場へお越しください。
主催：先進理工学研究科 応用化学専攻
問合せ：早稲田大学 理工センター 総務課
TEL：03-5286-3000
Researchers develop a four-wheeled, two orthogonal axes mechanism robot to maintain plants grown under solar panels
Synecoculture, a new farming method, involves growing mixed plant species together in high density. However, it requires complex operation since varying species with different growing seasons and growing speeds are planted on the same land. To address this need, researchers have developed a robot that can sow, prune, and harvest plants in dense vegetation grown. Its small, flexible body will help large-scale Synecoculture. This is an important step towards achieving sustainable farming and carbon neutrality.
Researchers have developed a small and flexible agricultural robot for Synecoculture farming. It has a four-wheel mechanism, two axes stand, robotic arm, camera unit, maneuvering system, and farming tools.
Synecoculture is a new agricultural method advocated by Dr. Masatoshi Funabashi, senior researcher at Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. (Sony CSL), in which various kinds of plants are mixed and grown in high density, establishing rich biodiversity while benefiting from the self-organizing ability of the ecosystem. However, such dense vegetation requires frequent upkeep—seeds need to be sown, weeds need to be pruned, and crops need to be harvested. Synecoculture thus requires a high level of ecological literacy and complex decision-making. And while the operational issues present with Synecoculture can be addressed by using an agricultural robot, most existing robots can only automate one of the above three tasks in a simple farmland environment, thus falling short of the literacy and decision-making skills required of them to perform Synecoculture. Moreover, the robots may make unnecessary contact with the plants and damage them, affecting their growth and the harvest.
With the rising awareness of environmental issues, such a gap between the performance of humans versus that of conventional robots has spurred innovation to improve the latter.
A group of researchers led by Takuya Otani, an Assistant Professor at Waseda University, in collaboration with Sustainergy Company and Sony CSL, have designed a new robot that can perform Synecoculture effectively. The robot is called SynRobo, with “syn” conveying the meaning of “together with” humans. It manages a variety of mixed plants grown in the shade of solar panels, an otherwise unutilized space. An article describing their research was published in Volume 13, Issue 1 of Agriculture, on 21 December 2022. This article has been co-authored by Professor Atsuo Takanishi, also from Waseda University, other researchers of Sony CSL, and students from Waseda University.
Otani briefly explains the novel robot’s design. “It has a four-wheel mechanism that enables movement on uneven land and a robotic arm that expands and contracts to help overcome obstacles. The robot can move on slopes and avoid small steps. The system also utilizes a 360o camera to recognize and maneuver its surroundings. In addition, it is loaded with various farming tools—anchors (for punching holes), pruning scissors, and harvesting setups. The robot adjusts its position using the robotic arm and an orthogonal axes table that can move horizontally.”
Besides these inherent features, the researchers also invented techniques for efficient seeding. They coated seeds from different plants with soil to make equally-sized balls. These made their shape and size consistent, so that the robot could easily sow seeds from multiple plants. Furthermore, an easy-to-use, human-controlled maneuvering system was developed to facilitate the robot’s functionality. The system helps it operate tools, implement automatic sowing, and switch tasks.
The new robot could successfully sow, prune, and harvest in dense vegetation, making minimal contact with the environment during the tasks because of its small and flexible body. In addition, the new maneuvering system enabled the robot to avoid obstacles 50% better while reducing its operating time by 49%, compared to a simple controller.
“This research has developed an agricultural robot that works in environments where multiple species of plants grow in dense mixtures,” Otani tells us. “It can be widely used in general agriculture as well as Synecoculture—only the tools need to be changed when working with different plants. This robot will contribute to improving the yield per unit area and increase farming efficiency. Moreover, its agricultural operation data will help automate the maneuvering system. As a result, robots could assist agriculture in a plethora of environments. In fact, Sustainergy Company is currently preparing to commercialize this innovation in abandoned fields in Japan and desertified areas in Kenya, among other places.”
Such advancements will promote Synecoculture farming, with the combination of renewable energy, and help solve various pressing problems, including climate change and the energy crisis. The present research is a crucial step toward achieving sustainable agriculture and carbon neutrality. Here’s hoping for a smart and skillful robot that efficiently supports large-scale Synecoculture!
This robot successfully sows, prunes, and harvests complex vegetation grown in the shade of solar panels. Its maneuvering system reduces operation time by 49%.
Takuya Otani is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering. He received his Ph.D. degree from Waseda University in 2016. He is a member of the Virtual Reality Society of Japan, Japanese Council of IFToMM, Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Robotics Society of Japan, and IEEE. He received the Waseda e-Teaching Good Practice Award in 2021. His research interests include robotics and intelligent system, intelligent robotics, haptics, humanoid robotics, and mechanics and mechatronics. His recent work involves developing efficient robots for Synecoculture agriculture.
