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We are pleased to present the inaugural research newsletter from the School of Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. This newsletter highlights the recent discoveries and achievements of our faculty members, which also reflect the innovative ideas and dedication to science that drive our faculty’s work. We hope this newsletter can serve as a platform for sharing ideas and fostering collaborations with researchers globally, as we collectively strive for excellence in research. New AI-enabled Model Helps Mitigate Global Ammonia Emissions from Cropland by 38% An AI model with the potential to greatly mitigate global ammonia (NH3) emission from agriculture has been developed by an international research team led by Prof. Jimmy Chi Hung FUNG, Chair Professor of Department of Mathematics. The team demonstrated how optimizing fertilizer management can effectively reduce emissions by approximately 38%. It provides valuable insights for policymakers worldwide to address the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty eradication, food security, and sustainable agriculture. Nature Volume 626, P.792–798 (2024) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07020-z New Promising Target for Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment Prof. Nancy IP, the President of HKUST and The Morningside Professor of Life Science, along with her research team, has identified VCAM1, a cell surface protein found on immune cells of the brain, as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease. This finding opens up new possibilities for developing novel therapeutics to combat this debilitating condition. Nature Aging Volume 3, P.1219–1236 (2023) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-023-00491-1 New Discovery in Quantum Advancement with Twisted Bilayer Graphene Collaborated research between HKUST and HKU, has achieved a new discovery in quantum materials. Led by Prof. Ning WANG, Chair Professor from the Department of Physics at HKUST and Prof. Zi Yang MENG from HKU, the teams have revealed the controllable nature of the nonlinear Hall effect in twisted bilayer graphene devices (left figure). By manipulating the dispersion of topological flat bands using a vertical electric field, the research demonstrated the controllability and manipulation of Berry curvature dipole moments and the nonlinear Hall effect in twisted bilayer graphene (right figure). The breakthrough paves the way for further applications in condensed matter physics, new materials, and quantum information. Phys. Rev. Lett. Volume 131, 066301 (2023) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.066301 Discovery of A New Type of Axial Chirality A research team led by Prof. Yusong GUO, Associate Professor of the Division of Life Science, revealed how TMED10, a type of transmembrane protein, regulates muscle stem cell differentiation through mediating the secretion of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2). This finding offers potential therapeutic strategies to inhibit IGF2 secretion and downregulate its signalling, which is associated with various growth disorders. PNAS Volume 120, No. 46 (2023) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2215285120 Significant Advance in Understanding of The Mechanism on How Stem Cell Niche Guides Differentiation into Functional Cells The limited understanding of how the stem cell niche guides stem cell progeny to differentiate into proper functional cell types, poses significant challenges for cell therapies. However, a team led by Prof. Ting XIE, Chair Professor of the Division of Life Science, has discovered that the niche uses gap junctions to transport the crucial secondary messengers, cAMP, into stem cell progeny to control their differentiation. This breakthrough holds immense importance for the future use of stem cells in treating various human diseases in the future. PNAS Volume 120, No. 35 (2023) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2304168120 Modelling Chiral Living Matter Unveils Insights for Designing Chirality-based Tools A research team led by Prof. Rui ZHANG and Prof. Yilong HAN from the Department of Physics, examined the intricate dynamics of Chiral Active Particles (CAPs) in 2D lattices of disk obstacles using a special class of grass seeds (left figure). They found that the movement of CAPs can be influenced by the structure of the obstacle lattice, which is absent in achiral active particles. They further discovered a directional locking effect that can be used to sort CAPs with different activities and demonstrated that parallelogram lattices of obstacles without mirror symmetry can separate clockwise and counter-clockwise CAPs. This work serves a basis for designing chirality-based tools for single-cell diagnosis and separation, and active particle-based environmental sensors. Nature Communications Volume 15, 1406 (2024) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45531-5 Efficient and Accessible Single-Molecule Platform for Detecting Various Amylin Species Associated With Type 2 Diabetes In a recent breakthrough, the team led by Prof. Jinqing HUANG, Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry, has developed an optical plasmonic tweezer-controlled Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) platform that utilizes on-and-off control of light to probe various amylin species in mixtures at the single-molecule level. This could unveil the heterogenous structures of pH-dependent amylin species, and the secrets behind amyloid aggregation mechanisms associated with type 2 diabetes. Nature Communications Volume 14, 6996 (2023) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42812-3 Key Discovery on Carboxysomes Throws New Light on Boosting Photosynthesis By studying carboxysomes purified from a type of bacteria called Prochlorococcus, the research team led by Prof. Qinglu ZENG, Associate Professor at Department of Ocean Science, identified the protein CsoS2 as key player in maintaining the structure. Their findings suggest that carboxysomes are put together from the outside in. This could help scientists redesign and repurpose the structures to pave the way for improved photosynthesis efficiency. Nature Plants Volume 10, P.661–672 (2024) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-024-01660-9 Discovery of A New Type of Axial Chirality A novel type of non-aryl atropisomerism was discovered by a research team led by Prof. Yong HUANG, Professor of Department of Chemistry. Previous studies on chiral atropisomerism have mostly focused on structures with aryl groups. Non-aryl atropisomers have received less attention due to the lack of robust rotational brakes to slowdown the rotation. Therefore, this recent advancement not only broadens the understanding of atropisomerism but also opens up new possibilities in the development of innovative materials and pharmaceuticals. Nature Chemistry Volume 16, P.132–139 (2024) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-023-01358-z Email ssci@ust.hk for feedback and questions. UNSUBSCRIBE Copyright © School of Science, HKUST All Rights Reserved.