新聞及香港科大故事

香港科技大學(科大)生命科學部梁子宇助理教授榮獲裘槎基金會頒發2017年度「裘槎前瞻科研大獎」，以表揚他在科研領域的卓越成就。有關奬項的科研基金提供500萬港元供五年研究之用。頒奬禮於上周四舉行，由創新及科技局局長楊偉雄先生主持。 梁教授的研究領域在於了解癌症中非編碼DNA序列的表觀遺傳控制。他的前期研究發現，若將老鼠胚胎幹細胞中的SETDB1蛋白剔除，能重新啟動原本被抑制有害的序列，導致細胞死亡。由於老鼠的胚胎幹細胞與黑色素癌瘤(皮膚癌)細胞，於分子結構上有共通點，因此研究SETDB1蛋白在黑色素癌瘤(皮膚癌)細胞內的作用和影響，可望帶出新穎的癌症治療方法。梁教授的研究亦會篩選相關的化學物質，以助發展治療癌症的藥物研究。 梁教授表示﹕「表觀遺傳修飾是利用化學的改動，於不影響DNA密碼的情況下，啟動或停止DNA轉錄，即由DNA製造蛋白質的第一個步驟。利用表觀遺傳修飾方法，能夠在不影響健康細胞的情況下，殺死特定的癌細胞，這將有助我們尋找更有效、更新穎的癌症治療方法。」 梁教授自2015年起出任科大生命科學部助理教授。他先後於倫敦大學學院及倫敦帝國學院取得人類遺傳學理學士和人類分子遺傳學碩士學位，並遠赴加拿大英屬哥倫比亞大學醫學遺傳學系深造，於Matthew Lorincz教授帶領下完成博士研究。他其後到盧德維格癌症研究所(聖地牙哥)追隨任兵教授作博士後研究。梁教授曾出任加州再生醫學研究院院士，並於2016年分別獲得美國輝瑞新興科學基金和香港研究資助局傑出青年學者奬。 「裘槎前瞻科研大獎」於2012年成立，旨在物色一批極具才華，學術成就足以在國際學術界競爭的學者，並讓這批「明日之星」在學術成就剛起步階段獲得支持，得以在科研、個人能力和專業上盡展所長，在專業領域內不斷精進，勇敢創新嘗試，推動香港的教育和科研發展、作出貢獻。 傳媒查詢:

末期腎衰竭使身體陷於衰弱狀況，當腎臟停止運作時，病人唯有接受血液透析治療（俗稱「洗腎」），過程不僅為身體帶來嚴重副作用，而且費用高昂，不是人人負擔得來。但這一切即將改變─科大生團隊研發出嶄新的血液淨化替代方案；利用「石墨烯」以減少透析治療所需的時間和成本，更提高治疗成效。 團隊的構思雖未經驗證但其理念簡單。一般透析治療會把血液中所有物質都過濾掉，但若利用表面經修整過的石墨烯，就只會截取目標雜質，重要的鹽份和萄葡糖得以保留，因此能提高病人的預期存活率，亦可大大縮短了治療時間。 研發團隊隊長田野（科技領導及創業哲學碩士生）感謝他在科大的指導教授羅正湯教授給予的意見及支援。他表示：「很多時我們有科學方面可行性的概念，卻不知如何把理念轉化成實際有用的產品。因此我們感到非常幸運，一路以來遇上那麼多有心人給予我們寶貴的意見。」 治療方案定名為「Perfusor」，其使用方法仍需進行更多的測試，但已獲不少投資者垂青，中國每年有接近二百萬的腎衰竭病人，他們對於Perfusor在國內市場的發展潛力感到樂觀。研發團隊有望在2020年將產品推出市場，這是末期腎衰竭病人值得期待的喜訊。 Perfusor是6月舉行的科大第六屆100萬元創業計劃大賽季軍得主。一年一度的科大100萬元創業計劃大賽旨在推動創業文化及發掘擁有最佳商業前景的方案，是實踐創新科技商業概念的平台。請按此了解比賽詳情。

IPO provides students with daily selected fruits in supporting of their battle in Fall term examination.

Around 50 secondary students attended "Innovate Your Future-Exploring IPO at HKUST" held on 26 November 2016 to know more about the undergraduate programs offered by Interdisciplinary Programs Office (IPO). IPO also invited Mr Ken CHENG, Associate Engineer of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited and the alumni of T&M-DDP, to share how he fulfilled his flying dream of building and flying Hong Kong's first homebuilt and locally certified aircraft.

HKUST's 24th Congregation was held on 17 & 18 November 2016. Over 100 IPO graduates from Dual Degree Program in Technology and Management (T&M-DDP), Risk Management & Business Intelligence Program (RMBI), Environmental Management and Technology Program (EVMT), MPhil/PhD Environmental Science, Policy and Management (ESPM) and MSc Environmental Science and Management (EVSM) attended the Congregation Ceremony on 17 November 2016 at the Atrium.

Dual Degree Program in Technology and Management (T&M-DDP) invited Dr. Benjamin LI, Chief Executive Officer of Lee's Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited to share his research and start-up journey of his pharmacy empire at the Executive Forum on 23 September 2016. Over 100 students joined the forum and got insight in biopharmaceutical industry.

Around 80 mentors and students attended the Risk Management and Business Intelligence Program (RMBI) Mentoring Dinner to kick-start the Mentorship Program on 25 October 2016.

We hear a lot about technological advancements like 'Smart Cities' and the 'Internet of Things', but how will they really improve our lives?  For Chris Tsui, inspired by the commitment to excellence and can-do spirit he learned while studying his Master in Engineering at HKUST, there was only one way to find out.... As a science and engineering student, Chris was always eager to find how he could contribute to improving people's quality of life. To broaden his perspective and knowledge in the field, he joined many seminars and competitions conferences and exhibitions he could find.  "I thought I needed to see what others have done, and plan to do,” he recalled. His next step was to participate in conferences and exhibitions to see how ideas such as “Smart City” and “Internet of Things (IOT)” could be put into reality.