Bio-Medical Informatics Research Center (BMC) has a mission to create data-driven medicine using ICT, and was established on July 1, 2019 as a new research organization in which five NTT research laboratories cooperated. BMC promotes basic and applied research such as biocompatible new materials, biosensing technology, medical care and behavioral information analysis technology, and co-innovation with partners. In addition, BMC cooperates with NTT Research Inc., Medical & Health Informatics Laboratories, which is overseas research and development bases, NTT operating companies such as NTT Life Science and the hospitals owned by NTT Group.
By combining bio-soft materials with processing, measurement, and control technologies, we establish new technologies for manipulating and functionally measuring biomolecules and cells, and we aim to create novel devices that operate and function in the body, such as implantable devices and bio-micro robots.
We are creating new technologies for manipulating biomolecules and cells and deforming and processing biocompatible soft materials, aiming to realize highly sensitive and highly accurate biosensors and biodevices that operate and function in the body. For this purpose, we are incorporating microfabrication techniques and computational science. Currently, our research activities include the reconstruction of biological tissue and formation of three-dimensional bioelectrodes using conductive thin film assembly technology, microchannel applications using three-dimensional hydrogel structures, cell arrangement/morphology control, and the development of artificial cell devices combined with lipid bilayer membranes on microprocessed silicon substrates. We are also for further exploring the potential of sensing fabric hitoe®, which was developed in collaboration with Toray Industries, Inc., and conducting research toward its application.