HKUST Researchers Reveal a Tiered Adaptation Strategy in Deep-Sea Chemosynthetic Symbiosis
An HKUST team led by Prof. QIAN Peiyuan, Chair Professor of the Department of Ocean Science, has made significant progress in collaboration with international partners in uncovering how deep-sea chemosynthetic symbioses cope with environmental change. The findings reveal that metabolic flexibility in the symbionts, coupled with the host’s finely regulated bacterial symbiont population, together sustain the host’s energy stability.
The research was recently published in the leading international journal Science Advances, titled “In situ evidence of tiered adaptations buffering a chemosynthetic clam holobiont against environmental sulfide fluctuations.”
HKUST Launches HK$100 Million RAISe+ Project Fund to Accelerate Research Commercialization
The recently announced HK$100 million RAISe+ Project Fund (RPF) will provide financial backing and tailored commercialization support to HKUST research teams participating in the HKSAR Government's Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+). The fund will strengthen capabilities in intellectual property strategy, market development, and commercialization, accelerating the translation of breakthrough research into real-world applications.
Simulating Human Tactile Perception to Advance Embodied AI
An Embodied Sensorimotor Robotic Arm (EmArm) capable of whole-arm tactile sensing and adaptive manipulation has been developed by a team led by Prof. SHEN Yajing, Professor of the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering (ECE) and Associate Director of the Cheng Kar-Shun Robotics Institute, and his team at the Mevita Robotics Lab.
By embedding a soft optical tactile skin directly into a robotic skeleton and integrating it with a real-time decision-making algorithm, EmArm can perceive and analyze contact information across its upper and lower arms, enabling human-like tactile perception and adaptive object manipulation.
The findings were published in Nature Sensors under the title “Embodied sensorimotor integration for whole-arm tactile sensing and adaptive robotic manipulation.”
HKUST Researchers Redraw the Boundary between Phases of Matter
A unified theory that predicts when two states of matter are genuinely distinct and when they are fundamentally the same has been introduced by a research team led by Prof. Haruki WATANABE of the Department of Physics and the HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS). The research is a collaboration with Prof. Yukitoshi MOTOME and graduate student Sena WATANABE from the University of Tokyo. The breakthrough provides a general framework for classifying phases across magnetic systems with different spin values and resolves a long-standing debate surrounding the behavior of water ice under extreme pressure. The paper titled “Topological phase transitions and their thermodynamic fate in arbitrary-𝑆 classical pyrochlore spin ice” was published in Physical Review X.
HKUST Develops Breakthrough Liquid-Metal Smart Patch for Clinical-Grade At-Home Cardiorespiratory Monitoring
A novel wearable device named "HELP" (Heteromodal Epidermal Liquid-metal Patch) has been announced by a research team led by Prof. Hnin Yin Yin NYEIN from the Department of Chemical and Biological. Leveraging liquid-metal technology, this soft, skin-like patch simultaneously tracks breathing and heart activity. This comfortable, non-invasive technology marks a promising step toward a future where patients with chronic respiratory and heart conditions can receive continuous, clinical-grade health monitoring at home.
This work was published in the journal Science Advances under the title "Intermetallic-anchored epidermal EGaIn patch with analog constriction gates for cardiorespiratory monitoring."
HKUST Develops Dynamic Integrated Interface Engineering for Lithium Metal Batteries, Enhancing Energy Density and Extending Cycle Life
A dynamic integrated interface engineering strategy that reconfigures key battery interfaces to enhance the energy density and stability of anode-free lithium metal batteries has been developed by a team led by Prof. SHAO Minhua, Cheong Ying Chan Professor of Energy Engineering and Environment and Head and Chair Professor of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. The study opens a new pathway toward lighter and longer-lasting next-generation batteries.
This research was recently published in Nature Communications under the title “Highly stable quasi-solid-state initially-anode-free lithium metal batteries enabled by dynamic integrated interface engineering.”
