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Why Do Plants Attack Themselves? The Secret of Genetic Conflict Revealed
<Professor Ji-Joon Song of the KAIST Department of Biological Sciences>
Plants, with their unique immune systems, sometimes launch 'autoimmune responses' by mistakenly identifying their own protein structures as pathogens. In particular, 'hybrid necrosis,' a phenomenon where descendant plants fail to grow healthily and perish after cross-breeding different varieties, has long been a difficult challenge for botanists and agricultural researchers. In response, an international research team has successfully elucidated the mechanism inducing plant autoimmune responses and proposed a novel strategy for cultivar improvement that can predict and avoid these reactions.
Professor Ji-Joon Song's research team at KAIST, in collaboration with teams from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University of Oxford, announced on the 21st of July that they have elucidated the structure and function of the 'DM3' protein complex, which triggers plant autoimmune responses, using cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) technology.
This research is drawing attention because it identifies defects in protein structure as the cause of hybrid necrosis, which occurs due to an abnormal reaction of immune receptors during cross-breeding between plant hybrids.
This protein (DM3) is originally an enzyme involved in the plant's immune response, but problems arise when the structure of the DM3 protein is damaged in a specific protein combination called 'DANGEROUS MIX (DM)'.
Notably, one variant of DM3, the 'DM3Col-0' variant, forms a stable complex with six proteins and is recognized as normal, thus not triggering an immune response. In contrast, another 'DM3Hh-0' variant has improper binding between its six proteins, causing the plant to recognize it as an 'abnormal state' and trigger an immune alarm, leading to autoimmunity.
The research team visualized this structure using atomic-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) and revealed that the immune-inducing ability is not due to the enzymatic function of the DM3 protein, but rather to 'differences in protein binding affinity.'
<Figure 1. Mechanism of Plant Autoimmunity Triggered by the Collapse of the DM3 Protein Complex>
This demonstrates that plants can initiate an immune response by recognizing not only 'external pathogens' but also 'internal protein structures' when they undergo abnormal changes, treating them as if they were pathogens.
The study shows how sensitively the plant immune system changes and triggers autoimmune responses when genes are mixed and protein structures change during the cross-breeding of different plant varieties. It significantly advanced the understanding of genetic incompatibility that can occur during natural cross-breeding and cultivar improvement processes.
Dr. Gijeong Kim, the co-first author, stated, "Through international research collaboration, we presented a new perspective on understanding the plant immune system by leveraging the autoimmune phenomenon, completing a high-quality study that encompasses structural biochemistry, genetics, and cell biological experiments."
Professor Ji-Joon Song of the KAIST Department of Biological Sciences, who led the research, said, "The fact that the immune system can detect not only external pathogens but also structural abnormalities in its own proteins will set a new standard for plant biotechnology and crop breeding strategies. Cryo-electron microscopy-based structural analysis will be an important tool for understanding the essence of gene interactions."
This research, with Professor Ji-Joon Song and Professor Eunyoung Chae of the University of Oxford as co-corresponding authors, Dr. Gijeong Kim (currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Zurich) and Dr. Wei-Lin Wan of the National University of Singapore as co-first authors, and Ph.D candidate Nayun Kim, as the second author, was published on July 17th in Molecular Cell, a sister journal of the international academic journal Cell.
This research was supported by the KAIST Grand Challenge 30 project.
Article Title: Structural determinants of DANGEROUS MIX 3, an alpha/beta hydrolase that triggers NLR-mediated genetic incompatibility in plants DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2025.06.021
2025.07.21 View 449 -
KAIST Holds '2025 KAIST Science Frontier Camp' for Multicultural Youth
<2025 KAIST Science Frontier Camp Activities>
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 18th of July that it hosted the '2025 KAIST Science Frontier Camp' for multicultural youth from the 15th for three days and two nights at the Creative Learning Building on its main campus in Daejeon.
This event was organized in accordance with the 'Multicultural Talent Nurturing Agreement' signed by KAIST and GS Caltex in 2024. It marks the first year of a mid-to-long-term project in which 100 million KRW in development funds will be contributed annually for four years. The Global Institute for Talented Education organized the camp, and approximately 30 middle school students from multicultural families affiliated with the 'Hanmaum Educational Volunteer Group' (Director, Honorary Professor Byung Kyu Choi), a mentoring and volunteer organization for multicultural students, participated.
The camp participants enjoyed developing their scientific thinking skills and problem-solving abilities, and broadening their understanding of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) career paths through a variety of science activity programs, including: △'Black Box: Record the Egg's Last Moment!' △'Find the Best Strategy! Heuristic Algorithm Challenge' △'Future Society and AI, Finding Career Directions' △'Distance Dominates the World!' and △'Career Talk Concert.'
During the opening ceremony, Director Byung Kyu Choi delivered a congratulatory speech. Additionally, Yong Hyun Kim, Dean of Admissions at KAIST, gave a special lecture titled 'La La Land KAIST – A Story of Chasing the Dream of a Young Scientist,' sharing honest stories about careers and dreams as a scientist.
Gi Jung Yoo, a freshman from the Division of Undeclared Majors who participated in the camp as a student mentor, shared that he had a very meaningful time mentoring the participating students, who are future STEM hopefuls, sharing vivid experiences as well as insights on metric functions. He added his hope that more students would be given such opportunities.
