ABCT Graduate receives the International Accreditation Top Project Award 2022 of RSB

【ABCT Graduate receives the International Accreditation Top Project Award 2022 of Royal Society of Biology】 We are most delighted to announce that Mr LI Shaoyang Alvin, graduated with a First Class Honours degree in BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology with Biotechnology in 2021, has received the International Accreditation Top Project Award 2022 of Royal Society of Biology in recognition of his outstanding final-year research project and abilities as a biologist. With the guidance and support from his research supervisor, Dr CHUA Song-Lin, Alvin has built up his strengths and set a solid foundation for his future advances in the bioscience field. His award-winning project entitled “Biofilm matrix cloaks bacterial quorum sensing chemoattractants from predator detection” elucidated the restriction of bacterial communication activities to the confinements of biofilms for predator evasion. This novel mechanism plays a fundamental role in shaping the dynamics of microbial communities and predator-prey interactions, with implications in microbial diseases and ecology. His research findings were published in the The ISME Journal: Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology. The International Accreditation Top Project Award is an annual award conferred by The Royal Society of Biology (RSB). RSB is a prestigious professional association for biological sciences in the UK which support and advance the interests of biology in education, research and community. Our ABB Programme was the first international accredited undergraduate programme by RSB, and our graduates are qualified for membership of RSB. Each year, only a few selected graduates from the accredited degree of RSB is eligible to win the top project award. Let us take this opportunity to congratulate Alvin on his excellent achievement.

Dr Kevin Kwok Wing-hin was interviewed by the RTHK Programme to share his research insight

The problem of global food imbalance is imminent. Human food is mainly produced by animal husbandry and agricultural activities. There is one-third of the world's land is currently used for animal husbandry and farming. Animal husbandry not only produce carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases, which increasing the greenhouse effect. But also, the agriculture activities will damage the soil structure and quality, seriously damage the ecology of the earth. Dr Kevin Kwok Wing-hin, Associate Director of Research Institute for Future Food and Assistant Professor of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, introduced the development and trend of future food on RTHK radio programme “Climate Watcher”. Dr Kwok indicated that there are currently feasible methods of making future food, such as freezing method, mariculture and hydroponic cultivation. In addition, urbanites live a busy life and may lack nutrients such as calcium and iron in their daily diet. Therefore, Dr Kwok is studying on the research to add the nutrients into prototype foods which enables urbanites to absorb comprehensive nutrition in a single food. It is expected to develop organic and environmentally-friendly food in line with the goals of sustainable development. If you are interested, please visit the link for programme archive. https://polyu.me/3MIHJ67

Prof Wai-yeung WONG Raymond was interviewed by the RTHK Programme to share his research insight

Prof. Wai-yeung WONG Raymond, Dean of Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles, ADoRISE & Chair Professor of Chemical Technology was interviewed by the RTHK Programme “太陽底下新鮮事” to share his research insight on the topic of “New Materials and Energy Light Conversion Technologies” & “Converting Light into Electricity and its Development in Hong Kong”. At present, the problem of environmental energy shortage is becoming more critical. To solve these crises and meet the goals of sustainable development, Prof. Wong’s research focuses on optoelectronics and advancing energy-conversion technologies in order to meet the world’s future energy demand. Prof. Wong discussed the use of new organic materials in the conversion of electrical energy into light, the characteristics of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and its application in wearable electronics in the interview on "New Materials and Energy Light Conversion Technologies" broadcasted on 10 April. Prof. Wong also introduced the application of organometallic polymer in organic solar cells, and how it advanced the move from fossil fuels to renewable energy in the interview on "Converting Light into Electricity and its Development in Hong Kong" broadcasted on 17 April. If you are interested, please visit the link for programme archive: https://www.rthk.hk/radio/radio1/programme/underthesun

Media Pays Tribute to PolyU ABCT Prof. Li Pei and her Research on Antimicrobial Coating

