Collaborative Research with Companies

Yoshida Laboratory at Chuo University welcomes many forms of collaboration, including sharing experimental results, discussing results obtained by company researchers, providing technical and academic advice, and developing products. Chuo University has established an intellectual property policy and a patent application process, supported by a specialist research administration team that promotes collaboration among industry, academia, and government. Professor Yoshida has collaborated with several companies, including projects that led to commercial products.

Collaboration is available through the following routes. Please contact Yoshida to discuss your ideas.

Collaborative Research with Universities and Research Institutes

We actively collaborate with researchers inside and outside Chuo University, particularly across disciplines. You do not need to be familiar with the technology to approach us: an idea for a device you would like to build is enough to start a conversation. Please contact us about discussing data, sharing techniques, accessing research equipment, applying jointly for funding, or coauthoring papers.

Technologies Available for Collaboration and Consultation

  • Inkjet, relief, intaglio, and screen printing of carbon materials, organic polymers, and organic semiconductors; microfabrication by photolithography.
  • Fabrication of flexible, biocompatible organic electronics (transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, and inductors) and electrical and electrochemical sensors.
  • Fabrication of flexible biofuel cells from enzyme-modified organic materials designed to be gentle on the body and the environment; fabrication of gel-based rechargeable batteries.
  • Soft robotics based on controlling the stiffness and force generation of organic materials; fabrication of photonic crystals from organic materials that change color like chameleon skin.
  • Fabrication of organ-on-a-chip and biomimetic systems that control neuronal growth on microchips to construct artificial brains; microfluidic devices controlling drugs and cell secretions; electrode sensor arrays for recording neuronal electrical activity.
  • MEMS sensors and actuators, bio-MEMS, lab-on-a-chip, µ-TAS, microfluidic devices, and tissue engineering.

Laboratory Equipment and Facilities

  • Clean darkroom (HEPA-filtered darkroom for basic microfabrication and fluorescence analysis of cells).
  • Bright-field/phase-contrast/fluorescence inverted microscope, multi-angle high-resolution upright microscope, and electrical measurement equipment (for cellular analysis, including intracellular calcium imaging and extracellular electrical recording, and observation of microfabricated devices).
  • Micromanipulator and glass micropipette puller (for micromanipulation of cells and microfabricated devices, and printing by liquid dispensing).
  • Clean bench, CO2 incubator, centrifuge, constant-temperature bath, liquid-nitrogen storage vessels, and refrigerators/freezers (4°C, −30°C, and −80°C) (for biological experiments such as cell culture at the P1/BSL-1 containment level).
  • Fume hood, nitrogen glovebox, evaporator, freeze dryer, oxygen plasma system, UV exposure system, electronic balance, hot plate, electric furnace, dryer, vacuum desiccator, oven, CO2 laser cutter, and high-resolution stereolithography 3D printer (for synthesis and processing of a range of chemical materials).
  • Oscilloscope, function generator, high-speed bipolar power supply, regulated power supply, LCR meter, digital multimeter, frequency response analyzer, potentiostat and electrochemical electrodes, viscometer, UV/Vis spectrophotometer, and force gauge (for electrical, electrochemical, and mechanical measurements and analysis).
  • Microfabrication equipment, including photolithography and inkjet printing systems, is available through our collaborators in the Department of Precision Mechanics at Chuo University. We also use the nearby Takeda Supercleanroom at the University of Tokyo.