News & Stories

Researchers at the School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have recently developed a new generation of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) for lithium-metal batteries (LMBs), that can greatly improve the safety and performance. This groundbreaking discovery can help advance the development of energy storage technologies for battery applications like electric vehicles, portable electronics, and power grids. Compared to traditional liquid electrolyte LMBs, all-solid-state LMBs offer enhanced safety and higher energy density by replacing the flammable organic solvent electrolytes with solid electrolytes and suppressing a harmful phenomenon called dendrite growths. They present a promising future for developing energy storage technologies. However, their wider adoption has been limited by low ionic conductivity and Li+ transference number at room temperature.

Three research projects led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) were awarded a total funding of HK$212.5 million by the Research Grants Council (RGC)’s Areas of Excellence (AoE) Scheme and the Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) 2024/25, the highest funding amount among all local universities. It also marks a record-high result for the University.  The three studies cover a wide array of aspects, including a frontier and human-centric AI and robotics technology for geriatric care, the development of “Hong Kong Coastal Twin” for management of extreme weather on coastlines, as well as a technological approach to enhance Hong Kong’s role in sustainable supply chains. 

Five projects from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) were among the first batch of 24 projects awarded funding under the “Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme” by the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Government. The new funding will help speed up commercialization of research discoveries that benefit the society, creating a win-win outcome among industry, academic, and research sectors. These research projects, led by professors at the HKUST School of Engineering and School of Science, cover a wide range of topics, including genome-editing, cancer tumor imaging, wastewater treatment, sensing chips, and artificial intelligence robots.  In no particular order, details of the projects:  Project 1: Genome-editing Strategy for Familial Alzheimer’s Disease Therapy

 Created by HKUST MPhil student LI Haozhen and his team with the guidance of Dr. LIANG Haobo, Associate Director of the University’s Hong Kong Center for Construction Robotics (HKCRC), the rebar tying robot is one of the University’s four Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury winners at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva held this April. The world-renowned inventions event saw the University scaling new heights with a record-breaking 36 winning projects.

A research team led by Prof. GUO Yusong, Associate Professor of the Division of Life Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), recently made a novel discovery related to the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19. The team identified new host factors that interact with the receptor binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to promote viral entry. This finding offers valuable mechanistic insights and potential therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A research team led by the School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed a liquid metal-based electronic logic device that mimics the intelligent prey-capture mechanism of Venus flytraps. Exhibiting memory and counting properties, the device can intelligently respond to various stimulus sequences without the need for additional electronic components. The intelligent strategies and logic mechanisms in the device provide a fresh perspective on understanding “intelligence” in nature and offer inspiration for the development of “embodied intelligence”.

A groundbreaking method of detecting high-frequency gravitational waves (HFGWs) has been proposed by a research team led by Prof. Tao LIU, Associate Professor from the Department of Physics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). The team's innovative approach may enable the successful detection of HFGWs by utilizing existing and technologically feasible astronomical telescopes in planetary magnetosphere, opening up new possibilities for studying the early universe and violent cosmic events in an effective and technically viable way.

An international research team led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has uncovered in a recent research project that people’s beliefs in science and religion are primarily shaped by the words of others, rather than their personal experiences. The study could help enhance public understanding of people’s belief formation in important scientific issues, such as climate change and vaccination. Conventionally, people are generally more confident about the existence of scientific phenomena, like oxygen, than religious phenomena, like God, as it is thought that people can experience oxygen, for instance, while it is harder to observe religious entities on one’s own.