Chirality
The Shape That Changes Matter

From the spin of subatomic particles to the twist of DNA, chirality—mirror asymmetry—shapes the universe. Now, breakthroughs in chiral nanostructures, spin-selective phenomena, and light–matter interactions are opening a new era in materials science, promising technologies from ultra-fast electronics to next-generation 3D displays. This project brings together world-leading scientists to attack this challenge from different aspect: synthesis (R1), observation (R2) and theory (R3) to work together and unlock how chirality emerges, transforms, and transmits, laying the blueprint for designing materials with unprecedented optical, electronic, and catalytic functions.

With over 11 other Japanese universities and research institutions, the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR, Tohoku University) will lead a multilateral exchange with partners in France, Italy, Switzerland, and Thailand. Activities include coordinated collaborative research, annual interdisciplinary workshops, and intensive researcher exchanges—training a new generation of scientists able to design, control, and exploit chirality across disciplines. The outcomes will establish a self-sustaining international hub driving innovations in chiral photonics, quantum technologies, sensing, and energy-related applications.