Dr. Yano’s research interests include: water oxidation reaction in natural photosynthesis; structure and function of active metal sites in metalloenzymes; X-ray crystallography and X-ray spectroscopy using an X-ray free electron laser; and the application of X-ray-based techniques to artificial photosynthetic systems. Dr. Yano works on the application of synchrotron X-ray absorption/diffraction methods for the analysis of molecular structures, crystal structures, and electronic structures of inorganic catalysts and studies the relationship between structure and function using vibrational spectroscopy and EPR spectroscopy in organic/organometallic materials. In JCAP, Dr. Yano will focus on the development and application of X-ray-based techniques to understand artificial photosynthetic components (light-absorbers and catalysts) and assembled systems. These techniques include X-ray absorption (XAS), emission spectroscopy (XES), resonant inelastic X-ray scattering spectroscopy (RIXS), and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), which will be used to study electron transfer and catalytic reaction mechanisms under in situ and operando conditions.