This panel covers a wide range of fields, including the design and creation of organic and bio-materials, the elucidation of their structure-function relationships, and applied engineering in related areas. Organic and bio-materials belong to the group of soft matter substances with flexible structures, such as liquid crystals, gels, molecular assemblies, supramolecules, and biological tissues, and they have different structures and properties compared to hard matter substances like metals and ceramics. Research on soft matter substances has a shorter history compared to hard matter substances, and there remains a vast, uncharted research territory awaiting exploration. Over the long period of seven years, we hope that young researchers will take on this new field with bold ideas and establish their unique presence on the global stage.

In the selection process, we will emphasize proposals aiming for disruptive innovation, which is a characteristic of FOREST program. We welcome applications from researchers in various fields, such as organic chemistry, polymer science, soft matter physics, theory and simulation, and information science, centered on organic and bio-materials. We highly welcome interdisciplinary proposals that transcend existing boundaries of physics, chemistry, and biology, as well as proposals mindful of international collaborative research. In the future, we aim to produce a group of researchers from this panel who will lead the soft matter field internationally with a broad perspective.

We look forward to ambitious and challenging proposals from many young researchers.