< Students Actively Taking Part in the Camp Activities>
Si Jong Kwak, Director of the Global Institute for Talented Education, stated, "We hope this will be a practical way to help students foster their interest in science, learn the joy of discussion and communication, and design their future."
KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee remarked, "This camp was a valuable opportunity for students from diverse cultural backgrounds to gain confidence through science and envision their future." He added, "KAIST will continue to dedicate efforts to nurturing multicultural talent and contribute to creating a sustainable society."
Since 2024, KAIST has introduced and selected multicultural students through its Equal Opportunity Admission track. Utilizing the development funds from GS Caltex, KAIST also established the 'GS Caltex Multicultural Excellence Scholarship Program.' Through this scholarship program, undergraduate students from multicultural families receive living expenses each semester, allowing them to focus more stably on their studies. As the number of applicants for the Equal Opportunity Admission track is increasing every year, more multicultural students are expected to benefit from scholarships in the future.
Additionally, in May, both organizations invited Ms. Si Si Wu Fong, a foreign employee at GS Caltex, to give a special lecture titled 'Working Life for Foreigners in Korea' to support foreign students' career exploration. Foreign students who attended the lecture reported positive feedback, stating that they gained practical career information and were motivated to pursue employment in STEM fields in Korea.
KAIST plans to continue strengthening its efforts to nurture multicultural talent, increase understanding of the upcoming multicultural society, and help spread social values.
<At the 2025 KAIST Science Frontier Camp>
2025.07.18 View 487 -
KAIST Successfully Implements 3D Brain-Mimicking Platform with 6x Higher Precision
<(From left) Dr. Dongjo Yoon, Professor Je-Kyun Park from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, (upper right) Professor Yoonkey Nam, Dr. Soo Jee Kim>
Existing three-dimensional (3D) neuronal culture technology has limitations in brain research due to the difficulty of precisely replicating the brain's complex multilayered structure and the lack of a platform that can simultaneously analyze both structure and function. A KAIST research team has successfully developed an integrated platform that can implement brain-like layered neuronal structures using 3D printing technology and precisely measure neuronal activity within them.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 16th of July that a joint research team led by Professors Je-Kyun Park and Yoonkey Nam from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering has developed an integrated platform capable of fabricating high-resolution 3D multilayer neuronal networks using low-viscosity natural hydrogels with mechanical properties similar to brain tissue, and simultaneously analyzing their structural and functional connectivity.
Conventional bioprinting technology uses high-viscosity bioinks for structural stability, but this limits neuronal proliferation and neurite growth. Conversely, neural cell-friendly low-viscosity hydrogels are difficult to precisely pattern, leading to a fundamental trade-off between structural stability and biological function. The research team completed a sophisticated and stable brain-mimicking platform by combining three key technologies that enable the precise creation of brain structure with dilute gels, accurate alignment between layers, and simultaneous observation of neuronal activity.
The three core technologies are: ▲ 'Capillary Pinning Effect' technology, which enables the dilute gel (hydrogel) to adhere firmly to a stainless steel mesh (micromesh) to prevent it from flowing, thereby reproducing brain structures with six times greater precision (resolution of 500 μm or less) than conventional methods; ▲ the '3D Printing Aligner,' a cylindrical design that ensures the printed layers are precisely stacked without misalignment, guaranteeing the accurate assembly of multilayer structures and stable integration with microelectrode chips; and ▲ 'Dual-mode Analysis System' technology, which simultaneously measures electrical signals from below and observes cell activity with light (calcium imaging) from above, allowing for the simultaneous verification of the functional operation of interlayer connections through multiple methods.
< Figure 1. Platform integrating brain-structure-mimicking neural network model construction and functional measurement technology>
The research team successfully implemented a three-layered mini-brain structure using 3D printing with a fibrin hydrogel, which has elastic properties similar to those of the brain, and experimentally verified the process of actual neural cells transmitting and receiving signals within it.
Cortical neurons were placed in the upper and lower layers, while the middle layer was left empty but designed to allow neurons to penetrate and connect through it. Electrical signals were measured from the lower layer using a microsensor (electrode chip), and cell activity was observed from the upper layer using light (calcium imaging). The results showed that when electrical stimulation was applied, neural cells in both upper and lower layers responded simultaneously. When a synapse-blocking agent (synaptic blocker) was introduced, the response decreased, proving that the neural cells were genuinely connected and transmitting signals.
Professor Je-Kyun Park of KAIST explained, "This research is a joint development achievement of an integrated platform that can simultaneously reproduce the complex multilayered structure and function of brain tissue. Compared to existing technologies where signal measurement was impossible for more than 14 days, this platform maintains a stable microelectrode chip interface for over 27 days, allowing the real-time analysis of structure-function relationships. It can be utilized in various brain research fields such as neurological disease modeling, brain function research, neurotoxicity assessment, and neuroprotective drug screening in the future."
The research, in which Dr. Soo Jee Kim and Dr. Dongjo Yoon from KAIST's Department of Bio and Brain Engineering participated as co-first authors, was published online in the international journal 'Biosensors and Bioelectronics' on June 11, 2025.
※Paper: Hybrid biofabrication of multilayered 3D neuronal networks with structural and functional interlayer connectivity
※DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2025.117688
2025.07.16 View 522 -
KAIST Develops Robots That React to Danger Like Humans
<(From left) