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Research Stories

The ant highlighted above is Gesomyrmex howardi, a rare known arboreal ant from the Oriental subtropics; photo courtesy: François BRASSARD.

HKU Initiates Global Ant Census, At Least Twenty Quadrillion Ants Dominate The Global Ecosystems

An example of a large, impact crater-hosted lake on Mars (a) and a small, permafrost-hosted lake on Mars.

HKU geologist proposes the number of ancient Martian lakes might has been dramatically underestimated by scientists

Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko reevesii) on a tree in its habitat. Credits to Yik-Hei SUNG.

Ecologists find evidence that pet and medicine trades bring tokay geckos from across Asia into Hong Kong, impacting resident gecko populations and highlighting local and global conservation needs

Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, a type of brown marbled grouper which is listed as vulnerable and decreasing according to The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) were detected in the study.

Discovery of the oldest visible planetary Nebula hosted by a 500 million year old Galactic cluster – a rare beauty with a hot blue heart

Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, a type of brown marbled grouper which is listed as vulnerable and decreasing according to The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) were detected in the study.

HKU marine scientists unveil sea urchin's secret to surviving marine heatwaves

Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, a type of brown marbled grouper which is listed as vulnerable and decreasing according to The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) were detected in the study.

HKU Laboratory for Space Research put a positive spin on the Buckyball ‘C60’: Its potential for high level ionisation and as the origin for some of the Mysterious Unidentified Infrared Emission Bands seen in the Universe

Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, a type of brown marbled grouper which is listed as vulnerable and decreasing according to The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) were detected in the study.

HKU physicists found signatures of highly entangled quantum matter

Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, a type of brown marbled grouper which is listed as vulnerable and decreasing according to The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) were detected in the study.

HKU Conservation Forensics Lab develops novel environmental DNA monitoring method for identifying rare and endangered fish species sold in Hong Kong wet markets

The research discovers that Wnt/-catenin signalling in metastatic cells upregulates the expression of cancer cells metadherin and communicates with macrophages through CEACAM1. Image modified from original illustration of Adv. Sci. (Weinh) 2022; e2103230.

HKU Biologists Reveal a Novel Macrophages-mediated Mechanism that Promotes Peritoneal Metastasis of Ovarian Cancer, Providing Important Insights into Its Therapeutic Strategy

Illustration of a New Protective Factor found in the Liver of Obese Mouse against Excessive Lipid Accumulation

HKU Biologists Find a New Protective Factor against Excessive Lipid Accumulation in the Liver of Obese Mouse Providing a Potential Treatment for Fatty Liver Disease

Illustration of silver to re-sensitise colistin against pathogen carrying mcr gene in vitro and in vivo

New Uses of Old Drugs: Silver Nitrate with More Than 2,000 Years Antimicrobial History Can Re-sensitise the Last-line Antimicrobial Colistin in Combination Therapy against Superbugs

Illustration of silver to re-sensitise colistin against pathogen carrying mcr gene in vitro and in vivo

Rapid evolution fuels transcriptional plasticity in fish species to cope with ocean acidification

Roles of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in skeletal muscle metabolism. Image credit: Ms Wing Suen CHAN

An HKU biologist-led team of international plant scientists reveals how guard cell chloroplasts obtain energy

Illustration of silver to re-sensitise colistin against pathogen carrying mcr gene in vitro and in vivo

HKU Earth Scientists simulated the future: restored forests in the tropics survive climate change, prioritisation and targeting is the key to success

Illustration of silver to re-sensitise colistin against pathogen carrying mcr gene in vitro and in vivo

HKU physicists make a stride closer in the quest for quantum materials through better measurement of quantum entanglement

Roles of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in skeletal muscle metabolism. Image credit: Ms Wing Suen CHAN

HKU scientists reveal orally administrated bismuth drug together with N-acetyl cysteine As a potential broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus cocktail therapy

Roles of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in skeletal muscle metabolism. Image credit: Ms Wing Suen CHAN

HKU scientists discover activation mechanisms in soybean for adaptation to saline soil in hope of improving agriculture productivity

Roles of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in skeletal muscle metabolism. Image credit: Ms Wing Suen CHAN

HKU biologists reveal how obesity damages the skeletal muscle metabolism, a naturally occurring flavone is identified as a potential drug for obesity treatment

Photo courtesy and copyright of Jacopo BRUNETTI (www.cabosharkdive.com).

