Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · 5d

We welcome Lucas (6 month master course study) and Ayaka (staff scientist) in Itami Lab!! So nice to have you two! Let’s explore crazy chemistry!!!

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · 20d

It was huge fun!! Many thanks Murakami Lab!!! See you next at RIKEN!!

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · 22d

Kei Murakami (previous staff) and Yota Sakakibara (previous student) in front of beautiful campus. Super great host!

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · 22d

Yesterday I fully enjoyed the really exciting discussion and mixing with Murakami Lab, Kwansei Gakuin University. Door to door it took me 6 hours to come but worth it! Today and tomorrow, I will do extensive short course and lecture!

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · 24d

Thanks Larry!!!

Lawrence T. (Larry) Scott @scott61144.bsky.social · 24d

Congratulations, Ken!

Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · 26d

Extremely excited to be selected as CNRS Ambassador for Chemical Sciences in France!
I expect the upcoming lecture tour to strengthen the ties between French and Japanese science, fostering a spirit of mutual inspiration.

www.inc.cnrs.fr/fr/cnrsinfo/...

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · 26d

Extremely excited to be selected as CNRS Ambassador for Chemical Sciences in France!
I expect the upcoming lecture tour to strengthen the ties between French and Japanese science, fostering a spirit of mutual inspiration.

www.inc.cnrs.fr/fr/cnrsinfo/...

CNRS Chemistry welcomes Kenichiro Itami as the Ambassador in Chemical Sciences

On 13 October, 2025, Kenichiro Itami, Chief Scientist and Direc

www.inc.cnrs.fr

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · 27d

Thank you so much!!! I greatly look forward to seeing you all!

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · 27d

Tomoki’s work making non-emissive [6]CPP fluorescent by simple multiple methyl substitution is now out @chemicalscience.rsc.org ! We hope this simple, yet pronounced ‘methyl effect’ facilitates the design and application of CPP-based materials in various fields!
 pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/A...

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Sep 4

A bioactive nanocarbon that targets cross-species PPIs.
We discovered a molecular nanocarbon (clionene) that inhibits PPIs in insect diapause and human immune signalings. Very exciting collaboration with Larry Scott @scott61144.bsky.social and Hasegawa lab!
chemrxiv.org/engage/chemr...

A bioactive nanocarbon that targets cross-species protein–protein interactions

The quest for bioactive molecules has long been confined to a rather narrow chemical space, limiting the discovery of uncharted chemical structures. Identifying such compounds is essential for uncover...

chemrxiv.org

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Sep 3

Happy birthday Prof. Noyori and Dorae-mon!  Don’t miss Noyori’s autobiography “Research should be fresh, simple, and clear”, recently released !  l-i-c.org/ryoji-noyori...

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Aug 18

Thanks Larry!!

Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Aug 17

Could caterpillar guts help to manufacture nanomaterials?
Check out the RIKEN research highlight!

www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs...

Could caterpillar guts help to manufacture nanomaterials?

www.riken.jp

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Aug 8

We very much enjoyed the lecture by Bruce Yu from Academia Sinica, Taiwan! Very insightful and exciting!! Thanks Bruce!

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Aug 8

So great to have two very active players in our lab! Welcome Asim and Ando-kun to Itami Lab!! It was very nice welcome party last night with LOTS of Indian curry!

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Jul 23

A great collaborative paper with Jean Bouffard Lab is out in JACS! From your arenes and molecular nanocarbons, you can make C-H amination products! My favorite examples are double amination of CPP and coronene! Congrats Rikuo, Sajan, and the team!

pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Jul 7

A simple, Mg-mediated, 12-fold dearomative esterification of carbon nanobelt, dedicated to Fraser Stoddart in @angewandtechemie.bsky.social. Huge congrats to Tsubasa, Takehisa & the team! Nice artwork created by Issey Takahashi! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Jun 10

Thanks for the highlight article!

Chemistry World @chemistryworld.com · Jun 10

By feeding tobacco cutworm larvae a diet of boiled kidney beans and agar with nanocarbon substrate, researchers synthesised oxygen-doped molecular nanocarbons.
‘This is an alternative, crazy option for synthetic chemists, for making molecules’
#ChemSky #ScienceSky #BioSky

Caterpillars become ‘crazy option for synthetic chemists’ to make oxygen-doped nanocarbons

In-insect synthesis could offer new routes to reach hard-to-make molecules

www.chemistryworld.com

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Jun 9

Thanks Larry!!!

Lawrence T. (Larry) Scott @scott61144.bsky.social · Jun 9

Cycloparaazine, a full-azine carbon nanoring - Congratulations , Ken! www.nature.com/articles/s41... #PiSky

Reposted by Ken Itami

Lawrence T. (Larry) Scott @scott61144.bsky.social · Jun 9

Cycloparaazine, a full-azine carbon nanoring - Congratulations , Ken! www.nature.com/articles/s41... #PiSky

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Jun 9

The first all-azine nanoring is now out in @NatureComms. The very strong collaborative team of Nagoya-Munster-RIKEN made this possible, particularly Till Drennhaus. Many thanks and congrats to all involved! Issey Takahashi made another eye-catching artwork shown here. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Jun 8

Thanks Larry!

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Jun 5

Our in-insect nanocarbon synthesis is now out in @ScienceMagazine. Enjoy our crazy campaign feeding molecules to insects densely packed with diverse enzymes and let them produce new functional compounds! Many thanks and huge congrats to all involved!!
science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Mar 31

Today, we started our second lab “Expanded Chemical Space Team” in RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, in addition to “Molecule Creation Lab” in RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute!! We will explore the potential of previously untapped chemical space!!!

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Mar 24

Yesterday we had Prof. Gong Chen from Nankai Univ! We all were very excited to see his amazingly simple, robust, and smart tools for peptide and protein modifications! We will start using his “magic” solvents/additives in RIKEN’s chemistry! Many thanks Gong!!

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Ken Itami @kenitami.bsky.social · Mar 13

伊丹研（理研）では、研究員（講師・助教相当）もしくはポスドクを募集しています！
Itami lab is looking for Research Scientist (equivalent to Lecturer or assistant prof) and/or postdoc!
www.riken.jp/careers/rese...

www.riken.jp/en/careers/r...

研究員または特別研究員募集伊丹分子創造研究室（W24346）

www.riken.jp

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