ABCT PhD Graduate Achieved the FS Outstanding PhD Thesis Award 2022-23

We are delighted to announce that Dr. CHEN Tianxiang, ABCT PhD graduate under the supervision of Dr. Benedict Lo, has received the FS Outstanding PhD Thesis Award 2022/23. The FS Outstanding PhD Thesis Awards Scheme aims to recognize the outstanding PhD students in the Faculty of Science for the high quality of their theses produced during their studies at PolyU.   Dr. CHEN’s research focuses on the rational design and characterisation of atomically precise 3d metal clusters in zeolites. And he is greatly interested in the structure‐activity correlations of supported metal clusters in reactions by exploiting a combination of state-of-art characterisation techniques. His winning thesis is entitled “Precise synthesis of Cu-based metal nanoclusters in zeolites and the structure-catalysis investigations”.   Supported single-atoms (SAs) and metal nanoclusters (NCs) are well-known as next-generation nanomaterials. Great efforts have been made to engineer the electronic and geometric properties of the metal moiety(ies) in SAs and NCs, for instance, the coordination environment, metal compositions, and host materials. Contributing to the development of advanced characterisation techniques, a comprehensive comprehension of the electronic and geometric properties of SAs and NCs can be achieved.   Dr. CHEN’s thesis focuses on the precise synthesis of supported NCs with high accuracy. Capitalizing on the fundamental principles of coordination chemistry and solid-state chemistry, a stepwise assembly strategy has been proposed for the synthesis of multinuclear copper-based NCs within zeolite supports. By utilizing cutting-edge structural elucidation techniques, the electronic and geometric structures of the NCs have been unravelled, and their atomic-level structure-activity relationships have been extensively discussed. This thesis demonstrates the remarkable ability to manipulate the geometric and electronic structure of metal clusters at an atomic level.   Let’s us take this chance to congratulate Dr. CHEN and honor his incredible achievement.

PolyU researchers unveil liquid metal microelectrodes with soft, stretchable and permeable properties to be used for implantable bioelectronic devices

PolyU chemistry scholar received Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Award from the Ministry of Education

PolyU start-up in antibiotic drug discovery excels at Falling Walls Venture 2023

Ynno Med Limited, a drug research start-up company of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and co-founded by Dr Cong MA, Associate Professor of Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, has been honoured as one of the 25 Winners out of 113 finalists of Falling Walls Venture 2023. Congratulations to Dr MA and his start-up for the great achievement. Ynno Med focuses on the discovery and development of first-in-class antimicrobial drugs using the in-house developed AI-assisted technology, striving to combat the ever-present situation of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.  “Being the only winner from Hong Kong for this Science Start-ups award, we consider this is an encouragement and recognition of Hong Kong’s prowess on the international platform. Through this opportunity, we aim to demonstrate our dedication to knowledge transfer from the university and make impactful contribution to the society.”, said by Dr MA. Dr MA is dedicated to medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. He leads a team to design and discover a series of first-in-class antimicrobial agents targeting protein-protein interactions in bacterial transcription.  On 7 November at the 2023 Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, Dr MA and his team will pitch their projects for the main title of the Science Breakthrough of the Year 2023 in the category Science Start-Ups. Wish Dr MA a great success at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin!   About Falling Walls Venture Falling Walls Venture is a global platform to showcase the entrepreneurial potential in science. The format provides a stage for pioneering science-based start-ups who have successfully turned science into business, proving how entrepreneurial solutions can help solve today’s most pressing challenges. The winning topics in the category Science Start-Ups (Falling Walls Venture) included AI-powered precision diagnostics, AI technologies for sustainable crop protection, antibiotics against multi-drug resistant bacteria, novel one-blood-drop cancer tests, sustainable concrete production, sustainable electricity, robotic whole-arm exoskeleton for people with arm motor impairment and robotic surgery.

Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award of Department of ABCT 2023

The Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology (ABCT) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is delighted to announce the recipients of the Department of ABCT for the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Awards 2023. These awards aim to acknowledge exceptional graduates of PolyU who have excelled in their respective fields, demonstrated active support for their alma mater, and made significant contributions to the broader community.   We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the following individuals for receiving the Department's Outstanding Alumni Award:   Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award of Department of ABCT 2023 - Entrepreneurial Achievement Dr HO Kam-piu Chief Scientific Officer & Founder, GRST Holdings Limited Doctor of Philosophy (2006) Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Chemical Technology (2001) Dr Ho Kam-piu co-founded GRST in 2015. Since then, the company has achieved success in developing a commercially viable water-based green technology for producing and recycling lithium-ion batteries at lower cost, while reducing carbon footprint and pollution emissions. With a mission to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and recyclability of the battery industry leveraging innovative materials and processing, the company has contributed to the establishment of the world’s first green Gigafactory in China.  As the head of the technical team, Dr Ho is responsible for developing innovative materials and processing solutions for environmentally-friendly batteries. GRST, with its headquarters in Hong Kong, has established a worldwide patent portfolio with over 50 sets of patents and over 235 granted patents. That helps vertical integration of the entire battery value chain, from production to recycling. The company has earned numerous awards and accolades from respected bodies such as Deloitte (Hong Kong), the Environmental Campaign Committee (Hong Kong), the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (Switzerland), and Bluetech Clean Air Alliance (China). Dr Ho has been keen on supporting PolyU researchers by helping them with their grant applications and sharing his research experiences with postgraduate students.   Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award of Department of ABCT 2023 - Scholarly Achievement Dr Franco LEUNG King-chi Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Master of Philosophy (2014) Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Chemical Technology (2011) Higher Diploma in Chemical Technology (2009) Dr Franco Leung King-Chi attained a BSc degree in Chemical Technology and an MPhil degree from PolyU in 2011 and 2013 respectively. As a PhD candidate, he expanded his research scope on supramolecular chemistry and material science under the guidance of Prof. Takanori Fukushima at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. In 2017, he had the golden opportunity to work under the 2016 Nobel Laureate Prof. Ben L. Feringa at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, as a postdoctoral fellow. He was also awarded the Croucher Postdoctoral Fellowship at that point, for the development of photoresponsive soft materials of molecular motors and switches. In 2019, Dr Leung joined PolyU as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, with a research focus to exploit the full intrinsic potential of synthetic organic chemistry, so as to build new supramolecular structures, functions and hierarchical systems.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟑𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚-𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑) 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐥, 𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐚

