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PolyU and AFCD forge partnership to advance technological innovation in agriculture and fisheries

PolyU and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 22 September 2025 to explore collaborative opportunities in the development and application of technological innovation within the local agriculture and fisheries sectors, with a view to injecting new impetus into the sustainable development of the industries. In the witness of Mr Mickey LAI, Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, and Prof. WONG Wing-tak, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU, the MoU was signed by Mr Patrick LAI, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, and Prof. WONG Ka-hing, Director of Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood). The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration between the two parties over the next five years, with the objective of jointly advancing innovative development initiatives for the agriculture and fisheries industries, aimed at enhancing the quantity, quality and value of local agricultural and fisheries products.  The collaboration will strengthen efforts in developing processed agricultural and fisheries products with local characteristics, as well as precise agriculture solutions, thereby improving the industries’ overall efficiency and resilience to environmental changes.   Online coverage: Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/3I8KrFy Sina HK - https://polyu.me/4pG0xYa

Twenty-five PolyU projects receive support from Health and Medical Research Fund

PolyU has secured HK$22.9 million in funding support from the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) 2023 exercise to support 25 research projects. Focused on addressing pressing health challenges and enhancing patient welfare, these initiatives exemplify PolyU’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and translating scientific research into impactful solutions that address the needs of patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, ultimately improving health outcomes across physical, psychological, and social dimensions. Among them, 12 research projects are led by PAIR members: Principal Investigator Project Title Amount Awarded (HK$) Dr LEE Tin Yan Timothy Research Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Member, Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA) Exploring Spine Flexibility and Spinal Deformities and their Association with Curve Progression in Skeletally Immature Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Study $724,600 Prof. ZHU Yuyan Associate Professor, Department of Food Science and Nutrition; Member, Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood) and Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI) Investigating the translational potential of parthenolide for ameliorating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese adults $1,499,999 Prof. SIU Kit Hang Gilman Associate Head, Professor, and Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Medical Laboratory Science, Department of Health Technology and Informatics (HTI); Member, Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI) Application of Targeted Capture Sequencing for Diagnosis of Respiratory Infections – Simultaneous Pathogen Identification, Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Detection and Strain Typing in a Single Reaction $1,499,950 Prof. LI Tian Assistant Professor, HTI; Member, RiFood and Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) Investigation of Time-resolved Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (TR-MRF) for Liver Cancer Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Response Assessment in a Pilot Clinical Trial $1,459,000 Prof. HUANG Chien-ling Associate Professor, HTI; Management Committee Member, RiFood Integrated AI-driven single-cell monitoring system for early detection and pathway discovery in infection-associated thrombosis: advancing prevention and treatment strategies for long COVID $1,499,000 Dr WONG Wing Sze Winsy Research Assistant Professor, Department of Language Science and Technology; Member, RISA Utilization of Immersive Virtual Reality in Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (IVR-CST) for Elderly with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study $499,996 Prof. LIN Jingxia Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences; Management Committee Member, Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC); Member, RCMI Enhancing Clinical Care for Postpartum Depression Using Ecological Momentary Assessment and Intervention: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial with “MotherCare” Mobile App $499,920 Prof. Jed MONTAYRE Associate Head (Strategy) and Associate Professor, School of Nursing (SN); Member, RISA Dyadic management intervention in older people with co-occurring cognitive impairment and diabetes as a supplementary approach to Chronic Diseases Self-Management Program: A hybrid effectiveness-implementation study $1,345,318 Prof. YEUNG Wing Fai Associate Professor, SN; Associate Director, RCMI; Member, RISA An implementation Science Approach to Evaluate Self-administered Acupressure for Knee Osteoarthritis in Older-Aged Adults in the Community $1,499,989 Prof. YANG Lin Associate Professor, SN; Management Committee Member, RI-IWEAR, Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion (RCTFF); Member, Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV) A Personalized Interactive Patient Empowerment Artificial Intelligence Platform (PIPE-AI) Enhanced by DiabetesGPT in Prediabetes and Diabetes Patients in Primary Healthcare Settings $500,000 Prof. XIE Yaojie Associate Professor, SN; Member, RCMI Migraine features and silent brain infarction in predicting stroke risk progression: A cohort study with neuroimaging analysis in Hong Kong Chinese women $1,499,907 Prof. LEUNG Tsz Wing Assistant Professor, School of Optometry; Member, RiFood and RCSV Investigating the Role of the Magnocellular-Dorsal System in Reading Chinese: A Pilot Study Exploring the Effect of Middle Temporal Visual Area Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation $499,550

