Yutaka Kaso Laboratory, Department of System Design Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University: An Experimental Approach to the Study of Fluids in Nanospaces

At the Kaso Laboratory, we study the science and engineering of fluids flowing through extremely small spaces on the nanometer scale, known as nanospaces. In nanospaces, various unusual phenomena occur due to the dominant effects of surfaces, and the molecules and particles involved are reduced to countable quantities. Therefore, we are developing methods that utilize light to visualize nanoscale liquid flows and particle behavior with a resolution on the 10 nm level, and we are working to elucidate phenomena in the nanospaces that exist around us, such as inside cells. Furthermore, by developing methodologies and technologies to precisely manipulate ultra-trace amounts of substances using nanospaces with controlled size, shape, and surfaces, we are creating micro/nanofluidic devices. Our goal is to solve challenges in the fields of biotechnology, medicine, and drug discovery by enabling simple and rapid diagnosis of lifestyle-related diseases, elucidation of the pathology of intractable diseases, and more efficient drug development.