HKU Paleontologists discovered shallow-marine ecosystem collapse and recovery during a historical hyperthermal event

Left: Laser-stimulated fluorescence imaging of a pterosaur fossil reveals flight-related soft tissues. Image credit: Michael Pittman. (Right) Late Jurassic pterodactyloid pterosaur in flight. Image credit: Alex BOERSMA & PNAS.

Muscular Wing-Body Junction Improved Pterosaur Flight Performance

Image credit: Upper panel: Nucleic Acids Research, Lower panel: by Lin Zhongyang.

HKU Biologists build a megabase-sized chromosome from scratch, further exploring the potential of worm artificial chromosomes to improve gene therapy

Coral bleaching caused by marine heatwaves threatens not only the corals but also the species which rely on them for habitat. Photo: Dr Sylvain Agostini, Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba.

A new method for predicting the response of ecosystems to marine heatwaves developed by international collaboration

The singlet fission process in pentacene dimer.

HKU theoretical chemists develop a breakthrough quantum chemistry technique for illuminating new opportunities towards computational design and optimisation of organic photofunctional materials

Figure 1. Moiré pattern in twisted bilayer graphene. The twisted angle θ=4.41o and there are 676 Carbon atoms in a moiré unit cell. Image credit: Dr Bin-Bin CHEN

HKU Physicists demystify the magic: A bona fide topological Mott insulator discovered in twisted bilayer graphene model

The best estimated average position of SN 1181 is given by a blue cross surrounded by a blue error circle of radius 5 degrees.

An explosive Cosmic Chinese Conundrum - a hot detective story from a very cold case: HKU astrophysicists solve a 900-year-old mystery giving an ancient Chinese guest star of AD 1181 a place to stay and rest

The novel chemical synthetic carbohydrate conjugate vaccine successfully defeats the infection of drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

HKU and CityU made a breakthrough in vaccination development against lethal bacteria, providing new opportunity for treating resistant A. baumannii infection

Bacterial curli promotes the aggregation of α-synuclein through cross-seeding, which leads to mitochondrial stress and neurodegeneration.

HKU biologists identified bacterial proteins that promote neurodegeneration, shedding light on new ways to prevent or slow down neurodegenerative diseases

CubeSats serve as a bridge between proximate remote sensing measurements of phenocam and drone surveys, and MODIS satellite measurements. Figure credit: Dr Shengbiao WU and Miss Yingyi ZHAO

HKU environmental scientists solve key observational issues in new generation of satellites, transforming the way to track fine-scale changes of our planet from space

The linked Weyl surfaces can be viewed in different three-dimensional subspaces, in the form of a point enclosed by a sphere, two linked lines, or two points separated by an infinite plane. Figure credit: Dr Shaojie Ma.

HKU Physicists and collaborators co-observe a higher-dimensional topological state with metamaterials

Ants are social insect. They invest important efforts and energy in building nests and raising brood, making them almost sessile like plants. Photo credit: Insect Biodiversity and Biogeography Laboratory.

HKU Ecologists study the buffering effects of forests on climate change impacts on insect communities, revealing the importance of forest regeneration

An image taken by the Curiosity Rover MastCam instrument shows layered sedimentary rocks composing Mount Sharp. The rover has been driving from the floor of Gale crater up through the rocks within these hills in order to understand how the rocks

HKU geologists discover that the NASA rover has been exploring surface sediments, not lake deposits for last eight years

An example of deep-sea soft sediment ecosystem. Photo credit: NOAA OER and Ocean Exploration Trust; A. Thurber camera loan. Courtesy of Lisa Levin.

