My research interest is a development of a cell culture platform to engineer organ-mimic models and to evaluate their functions. Recent stem cell culture techniques allow us to generate several mini-organ models, such as vasculature, brain, liver, and kidney, etc.: however, techniques to regulate and analyze their functions have not been fully addressed.
Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) or microphysiological system (MPS) are microfluidic devices for culturing living cells in continuously perfused, micrometer-sized chambers to model physiological functions of tissues and organs. Through a combination of cell biology, engineering, and biomaterial technology, the microenvironment of the chip simulates that of the organ in terms of tissue interfaces and mechanical stimulation. This reflects the structural and functional characteristics of human tissue and can predict response to an array of stimuli including drug responses and environmental effects. So far, we have developed a microfluidic device for tissue vascularization (Fig. 1a) and a nanoprobe for the collection of a minute amount of cytosol from tissue models (Fig. 1b). 
With my domestic and international supervisor, in TI-FRIS project, we are investigating the development of analytical tools for OoC (MPS), especially, electrochemical sensors and scanning probe microscopy. These micro-and nanotechnology tools, by virtue of their spatial resolution, enable the precise interrogation, and perturbation of organ-models. Thus, we aim to dissect the role of the stimuli to cells in both health and disease using the micro-and nanotechnology tools.