News & Stories

Gigantopelta aegis (Photo credit: Dr. CHEN Chong from JAMSTEC) A research team led by Prof. QIAN Peiyuan, Head and Chair Professor from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)’s Department of Ocean Science and David von Hansemann Professor of Science, has published their cutting-edge findings of symbiotic mechanisms of a deep-sea vent snail (Gigantopelta aegis) in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

Researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKSUST) and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) recently demonstrated that the selectivity determinant of Origin Recognition Complex (ORC) for DNA binding lies in a 19-amino acid insertion helix in the Orc4 subunit, which is present in yeast but absent in human. Removal of this motif from Orc4 transforms the yeast ORC, which selects origins based on base-specific binding at defined locations, into one whose selectivity is dictated by chromatin landscape (genomic nucleosome profile), a characteristic feature shared by human ORC. Further understanding of the preferred DNA shapes and nucleosome positioning requirements will provide new insights for the plasticity of the human ORC in selecting replication initiation sites during programmed development and disease transformation, and also help identify potential targets for anti-cancer drug screening and therapy design.

Researchers of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) recently uncovered a novel molecular mechanism that regulates the subcellular localizations of Arf proteins, shedding light on the mechanism underlying various inherited diseases and offering new insight to the treatment of them. 

The Importance of Sustainable Polymer Materials Polymers are a fundamental component of modern life, used in a wide range of applications from packaging and textiles to medical devices and construction materials. The importance of polymers cannot be overstated, as they provide numerous benefits such as durability, flexibility, and resistance to chemicals and heat. However, the plastics industry has faced growing criticism in recent years due to its significant contribution to environmental pollution and waste management issues. As a result, there is an increasing emphasis on sustainability in the plastics industry, driven by evolving stakeholder expectations and environmental awareness. This shift towards sustainability is crucial for the long-term viability of the plastics industry, as it requires the development of innovative and eco-friendly strongest polymer materials that minimize environmental impact while maintaining performance and functionality.

Quantum simulations show that boson-like behaviours, so-called bosonization, emerge from an ensemble of fermions in three-dimensional systems, despite that bosons and fermions are governed by distinct quantum statistics.  In the text book of quantum mechanics,  it was introduced that bosons and fermions, two types of elementary particles that build the universe, behave in a drastically different way. For example, bosons can share the same quantum state while fermions of the same kind cannot but fill available quantum states one by one.

IAS Senior Visiting Fellow Prof. John HARDY tells us how memory loss could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease, which can steal more than just our memory from us.

A novel cathode design concept for lithium–sulfur battery substantially improves performance of next-generation battery used in smartphones, electric vehicles, and drones

A research team co-led by a scientist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed a method to study how HIV mutates to escape the immune system in multiple patients, which could inform HIV vaccine design. HIV, which can lead to AIDS, evolves rapidly and attacks the body’s immune system. Genetic mutations in the virus enable it to evade immune responses mounted by T cells and antibodies, which makes it all the more difficult to design an effective solution. While there is no effective cure for the virus currently available, it can be controlled with medication. Now, the international research team has devised a new method from conventional statistical physics to reveal patterns of selection in HIV evolution using 14 patient data sets, providing a means to efficiently distinguishing the mutations that help the virus escape the immune system from those that are only random variations.