HKU Ecologist applied a novel statistical method to analysing causal inference and revealed importance of climate change in controlling deep-sea biodiversity

Mangrove forests worldwide host invertebrate assemblages with low functional diversity. Photo credit: Stefano Cannicci

Marine ecologists reveal mangroves might be threatened by low functional diversity of invertebrates

Reconstruction of the early fossil beaked bird Confuciusornis. The beak of Confuciusornis was previously studied by this team (see note 1) and found to have strength similar to birds eating plants or insects. Image credit: Gabriel Ugueto.

HKU Team Paves the Way for Learning what Ancient Birds Ate

Cartoon depicting the overall pathway involved in MRGPRX2 mediated monocyte recruitment and differentiation. P17 activation of MRGPRX2, but not IgE receptor in mast cells resulting in cytokine releases (MCP-1, MIP1-α, GM-CSF and M-CSF) and subsequent mono

HKU biologists identify and demonstrate a naturally abundant venom peptide from ants that activates a previously unknown pseudo allergic pathway, unravelling a novel immunomodulatory pathway of MRGPRX2

A New Holland honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) feeding on Wilson’s grevillea (Grevillea wilsonii), a favorite honeyeater food endemic to Western Australia. Photograph by Gerald Allen (Macaulay Library 271643651).

HKU Ecologists develop a novel forensic tool detecting laundering of critically endangered cockatoos

A New Holland honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) feeding on Wilson’s grevillea (Grevillea wilsonii), a favorite honeyeater food endemic to Western Australia. Photograph by Gerald Allen (Macaulay Library 271643651).

Songbirds like it sweet! A research co-developed by HKU Evolutionary Biologist found that Songbird ancestors evolved a new way to taste sugar

The research team discovers that silver (Ag)-based antimicrobials can effectively combat antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

HKU scientists reveal silver-based antimicrobials can be utilised as antibiotic adjuvants to combat antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus

From the left: Mr Chengkang ZHOU, Dr Zi Yang MENG and Dr Zheng YAN from the Research Division for Physics and Astronomy, HKU Science.

HKU first-year physics PhD student obtained the Higgs mode via dimensional crossover in quantum magnets which reveals importance of dimensions in many-body systems

KSD179019 is a novel small molecule which can be developed into an antihypertensive drug to address the continually expanding hypertensive population

Developing a novel therapeutic molecule into an anti-hypertensive drug

Smoke from human-caused wildfires on the Patagonian steppe are trapped in Antarctic ice. Photo Credit: Kathy Kasic/Brett Kuxhausen, Montana State University

A fiery past sheds new light on the future of global climate change, ice core samples reveal significant smoke aerosols in the pre-industrial Southern Hemisphere

Photo of Common triplefin, Forsterygion lapillum, from New Zealand. Photo credit: Sean D. Connell

International joint research reveals how fish adapt to ocean acidification by modifying gene expression

The research team at HKU.

HKU researchers identify promising new biologics for obesity-related diseases

Top participants of the legal wildlife trade in the last 20 years

Research co-led by HKU and Lingnan ecologists reveals that wealth inequality is key driver of global wildlife trade

Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Zheng YAN(on the left) and Associate Professor Dr Zi Yang MENG, from the HKU Research Division for Physics have invented a new algorithm that could solve a large class of important constrained quantum material models.

HKU physicists developed a new algorithm solving a long standing problem in constrained quantum material models

The ADdis-Cys ‘camera’ can simultaneously identify a protein's interacting partners and pinpoint their binding regions

Seeing the unseen: HKU scientists develop a new chemical tool that sheds light on how proteins recognise and interact with each other

What do the Galapagos Islands have in common with ponds in Finland? They are both laboratories, where scientists like HKU’s Professor Juha Merila, can observe evolution in action

What do the Galapagos Islands have in common with ponds in Finland? They are both laboratories, where scientists like HKU’s Professor Juha Merila, can observe evolution in action

Research reveals that the sediment of Hong Kong’s Tolo Harbour contains Antibiotic Resistant Genes

Research reveals that the sediment of Hong Kong’s Tolo Harbour contains Antibiotic Resistant Genes

Name an Ant initiative - HKU taxonomist brings attention to biodiversity loss by sharing with the public the excitement of discovering new life

Name an Ant initiative - HKU taxonomist brings attention to biodiversity loss by sharing with the public the excitement of discovering new life

Legal wildlife trade – ten times bigger than the illegal trade, and doing massive damage to biodiversity

Legal wildlife trade – ten times bigger than the illegal trade, and doing massive damage to biodiversity

Metamaterials, with artificially engineered unit cells, provide a powerful means for controlling the propagation of light and are useful for various applications ranging from imaging to information processing.

