We have shattered the fixed notion that "gels are fragile like jelly" and created numerous groundbreaking tough gel materials that can withstand being run over by a truck or hit with a golf club!

We have developed a new approach to adjust the mechanical properties by the hybridization of hydrogels with different materials.

We have synthesized self-healing gels that can easily rejoin when cut, by introducing reversible bonds. This gel is a new type of material that combines self-healing properties with toughness, durability, and biocompatibility.

Our developed high-strength double network gel can be "self-strengthened" by slightly modifying it so that it can improve its weight and strength under mechanical stress.

Our goal is to utilize the orderliness we have learned from living organisms in the creation of artificial materials, resulting in the development of high-functioning gels. Additionally, we aim to understand the mechanisms behind the advanced functions exhibited by living organisms, such as why they have certain structures.

We have developed a method that enables direct fixation of gels to bones, which is crucial for their biomedical applications. Animal experiments have confirmed strong adhesion using this method.

We are working with the medical department to research and develop gels that are useful in various medical fields, such as "next-generation artificial cartilage" and "regeneration of cartilage tissue within the body", using hydrogels that have properties similar to biological tissues.

We have developed hydrogels that exhibit strong adhesion in high salt concentration seawater or within living organisms. This was achieved by controlling the monomer sequence of the polymer, similar to how protein amino acid sequences are controlled to express their functions.

By mimicking the heat-resistant structures of thermophilic bacteria that live in high-temperature environments, we have developed hydrogels that are completely opposite to conventional polymers - they rapidly harden at high temperatures.

By utilizing hydrogels that contain dynamic bindings such as ion binding or hydrogen bonding, we have achieved dynamic memory devices with the ability to forget unimportant information. These hydrogels can store two-dimensional image information through learning by heat.

By conducting hydrogel polymerization at a low temperature where ice crystals can form, a porous gel with ice as a mold can be obtained. By combining this technique with DN gel synthesis, we have successfully produced high-strength porous gels. These gels are expected to have applications as scaffold materials for three-dimensional cell culture.