Prof. WONG Ka-hing featured in TV programme on transforming food waste into 3D printing materials

Prof. WONG Ka-hing, Director of Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood) and Professor in Department of Food Science and Nutrition, was featured on TVB’s programme “ESG Decoded”, introducing the sustainable food waste-derived 3D printing material developed by his team. The material is made from upcycled spent coffee grounds, which are combined with polylactic acid.  This technology not only helps reduce carbon footprint, but also demonstrates the significant potential of reusing waste.  Prof. Wong added that the team has collaborated with several local coffee chains to produce eco-friendly 3D printing products using their spent coffee grounds.  This innovative green technology offers a new approach to addressing the challenges of municipal food waste and greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong.  Online coverage: TVB - https://polyu.me/4pA59ik (13:56-16:38) (subscription required)

Two PolyU projects receive funding from the Innovation and Technology Support Programme to advance aerospace technology research and development

The nation places great importance on its aerospace sector. In his latest Policy Address, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, John LEE Ka-chiu, mentioned that the “Innovation and Technology Support Programme Special Call on Aerospace Technology” has allocated over HK$100 million to support six university research and development projects, two of which are from PolyU. The supported aerospace technology R&D projects are expected to be applied in future missions such as Chang’e 7, the Tiangong space station and manned lunar landings. Ir Prof. YUNG Kai-leung, Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering and Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), has been awarded HK$32 million to carry out the project “Key Space Technology Capability Research and Development with Application to Terrain Cameras”. This project will build upon PolyU’s successful experience in the Chang’e 3, 4, 5, and 6, as well as Tianwen-1 missions, to develop next-generation space navigation cameras and related technologies. The team will develop new materials and processes with high strength-to-weight ratios, high thermal conductivity, and controllable absorptivity, reflectivity, emissivity and refractive index. The research will also focus on radiation resistance and chemical compatibility in the space environment and key manufacturing technologies such as void-free 3D printing. In addition, the team will explore core technologies related to image capture and processing, including thermal modelling for maintaining neutral optical performance under extreme temperature fluctuations and artificial intelligence algorithms for terrain recognition to aid navigation on the lunar surface under varying sunlight angles. Furthermore, Ir Prof. SU Zhongqing, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chair Professor of Intelligent Structures and Systems, and Member of RCDSE, has also been awarded over HK$4.4 million to carry out the project “A ‘Totally-Additive-Manufacturing’-driven New Sensing Technique for Rapid Health Evaluation of Space Systems under Hypervelocity Impact of Orbital Junks”. The project is conducted in collaboration with co-investigators from Beijing Institute of Spacecraft Environment Engineering of China Academy of Space Technology and Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen). The successful installation of this system and the implementation of the technology on spacecraft will mitigate the risk of hypervelocity impact (HVI) from space debris to communication satellites and space stations. Additionally, it will retrofit existing safety design philosophy, enhance serviceability and extend the lifespan of long-service space systems. The nation has designated “commercial aerospace” as a strategic emerging industry. PolyU will continue to leverage its professional strengths to actively support the Hong Kong SAR Government in promoting the development of aerospace technology, contributing to the vigorous growth of the space economy. Online coverage: Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3K2RlN8 Lion Rock Daily - https://polyu.me/42y9Oax Bauhinia - https://polyu.me/4ncDBOg ifeng.com - https://polyu.me/47S7grl   Further readings: Ir Prof. Yung’s project - https://polyu.hk/dXYVP Ir Prof. Su’s project - https://polyu.hk/hONCU