HKU chemists resolve a long-standing challenging problem on Metal-Metal interaction, the first team to prove that strong M-M’ Pauli repulsion leads to repulsive metallophilicity

Metamaterials, with artificially engineered unit cells, provide a powerful means for controlling the propagation of light and are useful for various applications ranging from imaging to information processing.

Faculty of Science receives funding of over HK$38 Million from Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) 2020/21 of University Grants Committee

Metamaterials, with artificially engineered unit cells, provide a powerful means for controlling the propagation of light and are useful for various applications ranging from imaging to information processing.

HKU-led Physics research team receives funding of over HK$80 Million from Areas of Excellence Scheme, set to uncover emerging technologies of 2D materials to revolutionize electronics, optoelectronics and photonics

Metamaterials, with artificially engineered unit cells, provide a powerful means for controlling the propagation of light and are useful for various applications ranging from imaging to information processing.

HKU Physicist participated in cross-institutional Areas of Excellence project on meta-materials and meta-devices

Metamaterials, with artificially engineered unit cells, provide a powerful means for controlling the propagation of light and are useful for various applications ranging from imaging to information processing.

Research co-led by Professor Hongzhe SUN from Research Division for Chemistry awarded the Local Top Ten innovation and technology news in 2020

A basking Okada's five-lined skink (Plestiodon latiscutatus) on Hachijo-Kojima. Image credit: Masami Hasegawa.

Four decades of research on Japanese Izu Islands finds rising lizard temperatures may change predator-prey relationship with snakes

Dr Zi Yang Meng achieved accurate model calculations of a topological KT phase for TMGO by performing computation on the Supercomputers Tianhe 1 and Tianhe 2.

Confirming simulated calculations with experiment results, new paradigm on quantum material research reveals topological KT phase of TMGO for the first time

Remanents of feather sheaths on the wings of the fossil bird Archaeopteryx, shows the earliest evidence of a complex moulting strategy. The white arrows indicate the feather sheaths. Scale bar is 1 cm. Image credit: Kaye et al. 2020.

Research reveals earliest record of flight-related moulting found in 150-million-year-old bird Archaeopteryx providing insights into the evolution of moulting strategies

Study reveals bat-winged dinosaurs had short-lived gliding abilities

New study finds seabird response to abrupt climate change 5,000 years ago transformed sub-Antarctic island ecosystems

Study reveals bat-winged dinosaurs had short-lived gliding abilities

Study reveals bat-winged dinosaurs had short-lived gliding abilities

strange metals

HKU physicist joins international effort to unveil the behaviour of “strange metals”

Bird beak revealed by HKU-codeveloped laser imaging Informs early beak form, function, and development

Bird beak revealed by HKU-codeveloped laser imaging Informs early beak form, function, and development

A joint team of astronomers including a member of HKU’s Laboratory for Space Research, captured stellar winds in unprecedented detail

A joint team of astronomers including a member of HKU’s Laboratory for Space Research, captured stellar winds in unprecedented detail

Member of HKU’s Laboratory for Space Research Co-discovers the first planet found around white dwarf star

Member of HKU’s Laboratory for Space Research Co-discovers the first planet found around white dwarf star

study of early birds

Landmark HKU-led volume on past progress and new frontiers in the study of early birds and their close relative

Most close relatives of birds neared the potential for powered flight but few crossed its thresholds

Most close relatives of birds neared the potential for powered flight but few crossed its thresholds

A new idea on how Earth’s outer shell first broke into tectonic plates

“Breaking” news! A new idea on how Earth’s outer shell first broke into tectonic plates

Revisiting energy flow in photosynthetic plant cells

Revisiting energy flow in photosynthetic plant cells

Spin texture and vortex in quantum magnet TMGO when the material is inside the topological KT phase.

