Creation of controllable biological rhythm and pattern

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Science of Soft Robot: interdisciplinary integration of mechatronics, material science, and bio-computing
• Project/Area Number: 18H05474
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Complex systems
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Ito Hiroshi 九州大学, 芸術工学研究院, 准教授 (20512627)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 杉 拓磨 広島大学, 統合生命科学研究科(理), 准教授 (70571305) ; 永井 健 北陸先端科学技術大学院大学, 先端科学技術研究科, 講師 (40518932)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 概日リズム / パターン / 植物 / クラゲ / 線虫 / イカ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The group promoted research on biological phenomena that exhibit rhythm and pattern phenomena, expanding the boundaries of existing robots by providing them with controllable functions. As a major achievement, we showed that dynamic pattern formation occurs by mass culture of rotationally moving C. elegans, and that the patterns can be controlled by optogenetic manipulation of the environment. We showed that a physical reservoir computer using squid chromatophores, which have the ability to oscillate, is capable of speech recognition. We also conducted a theoretical study of a scenario in which organisms spontaneously acquire autonomous oscillatory 24-hour cycles, and proposed a theoretical method for reducing periodic fluctuations.

Free Research Field

時間生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果は生物そのものがやわらかいロボットとして機能しうることの実例を動物・植物・微生物を用いて明らかにした。また工学的なアプローチが生物理解そのものに貢献することを実例とともに示した。工学と生物学の融合によって、既存の生物学の枠組みおよびロボット学の枠組みを双方押し広げることに成功した。