The 13th Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert Meeting (APPLE 2023) is an international liver cancer conference held on 6-8 July 2023 in Seoul, Korea, with the goal of fostering and promoting intellectual collaboration and exchange between physicians, scientists, and industry leaders that will lead to common discussions pertaining to the latest advanced innovations in Liver Cancer Treatment. Miss Martina Mang Leng LEI (Ph.D. student of Professor Terence LEE) won the Young Investigator Award and Best Presentation Award entitled “Wild-type Kirsten rat Sarcoma (Kras) Promotes Immune Escape via Suppression of Interferon-mediated Immunity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma” in the 13th Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert Meeting (APPLE 2023) in Seoul, Korea. Miss LEI received 1500 USD for these two awards. The Young Investigator Awards are offered to applicants whose abstracts are considered scientifically of merit, while Best Presentation Awards are given to selected presenters who gave the best presentation in oral poster session. Before attending this conference, Miss LEI has also received the Best Presentation Award in PolyU Research Student Conference (PRSC) 2023 on 8-9 May 2023. Our warmest congratulations to Miss Martina Mang Leng LEI for her achievements.   More information about the APPLE 2023: https://www.apple2023.org/index.php   More information about the PolyU Research Student Conference (PRSC) 2023: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/gs/prsc2023/

PolyU supports World Health Organization’s technical consultation in Hong Kong

With the support of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and The University of Hong Kong, the World Health Organization (WHO) successfully hosted a three-day (from 27 June to 29 June 2023) technical consultation on Public Health and Social Measures for Mitigating the Risk and Impact of Epidemic and Pandemic Influenza – An Update of the 2019 WHO Guidance in Hong Kong.   Experts and stakeholders from all over the world attended the event to review the most up-to-date scientific evidence from systematic reviews on PHSM for influenza. The objective of the meeting was to reach a consensus on recommendations to update the 2019 WHO guidance on non-pharmaceutical public health measures for mitigating the risk and impact of epidemic and pandemic influenza. The updated guidance is expected to provide countries with updated recommendations to improve response measures against the next influenza epidemic or pandemic.   The following is a list of the distinguished guests who delivered speeches at the opening ceremony and cocktail reception:   Opening speech Dr Ronald Lam, Director of Department of Health, HKSAR Dr Wenqing Zhang, Head of Global Influenza Programme, WHO Prof. Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation), PolyU   Evening cocktail reception speech Prof. Wing-tak Wong, Deputy President and Provost, PolyU Dr Wenqing Zhang, Head, Global Influenza Programme, WHO Prof. David Bishai, Director, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong Prof. Larry Chow, Head of Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, PolyU   Online coverage: Sing Tao Daily -https://polyu.me/3Pw87EU Headline Daily -https://polyu.me/46m17jT

Travel Award in the Annual Congress of the European Association for Cancer Research

The Annual Congress of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) 2023 is an international cancer conference held on 12-15 June, 2023 in Torino, Italy with the goal to bring thousands of cancer researchers together dedicated to basic, preclinical and translational cancer research across a wide breadth of topics.   Miss Candy Chin Ngok CHU (M.Phil. student of Professor Terence LEE) won the Travel Award entitled “Adipocyte-derived FABP4 promotes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma by driving Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascade” in Annual Congress of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) 2023. Each awardee receives EACR Travel Grant including a free registration and €1460 to be used towards travel and accommodation costs. Travel Awardees will be selected based upon the scientific merit of the submitted abstract.   Our warmest congratulations to Miss Candy Chin Ngok CHU for her achievement.  

PolYneer, a PolyU iGEM team, awarded 2023 Impact Grant

Congratulations to a group of 13 undergraduate students from the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology with a team name “PolYneer” in obtaining 2023 iGEM Impact Grant. This Impact fund is highly competitive, and it is among 90 teams alongside other teams from the University of Oxford, MIT, John Hopkins University, Duke University, Munich University, and Alberta, who won this grant out of more than 240 iGEM teams from all over the world.   The application of the 2023 Impact Grant was reviewed by iGEM Impact Commission members using a set of criteria based on novelty and impact on synthetic biology. The team will receive a grant of $2,500 USD to facilitate their preparative work for the coming iGEM competition.   To learn more about 2023 Impact Grant, please visit:https://competition.igem.org/sponsorships/impact-grant

Hong Kong Engineering Science and Technology Award

Congratulations to Prof. Zheng Zijian, Chair Professor of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, on receiving the Hong Kong Engineering Science and Technology Award (HKEST Award) organized by the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences and supported by the Innovation and Technology Commission. The HKEST Award aims to recognize outstanding contributions and excellence among younger generations in the HKSAR for their dedication and achievements in the arena of engineering science and technology through research, development, innovation, and entrepreneurship.