KE Spotlight - Community Engagement - HKU Knowledge Exchange

HKU biomedical engineers develop new cartilage regeneration technology to grow cartilage from one's own cells for cartilage repairs

An HKU research team, led by Dr Barbara Chan, Associate Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has developed a new cartilage regeneration technology to grow cartilage tissues out of cells taken from one's body. The cells, in particular stem cells extracted from one's bone marrow, can be grown into cartilage tissues of the shape and size fit for cartilage repairs and replacements. Since the replacement parts are fully biocompatible, patients could be benefited from rapid healing without the need to harvest donor cartilage from the patients. The research team is in the process of translating the technology for use on human. The commercialization of this technology was assisted by the HKU Technology Transfer Office.

HKU Faculty of Engineering organizes the "Invention for Schools Contest"

The "Invention for Schools Contest" is organized by the Faculty of Engineering with the support of HKU Knowledge Exchange Fund. Over a hundred students from primary 2 to secondary 5 joined the competition. They are required to use credit card-sized computers to make inventions that would be useful to their schools.

HKU scientists discover a drought tolerance gene that may help plants survive global warming

In recent years, scientists have been researching how to improve drought resistance in plants, so as to enhance growth and productivity of crops in dry weather conditions. Groundbreaking technology from HKU may provide a solution to this problem on drought stress. Funded by the Wilson and Amelia Wong Endowment Fund, Professor Chye Mee Len at the HKU School of Biological Sciences and her lab members have identified a gene from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana which encodes an acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP). The gene, designated as ACBP2, can confer drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. Overexpression of ACBP2 in these transgenic lines promoted stomatal closure, reduced water loss and enhanced drought tolerance. With the assistance of the University's Technology Transfer Office, the technology has been licensed to an internationally recognized agricultural company specializing in the development of biofuel and biolubricant production crop, Camelina sativa, for potential applications in oil production and commercialization.

HKU start-up wins Red Herring's 2015 Top 100 Asia Award

Living Tissues Company Limited, one of the HKU startup companies, has been awarded the 2015 Red Herring Asia Top 100 Award. This Red Herring Top 100 Award honors companies that deliver potentially strong technology and innovation in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Many world-renowned corporations like Google, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube were once winners of this prestigious award.

Junior Chefs Master Science

A cooking competition organised by the Faculty of Science encouraged junior secondary school students to apply scientific principles in their daily lives. Dr Benny Ng of the Faculty led the SciChef Cooking Challenge, in which junior secondary school students had to select a recipe, find a way to improve it, explain the science behind their efforts to a panel of judges, and cook up the dish. Through this competition, the students learned to relate science to their daily lives.

HKU Swire Institute of Marine Science helping local oyster industry

The Hong Kong Oyster (Crassostrea hongkonggensis) is tasty and highly nutritious and has also helped to clean and enrich our deep bay waters, yet the local oyster industry is under threat. Dr V Thiyagarajan of the Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS), led a programme to get the public involved through workshops and hands-on training aimed at raising public awareness and use technology to help local growers. The programme was funded by the HKU Knowledge Exchange Fund and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

HKU WAY Project to launch Mobile Living Museum and new book on the culture of fisheries and water communities in Aberdeen

The HKU We Are With You (WAY) Project, under the Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS), will set up the first Water Community Mobile Living Museum from March 25 to 29, 2016 at the Stanley Community Hall to promote public understanding of the history of local fisheries and the water communities in the Southern District. The book talk was on Memoryscape: Aberdeen Fishermen Oral Histories, which is about fishermen's stories collected through interviews. The book’s author and project research officer Dr Wong Wai-ling moderated at the talk where fishermen shared their memories of Aberdeen, a fishing port leading to the seas where the fishermen made a living, experienced complex emotions and developed their identities.