Prof. Jagadese J. Vittal
National University of Singapore, Singapore

Speech Title: Light-Induced Photophysical and Photochemical Responses in Photoreactive Crystals

Abstract: Crystal engineering plays a pivotal role in achieving optimal alignment and packing of functional groups to control chemical reactivity and physical properties in the solid state. A well-established model for testing these principles involves bringing pairs of olefinic double bonds into proximity to generate photoreactive solids. Control over solid-state [2+2] cycloaddition reactions enables the rational design of advanced materials, including cyclo-reversible optical storage media, photosalient and photomechanical crystals, highly crystalline or even single-crystal organic polymers, and polymer incorporation within metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). As increasingly complex crystalline systems are explored, a variety of unexpected and unconventional properties have emerged.

The traditional view of crystals as rigid, hard, and brittle materials has been fundamentally revised following the discovery of mechanically responsive crystals. External stimuli can trigger molecular-level structural transformations that translate into visually striking macroscopic motions. Over the past decade, such dynamic behavior has been demonstrated in response to light, heat, and mechanical stress. In the pursuit of multifunctional actuating materials, metal complexes and coordination polymers have emerged as particularly promising candidates. A rational understanding of structure–property relationships is essential for inducing dynamic responses in mechanically compliant crystals. In this presentation, we will highlight recent advances from our laboratory on dynamic and mechanical properties of crystalline materials driven by solid-state [2+2] cycloaddition reactions, extending concepts that have thus far been largely confined to organic crystals.

Bio: Education: B.Sc., U of Madras (1975); M.Sc., Madurai U (1977); Ph.D., IISc, Bangalore (1982), India Selected Professional Qualifications & Experience: Senior Lecturer (1997-98); Assoc. Professor (1998-2009); Professor (2009-2020); Emeritus Professor, National U. Singapore (2021-) Assistant Dean, Space & Infrastructure, Research & Graduate Programs, Faculty of Science, NUS (2007-2010); WCU Chair Professor, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, S. Korea (2009-2013); A faculty member of NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Singapore (2012-2020); Adjunct Researcher, Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (2013-2015). Visiting Professor – UWO-Canada (2008); JNCASR-Bangalore (2009), IIT-Bombay (2013); University of British Columbia-Canada (2015); University of Toronto - Canada (2016); Ministry of Science & Technology, Taiwan (2017); Director, Chemical, Molecular and Materials Analysis Center, Department of Chemistry, NUS (2011-2015); Adj. Prof., Sunway University, Malaysia (2018-2020); Ewha Global Fellow, Ewha Womans University, S. Korea (2024-2026); Honorary Visiting Professor, Universiti Putra Malaysia (2024); Visiting Professor, IISER-Trivandrum, India (2024); Visiting Professor, IIT-Bhilai, India (2023); Visiting Professor, Chungnam National University (2023); Lecturer, Sri Pushpam College, Poondi, Tamil Nadu, India, (1977–1978) Selected Awards, Honors & Professional Activities: Global Excellence Award, IEM UEM Group and Smart Society USA (2025); A special virtual issue" Honoring Professor Jagadese J. Vittal and his Contributions to Functional Molecular Crystals”, by the American Chemical Society journal Crystal Growth & Design (2024/2025); Professor N.R. Dhar Memorial Award in photochemistry, Indian Photobiology Society, (2024/2025); Toronto International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (iCAN 2023) Gold Medal, 2023, Japanese Photochemistry Association Elsevier Lectureship Award (2023); Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI) Medal, 2020; Indian Chem. Soc. G.V. Bakore Memorial Award (2019); Outstanding Chemist Award, NUS (2014); Highlighted in Angewandte Author Profile (2014); CRISP Award, Faculty of Sci., NUS (2013-14); Outstanding Researcher Award, NUS (2011); Erudite Scholar-in-Residence, Kerala State of High Education, India (2011); Finalist, President's Science Award, Singapore (2009); Best Scientist Award Faculty of Science (2007); ISCAS Bronze Medal, India (2001); Royal Society of Chemistry Journal Grant Award (2002 & 2009); DAAD Visiting Fellowship (2002). Life Fellow of Indian Chem. Soc. (2020-); Fellow of Internat’l. Assoc. Adv. Mater. (2022-): Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (2014-); Life Fellow of Singapore National Institute of Chemistry (1999-); Life member of Indian Photobiology Society (2024-); Indian Thermal Anal. Soc. (1979-); Life member, Indian Association of Solid-State Chemists and Allied Scientists (2001-); member, American Chemical Society (1997-2021) Research Interests: Design & synthesis of coordination polymers & metal-organic frameworks, solid-state reactivity and photochemistry, battery materials, energy conversion, data storage materials, pollution detection by sensing, fundamental structural changes in the solid-state materials due to external stimuli.