Located in the heart of Tokyo, Waseda University is a leading private research university that has long been dedicated to academic excellence, innovative research, and civic engagement at both the local and global levels since 1882. The University has produced many changemakers in its history, including nine prime ministers and many leaders in business, science and technology, literature, sports, and film. Waseda has strong collaborations with overseas research institutions and is committed to advancing cutting-edge research and developing leaders who can contribute to the resolution of complex, global social issues. The University has set a target of achieving a zero-carbon campus by 2032, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015.
To learn more about Waseda University, visit https://www.waseda.jp/top/en
Synecoculture is a method of farming that produces useful plants while making multifaceted use of the self-organizing ability of the earth’s ecosystem. Advocated by Dr. Masatoshi Funabashi of Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc., it is characterized by a comprehensive ecosystem utilization method that considers not only food production but also the impacts on the environment and health.
*”Synecoculture” is a registered trademark or a trademark of Sony Group Corporation.
Sustainergy Company, a Tokyo-based renewable-energy startup, its management philosophy is “making the world sustainable through energy”, has been developing and operating solar power generation projects in Japan, including large-scale farm-based solar power generation (Agrivoltaics). The company noticed that the space under the solar panels of many solar power plants is underutilized and thought that if Sony CSL’s Synecoculture farming method could be applied to the semi-shaded area under the solar panels, the degraded soil could be restored, and the land could be turned into greenery and farmland, thereby enabling both food production and renewable energy production on the same land. Sustainergy Company is preparing to commercialize this project in abandoned farmlands in Japan, desertified areas in Kenya, and other countries. To learn more about Sustainergy Company, visit https://sustainergy.co.jp/.
演題：可能性は自分でつくれ
日時：2023年4月19日(水) 14時30分～16時00分
会場：大隈記念講堂
講師：安藤 忠雄（建築家・安藤忠雄建築研究所）
対象：学部生・大学院生、教職員、学外者、一般の方
参加方法：事前に下記よりチケットをご申請ください。
安藤忠雄特別講演会《可能性は自分でつくれ》 in 大隈記念講堂 | Peatix
主催：創造理工学部 建築学科
問合せ：早稲田大学 理工センター 総務課
TEL：03-5286-3000
「見えない光を見える光に～有機-無機ハイブリッドによるアプローチ～」(2023/3/18)
演題：見えない光を見える光に～有機-無機ハイブリッドによるアプローチ～
日時：2023年3月18日(土)16：15－17：45
会場：西早稲田キャンパス 57号館2階201教室
講師：石井 あゆみ（帝京科学大学 生命環境学部 自然環境学科 准教授）
対象：学部生・大学院生、教職員、学外者、一般の方
参加方法：入場無料、直接会場へお越しください。
主催：先進理工学研究科 化学・生命化学専攻
問合せ：早稲田大学 理工センター 総務課
TEL：03-5286-3000
演題：バイオ・デジタル融合によるバイオ産業革命
日時：2023年3月17日(金) 16:30 – 18:00
会場：早稲田大学120-5号館 121会議室
※ハイブリットで開催いたします。遠隔参加希望の場合は以下参照
講師：近藤 昭彦（神戸大学大学院科学技術イノべーシヨン研究科科学技術イノベーション専攻 教授）
対象：学部生・大学院生、教職員、学外者、一般の方
事前申込先：[email protected]
「お名前」「所属」「メールアドレス」「講演会参加の目的」を明記下さい。
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申し込みいただいた方に、zoomアドレスをお送りします。
主催：早稲田大学 先進理工学部 生命医科学科
問合せ：早稲田大学 理工センター 総務課
TEL：03-5286-3000
演題：Recent applications of FTIR spectroscopic imaging to polymers and biomaterials
日時：2023年4月7日(金)16：30－18：00
会場：西早稲田キャンパス 62号館1階大会議室
講師：Sergei G. Kazarian（Dept of Chemical Engineering Imperial College London Professor）
対象：学部生・大学院生、教職員、学外者、一般の方
参加方法：入場無料、直接会場へお越しください。
主催：先進理工学研究科 化学・生命化学専攻
問合せ：早稲田大学 理工センター 総務課
TEL：03-5286-3000
演題：Innovative Polymers for Next-Generation Batteries
日時：2023年３月10日(金)11：00－12：30
会場：早稲田大学 121号館コマツ100周年記念ホール
講師：David Mecerreyes（University of the Basque Country 教授）
対象：学部生・大学院生、教職員、学外者、一般の方
参加方法：入場無料、直接会場へお越しください。
主催：先進理工学研究科 応用化学専攻
問合せ：早稲田大学 理工センター 総務課
TEL：03-5286-3000
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