ABCT students awarded the Third Prize in the 2018 Lee Kum Kee Innovation Competition

XO seafood sauce is commonly added for enhancing the umami of food. What if we add it to popcorn? A group of PolyU undergraduate students (Lu Zhou, Cheung Kit Yau Jana, Cheung Ka Yu, Hau Hiu Yin, Hung Lok Hin Ivan from Food Safety and Technology and Wong Hoi Chun from Enterprise Engineering with Management) have come up with this creative idea and invented a new product named "XO Spicy and Cheesy Popcorn" after researching for six month, for which they have been awarded the Third Prize in the 2018 Lee Kum Kee Innovation Competition. The purpose of the Lee Kum Kee Innovation Competition, co-organized by CIFST and LKK (China), is to provide a practical platform for undergraduate students of food science or related subjects to conduct innovative research on food with the use of Chinese condiments. This was our fifth year for participating in the competition. Participants came from 10 universities, and the PolyU was the only representative of Hong Kong. The award ceremony was held in Qingdao on 8 Nov 2018. Let us take this opportunity to congratulate our winning students!

Renaming of State Key Laboratories and Plaque Awarding Ceremony 国家重点实验室重新命名和牌匾颁发仪式

Approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the State Key Laboratory of Chirosciences is renamed as the State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery. A new State Key Laboratory plaque was awarded to us in the Government House on 20th September, 2018. 经国家科学技术部批准，手性科学国家重点实验室更名为化学生物学和药物研发国家重点实验室。亦于2018年9月20日，在香港礼宾府向我们颁发了一个新的国家重点实验室牌匾。 *The photographs are provided by the Information Services Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR) 相片由香港特別行政區政府新聞處提供

PolyU – Axis Therapeutics Joint Center for Immunotherapy launched to develop Innovative Cancer Treatments

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) will join forces with Axis Therapeutics, a newly established joint venture by two global biopharmaceutical companies – Athenex, Inc. and Xiangxue Pharmaceutical, to foster the research and development of translational medicine by setting up a Joint Center for Immunotherapy. The Center is set to conduct collaborative research on cancer immunotherapy, with an aim to develop new cancer treatments. A MoU signing ceremony for setting up the PolyU—Axis Therapeutics Joint Center for Immunotherapy was held on 18 July 2018. PolyU is committed in the innovation and technology development of translational medicine, as well as transferring pioneering research to real-life applications for the benefits of mankind. Over the years, the University has been engaging in the first three new drugs developed in Hong Kong which have succeeded in getting Investigational New Drug (IND) application approval of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For more information, please visit: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/web/en/media/media_releases/index_id_6560.html

Best Poster Oral Award and Travel Awards in Liver Week 2018, Annual Meeting of Korean Association for the Study of Liver

Miss Shilpa Gurung and Miss Pui-Yu Ho, Mphil and PhD students of Dr. Terence Lee, received prestigious Travel Award of USD1000 in an international liver conference - The Liver Week 2018, Annual meeting of Korean Association for the study of liver held in Incheon, Korea, from 14 to 16 June, 2018. The Liver Week 2018 was held by Korean Association for the study of the Liver (KASL), jointly with the Korean Association of HBP Surgery (KAHBPS), the Korean Liver Cancer Association (KLCA), and the Korean Liver Transplantation Society (KLTS). This conference aims to bring all participants from the fields of clinical medicine and basic science to associates from pharmacy and medical equipment, with hope to eradicate liver diseases. Miss Ho and Miss Gurung have gained their recognitions from the judges on their research topics including "UBE2T: a molecular regulator for cancer stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma" and "Adipocyte-derived FABP4 regulates of cancer stemness and drug resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma" respectively. Because of the scientific merit of their projects, they were both awarded Travel Awards in this meeting. With the outstanding oral presentation by Miss Gurung at the conference, she was further awarded The Best Poster Oral Award in The Liver Week 2018. Their research projects discovered the therapeutic potential of targeting UBE2T and FABP4 for novel therapeutic strategy against liver cancer. Let us congratulate Miss Gurung and Ho on receiving this honour! More Information about the meeting: http://theliverweek.org/new/main.php

