A team led by Prof. ZHANG Li‑Sheng (Division of Life Science & Department of Chemistry, HKUST) has developed Chemical Reduction Assisted Cytosine Incorporation sequencing (CRACI) — a sensitive method that quantitatively pinpoints dihydrouridine (D), the most abundant tRNA modification at the single-base resolution.
Small chemical marks on RNA—like D—can work like fine‑tuning structural...Read More
Prof. ZHAI Yuanliang, Associate Professor in the Division of Life Science (LIFS), has been awarded the Collaborative Research Project Grant (CRPG) under the Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) 2025/26. He was awarded HKD7.96 million for the project “Molecular Mechanisms of Replisome Coupling” in collaboration with The University of Hong Kong (HKU).
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Membrane proteins are crucial for numerous biological processes and serve as important drug targets. For decades, scientists have relied on detergents to extract membrane proteins from cell membranes for structural studies. While detergent-based approaches have significantly advanced our understanding of membrane protein structures, they present certain limitations, such as...Read More
The secretory pathway in eukaryotic cells is crucial for maintaining cellular function and physiological activities, as it ensures the accurate transport of proteins to specific subcellular locations or for secretion outside the cell. A research team led by Prof. GUO Yusong from the Division of Life Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has been extensively...Read More
A landmark study conducted by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has demonstrated that a genetic variant, TREM2 H157Y, significantly increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in individuals of ethnic Chinese descent. The research reveals that this variant confers a risk level comparable to that of the strongest known genetic risk factor for AD, APOE-ε4, and is...Read More
Diffuse glioma is a type of brain tumor that can vary significantly in behavior and response to treatment. Among them, isocitrate Dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant astrocytoma represents a major subtype. These tumors are particularly aggressive and often recur after treatment. Understanding the different molecular subtypes of these tumors is crucial for improving patient management.
In a recent...Read More
Prof. Angela WU, Associate Professor in the Division of Life Science and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has been named a 2025 Schmidt Polymath, a prestigious recognition celebrating transformative research across disciplines.
This year, eight outstanding scientists and engineers from universities worldwide...Read More
Although researchers usually rely on mice for studies, grey mouse lemurs being primates, are closer to us on the evolutionary tree and provide insights into biology that truly matter to humans.
Prof. Angela WU, associate professor in the Division of Life Science and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, collaborated with other researchers to map over 226,000 single cells from 27...Read More
Professor Li-Sheng ZHANG, (Division of Life Science and Department of Chemistry, HKUST) and his research team have recently made a significant breakthrough in cancer detection by introducing a new RNA modification method called LIME-seq (Low-Input Multiple Methylation Sequencing) which has been published in Nature Biotechnology. This innovative approach focuses on analyzing circulating free...Read More
The project titled “Neuroimmune Mechanisms and Modulation in Alzheimer’s Disease led by Professor BU Guojun, Head of the Division of Life Science, has been awarded the Research Grant’s Council Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) Award (2025/26).
Project Details
This project investigates how our brain and body’s immune systems affect Alzheimer’s disease. Leveraging cutting-edge...Read More
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has revolutionized structural biology by providing high-resolution insights into cellular machinery, enabling researchers to visualize macromolecules in their native states. This transformative technique continues to drive groundbreaking discoveries in the life sciences.
The 2nd IAS Symposium on Biological Cryo-EM at HKUST (June 9-12, 2025) united around...Read More
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) secured grants for seven teams-the highest number among local institutions with two of the projects being awarded from the Division of Life Science.
Prof. LIANG Chun, Associate Professor from the Division of Life Science leads the project titled “Development of a Highly Efficacious First-in-Class Vaginal Gel Targeting DRIPs for...Read More
