Takuya Ohmura Takuya Ohmura

Assistant Professor, Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University *Profile is at the time of the award.

2026HagukumuScience & Engineering(hagukumu)

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Research topics: Revealing mechanism to regulate propelling forces under photoresponsive unidirectional motion of spherically symmetric microorganism

Keyword

Summary: Swimming microorganisms (microswimmers) do not have a nervous system and are constantly influenced by thermal fluctuations, which indicates that microorganisms respond to their environment through principles distinct from macroscopic organisms. This project focuses on the phototaxis of Synura, a microswimmer that forms spherically symmetric colonies. By combining experimental observations with numerical fluid simulations, we aim to elucidate the mechanisms governing unidirectional locomotive control within a three-dimensional fluid environment. It remains unclear how this species, which lacks localized photosensitive organs and possesses extremely high structural symmetry, manages to regulate its movement toward a light source. We believe the insights gained through this research will provide new guidelines for the control technologies of future drug delivery and micro-transportation systems.

Message

I am excited to have been selected for this research grant, as it allows me to work on a new study of microbial motility. I am eager to learn from the "energy-efficient" environmental responses exhibited by the micro-scale organism.