Creation of intelligent wearable systems leading the innovation of industries

Prof. TAO Xiaoming, Director of Research Institute of Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR), Chair Professor of Textile Technology and Vincent and Lily Woo Professor in Textile Technology, together with her team, has successfully developed a series of intelligent wearable systems, which are applied in fields such as sports, healthcare, entertainment, and industry. The wearable system with adaptive cooling and heating for sport recovery “COOLWEAR”, utilises a unique fluidic textile structure and unidirectional heat-transfer composite fabrics, combined with ergonomic design. It also integrates multifunctional technologies for electrofluidic detection and control, enabling rapid temperature switching between 5°C and 40°C within 10 seconds, with a uniform temperature distribution and a maximum heat flux of up to 1.2 kW/m2.  The system consists of a main unit and a wearable component, is compact in size, and features a three-chamber intermittent compression device suitable for use on various parts of the body, for effectively enhancing post-exercise muscle oxygenation and elasticity, while alleviating delayed onset muscle soreness.  Users can customise treatment modes via a mobile application, which allows athletes to easily use it on the sidelines for rapid sports recovery. In the field of multisensory simulation wearable technology, the team’s research is focused on mixed scent perception in human and multisensory tactile simulation.  They have pioneered a bionic mechanism based on fibre assemblies and designed corresponding actuators to simulate mixed odour and tactile sensations.  Using artificial intelligence and algorithms, the device integrates sensory signals to provide users with a highly immersive experience.  Their research and development goals include: AI-controlled wearable olfactory simulation devices, fabric-based haptic device for dynamic simulation of hardness and temperature, and wearable fibre-based acoustic hearing devices for continuous monitoring of human organ acoustic signals. Furthermore, the electronic textile interactive system is also one of the team’s significant research achievements.  By employing heterogeneous integration technology of microelectronic chips and fibre materials, the team has developed a new generation of high-performance, programmable electronic textiles, and has made a breakthrough by developing the world’s thinnest electronic yarn, less than 1 millimetre in diameter and washable, which can be seamlessly applied to traditional knitting and embroidery techniques.  Based on these technologies, the team has achieved numerous innovations, including full-colour programmable electronic textile displays, intelligent interaction, composite electronic yarn manufacturing processes, novel fibre-based electronic materials, and dedicated spinning equipment, creating a multimodal intelligent textile system that simultaneously interacts with human vision, hearing, and touch.  These systems not only maintain the softness and comfort of fabrics, but also offer advantages such as stain resistance, water resistance and multimodal human-machine interaction. The series of ground-breaking achievements by Prof Tao’s team fully demonstrates PolyU’s outstanding research capabilities and innovative spirit, bringing diverse applications to intelligent wearable technology and becoming a driving force in fields such as sports, healthcare, entertainment and industry.   Online coverage: Xinhua News - https://h.xinhuaxmt.com/vh512/share/12737062?docid=12737062&newstype=1001&d=1350125&channel=weixin&time=1758592082577

Revolutionising Sustainable Energy Through Catalytic Innovation

Catalysis can accelerate chemical reactions and plays a key role in producing cleaner and more economical fuels.  On 17 September 2025, Prof. WANG Yong from Washington State University, USA, delivered a PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “Catalysis: Driving Affordable Clean Energy”.  He shared insights into the potential of advanced catalytic technologies in revolutionising fuel production and reducing emissions.  The lecture attracted over 120 in-person attendees, with more than 17,900 online viewers tuning in via various social media platforms. At the beginning of his talk, Prof. Wang explained the definition of catalysis: the use of catalysts to lower the activation energy required to initiate a chemical reaction, thereby enabling reactions to proceed more rapidly and efficiently with minimal energy input.  An excellent catalyst must possess high stability to effectively facilitate the interactions among reactants to form products. Prof. Wang then introduced his team’s research achievements in the field of the Fischer-Tropsch process.  They discovered that this process, developed in the last century, can convert coal, natural gas or biomass into liquid fuels, and that its reaction rate naturally fluctuates between high and low levels.  This intriguing phenomenon may pave the way for more efficient fuel production in the future. Prof. Wang also discussed how catalytic converters in vehicle exhaust systems use metals such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium to purify emissions and reduce pollutants.  He pointed out that hydrothermal ageing techniques can be used to stabilise single-atom catalysts and enhance their catalytic activity. In summary, these studies demonstrate the immense potential of advanced catalytic technologies in revolutionising fuel production and emissions control, laying the foundation for cleaner and more efficient energy systems. The subsequent question-and-answer session was chaired by Prof. WANG Lianzhou, Chair Professor of Energy Materials in the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology.  Both in-person and online audiences engaged in fruitful exchanges and discussions with the two professors. Please click here for an online review.