Quantum Material research connecting physicists in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai Facilitates discovery of better materials that benefit our society

The five test marine organisms used in this study

An unexpected heat shock to neurons: HKU scientists and collaborators uncovered a new mechanism for balancing protein stability during neuronal development

The five test marine organisms used in this study

HKU marine ecologists reveal larvicidal oil for mosquito control threatens coastal marine life and pollutes sea environment

Giant clam Tridacna maxima

Metagenomics reveals distinct microbiotypes in the giant clams Tridacna maxima

Coral Favites

HKU study unlocks the secret of corals’ tolerance to climate change: their diet

reef fishes

HKU marine biologist and international team unveil impacts of heatwave on reef fishes

wallace line

HKU earth scientist redrew global map of land life, achieving a unique research quadruple by landing first/correspondence author papers in the frontline journals of four of the Burlington House's learned societies.

dolphins

HKU scientists find high concentrations of toxic phenyltin compounds in local Chinese white dolphins and finless porpoises confirming their biomagnification through marine food chains

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A team of international mangrove forest experts suggesting optimistic cause for global mangrove conservation

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HKU marine ecologists and international team unveils the historical impacts of development on coral reef loss in the South China Sea, suggesting possible coral restoration in Hong Kong

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HKU marine ecologist and international team identifies areas of top priority for deepsea monitoring and conservation through a survey of world’s leading deep-sea scientists

HKU scientists develop a deep learning approach to predict disease-associated mutations of the metal-binding sites

HKU plant scientists identify new strategy to enhance rice grain yield

HKU astronomy research team unveils one origin of globular clusters around giant galaxies

What colour were fossil animals? HKU palaeontologists evaluate fossil colour reconstruction methods to propose new study framework

iamge

Smash and Grab: A heavyweight stellar champion for dying stars

iamge

HKU earth scientists discovered century-scale deep-water circulation dynamics in the North Atlantic Ocean throughout the last 20,000 years

HKU biologists discover cell division requires a balanced level of non-coding RNA for chromosome stability

Monte Carlo study led by HKU physicist reveals the parent state of quantum phases

Dr Benoit Guenard

Thirteen new ant species discovered in Hong Kong

ancient bird

Ancient birds out of the egg running

prof yam and team

HKU chemists develop a new class of robust gold(III) complexes with promising device lifetimes and tunable emission colours for vacuum-deposited OLEDs

The pterosaur studied has four different feather types

HKU fossil imaging helps push back feather origins by 70 million years

HKU study finds that ocean circulation in the North Atlantic is at its weakest since the past 1,500 years

Planet discovered orbiting the second closest stellar system to the Earth

HKU Chemists develop the first-in-class YEATS inhibitors that show promise for leukemia treatment

An HKU-led team of international plant scientists reveal how chloroplasts maintain energy efficiency

paleontologists

HKU paleontologists discover evolutions of tropical deep-water ecosystem and environment affected by high-latitude climate

paleontologists

International team discovers an inside-out nebula surrounds a ‘born-again’ star, shedding light on the late-stage evolution of the Sun

paleontologists

HKU Laboratory for Space Research involved in international collaboration facilitating the discovery of an isolated Millisecond Pulsar with FAST

paleontologists

HKU marine scientists unveil how climate change relates to coral bleaching

paleontologists

HKU scientist makes key discoveries in the search for life on Mars

topographic map of Mars

HKU geologist’s discovery of early earth-like seafloor deposits on Mars could provide clues to life’s origins

paleontologists

HKU and Kyoto U reveal a new strategy to enhance the efficiency of cereal straw for biofuel production

paleontologists

The “Hong Kong population” of Chinese white dolphins re-defined: The latest HKU study clarifies how many dolphins there are in Hong Kong waters

paleontologists

Major breakthrough in knowledge of dinosaur appearance - HKU palaeontologist reconstructs feathered dinosaurs in the flesh with new technology