News & Stories

A research team led by Prof. Nancy IP, the President and The Morningside Professor of Life Science at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and the Director of the Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (HKCeND), has identified VCAM1, a cell surface protein found on immune cells of the brain, as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), paving the way for developing novel therapeutics to combat this debilitating condition. AD is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that affects over 50 million people worldwide. A key pathological hallmark of the disease is the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques in the brain, which leads to progressive decline in cognitive function. Microglia, resident immune cells of the brain, are thought to play a vital role in the clearance of Aβ plaques, a function that is impaired in AD.

In recent years, Hong Kong has experienced a series of extreme weather events. In July 2022, the scorching heat broke 11 records, while in 2023, the city experienced hourly rainfall of 158.1mm, the highest since records began in 1884. An inter-university research team by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) conducted a study on extreme weather events and their impacts on the built environment in Hong Kong, aiming to assess the trends and effects of extreme weather events under the influence of global climate change. Projected increase of 50% in hot nights and over 40% in extreme rainfall in 2040-2049

It will take years or decades for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) to reach human-level AI. Robots will not take over the world. “Open source” is the only option. These are among the thought-provoking insights that Turing Prize Winner Prof. Yann LeCun, hailed by the media as one of the “Godfathers of AI,” has shared with AI experts, scholars, industry leaders from around the world and students at a symposium held recently in Hong Kong. Entitled AI NEW HORIZONS 2023: A Symposium with Scientific Leaders, the symposium was jointly hosted by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians (GBAAA). In his keynote speech, Prof. LeCun envisioned objective-driven AI will help predict the future, and Joint Embedding Predictive Architecture (JEPA) model will make a paradigm shift in predictive modeling, that JEPA could bring about a “new Renaissance.”

A research team led by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed a microprinter that can print piezoelectric films 100 times faster for the production of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for sensors, wearable or implantable medical devices, offering the possibility to lower the mass production costs. The microprinter, built at a comparatively lower cost as compared with other printers on the market, utilizes an electrostatic field to propel streams of ink onto a platform, allowing for efficient manipulation of thin film patterns and enhanced printing speed to address the challenge of mass production and control of structures and feature sizes.

Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have created a cutting-edge platform consisting of a dual-laser nonlinear optical microscope to investigate the dynamics of muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) during the process of muscle regeneration. This breakthrough has identified new mechanisms of MuSC behavior in muscle repair, paving the way for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for muscle-related disorders.

The School of Business and Management of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST Business School) found that 41 percent of Hong Kong people prefer not to hold virtual assets (VAs) Note 1, up by 12 percentage points from a previous survey, in the aftermath of an alleged financial fraud that involved a cryptocurrency platform in mid September. This is one of the major findings of a two-phase survey released today by HKUST Business School. According to the survey findings, about 20 percent respondents say they would like to hold VAs in the future, down by five percentage points compared with one conducted months before the financial incident.

An international research team led by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has unveiled how primary brain tumors evolve under therapy, and developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered model for patients to predict their prognosis, shedding light on better patient management strategies and precision oncology. Malignant diffuse gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors in adults, which are primarily treated through a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and the chemotherapy agent temozolomide (TMZ). However, TMZ treatment can usually only prolong patients’ overall survival time for around three months, as they almost inevitably suffer a relapse of aggressive gliomas. Until now, the molecular mechanisms driving the glioma evolution under the standard therapy remain elusive.

明天就是中秋節，除了賞月外，當然少不了要吃月餅。近日，香港科技大學(科大)一班綜合系統與設計學系的博士生，於助理教授李桂君的帶領下，炮製出全港首批利用3D打印技術印製的月餅。這批紫薯及奶黃口味的月餅，印有科大校徽。該食物打印機由團隊設計，除可印製月餅，亦可製作包括曲奇或蛋糕等甜品。 打印機現時只需十分鐘便能印製一個月餅，未來更可進一步縮短至五分鐘左右。過程無需借助模具創作複雜的圖案和形狀，食物材料及份量亦可根據用戶的要求和營養需要度身訂做。團隊將為打印機注入加熱功能，並已就此技術申請專利。目前市面的3D打印機只能印製肉類或朱古力等無需加工食物，未來新型打印機所製造的食物將無需另外加熱便可食用，實現「一條龍」3D打印兼烹調處理，大大減少製作時間。