Introduction

Professor Ioku specializes in materials science and has been researching and developing biomaterials and environmental purification materials. While enrolled at Yamaguchi University, he worked hard to establish the first joint graduate school of medicine and engineering in Japan, and after experiencing the Great East Japan Earthquake while enrolled at Tohoku University, he has been promoting education and research centered on the perspective of the connection between humanities and sciences in recent years. In educational activities, he offers classes on the themes of chemistry, environment, energy, life and medical sciences for humanities students, and fosters scientific thinking by incorporating full-scale chemical experiments into classes. Furthermore, he aims to develop human resources who can respond to social issues through leadership education.
In terms of social activities and philosophy, he advocates the importance of "connecting humanities and sciences" rather than "integrating humanities and sciences." To find and unravel the connections between science and technology and society to solve the problems of modern society where science and technology are rapidly advancing, he emphasizes the importance of having a generalist perspective before being a specialist. He promotes social awareness activities with the goal of developing human resources who can contribute to solving modern social problems.

■Preparation and evaluation of biomaterials
・Research Objective: Research on synthesis method of hydroxyapatite granules
- Title: Formation Process of Hydroxyapatite Granules in Agarose Hydrogel by Electrophoresis, Kimura Kenshiro, Kamitakahara Masanobu, Yokoi Taishi, Ioku Koji, Crystal Growth and Design, 18 [4], 1961-1966, April 2018
・Research Objective: Investigation of the diversity of multinucleated giant cells by microstructures of hydroxyapatite and plasma components in extraskeletal implantation model
- Title: Diversity of multinucleated giant cells by microstructures of hydroxyapatite and plasma components in extraskeletal implantation model, Morishita Kota, Tatsukawa Eri, Shibata Yasuaki, Suehiro Fumio, Kamitakahara Masanobu, Yokoi Taishi, Ioku Koji, Umeda Masahiro, Nishimura Masahiro, Ikeda Tohru, Acta Biomaterialia, 39, 180-191, July 2016
・Research Objective: Development of spherical porous hydroxyapatite granules for hyperthermia treatment of bone tumors
- Title: Spherical porous hydroxyapatite granules containing composites of magnetic and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles for the hyperthermia treatment of bone tumor, Kamitakahara Masanobu, Ohtoshi Naohiro, Kawashita Masakazu, Ioku Koji, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine, 27 [5], #93, May 2016
・Research Objective: Development of drug carriers for bone cancer treatment
- Title: Preparation and evaluation of spherical porous granules of octacalcium phosphate/hydroxyapatite as drug carriers in bone cancer treatment, Ito Natsuko, Kamitakahara Masanobu, Ioku Koji, Materials Letters, 120, 94-96, April 2014
・Research Objective: Tailored bioceramics of Calcium phosphates for regenerative medicine
- Title: Tailored bioceramics of Calcium phosphates for regenerative medicine, Ioku Koji, Journal of the Ceramic Society of Japan, 118 [1381], 775-783, September 2010
・Research Objective: Study on bone replacement process of pure calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite prepared by hydrothermal method
- Title: The slow resorption with replacement by bone of a hydrothermally synthesized pure calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite, Okuda, T., Ioku, K., Yonezawa, I., Minagi, H., Gonda, Y., Kawachi, G., Kamitakahara, M., Shibata, Y., Murayama, H., Kurosawa, H., Ikeda, T., Biomaterials, 29 [18], 2719-2728, June 2008
・Research Objective: Investigation of the effect of the microstructure of β-tricalcium phosphate on the metabolism of subsequently formed bone tissue
-Title: The effect of the microstructure of β-tricalcium phosphate on the metabolism of subsequently formed bone tissue, Okuda, T., Ioku, K., Yonezawa, I., Minagi, H., Kawachi, G., Gonda, Y., Murayama, H., Shibata, Y., Minami, S., Kamihira, S., Kurosawa, H., Ikeda, T., Biomaterials, 28 [16], 2612-2621, June 2007
・Research Objective: Preparation of tailored hydroxyapatite by hydrothermal method
-Title: Hydrothermal preparation of tailored hydroxyapatite, Ioku, K., Kawachi, G., Sasaki, S., Fujimori, H. & Goto, S., Journal of Materials Science, 41 [5], 1341-1344, March 2006
・Research Objective: Observation of osteogenic differentiation cascade of living mesenchymal stem cells on transparent hydroxyapatite ceramics
- Title: Observation of osteogenic differentiation cascade of living mesenchymal stem cells on transparent hydroxyapatite ceramics, Kotobuki, N., Ioku, K., Kawagoe, D., Fujimori, H., Goto, S., Ohgushi, H., Biomaterials, 26 [7], 779-785, March 2005
