HKUST Boundless Article

Can an AI ‘Warm-Up’ Match the Power of a Real Classroom?
Scholar Insights & Emerging Discoveries
Can an AI ‘Warm-Up’ Match the Power of a Real Classroom?

We know that the bond between a teacher and a student can supercharge learning. But what if the “teacher” isn't human?

A recent study from HKUST, published in the neuroscience journal Neuron, suggests that a brief pre-class interaction with an AI can change how your brain prepares for learning.

Hsing
Scholar Insights & Emerging Discoveries
Prof. HSING I-Ming on the World's First DNA-Guided CRISPR-Cas System

 
Boundless: Professor Hsing, thank you for joining us. Could you start by telling us about the breakthrough your team has recently published in Nature Biotechnology?

(From left) PhD students Cui Duo, Huang Xinyu, and Prof. Sun Fei at an international conference in Sanya, Hainan Island on “ChemoRevolution: from Enabling Tools to Enlightening Discoveries."
Scholar Insights & Emerging Discoveries
Q&A: Decoding ‘Cell’ Conversations with CarGAP
Prof. SUN Fei, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, discusses breakthrough research on cell-to-cell communication in the body.
Facing the impeding aging trend, it is imperative to enhance the heath span of the elderly population (Photo Courtesy: HKUST Connect)
Scholar Insights & Emerging Discoveries
Unlocking the Secrets to Longevity

Developed economies worldwide, including Hong Kong, are now dealing with the issue of aging societies. Extended lifespans place significant caregiving and financial burdens on older adults, their families, and healthcare systems, creating an urgent need to understand the biological basis of “healthy aging.”

In response, a 5-year study project launched at HKUST, with support from the Bright Future Charitable Foundation, has set out to unlock the secrets to healthy longevity using HKUST’s groundbreaking technologies.

The NeuroCare Community Project at HKUST
Scholar Insights & Emerging Discoveries
Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Through HKUST’s Community-based Scheme

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.

IC-PSC participants
Scholar Insights & Emerging Discoveries
HKUST Hosts Interdisciplinary Global Conference on Advanced Solar Tech

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.

Prof. Tuan Anh Nguyen and his team members
Scholar Insights & Emerging Discoveries
Unveiling the Secrets of RNA Silencing

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”?