Prof. Osamu Tabata
Kyoto University of Advanced Science, Japan

Speech Title: Microfluidic-Assisted Assembly of Fluorescent Nanodiamonds for Temperature Mapping of Organoid on MPS

Abstract: In vitro cell-based assays with human cells are getting attention since the accuracy of preclinical predictions of drug responses should be improved to reduce costly failures in clinical trials. A micro-engineered biomimetic system, “Body on a Chip: BoC,” was proposed to generate reliable predictions. The BoC makes it possible to investigate the effects of drugs/metabolites on various organs by assembling a closed-loop medium circulation system on one microfluidic device. One of the essential next steps to address is integrating the analytical method with BoC (Analytic-Boc). In this talk, an assembly method for fluorescent nanodiamond (FND) clusters was proposed as a promising method of temperature mapping of an organoid on BoC. It allows for enhanced temperature sensitivity in fluorescence measurement and accuracy for temperature mapping of organoids. A microfluidic template with an array of vertical through-holes was utilized to increase the fluorescence signal-to-noise ratio by measuring 3D aggregated FNDs and locating them over the milliliter square scale substrate. The proposed template-assisted assembly achieved a sensitivity of 0.38 K. The fabricated FND clusters were finally applied to measure the time-transient temperature of cell aggregates stimulated by a thermogenic agent to demonstrate the feasibility.

Bio: Osamu Tabata received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan, in 1981 and 1993, respectively. In 1981, he joined the Toyota Central Research and Development Laboratories. In 1996, he moved to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Ritsumeikan University. In 2003, he joined the Graduate School of Engineering at Kyoto University. In October 2019, he became the founding Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Graduate School of Engineering at Kyoto University of Advanced Science (KUAS). Since December 2022, he has also served as Vice President of KUAS. In April 2025, he was appointed Executive Vice President. His research interests include micro/nano processes, MEMS, and DNA nanotechnology. He has held visiting professor positions at several institutions, including the University of Freiburg, ETH Zurich, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, the American University in Cairo, and Tsinghua University. He has served on the editorial boards of several journals, including IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology (TNANO), the ASME/IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems (JMEMS), Sensors and Actuators, and Microsystems & Nanoengineering. He is a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ).

Prof. Dae-Eun Kim
Yonsei University, South Korea

Speech Title: Composite Coatings for Wear Reduction of Mechanical Components

Abstract: Wear occurs when two components remain in contact while moving relative to each other over a prolonged period. Although lubrication is an effective means of mitigating wear, there are many situations in which lubrication is impractical or becomes depleted during operation. Under such conditions, wear emerges as a critical issue in virtually all mechanical systems. To address this challenge, a wide range of wear-reduction techniques has been developed and implemented. However, given the increasing diversity and severity of operating conditions in modern machinery, more effective approaches for protecting mechanical component surfaces from wear continue to be sought. In this presentation, strategies for reducing wear through the use of composite coatings are discussed. This is preceded by an introduction to tribology, which is the science and technology of friction, wear, and lubrication. Also, a description of the fundamental mechanisms governing friction and wear is given. While high surface hardness is often considered essential for improving wear resistance, this approach alone is not always effective, as tribological systems inherently involve interactions between two contacting bodies. To overcome this limitation, composite coatings can be designed such that each constituent phase performs a specific function. This functional synergy enables more effective wear reduction than can be achieved with single layer coatings. Examples illustrating this concept and its application to wear reduction in mechanical components are presented as well.

Bio: Professor Dae-Eun Kim is currently a Full Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. Professor Kim received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. Professor Kim served as the President of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering and the President of the Korean Tribology Society. He is currently the President of the Asia Tribology Council. He also served as the Editor-in-Chief of IJPEM, Senior Editor of JMST, and Associate Editor of ASME J. of Tribology. He currently serves in the editorial board of several tribology journals including Tribology Letters and Friction. Professor Kim has received many awards from various professional societies and institutions including the Ministerial Commendation from the Korea Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Science and Technology Pojang National Award from the Korean President. Professor Kim is a Fellow of the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP) and a Fellow of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology. His research interests are tribology, coatings and surface modification.

