News & Stories

Prof Zhenguo Wu of the Division of Life Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and his research team have discovered a novel protein Pax3/7BP that plays an influential role in skeletal muscle stem cells. This groundbreaking discovery could lead to more effective stem cell treatments for various muscle diseases including muscular dystrophy. Skeletal muscle stem cells function differently at different developmental stages. They are responsible for normal skeletal muscle growth in young animals including humans and for injury-induced muscle regeneration in adult animals. In skeletal muscle tissues, Pax7 is a protein that is uniquely present in muscle stem cells and is indispensable for muscle stem cell functions in young animals. However, until recently how Pax7 regulates the functions of muscle stem cells had remained unclear.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the Beijing Luzhu Biopharmaceutical Co. are developing a new vaccine to prevent hepatitis E which affects one-third of the world’s population. This breakthrough research, conducted by a team led by Professor Yong Xie from HKUST’s Division of Life Science, uses a unique insect cell system and method for the production of immunogenic protein, which will have the benefit of simplifying the production process and reducing production costs. Hepatitis E is an infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV). The disease is spread mainly through fecal contamination of water supplies or food, especially uncooked vegetables, pork internal organs, or shellfish. HEV-contaminated hands or utensils may transmit the virus, and flies and cockroaches can carry the virus to contaminate food.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has achieved yet another milestone in molecular neuroscience research. Prof Nancy Ip, Dean of Science and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience at HKUST, and her research team have made breakthrough discoveries in signaling mechanisms in brain development that have far-reaching implications for biomedicine. These groundbreaking discoveries by Prof Ip and her research team have been published in Nature Neuroscience, a prestigious journal in neuroscience.

A research team led by Prof Gary Chan, Associate Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has developed a multi-hop wireless mesh network to greatly improve the data access of Wi-Fi networks. The software of the network LAviNet (Lean Aviation Network) implements a set of innovative channel selection and routing algorithms which effectively avoid traffic congestion and reduce signal interference. With LAviNet, user data rate is measurably increased by more than two times and the signal strength significantly enhanced by 100 times. This tremendously improves wireless data transmission efficiency and coverage. LAviNet has been successfully commercialized and well received by the industry and end users.

A research team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), led by Prof Guanghao Chen of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has invented a sewage treatment technology, known as the ‘Sulphate Reduction, Autotrophic Denitrification and Nitrification Integrated (SANI)’ Process. This novel technology successfully minimizes the adverse environmental impact of sewage treatment plants by eliminating 90% of sewage sludge production, minimizing energy consumption as well as odour and greenhouse-gas emission. Moreover, it largely reduces the sewage treatment cost and space requirement by 50%.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Chair Professor Mingjie Zhang and his team of researchers in the Division of Life Science have achieved significant breakthrough concerning the visual systems of animals detecting light. The discovery has been published in Cell, one of the most prestigious scientific journals in biomedical sciences, as the cover story in its latest issue.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Chair Professor Mingjie Zhang and his team of researchers in the Division of Life Science have achieved significant breakthrough in explaining how genetic mutations of Motor Protein Myosin VIIa leads to hereditary deaf-and-blindness. This is excellent news for the medical profession in developing preventive and remedial measures against hereditary deaf-and-blindness. According to medical statistics, hearing deficit is a common occurrence among new born babies - for every 1,000 there are several born with this problem. Among those who are deaf or hearing-impaired, 3% to 6% suffer from the Usher syndrome - a genetic disorder which can cause different levels of hearing and vision loss or impairment at various stages of the patient's life. The research paper on this breakthrough was published in top scientific journal Science today.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today announced the successful development of a smart anti-microbial coating that has the longest-lasting effect against the widest range of microbes."This revolutionary coating will set a new standard in the maintenance of public health, as it is easy to apply, safe to use, fast and effective in killing a wide spectrum of microbes, long-lasting, and environmentally friendly," said Prof King-Lun Yeung of HKUST's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.