Under the epidemic, Hong Kong people's awareness of personal and environmental hygiene has greatly increased. The public may use bleach, alcohol and hand sanitizer to clean and disinfect their homes and individuals. However, public facilities such as elevator buttons, handrails and other surfaces that are frequently touched by the public must be repeatedly disinfected to effectively kill germs. Moreover, some disinfectants may irritate the skin and damage health. Toxic chemicals may also affect ecosystems with toxins, contaminating drinking water and the environment. To solve the above problems, researchers are working to develop antibacterial methods that can be used widely. Prof. Li Pei, who is the professor of PolyU ABCT and the co-founder of Grand Rise Technology successfully developed the “InnoCoatex” with her research team and won awards in the many competitions, including International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva 2021. “InnoCoatex”has been used in the Government’s isolation facilities and PolyU dormitories. "InnoCoatex" is a biocompatible antibacterial coating developed with nanotechnology that made of patented chitosan-based core-shell particles with excellent film-forming ability, which can achieve contact killing and protection for up to 6 months. It only needs to be sprayed on the surface of the object, and it dries quickly and does not affect the appearance and texture of the material. It is suitable for a variety of materials, including metal, concrete, wood, glass, plastic and textiles and effectively kills up to 99% of common bacteria. (e.g. Staphylococcus aureus) viruses (e.g. H1N1 and HCOV-229E). InnoCoatex" is harmless to the human body and environmentally friendly, and it can be used for disinfection, pollution control and epidemic prevention. As one of the few researchers in the world who have mastered layered nanomaterials, Prof. Li has more than 30 years of experience in biomaterials research. Prof. Li is committed to the development of multi-layered nanomaterials technology to facilitate a wider range of applications at the biological and medical levels. With the gradual maturity of nano-synthesis technology, it is expected to benefit the those in need. Please visit here for more details.

Dr Chang Jinhui Gail of ABCT has won a silver medal at 2022 Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days

Congratulations to Dr Chang Jinhui Gail, Research Assistant Professor of ABCT and the Co-founder of Bo InnoHealth Biotechnology Company Limited (a PolyU GBA Start-up PostDoc and PolyU Academic-led startup), has won a silver medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva - Special Edition 2022 Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days – Virtual Event. The Exhibition is regarded as one of the most important annual global events devoted exclusively to inventions, with over 1,000 inventions being presented this year. The award-winning project of Dr Chang Jinhui Gail is “AkkMore™: a Fungus and Plant Based Supplement Against Obesity or Prediabetes”. AkkMore™ is a nutritional supplements formula drink that aims to improve users’ body conditions by building a healthy microbiome. AkkMore™ formula precisely targets on promoting the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk) in human guts. It is designed to reduce metabolic disorders and lose body weight. The research team has recently completed animal studies as well as the phase 1 clinical trial in humans.  Let us take this opportunity to congratulate Dr Chang on receiving the honor. Please visit here for more details.

PolyU develops novel anti-virus 3D printing material that terminates over 90% of COVID-19 in 10 minutes

An interdisciplinary research team formed by the Institute of Textiles and Clothing (ITC) and the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology (ABCT) at PolyU has successfully developed the world's first “anti-virus 3D printing material” that can eliminate over 90% of the COVID-19 viruses on a surface within 10 minutes, and terminate almost all viruses and bacteria in 20 minutes. The main component of the material is resin, added with anti-viral agents such as cationic compounds, to pierce the cell membrane of the virus and destroy its structure to kill the virus and bacteria. The material can be produced in different forms using 3D printing technology, and could be used extensively in public facilities to provide epidemic prevention support to the community. The research team has collaborated with different organizations such as the Home Affairs Department and the Hong Kong Wetland Park over the past year to produce recycling bin handles, toilet doorknob covers, lift buttons, braille boards and more. As the disinfection components of the material are embedded in the products rather than coated on the surface, daily cleaning with disinfectants such as bleach does not compromise its anti-virus performance. The team has applied patent of this technology and application, and will put it into commercial use in the future. For more details, please visit the PolyU website.

