Life Science
| 20 Feb 2024
Mathematics
| 2 Feb 2024
Chemistry
| 5 Jan 2024
Life Science
| 20 Dec 2023
Life Science
| 7 Dec 2023
The photo of the research team, including HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP (center, front row), UCL Chair of the Molecular Biology of Neurological Disease Prof. John HARDY (second from left, front row), HKUST Division of Life Science Research Professor Prof. Amy FU (first from right, front row), HKCeND Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Fanny IP (first from left, front row), HKCeND Clinical Research Fellow Dr. MOK Kin-Ying (forth from left, back row), and the first author of the research paper Dr. Jason JIANG Yuanb
Life Science
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HKUST Neuroscientists Develop Highly Accurate Universal Diagnostic Blood Test for Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment

An HKUST-led international research collaboration has achieved a significant milestone in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis and management. The team, spearheaded by Prof. Nancy IP, President and the Morningside Professor of Life Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and Director of the Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (HKCeND), has developed a cutting-edge blood test for the early detection of AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), surpassing remarkable accuracy rates of over 96% and 87% respectively. Notably, this blood test is applicable across ethnic populations, providing a global solution to the diagnosis and management of AD.

(From left) Prof. Alexis LAU, Head and Chair Professor of the Division of Environment and Sustainability; Prof. Jimmy FUNG, Chair Professor of the Division of Environment and Sustainability in the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies and Department of Mathematics; Mr. LI Geng, PhD student of the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas and Dr. ZHANG Xuguo, Research Associate of the Department of Mathematics.  
Mathematics
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HKUST Researchers Develop AI-enabled Model to Help Mitigate Global Ammonia Emissions from Cropland by 38% Contributing to UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

An international research team led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has achieved a significant breakthrough by developing an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can help mitigate global ammonia (NH3) emission from agriculture.  

A group photo of Prof. HUANG Jinqing (front row), and members on her research team, including then Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. DAI Xin (left, second row), PhD students MESIAS St. Dollente Vince (middle, second row), and FU Wenhao (right, second row) at the Department of Chemistry at HKUST
Chemistry
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HKUST Researchers Develop Efficient and Accessible Single-Molecule Platform for Detecting Various Amylin Species Associated with Type 2 Diabetes

A research team led by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed an optical plasmonic tweezer-controlled Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) platform that utilizes on-and-off control of light to probe various amylin species in mixtures at the single-molecule level, unveiling the hetergogerous structures of pH-dependent amylin species, and the secrets behind amyloid aggregation mechanisms associated with type 2 diabetes.

Photo of the research team, featuring Prof. DANG Shangyu, Prof. ZENG Qinglu, Dr. CAI Lanlan, Mr. LIU Hang (With the 3D printed cyanophage structure in his hands), and Mr. XIAO Shiwei, from left to right.
Life Science
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HKUST Researchers Report the High-res Structure of a Cyanobacterial Virus Paving the Way for More Accurate Predictions of Climate Change

A research team at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has outlined the high-resolution structure of a little-known virus, improving our understanding of viral infection, which could pave the way for more accurate predictions of climate change.

Prof. GUO Yusong (second right), Associate Professor in HKUST’s Division of Life Science, and his team members.
Life Science
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HKUST Elucidates How IGF2’s Secretory Pathway Mediates Muscle Stem Cell Differentiation Laying Foundation for Treating Multiple Diseases

A research team led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) recently revealed how TMED10, a type of transmembrane protein, regulates muscle stem cell differentiation through mediating the secretion of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2). This provides potential therapeutic strategies to downregulate IGF2 signaling by inhibiting its secretion.

HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP (center, front row), Research Professor Prof. Amy FU (second right, front row), a co-first author of this research paper Mr. WU Wei (second left, front row), and Research Assistant Professor Prof. WONG Hiu Yi (first left, front row) with other members of the HKUST Division of Life Science research team.
Life Science
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HKUST Scientists Unveil Promising Target For Alzheimer’s disease Treatment

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.

Prof. XIE Ting, Head and Chair Professor of HKUST’s Division of Life Science (second left), Dr. TU Renjun, Research Assistant Professor of HKUST’s Division of Life Science (second right) and other members of the research team.
Life Science
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HKUST Researchers Find How Stem Cell Niche Guides Differentiation into Functional Cells, Significant Step towards Stem Cell Therapies

Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have found how stem cells’ surrounding environment controls them to differentiate into functional cells, a breakthrough critical for using stem cells to treat various human diseases in the future.

The research team is led by Prof. Danny LEUNG, Associate Professor of the Division of Life Science and Director of the Center for Epigenomics Research at HKUST (left), and Prof. Liona POON, Chairperson of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at CUHK’s Faculty of Medicine.
Life Science
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Joint Study Unveils How COVID-19 Adversely Impacts Placenta During Pregnancy

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) today unveiled ground-breaking research that sheds light on how COVID-19 infection may lead to late pregnancy complications. The study reveals significant alterations in gene regulation within the placenta, paving the way for the development of potential molecular targets in future treatments to mitigate the detrimental effects of COVID-19 on maternal and fetal health. 

Japanese black seabream, one of the fish species in the study
Ocean Science
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Deciphering Fish Species Interactions for Climate Change Insights

A team led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed a technique to study how different fish species interact with each other in a coastal region, a breakthrough that helps explain the complex relationships among marine species and how global warming impacts fish populations. By analyzing minute traces of fish DNA from samples of seawater, the team combined the use of environmental DNA – known as eDNA – and advanced statistical analysis to not only detect the presence of fish species, but also reveal how the species interact with each other. 

Prof. Tom CHEUNG, the S H Ho Associate Professor of Life Science in the Division of Life Science at HKUST (right), and his research group member Zhang Wenxin (Mphil student) (left).
Life Science
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HKUST Researchers Identify a Protein as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Age-Related Diseases

A research team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has identified a key protein that may shed light on how to reverse the aging process using the adult stem cell of skeletal muscle (or muscle stem cells, MuSCs) as a model system. The discovery paves the way for the possible future development of therapeutic interventions for aging-related diseases and various mitochondrial diseases.