HKUST Boundless Article

As the world pivots toward a sustainable energy future, the need for greater interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange is becoming more urgent.

In response, elite scientists, engineers, and industry partners from Asia, Europe, and the Americas convened at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) from February 24 to 27 to explore the latest innovations in sustainable energy research.

Boundless: What recent discovery has the HKUST research team made regarding the human enzyme DICER?

Prof. Nguyen: Our discovery is genuinely groundbreaking. We found that the enzyme DICER, which is crucial for gene silencing, possesses a "dual-pocket" mechanism for measuring RNA. This is significant because it changes our understanding of how DICER interacts with RNA strands.

Boundless: What exactly is “gene silencing”?

With the rapid aging of Hong Kong's population, it is projected that by 2039, individuals aged 65 or above will account for over 30% of the total population, making early intervention for cognitive health an urgent necessity.

This demographic shift highlights the critical need for effective strategies to address cognitive decline in the elderly.

One of these strategies is to promote the detection of Alzheimer's disease at the community level.