Chief Designer of Chinese Lunar Exploration Programme delivers talk on development of national aerospace technology

PolyU warmly welcomed Academician WU Weiren, Chief Designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Programme, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Director and Chief Scientist of the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory and Chairman of the International Deep Space Exploration Association, who delivered a talk titled “Chasing Dreams in Space, Exploring the Cosmos” on 17 September 2025.  During the talk, he shared insights with more than 600 students, faculty, alumni and guests on the Nation’s latest developments and strategic plans for its aerospace missions.   Mr Wu is a leading expert long engaged in research and engineering practice in aerospace telemetry, tracking and communications and in systems engineering for deep space exploration. Mr Wu and his team have led various historic missions in the Chang’e Programme, making significant contributions to the Nation’s lunar and deep space exploration. They are currently advancing the construction of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a China‑initiated, multinational project.   In his talk, Mr Wu reviewed the history of global space exploration and highlighted China’s major achievements, such as the manned space programme, lunar exploration, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, and high-resolution Earth imaging satellites. He noted that China completed the three phases of lunar exploration, “orbiting”, “landing”, and “returning”, within two decades, achieving several world firsts.  The Chang’e-5 mission returned lunar samples, leading to the discovery of a new mineral, Changesite-(Y).  Mr Wu also mentioned that over 30 lunar locations now bear Chinese names, including Statio Tianhe, the Chang’e-4 landing site, breaking Western dominance in lunar naming.  Looking ahead, Mr Wu emphasised the economic and scientific potential of deep space resources, such as minerals and helium-3, and highlighted future opportunities in sectors like space-based solar power, tourism, agriculture and pharmaceuticals, which could drive economic growth and innovation.  After the talk, Mr Wu engaged in a dialogue session with PolyU students, which was moderated by Prof. WU Bo.  The audience engaged in a productive discussion with Mr Wu.   As the only university in Hong Kong to have participated in multiple national space missions, since 2010, PolyU has been participating in the Nation’s space exploration programmes and collaborating with the China Academy of Space Technology to develop and manufacture sophisticated space instruments. In recent years, PolyU has established the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE) and the “Joint Research Centre of Advanced Aerospace Propulsion Technology” in collaboration with the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology.   The RCDSE is led by Director Prof. YUNG Kai-leung, Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering, Chair Professor of Precision Engineering and Associate Head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Associate Director Prof. WU Bo, Fiona Cheung Professor in Spatial Science, Associate Head (Research) of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, both of whom have contributed to the success of the Nation’s lunar exploration missions, including Chang’e-3, Chang’e-4 and Chang’e-5, as well as the Mars exploration project Tianwen-1.     PolyU has obtained approval to borrow lunar soil samples collected by the Chang’e-6 and Chang’e-5 mission from the Lunar Sample Management Office under the China National Space Administration’s Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Centre to support a range of research projects.  At the same time, PolyU scholars are also actively engaged in national aerospace and deep space exploration initiatives, including research studies conducted on the Shijian‑19 satellite and projects to mitigate the risk of hypervelocity impacts from space debris on satellites and space stations.   Press release: https://polyu.hk/NUiRP   Online coverage: TVB - https://polyu.me/46sfBj9 Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/4mnvnls Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/4njdZiT (subscription required) Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/4gtzLxV Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/4n9ykqZ Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3KeeewZ Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/467fTNw Line Today - https://polyu.me/48kEsry

Robot metamorphosis: Prof. DAI Jiansheng of King’s College London delivers PAIR Distinguished Lecture

