Our smart soft materials lab focuses on synthesizing various soft materials based on high-functional polymers and gel. In order to develop more efficient and smart soft materials, we aim to understand and imitate the operating system and mechanism of nature and biological systems. A “gel” is a material that contains a large number of solvent molecules inside a three-dimensional network structure formed by chemical or physical crosslinks of polymer chains. More specifically, a hydrogel, highly similar to biological tissue in its composition and physical properties, is emerging as a biocompatible and environmentally friendly material. Also, chemical changes, such as ionization or changes in the hydrophilic or hydrophobic properties of the polymer chain caused by external stimuli, can alter the volume or form of a gel. We utilize these properties in many fields including biomimetic robots, medical or environmentally friendly adhesive materials, separators and electrolytes for lithium batteries, electrolytes for supercapacitors, and implantable electrodes.

I graduated from the College of Natural Sciences at Ewha Womans University, where I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemistry and Nanoscience. During my undergraduate studies, I mostly took lectures on chemistry, and I conducted research on fuel cells during my master’s program, so studies on polymer were not my primary focus back then. Then, I started my Ph.D. program in Professor Aida Takuzo’s research lab at the University of Tokyo, where hydrogel was the main research focus at the time. That was when I first learned about a material called hydrogel. I did not know the detailed structure of the gel at that time, but its elastic, moist, and soft texture and its properties of having a certain shape, while composed mostly of water, were intuitively astounding and fun. After understanding the chemical structure and mechanical material properties of the gel, I found that the gel is actually highly similar to biological tissues, which interested me. Indeed, gel is a valuable and useful model in foundational research for understanding the structure of muscles and the human body. Its infinite potential to be utilized in both fundamental and applied science, as a functional material that could replace conventional materials or as a regenerative biomaterial, still fascinates me. 

Research on how soft materials react to external environments and stimuli, and their physical properties is a crucial part of our studies. Soft tissues, which form parts of the human body, including muscles, internal organs, cartilage, and the eyeballs, are formed through the introduction of liquid into a three-dimensional network structure created by the crosslinking of bio-polymer materials such as proteins and polysaccharides. In fact, it is fair to say that the structure of an organism is a gel structure itself. The gel that composes organisms is flexible and does not get easily destroyed by external forces. It is an open system material that adapts to the environment through transformation and state transition, according to the change of environment. It is essential to understand a gel, the material basis of an organism, in order to comprehend the mechanisms and structures of such biological functions. Our lab has developed a biocompatible conductive material that can be used to exert electric stimuli or to detect bio-signals, by enhancing adhesiveness and electrical conductivity to a soft gel that has similar physical properties to human soft tissues. Such imitation of soft tissues by the development of a gel that has functions such as stimuli-responsive, molecular recognition, and separation function enables utilization of a gel in the medical and biological field of cell culture substrate, artificial muscle, drug transport, biosensors, regenerative medicine, and more. 

My ultimate goal in research is for my findings to practically contribute to society. More specifically, I would consider that I have achieved my ultimate goal as a scientist if a gel material, that I research on, is utilized in fields such as environment, medicine, and renewable energy. One of the great aspects of being a scientist is that we get to do the work we have a passion for. In turn, I hope that my research findings can truly contribute to society. 

On the other hand, one difficulty that I always face while conducting research is finding the originality of my research. The world of research is competitive and research that appears to be similar to someone else’s work cannot be recognized. Therefore, conducting creative, original, and excellent research is indeed a difficult job. In order to achieve this, I always try to keep an original viewpoint and methods of my own. For me, I tend to believe in my intuition and interest. The way each person thinks is different, so believing in my intuition and passion while working hard consequently leads to an originality that stands apart from the others. Sometimes, reading too many articles may result in an overflow of information and hence make it harder to find your originality. While it may help you learn a lot of information conveniently in the short term, getting stuck with it and being overly influenced by it can make it harder to obtain your original viewpoint. Therefore, it is important to try to look at articles and other sources of information in a way of verifying them while keeping my perspective. I also try to interact with experts in different fields and come across research from various disciplines, in order to gain a broader perspective and view a certain subject from different angles. These experiences, even if they are not relevant to your research theme, can sometimes inspire you. 

Lastly, I would like to advise POSTECH students to challenge themselves endlessly and to have the courage to pave their own path. Instead of worrying about how others see or evaluate you, trust yourself and follow the path you believe in. By doing this, you may discover an original and unique research topic of your own. I also believe that having faith in your research and pursuing it until the end is what it takes to be a true researcher. I support all of you who do not give up and continue to challenge until the end.