Message from the Supervisor

Nanosystems and Emergent Functions

This research area is to support original and challenging research proposals aimed at creating novel nanosystems with emergent functions. Here, the term "emergence" is defined as integrated and synchronized functions expressed at higher hierarchical level.

An important fact is that emergence often arises from newly organized macroscopic structures (or patterns and properties) autonomously formed as a result of a very large nonlinear ensemble of interactions at a lower hierarchical (elemental) level in an environment. From this perspective, this research area encourages researchers attempting to clarify the mechanisms and processes of emergence, or to design and create novel nanosystems with emergent functions.

One possible bottom-up approach is self-assembly and its applications that undergo spatial and temporal development. Top-down techniques that have made rapid progress in the fields of MEMS, robotics, and others are another option. However, an original approach fused with both bottom-up and top-down techniques could also be considered.