ABCT received the Outstanding Professional Services Awards 2017

A presentation ceremony for the Outstanding Professional Services Awards 2017 was held at Hotel ICON on 2 March 2018. Administrated by the PolyU Technology & Consultancy Company Limited (PTeC), the Outstanding Professional Services Awards honor academic staff, research teams and departments for their achievements in consultancy and licensing services. Prof. Thomas Yun-chung LEUNG and Dr. Thomas Wai-hung LO from ABCT were awarded Winner of the Technology Transfer Award for their project "Anti-Cancer Drug – Human Arginase I" in recognition of their valuable contribution to technology transfer activities. Prof. Leung and Dr. Lo developed a new method to achieve nutrient starvation, causing cancer cells starved to death. Dr. Johnny Cheuk-on TANG and Dr. Kim-hung LAM from ABCT received the Technology Transfer Award (Merit) for their project "Quinoline Derivatives as Novel Anti-Cancer Agents". Drs Tang and Lam's invention involves the discovery of a novel class of anti-cancer agents against specialised anti-cancer targets in gastrointestinal cancers. The overall findings offer a new direction for the development of anti-cancer drugs. Let us take this opportunity to congratulate Prof. Thomas Yun-chung LEUNG, Dr. Thomas Wai-hung LO, Dr. Johnny Cheuk-on TANG and Dr. Kim-hung LAM on receiving the honor.

Bess Daeson-Hughes Poster Award in 10th International Symposium on Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis

The 10th International Symposium on Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis, which lasted four days, drew to a close on 1st December 2017 at Kerry Hotel, with the participation of over 100 health professionals, researchers from all over the world. The symposium provides a platform for scientists who work in the field of osteoporosis to gather together every three years to discuss their latest research. There were 22 speakers who took part in the 10th symposium. They gave plenary lectures and shared with us their latest findings across many disciplines, including topics about exercise and sedentary behavior, vitamin D, micronutrients: calcium, sodium and potassium, prebiotics, diet patterns and macronutrients and bioactive and functional foods. In addition, the poster section showcased 22 posters on osteoporosis. Dr. Zhou Liping (graduated from Prof. Wong Man Sau's group) and Miss Wong Ka Ying (M.Phil student of Prof. Wong Man Sau) of ABCT Department won the Bess Daeson-Hughes Poster Award with their poster titled "Icariin, the most abundant flavonoid in Herba Epimedii, exerted osteoprotective effect without uterotrophic activity". Let us take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Zhou Liping and Miss Wong Ka Ying on receiving the honour. Last but not least, we would like to thank Prof. Connie M. Weaver, Prof. Robin M. Daly, Prof. Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, Prof. Wong Man Sau, Mr. Gordon Cheung and the Federation of Medical Societies of Hong Kong for organizing this inspiring conference.

Best Poster Award in Life Science (Second Prize) at The Sunney and Irene Chan Lecture in Chemical Biology

We are delighted to announce that Ms. Yajing ZHANG, PhD student of Dr. Ben KO, has received the Best Poster Award in Life Science (Second Prize) at The Sunney and Irene Chan Lecture in Chemical Biology 2017 held on 13 November 2017 at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Sunney and Irene Chan Lecture in Chemical Biology was established by the PolyU and the CUHK in 2013 to spark interests among young scientists in Hong Kong to work at the interface between Chemistry and Biology and to cultivate research collaboration and intellectual ties between the two institutions. The lectureships are being funded from an endowment created by the Chan family that aims to enlighten the significance of multi-disciplinary research embracing chemistry, biology and physics, and to highlight the recent advancements of solving fundamental scientific challenges. The award to Ms. ZHANG recognized her research entitled "CTCF-FoxM1 axis regulates tumor growth and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma". Her research discovered the role of a nuclear factor named CTCF in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. The discovery suggested that CTCF is a potential target for the treatment of liver cancer. Let us congratulate Ms. ZHANG on receiving the honor! More Information about the lecture: http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/chem/SICL2017/

ABCT students awarded a First Prize and Merit Prize in the 2017 Lee Kum Kee Innovation Competition

