- HOME
- English Top Page
- Laboratories
- Chief Scientist Laboratories
Chief Scientist Laboratories
The Chief Scientist program was started in January 1922 and is unique to RIKEN. Each Chief Scientist heads his or her own laboratory and has considerable autonomy in choosing research topics, recruiting personnel, and managing budgets. Because of this policy, RIKEN used to be referred to as a “paradise for scientists,” and the freedom enjoyed by the Chief Scientists has given rise to many creative research achievements. The RIKEN Advanced Science Institute maintains this proud tradition to this day. The Chief Scientist Laboratories are managed by the Chief Scientists who carry out research with long-term objectives.
Chief Scientist Laboratories list
Computational Astrophysics Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Toshikazu Ebisuzaki
We promote the JEM-EUSO (Extreme Universe Space Observatory onboard Japanese Experiment Module) mission to explore the origin of extreme energy particles above 1020eV.
Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Toshiyuki Azuma
We experimentally study a wide range of physical processes such as cold chemical reactions relevant to the evolution of the universe, the dynamics of large complex molecules and atomic interactions with crystals, using novel methods from the aspects of atomic, molecular and optical physics.
Condensed Matter Theory Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Akira Furusaki
The ultimate goal of our research is to understand theoretically various properties of materials of macroscopic scale from the physical laws that govern the microscopic world.
Magnetic Materials Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Hidenori Takagi
We are exploring a wide variety of electronic phases formed by strongly interacting electrons (strongly correlated electrons) and the physics behind them.
Low Temperature Physics Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Kimitoshi Kono
We study prominent quantum phenomena in condensed matter over a wide temperature range, including the micro-Kelvin region.
Quantum Metrology Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Hidetoshi Katori
Armed with such high-precision atomic clocks, we investigate fundamental physics such as the constancy of fundamental constants and their coupling to gravity, as well as the application of such clocks to relativistic geodesy.
Laser Technology Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Katsumi Midorikawa
Using high harmonic generation by intense femtosecond laser technology, we are pursuing extreme optical science including XUV nonlinear optics and attosecond physics/chemistry.
Quantum Optodevice Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Hideki Hirayama
Materials Fabrication Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Hitoshi Ohmori
The main objective of our research is the development of revolutionary and new material processing technologies in electro-chemical and/or mechanical methodologies for an extensive range of materials.
Advanced Device Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Koji Ishibashi
To explore future nanoelectronics, we develop fabrication processes of sub-10 nm structures, and study their electronic properties to apply them to functional nanodevices.
Bioengineering Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Mizuo Maeda
On the basis of polymer chemistry, analytical chemistry, surface chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, we are studying new materials comprising biological components, novel methodology for bioanalysis and medical diagnosis and artificial systems for regulation of biological processes.
Nano Medical Engineering Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Yoshihiro Ito
The aim of our laboratory is to create new functional materials by a new method which will be developed from a combination of chemical and biotechnological methodologies.
Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Tahei Tahara
We develop and utilize the most advanced spectroscopy for molecular science of complex systems in the condensed-phase.
Condensed Molecular Materials Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Reizo Kato
From a chemical point of view, the most fascinating character of a molecular conductor is its designability, that is, we can finely control solid state properties with chemical modifications of the molecule.
Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Yuji Sugita
Furthermore, we develop novel simulation algorithms and new models for biomolecules to overcome difficulties in the current computer simulations of biomolecules.
Organometallic Chemistry Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Zhaomin Hou
The main objective of our research is to develop new generations of molecular catalysts. Novel catalysts can facilitate novel reactions that have been previously considered impossible, lead to more efficient, selective chemical transformations, and help us to make innovative functional materials that were not previously possible.
Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Mikiko Sodeoka
Our research interests range from transition metal-catalyzed enantioselective reactions to design and synthesis of intracellular signal transduction modulators and their application to cell biology research.
Synthetic Cellular Chemistry Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Yukishige Ito
This laboratory is working on the interface of synthetic chemistry and glycobiology. Glycoconjugates are involved in a variety of biological events such as cell-cell recognition, malignant transformation, cell differentiation and signal transduction.
Antibiotics Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Hiroyuki Osada
The Antibiotics Laboratory is focusing on the isolation of new compounds that regulate mammalian cell function from microbial metabolites.
Cellular Dynamics Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Naoko Imamoto
The main subject of our laboratory is to understand the mechanism of nucleocytoplasmic transport, particularly focusing on the diversity of transport pathways, and organization of the cell nucleus, focusing on the nuclear periphery, to uncover new aspects and principles of regulation and maintenance of nuclear function.
Chromosome Dynamics Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Tatsuya Hirano
The long-term goal in this laboratory is to understand the molecular mechanisms of chromosome assembly and segregation during mitosis and meiosis.
Chemical Genetics Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Minoru Yoshida
Our laboratory aims to establish comprehensive and systematic chemical genetics as a basis for chemical genomics by integrating genomics, proteomics, informatics and bioimaging.
Lipid Biology Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Toshihide Kobayashi
The aim of our laboratory is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the assembly and the dynamics of lipids and lipid domains via visualizing lipid molecules and to uncover the principle of the establishment of biomembranes.
Molecular Membrane Biology Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Akihiko Nakano
The main research theme of our laboratory is to understand mechanisms, dynamics and roles of membrane trafficking in eukaryotic cells.
Theoretical Biology Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Atsushi Mochizuki
We adopt mathematical or computational methods to decipher huge amounts of experimental information, and to give integrative understanding of complex biological systems.
Cellular Informatics Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Yasushi Sako
Our aim is to understand principles of signal processing carried out by biological systems in proteins, protein networks, cells and cell communities.
Cellular Memory Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Yoichi Shinkai
Our laboratory's principal objective is to understand the molecular mechanism of epigenetic gene regulation and the role of epigenetics in health and disease.
Genome Science Laboratory
- Chief Scientist
- Yoshihide Hayashizaki
The Genome Science Laboratory has been developing basic technologies for functional genomics and exploring the genes resources. Our main activity, the establishment of the mouse full-length cDNA encyclopedia, has been carried over by Genome Exploration Research Group, Genomic Sciences Center which started in October, 1998.