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{\Large \bf Biophysics Group}\\
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Professor          &:&Kazuo~Ohki\\
Associate Professor&:&Hidetake~Miyata\\
Assistant Professor&:&Tetsuhiko~Ohba\\
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(http://www.bio.phys.tohoku.ac.jp/)\\
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 Research projects:
  Major purpose of the Biophysics group is to elucidate relationship between structure/physical property and function in biomembranes.  And the researches are performed from viewpoints of physical property of biomaterials and cell biophysics. The method developed in this laboratory, which is an imaging system to observe spatial distribution of physical property (membrane fluidity) under a microscope at video rate, is applied to the study on the relationship between membrane fluiditye and various cell functions (e.g. differentiation, apoptosis, endocytosis and temperature acclimation). A fluorescence microscope equipped with optical tweezers and evanescent wave excitation system is used to investigate molecular forces and interfacial phenomena; the studies of mechanism of cell shape change, coupling between the bio-signaling, physical events in phagocytosis, analysis of cell adhesion and dynamics of cytoskeleton.
  We have experimental facilities for preparing artificial and biological membranes and culturing cells, in addition to instruments for chemical analysis of biomaterials.  And various apparatus are available for measuring phase transition and phase separation of membranes, molecular dynamics, local viscosity, membrane density, diffusion of lipid and protein molecules on biomembranes, flow of bio-molecules in a cell and so on. 
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