News & Stories

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”?Prof. Nguyen: Good question. Gene silencing means reducing or eliminating the expression of a specific gene. This process may occur naturally in cells or be induced artificially. Gene silencing is used to prevent the production of proteins from a targeted gene. This technique helps researchers study the function of a gene, investigate disease mechanisms, and develop gene-based therapies.

Amid the fun-filled entertainment— from robot dogs and musical performances to drumming, dance, and jaw-dropping rope skipping routines— the ceremony was characterized by a moving tribute to the legacy of HKUST founders, reiterating how HKUST’s “can-do” energy can fuel the future development of Hong Kong and the region.HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP established the reflective tone in her welcoming address, in which she accentuated how HKUST’s founding spirit had guided the University’s dynamic evolution over the past thirty-five years.This foundational ethos was set in motion by the late Founding President, Prof. Chia-Wei WOO, who had envisioned HKUST as Hong Kong’s first research-intensive university, an institution designed to create knowledge rather than merely transmit it.

As AI expands its role in the devices and infrastructure that underpin and enhance our lives, Prof. SHI Ling’s leading contributions to developing and securing the digital systems of this rapidly emerging world are opening innovative ways forward for industry, society, and next-generation talents.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is pleased to receive approval from the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the HKSAR Government to establish two new research centers under the third InnoHK research cluster, SEAM@InnoHK. The research centers will focus respectively on renewable energy and storage, as well as power semiconductors and related applications. These centers aim to drive innovation in green and low-carbon energy transition and advanced manufacturing, thereby supporting Hong Kong's alignment with the national 15th Five‑Year Plan's priorities on sustainability, while strengthening the city's strategic role in the new wave of global technological advancement.The two new HKUST-led research centers include:

A research team led by Prof. SUN Jianwei, Chair Professor of the Department of Chemistry and Director of the Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has achieved a groundbreaking advance in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry. The team has developed an air-stable chiral phosphine-catalyzed enantioselective approach to synthesize enantioenriched S(IV)-stereogenic vinyl sulfinamides—an under-explored class of organosulfur compounds with promising antiviral activity.

Prof. Charles NG Wang-Wai, Vice-President for Institutional Advancement, CLP Holdings Professor of Sustainability, and Chair Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has been named the 65th Rankine Lecturer by the British Geotechnical Association (BGA). Widely regarded as one of the most prestigious honors in geotechnical engineering, the Rankine Lecture represents a pinnacle of recognition in the field. Prof. Ng is the first Chinese scholar to be selected since the lecture’s inception in 1961, and the first Asian scholar to receive this honor since Prof. Kenji ISHIHARA of Japan delivered the lecture in 1993.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today launched the NeuroCare Community Project (the Project), a five-year initiative to enhance early detection of Alzheimer’s risk for Hong Kong’s elderly who need support. Working with over 40 community centers under more than a dozen non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and in collaboration with Tung Wah College (TWC), the Project aims to screen 6,000 community-dwelling elderly aged 60-75, shifting the focus from late-stage diagnosis to proactive, community-based care.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. 

Researchers at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed CarGAP, a groundbreaking chemo-optogenetic tool that uses vitamin B₁₂ and green light to precisely control gap junctions, the microscopic channels enabling direct cell-to-cell communication. This innovation allows on-demand closing and opening of these intercellular bridges, providing unprecedented spatiotemporal control over vital molecules and electrical signals. Demonstrated in both mammalian cells and living fruit flies, CarGAP provides a powerful new way to study development, immunity, and neural activity, with far-reaching potential for understanding disease mechanisms and advancing regenerative medicine.