News & Stories

Theoretical physicists from the Department of Physics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) gave an explanation to the phenomenon of superconductivity surviving under strong magnetic field, offering a theoretical answer to an unsolved experimental observation by a group of scientists in the Netherlands. The collective findings were published on November 12, 2015 in Science. [DOI:10.1126/science.aab2277].(http://m.sciencemag.org/content/early/2015/11/11/science.aab2277.abstract) Superconductivity is a quantum phenomenon in which electrons form pairs and flow with zero resistance. However, strong enough magnetic field can break electron pairs and destroy superconductivity.  When researchers from the Netherlands informed Prof Vic Law’s team that superconductivity in thin films of MoS2 could withstand an applied magnetic field as strong as 37 Tesla, Prof Law and his student Noah Yuan came up with an explanation.

A team formed by HKUST biomaterial researchers develops the world’s first injectable hydrogel formulation that allows a long, sustainable release of protein therapeutics which can be used to treat eye diseases like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Nowadays, patients with these diseases have to be treated by monthly injection for years, which is far from an ideal treatment regime. Team member Yu Yu, a postdoctoral fellow in Biomedical Engineering at HKUST, said: “Drugs formulated with our novel hydrogel material could be injectable as usual but release slowly from the depot, potentially providing effective long lasting treatment on patients.” The hydrogel formulation is set to be injected only once per year, sparing patients from having to endure monthly injections. This helps cut down medical expenses and lower the risk associated with repeated injections, Prof. Ying Chau, Associate Professor form Biomedical Engineering at HKUST added.

HKUST researchers recently found a way to stimulate the growth of axons, which may mark a new beginning on chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) treatments. SCI is a formidable hurdle that prevents a large number of injured axons from crossing the lesion, particularly the corticospinal tract (CST). Patients inflicted with SCI often suffer a loss of mobility, paralysis, and interferes with activities of daily life dramatically. Led by Professor Kai Liu, Assistant Professor from Department of Life Sciences at HKUST, the HKUST research team initiated PTEN deletion on mice after pyramidotomy. Similar treatment procedures were carried out 4 months and 12 months after severe spinal cord injuries. The team recorded a regenerative response of CST axons in all three samples – showing that PTEN deletion stimulates CST sprouting and regeneration, even though the injury was sustained a long time ago.

Prof Nancy Ip, Dean of Science, The Morningside Professor of Life Science and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has been elected as a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The NAS is the oldest and most prestigious scientific organization in the United States that represents all disciplines of science. Membership is a mark of excellence as it is by election only, and based on distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. It is one of the highest honors bestowed by a US scientific organization.

Smartphones are getting more powerful every year and many people are treating their phones as a replacement of their computers. Extensive usage brings a severe drain to the phone’s battery life, making it almost mandatory to keep a mobile charger ready at all times. Keeping the mobile charger fully charged, however, can be a cumbersome practice, as one requires another set of cables and a power outlet to do so. In the future, one may be able to charge its phone anywhere with daylight. HKUST’s Chemistry Professor Henry He Yan and his research team recently discovered a material design motif for polymer solar cells that produces electricity with record efficiencies; this new discovery can greatly accelerate the commercialization of portable chargers powered by solar energy.

Dr Tom Hiu Tung Cheung, Assistant Professor of the Division of Life Science, and Dr Kam Tuen Law, Assistant Professor of the Department of Physics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) were honored the prestigious Croucher Innovation Awards 2015 by the Croucher Foundation for their distinguished scientific research achievements. Each award carries a value of up to HK$5 million over five years. The presentation ceremony held today was officiated by Mr John Tsang Chun-wah, GBM, JP, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is pleased to announce that Prof Michael Altman, Head of the Department of Physics, was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). Upon recommendation of the APS Division of Condensed Matter Physics, Prof Altman was cited “for development and use of spin polarized low energy electron microscopy to understand surface processes of solids.” Prof Altman joined HKUST as a founding member of the Department of Physics in 1991. He received the HKUST School of Science Teaching Award in 1997 and has been serving as Department Head since 2011. His research in condensed matter physics is targeted at understanding the structure, dynamics, electronic and magnetic properties of solid surfaces, interfaces and thin film nanostructures, including diffusion and growth, kinetic instabilities and quantum size effects.

A HKUST research team led by Prof Benzhong Tang,Stephen Kam-chuen Cheong Professor of Science, Chair Professor of Chemistry at HKUST, has discovered new aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials which could be used for applications in forensic science and bacterial imaging. The new AIE materials produce fingerprints of much better quality as compared to carbon powder, saving 90 per cent of the time in evidence collection. They also make a more accurate and stable agent in detecting bacterial activities. Prof Benzhong Tang said AIE gives fingerprints of much better quality and more efficiently than the carbon powder which is now being used by police. AIE does not involve a transfer. Police can simply take a picture of a fingerprint, which turns fluorescent when stained with the AIE material, then send the image to a smart device for comparison on a database.