PolyU ABCT Flag-raising ceremony on 3 January 2022

In celebration of the 85th anniversary of PolyU, the University is hosting regular Flag-Raising Ceremony to pay tribute to our motherland and the accomplishments of our country.  ABCT is very proud to be the first academic unit to host the ceremony on 3 January 2022. Thanks to the great support and enthusiastic participation of over 120 colleagues and students on that day, the event was completed smoothly.

Prof. Wing-tak Wong appointed as the Chairman of the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification

We are delighted to announce that Prof. Wing-tak Wong, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU, was appointed by the Chief Executive as the Chairman of the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification (HKCTC) for two years with effect from January 1, 2022. Prof. Wong served as Head of Department of ABCT in 2009-2015 and Dean of FAST in 2015-2020, as well as the Director of the University Research Facility in Chemical and Environmental Analysis in 2015 – 2020. He has played a vital part in establishing four state-of-the-art University Research Facilities, namely Materials Characterisation & Device Fabrication, Life Sciences, Big Data Analytics, and Chemical and Environmental Analysis. He was a key driver in setting up the Food Safety and Technology Research Centre in 2011 to address the societal need for professional advice on food related issues. Since 2020, he has been serving as a member of HKCTC. The Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Alfred Sit, welcomed the appointment of Prof. Wong, and said that the Council would benefit from his ample leadership experience and expert insights in chemical technology.

PolyU’s anti-cancer drug research to bring commercial and health benefits

ABCT researchers have played a significant role in cancer research over the years and have led to the development of new anti-cancer drugs. Pegtomarginase, which was initially developed by the research team led by Professors Thomas Leung and Thomas Lo in the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and Lo Ka Chung Research Center for Natural Anti-Cancer Drug Development at PolyU, is further developed and exploited by Avalon Polytom and Athenex for the treatment of patients with advanced malignancies. They received U.S. FDA allowance of Investigational New Drug (IND) Application in 2019, and this second-generation human arginase (PT01 – Pegtomarginase) is further granted to enter into clinical trial phrase 1, a significant milestone for this anti-cancer drug development with researchers’ innovation and strong execution capabilities at the companies commitment to commercializing novel technologies for the treatment of a wide range of cancers. Congratulations to the team in making such a significant advancement in cancer drug development!

Second Prize of Oral Presentation and Best Poster Presentation Award at the 28th Symposium on Chemistry Postgraduate Research in Hong Kong

The 28th Symposium on Chemistry Postgraduate Research in Hong Kong was finished successfully on 6 November 2021. The event consists of a Keynote Lecture delivered by Prof. Kai Johnsson from Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, an Oral Session presented by representative postgraduate students from the six local universities and an online Poster Session showcasing 185 posters in three areas including Analytical, Environmental, and Biochemistry; Organic and Materials Chemistry; and Physical and Inorganic Chemistry.   ABCT has won two awards in the Symposium this year, including the Second Prize of Oral Presentation by Mr. LAM Long Yin (RPg student of Dr MA Cong) with his winning presentation entitled “C-S coupling for thioether synthesis using stable and safe commodity chemicals”; and the Best Poster Presentation Award in Physical and Inorganic Chemistry by Mr. CHOW Chiu Lok Joshua (RPg student of Dr KWOK Wai Ming) with his winning poster entitled “Ultrafast Broadband Transient Absorption Study on the Excitation Dynamic of Human Telomeric RNA (TERRA) G-quadruplex”.   The Symposium on Chemistry Postgraduate Research in Hong Kong was established in 1994, and has become a major annual event for the local Chemistry community. It provides a platform for postgraduate students to present their recent advancement and foster collaborations between researchers.   Let us take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. LAM Long Yin and Mr. Chow Chiu Lok Joshua on receiving the honors!