SPEAKERS

Akira KAKUGO

Molecular Robot Researcher
Hokkaido University Graduate School of Science · Hokkaido University Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering Associate Professor / Associate Professor

Born in Tokyo, he was interested in things that move beautifully like swarms of birds and fishes.
After graduating from Sakura High School in Chiba Prefecture, he entered Hokkaido University. He found biomolecular motors involvement in cell movement and muscle contraction, then conducted a research on the mechanism of converting chemical energy into kinetic energy.
In his master and doctor courses at the university, he developed the world’s smallest power unit driven by chemical energy with biomolecular motors.
He was inaugurated as Associate Professor of Hokkaido University Graduate School of Science in 2011. Currently, he focuses on developing molecular robot with biomolecular motor as driving force.
As for his major awards, he received the Young Researcher Award for Science and Technology Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in 2012, the Academic Award for Polymer Science in 2016 and HFSP (Human Frontier Science Program) Research Grants Award in 2021.