Innovative ideas led to the winning of first prize and merit prize in the 2017 Lee Kum Kee Innovation Competition by eight PolyU undergraduate students. Students have spent six months to research on the making new food products targeted young adults in China. Innovative ideas have been added to existing products ingeniously brings refreshing sauce with cultural characteristics. The product "Sampan Spicy Crab with Cheese Sauce", developed by five students (Cheung Shun Yin, Cheung Wing, Mak Sin Yi and So Ka Ching from Food Safety and Technology, Ng Pui Yi from Management) awarded the first prize attended the award ceremony in Wuxi on 8 Nov 2017. The product of "Hong Kong Style Teriyaki Sauce merit prize", developed by three students (Ho Wing Wa Erica and Chan Yuen Man Food Safety and Technology and Sun Yiu Po from Building Technology and Management) was awarded the merit prize. Two groups of students added new elements to the. It. The Lee Kum Kee Innovation Competition was co-organized by CIFST and LKK (China) with the aim to provide a practical platform for undergraduates of food science or related subjects to conduct innovative research in food with the use of Chinese condiments. This year was our fourth year took part in the competition, in which students from 10 Universities, with the PolyU being the only representative from Hong Kong. Let us take this opportunity to congratulate the students on receiving the award!

ABCT MPhil student awarded The Best Oral Presentation in the Junior ICCEOCA-7

Mr. Jieren DENG, MPhil student of Dr. Man-kin WONG, received The Best Oral Presentation Award in The 7th Junior International Conference on Cutting-edge Organic Chemistry in Asia (Junior ICCEOCA-7) and The 3rd Junior Advanced Research Network on Cutting-Edge Organic Chemistry in Asia (Junior ARNCEOCA-3) held in Lanzhou, China, from 30th October to 1st November 2017. The Junior ICCEOCA is part of the Asian Core Program (ACP) and its aim is to create a new set of well-trained young organic chemists working in cutting-edge research as well as enable them to begin networking early in their career. The conference fosters the next generation of leading researchers by establishing sustainable collaborative relations among research/education institutions in Asian countries. This year, a total of 46 postgraduate students from the countries of Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia and Hong Kong presented their work at the conference. As a delegate of Hong Kong, Mr. DENG has gained recognitions from the judges with his oral presentation on the research topic "Development of Quinolizinium-Based Fluorophores via Photosensitizer-Free Visible Light-Mediated Gold-Catalysed Cis-Difunctionalization of Alkynes". In this project, a library of fluorescent silyl-substituted quinolizinium-based compounds, named JR-Fluor-1, were modularly synthesized via a newly developed photosensitizer-free visible light-mediated gold-catalysed alkyne cis-difunctionalization reaction. With unique photophysical properties, the newly synthesized fluorophores have been applied in photooxidative amidations as efficient photocatalysts and cellular imaging with switchable subcellular localization properties. The efficient modular synthesis and unique photophysical properties of the quinolizinium compounds would open up a new direction in gold catalysis, photoredox catalysis and molecular imaging. Let us take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Jieren DENG on receiving the honor!

ABCT alumni, Dr. Franco King-Chi Leung, receives Croucher Fellowship from Croucher Foundation

Congratulations to Dr. Franco King-Chi Leung, graduate of ABCT, for receiving the 2017 Croucher Fellowship from Croucher Foundation at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. The Croucher Foundation awards provide financial support for promising students in Hong Kong to pursue scientific research at the doctoral or postdoctoral levels. The foundation aims to enable young scientists to devote themselves to a period of full-time research in natural sciences, medicine or technology in approved academic institutions outside Hong Kong. After a series of competitive review processes, 21 recipients were chosen and they are heading out to all over the world including the U.S., Australia, the Netherlands, France and the U.K.. Dr. Leung graduated from ABCT with his BSc in Chemical Technology and he carried out his Master's research in catalysis and chemical biology under the supervision of Dr. Man-kin Wong. He then expanded his research to supramolecular chemistry and material science scopes in his PhD studies under the guidance of Prof. Takanori Fukushima in Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan). In April 2017, he joined Prof. Ben L. Feringa's group (2016 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry) as a postdoc fellow at the University of Groningen. Dr. Leung's main research interests are dynamic supramolecular polymers, functional molecular assembly, and biocompatible functional materials. He is currently working on the development of photo-responsive soft materials of molecular motors and switches. Let us take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Franco King-Chi Leung again on receiving this remarkable award.