Prof. Hideki Yokoi
Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan

Speech Title: Waveguide-type Optical Nonreciprocal Devices for Si Photonics

Abstract: In optical communication systems, optical nonreciprocal devices, such as optical isolators or optical circulators, are indispensable in protecting active photonic devices from unwanted reflected light. In the near infrared region, magnetic garnet crystals are necessary for constructing optical nonreciprocal devices owing to their transparency and large magneto-optic coefficient. The author has investigated an interferometric optical isolator by using a nonreciprocal phase shift. The nonreciprocal phase shift occurs in transverse magnetic modes that travel in magneto-optic waveguides in which magnetization is aligned transverse to the light propagation direction in the film plane. The optical isolator employing the nonreciprocal phase shift is attractive because there is no need for phase matching or complicated control of the direction of magnetization. The author’s group demonstrated the nonreciprocal phase shift in the magneto-optic waveguide with a magnetic garnet guiding layer. The author’s group also demonstrated the nonreciprocal phase shift in the magneto-optic waveguide with a GaInAsP guiding layer fabricated by wafer bonding technique. In 2003, the author proposed an optical isolator with a Si guiding layer. Since then, many research groups have investigated optical isolators with a Si guiding layer for Si photonics. The author introduces waveguide-type optical isolators employing the nonreciprocal phase shift. Calculated nonreciprocal phase shifts of magneto-optic waveguides with various layer structures are discussed.

Bio: Hideki Yokoi received the B.E. (1989), M.E. (1991), and D.E. (2000) degrees in physical electronics from Tokyo Institute of Technology. He is a professor, College of Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology. His current interests include optical nonreciprocal devices, photonic integrated circuits, optical fiber sensors, and optofluidic sensors.

Prof. Takashi Saito
Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Japan

Speech Title: Multifunctional Properties of a Novel Bioactive Universal Adhesive Incorporating a Calcium Salt Monomer: Insights from Fundamental Research

Abstract: This study examined the mineralization, anti-demineralization, and antibacterial properties of a novel bioactive universal adhesive containing the calcium salt of 4-methacryloxyethyl trimellitate acid (CMET). Four adhesives were tested: Bioactive Universal Bond with CMET (BA; Sun Medical, Japan), Clearfil Universal Bond Quick (CU; Kuraray Noritake, Japan), Prime & Bond Universal (PB; Dentsply Sirona, USA), and Scotchbond Universal Plus Adhesive (SUB; 3M ESPE, USA).
Mineralization was assessed by immersing BA specimens in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 °C (ISO 23317) and analyzing precipitates by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Anti-demineralization effects were evaluated by applying each adhesive to polished bovine dentin, followed by a one-week pH-cycling regimen (pH 6.8–4.5). Integrated mineral loss (IML) at the dentin–material interface was quantified by transverse microradiography (TMR). Antibacterial activity was determined using eluates prepared from cured specimens immersed in distilled water for seven days and serially diluted (10%, 5%, 1%, 0.5%). Eluates were incubated for 24 h at 37 °C with Streptococcus mutans, Actinomyces viscosus, or Lactobacillus casei, and viable bacterial counts were measured using propidium monoazide–quantitative PCR (PMA-qPCR).
BA induced distinct mineralization in SBF, characterized by octacalcium phosphate (OCP)-like crystals on SEM/EDS, suggesting CMET-mediated apatite formation. TMR analysis showed that BA significantly suppressed demineralization compared with other adhesives. In antibacterial assays, 10% and 5% BA eluates markedly inhibited S. mutans and A. viscosus, while CU, PB, and SUB suppressed S. mutans only at 10% and had no effect on A. viscosus. Notably, only the 10% BA eluate significantly inhibited L. casei.

Within the limitations of in vitro experimentation, BA demonstrated multifunctional performance—mineralization induction, prevention of demineralization, and antibacterial activity—supporting its potential as an effective adhesive system for the prevention and management of dental caries.

Bio: Prof. Takashi Saito obtained his D.D.S. (1990) and Ph.D. (1994) degrees in Dental Sciences from the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido (HSUH), Japan. He served as Dean of the School of Dentistry at HSUH between 2013 and 2019 and is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists. His primary research interests center on the development of advanced multifunctional dental materials, with particular emphasis on hard tissue remineralization and regenerative strategies for next-generation dental therapies.