・Research Objective: Development of zirconia dispersion-strengthened hydroxyapatite
- Title: Microstructure and mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite ceramics with zirconia dispersion prepared by post-sintering, Ioku Koji, Yoshimura Masahiro, Somiya Shigeyuki, Biomaterials, 11 [1], 57-61, January 1990
・Research Objective: Hydrothermal Synthesis of Ultrafine Hydroxyapatite Single Crystals
- Title: Hydrothermal Synthesis of Ultrafine Hydroxyapatite Single Crystals, Ioku Koji, Yoshimura Masahiro, Somiya Shigeyuki, Nippon Kagaku Kaishi, 1988 [9], 1565-1570, September 1988
■ Preparation and evaluation of environmental materials
・Research Objective: Investigation of adhesion behavior of microorganisms isolated from soil on hydroxyapatite and other materials
- Title: Adhesion Behavior of Microorganisms Isolated from Soil on Hydroxyapatite and Other Materials, Kamitakahara Masanobu, Takahashi Shohei, Yokoi Taishi, Inoue Chihiro, Ioku Koji, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 187 [3], 984-993, March 2019
・Research Objective: Development of spherical porous hydroxyapatite granules as effective support materials for microorganisms in bioreactors
- Title: Preparation of spherical porous hydroxyapatite granules as support materials for microorganisms, Kamitakahara Masanobu, Takahashi Shohei, Yokoi Taishi, Inoue Chihiro, Ioku Koji, Journal of the Ceramic Society of Japan, 126 [9], 732-735, September 2018
・Research Objective: Biomimetic synthesis of a brush-like Hap/PAN composite by hydrothermal method and its application for decontaminating metal ions
- Title: Hydrothermal-assisted biomimetic synthesis of a brush-like Hap/PAN composite and its application for decontaminating metal ions, Hehe Guo, Huaijuan Zhou, Ping Jin, Wenjing Li, Yining Ma, Ioku Koji, Shidong Ji, RSC Advances, 6 [7], 5965-5972, July 2016
・Research Objective: Investigation of adhesion behaviors of Escherichia coli on different supports to help the design of bioreactor supports
- Title: Adhesion behaviors of Escherichia coli on hydroxyapatite, Kamitakahara Masanobu, Takahashi Shohei, Yokoi Taishi, Inoue Chihiro, Ioku Koji, Materials Science and Engineering: C, 61, 169-173, April 2016
・Research Objective: Investigation of the effect of preparation temperature on the ability of bone char to remove fluoride ion and organic contaminants
- Title: Effect of preparation temperature on the ability of bone char to remove fluoride ion and organic contaminants, TERASAKA Sota, KAMITAKAHARA Masanobu, YOKOI Taishi, IOKU Koji, Journal of the Ceramic Society of Japan, 122 [1432], 995-999, December 2014
・Research Objective: Synthesis of tubular hydroxyapatite
- Title: Tubular hydroxyapatite formation through a hydrothermal process from α-tricalcium phosphate with anatase, Kamitakahara, M., Takahashi, H. & Ioku, Journal of Materials Science, 47 [9], 4194-4199, May 2012
・Research Objective: Characterization and photocatalytic activity of structure-controlled spherical granules of an anatase/hydroxyapatite composite
- Title: Characterization and photocatalytic activity of structure-controlled spherical granules of an anatase/hydroxyapatite composite, Kamitakahara, M., Kawaguchi, O., Watanabe, N., Ioku, K., Materials Research Bulletin, 46 [12], 2283-2287, December 2011
・Research Objective: Fabrication of titania/hydroxyapatite composite granules for photocatalyst
- Title: Fabrication of titania/hydroxyapatite composite granules for photocatalyst, Ji, S., Murakami, S., Kamitakahara, M., Ioku, K., Materials Research Bulletin, 44 [4], 768-774, April 2009
・Research Objective: Hydrothermal synthesis of biocompatible whiskers
- Title: Hydrothermal synthesis of biocompatible whiskers, Yoshimura, M., Suda, H., Okamoto, K., Ioku, K., Journal of Materials Science, 29 [13], 3399-3402, January 1994
■Research on the connection between humanities and science
・Research Objective: Exploring the connection between different fields with the theme of artificiality
- Title: Connection between different fields seen in artificial bones, Ioku Koji, Rensetsu (Connection), 3, 9-24, May 2025
・Research Objective: Exploring the direction of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic from the connection between humanities and science
- Title: Toward Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ioku Koji, Ceramics, 56 [4], 217-221, April 2021

Areas of Research

・Creation of materials for regenerative medicine without stem cells
・Biomaterials, biomedical engineering
・Environmental studies
・Research into the benefits and risks of science and technology
・Sociology of science, history of science and technology

Social Contributions

・Advancement of medical biotechnology
・Improvement of public health
・Advancement of environmental restoration and biotechnology
・Fostering leaders who will support the future society