Metamorphosis is an innate natural attribute in the evolution and survival of species.  The development of shape-shifting robots is a core area within the field of intelligent structures.  By integrating computational intelligence, there is hope for achieving true embodied intelligence in today’s rapidly advancing world of artificial intelligence. Prof. DAI Jiansheng, Chair Professor at King’s College London, United Kingdom, Dean of Institute of Robotics, South University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), China and Chair Professor at SUSTech–KCL Joint School, shared the latest developments in robotics at the PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “Embedded Intelligence in Robotics” on 15 September 2025.  The lecture attracted over 140 in-person participants and an online audience of more than 14,900 via various social media platforms. At the beginning of his presentation, Prof. Dai introduced how his team has eliminated the need for adding components or dismantling structures, instead directly incorporating metamorphosis into robot design.  This has led to a disruptive transformation in robotic structures, fundamentally altering traditional design approaches.  Drawing inspiration from biological metamorphosis in nature and the art of origami, and combining geometry, mechanics, mathematics and kinematics, he explained how the design of shape-shifting robots is evolving towards multi-modal, multi-structural, multi-topological, and multi-degree-of-freedom structures.  This is to keep pace with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and to enhance robots’ adaptability to their operating environments and challenging tasks. Prof. Dai pointed out that metamorphosis has expanded the possibilities for robotic structural design, leading to innovative metamorphic outcomes such as novel legged robots, dexterous hands, solar arrays, metamaterials and flexible electronics.  He further noted that today’s robots combine both rigid and flexible characteristics, offering compliance and safety, and are distinguished by elastic mechanism dynamics, novel variable-stiffness mechanisms and highly integrated perception-driven systems.  In the future, robots will focus on morphological innovation and intrinsic safety, incorporating new materials, soft or continuum structures, metamorphic and biomimetic features.  This signals that, over the next decade, robotics will move into a new technological era characterised by bio-integration, living entities, high-performance living systems and hybrid life systems.  In summary, the key to the future development of robotics lies in continuous transformation and innovation. Following the presentation was a lively question-and-answer session moderated by Prof. ZHANG Dan, Chair Professor of Intelligent Robotics and Automation in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.  The audience engaged in a productive discussion with Prof. Dai. Please click here for an online review.

PolyU and Lands Department join forces to drive surveying and geospatial innovations for Hong Kong’s digital transformation

