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About

Motomu Tanaka is a pioneering biophysicist and soft matter researcher whose work bridges the mechanical and biological worlds. His key research areas include stimuli-responsive materials, cellular biomechanics, and micro-robotic manipulation of living tissues. Tanaka’s major contributions lie in developing innovative tools to probe and control biological systems at the microscale. His most cited work (2019, 290 citations) demonstrates how to control the shape of 3D microstructures using temperature and light, creating adaptable systems for soft robotics and biosciences using poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) hydrogels compatible with aqueous environments. In a landmark study on human erythrocytes (2017, 38 citations), Tanaka developed an ultra-high speed “Catch-Load-Launch” microfluidic manipulation technique that revealed a critical time window for global cytoskeletal remodeling, providing mechanical diagnosis of red blood cells. His work on Hydra tissue regeneration (2016, 14 citations) used a two-fingered micro-robotic hand to track mechanical and morphological dynamics, offering unprecedented insights into active force generation during tissue repair. Tanaka’s unique combination of micro-robotics, materials science, and cell biology has established him as a leader in mechanobiology, with his methods enabling new approaches to understanding cellular mechanics and developing smart biomaterials.