The 1st MacDiarmid Institute – Kyoto University Workshop on Integrated Data-Material Sciences
On August 29, iCeMS hosted the 1st MacDiarmid Institute-Kyoto University Workshop on Integrated Data-Material Sciences. The two-day event was the first opportunity for the two institutes to meet face to face since their first meeting online three years ago. That meeting led to the formation of the Center for Integrated Data-Material Science (iDM), an iCeMS On-site Lab. The iDM is a collaboration between the two institutes with the mission of deepening the paradigm of data-driven materials science while aiming to establish a novel materials development process to accelerate the discovery of new materials for energy, environment, and medicine. The On-site Lab also aims to act as a hub for exchange between Kyoto University and the MacDiarmid Institute. iDM held a series of workshops over the last two years to identify and address knowledge gaps and share tools, which have steadily increased in participation from throughout the institutes.
iCeMS Profs Daniel Packwood and Aiko Fukazawa, iDM co-directors, organized the event along with MacDiarmid co-directors Prof Nicola Gaston and Justin Hodgkiss. Packwood opened the workshop, noting the two institutes had many common interests and complementary strengths which had already led to five collaborative projects between members. He hoped the event would reinforce connections and encourage broader participation.
Hodgkiss introduced the MacDiarmid Institute and its four research areas into creating sustainable materials: catalytic architecture, hardware for future computing, sustainable resource use, and reconfigurable systems.
Director Motonari Uesugi introduced iCeMS’s vision of integrating chemistry and biology through focusing on self-assembly. Vice President of International Strategy Yasuyuki Kono shared Kyoto University’s mission and efforts to achieve harmonious coexistence within the global community, highlighting the many International Partnerships and On-site Laboratories which have been created.
The workshop was divided into six sessions: Functional Organic Materials, Spectroscopy and Photochemistry, Novel computational approaches, Design and characterization of porous materials, Control and characterization of biological systems, and Novel computational approaches II. Research presenters included Aiko Fukazawa, Thidarat Imyen, Hirotoshi Sakamoto, Shuhei Furukawa, Tomoko Inose, Ganesh Namasivayam, Daniel Packwood, Maryam Nurhuda from iCeMS, Ryu Abe from the Graduate School of Engineering, Kei Saito from the Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, and Geoffrey Weal, Paul Hume, Justin Hodgkiss, Anna Garden, Nicola Gaston, Lujia Liu, Volker Nock, Kannan Ridings from MacDiarmid Institute.
There were clearly many areas of overlapping interest as the audience had many enthusiastic questions for the speakers. These questions and conversations spilled over into lunch and dinner, as speakers gathered to discuss their work and interests. The workshop closed at Seifu-so, a picturesque 18th century villa maintained by Kyoto University, giving speakers a chance to reflect together while strolling in the garden. The MacDiarmid co-directors gave iCeMS something more to look forward to, an invitation to hold the next workshop in New Zealand.