PolyU and the Lands Department of the HKSAR Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 12 September 2025 to establish a collaborative framework for advancing the development of smart survey, mapping and geospatial services that incorporate authoritative standards. Through pioneering research, providing technological training and facilitating technology enhancement, this partnership aims to accelerate the City’s transformation into smart Hong Kong.   At the signing ceremony held on the University campus, Prof. WANG Zuankai, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, and Mr CHANG Kwok-fai, Deputy Director (Survey and Mapping) of the Lands Department, signed the MoU. They were joined by Prof. CHEN Qingyan, Director of the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR); Prof. CHEN Wu, Head of the PolyU Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI); Prof. DING Xiaoli, Director of the PolyU Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS); Prof. John SHI Wenzhong, Director of the PolyU Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI); Prof. WENG Qihao, Director of the PolyU Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Geomatics (RCAIG); Mr CHU Siu-ki, Assistant Director (Survey and Mapping) of the Lands Department; and other guests to witness this noteworthy occasion.   In his welcoming address, Prof. Wang Zuankai said, “From urban planning and environmental monitoring to disaster response and resource management, spatial data and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming the way we understand and interact with our environment. We envision that, by bringing together Survey and Mapping Office (SMO)’s authoritative expertise and professional experience, with PolyU’s academic excellence, cutting-edge research and innovative drive, this MoU will strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a global smart city leader and create a legacy of innovation and prosperity for our community.”   Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Chang Kwok-fai said that the partnership combines the PolyU’s research excellence with the Lands Department’s practical experience, marking a significant step towards modernising Hong Kong’s geospatial technologies. Through the partnership, Lands Department will promote the application of innovative solutions to enhance land administration efficiency and support Hong Kong’s development as a smart city.   Under the collaborative framework, four academic and research units at PolyU—namely LSGI, RILS, SCRI and RCAIG—will join forces to collaborate with SMO in research, education and knowledge transfer, primarily focusing on interdisciplinary areas of land surveying, geographic information systems, remote sensing, smart city, AI and location-based technology.   In pursuing related initiatives, the two parties plan to establish a joint research centre, where PolyU will contribute personnel and technical resources, while SMO will offer professional and industrial insights. The centre will seek to optimise and apply a range of methods, practices and technologies related to surveying, Satellite Positioning Reference Station Network (SatRef), advanced unmanned aerial vehicles, geospatial data integration and analytics, and smart address management for enhancing efficiency and accuracy in urban planning and development of Hong Kong. In addition, PolyU and SMO will consider providing industry practitioners and relevant government staff with training on the latest surveying and geospatial technologies and practices.   Prof. Chen Qingyan highlighted the significance of PolyU’s interdisciplinary research in supporting the sustainable development of Hong Kong. He said, “Smart and sustainable cities is one of the key domains of PolyU’s interdisciplinary research. Under this theme, we combine expertise from diverse fields—spanning land surveying, geo-informatics, civil engineering, computing and AI—to pursue research innovations in spatial data analytics, system integration, infrastructure design and sensing technology. We then translate our discoveries into technologies and recommendations for adoption by industry and government, with the aim of making meaningful contributions to improving urban planning and land resource management.”   Prof. Wu Chen stressed the importance of this government-academia collaboration. He elaborated, “SMO possesses valuable datasets, regulatory frameworks and practical insights into urban challenges, while PolyU contributes cutting-edge research, technical expertise, and innovative solutions. By working together, we can bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensuring that scientific advancements are effectively translated into real-world applications. Ultimately, this collaboration will accelerate the creation of a smarter, more sustainable Hong Kong by leveraging the strengths of both sectors to address complex urban issues and improve the quality of life for citizens.”   PAIR constituent research institutes participating in the programme will leverage their unique strengths to drive smart Hong Kong development. Directors of two research institutes accentuated the significance of their areas of expertise in the collaboration. Prof. Ding Xiaoli said, “The collaboration will enable colleagues from RILS and Lands Department to work jointly on land related issues important to the sustainable development of Hong Kong”. Prof. John Shi Wenzhong added, “Land surveying is essential for future spatial data infrastructure in smart cities.”   Fostering closer ties between academia, government and industry, this collaboration will drive the development of smart Hong Kong by embracing advanced surveying and geospatial innovations, and deeply integrating robust technologies to promote the City’s sustainable development.   Press release: https://polyu.me/4mfIm8E   Online coverage: Mirage - https://polyu.me/3K1qtwO Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3VMJvtn Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/4pm4WPu etnet - https://polyu.me/46zLXtw Sina HK - https://polyu.me/3VhwHLt ifeng.com - https://polyu.me/42uOtia Guan Dian - https://polyu.me/4giAh1w East Money - https://polyu.me/4ns7A4D NetEase - https://polyu.me/48eiRkA Toutiao - https://polyu.me/463A5zU Huaue - https://polyu.me/46ltJL0

PolyU’s study reveals potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere

Prof. Nathanael JIN Ling, Member of the Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood), the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC), and Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Health Technology and Informatics, has recently published an invited review paper in One Earth by Cell Press, examining the planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere. Microplastics are a ubiquitous yet long-overlooked component of airborne particulate matter.  The surface of these plastic particles provides a unique niche for microorganisms, collectively referred to as the plastisphere.  In aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, the plastisphere harbours microbial communities with distinct compositions, structures and functional profiles, posing potential risks to planetary health.  However, the characteristics, fate and impacts of the microbiome associated with airborne microplastics remain largely unknown. In this review, the team addressed these knowledge gaps by exploring how airborne microplastics serve as key habitats for microorganisms and the potential implications for planetary health.  They demonstrated that microplastics are likely to transport and sustain microorganisms over long distances and timescales in the atmosphere, potentially dispersing pathogens, antibiotic resistance genes and other bioactive agents across ecosystems.  Such interactions may disrupt ecological processes and biological health on a planetary scale.  Prof. JIN emphasised that interdisciplinary research and innovative methodologies are urgently required to better understand and mitigate the risks associated with the airborne plastisphere. Read the full paper: https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322%2825%2900272-6