Professor Asakawa is researching intelligent artificial machines (sensors, signal processing devices, etc.) that mimic the information processing mechanisms of living organisms through a materials science approach. After obtaining his doctorate in 1996, he conducted research and development on the methodology of examining the solid structure and molecular motion of polymers. He was fascinated by the unique properties of polymers and one of their fundamental aspects, molecular motion. Around 2006, he considered whether this molecular motion could be applied to electronics. At that time, organic electronics devices were gaining attention, but their performance was significantly lower than silicon and compound semiconductors. He came to believe that for organic electronic devices to survive, it is necessary to pioneer new areas and harness the inherent characteristics of polymers. That's the direction of utilizing the features of polymers as they are, prompting him to focus his attention on the human brain.

 Associate Professor Sano is involved in forensic autopsy work as a physician and researches ABO blood type. Forensic medicine is a discipline that deals with legal issues based on medicine and natural sciences and provides expert opinions on them. ABO blood type is inherited, and in 1990, a Japanese research group elucidated the structure of the ABO gene in the Japanese population. For approximately 10 years, she has been researching the "gene expression mechanism" of how the ABO gene is regulated and contributes to the production of ABO blood-type substances. One of her focuses is studying the Bm type, which accounts for approximately half of the subtypes and variants in the Japanese population. In individuals with the Bm type, although the genetic structure is B type and the saliva is also B type, they are classified as O type in blood cell tests. Her research found that only the region responsible for activating gene expression in red blood cells was genetically missing in the Bm type.

    On the other hand, the region involved in gene expression in epithelial cells remained intact, leading to the understanding of this phenomenon. In transplant medicine, incompatible blood types can cause rejection reactions. In addition, diseases associated with ABO blood types, such as the severity of thrombosis, have been identified. These findings indicate that A/B type substances can pose risks in transplantation medicine and disease development. She believes that by utilizing their research, it will be possible to develop methods to decrease the levels of blood-type substances. Furthermore, the association between ABO blood type and susceptibility to cancer has been reported worldwide, and she aims to elucidate the mechanism behind it from their perspective.