This panel will cover a wide range of fields including the design and creation of organic materials and biomaterials, as well as the elucidation of their structure-function relationships, and the applied engineering of these materials in related fields. Organic and bio materials belong to the category of soft matter characterized by structural flexibility, such as liquid crystals, gels, molecular aggregates, supramolecular materials, and biological tissues. They exhibit entirely different properties from hard matter like metals and ceramics, and are garnering industrial and medical attention as next-generation dynamic functional materials and biocompatible materials. Research and development into such materials have been gaining momentum around the world in recent years.

The study of soft matter materials has a relatively short history compared to hard matter materials, and there is an extensive, unexplored research territory waiting to be ventured into. Leveraging the span of seven years, we encourage young researchers to boldly pave the way in this virgin field and aim to establish a unique presence on the global stage. During the selection process, we place emphasis on proposals that aim for disruptive innovation. Additionally, we warmly welcome interdisciplinary proposals that across traditional boundaries of physics, chemistry, and biology, as well as proposals focusing on international collaborative research.

Both the Program Officers and Advisors are committed to providing extensive support for your research, drawing upon your sensibilities and passions, both technically and spiritually. Researchers from diverse fields, such as organic synthesis, process development, precise measurement, theoretical construction, and simulation, will gather in this panel, and we have high expectations that the interplay among these fields will lead to unexpected developments and ripple effects in your research, giving rise to ambitious collaborative research initiatives. Ultimately, our goal is to nurture a group of researchers from this panel who will lead the soft matter field on an international scale. We eagerly anticipate ambitious and challenging proposals from many young researchers.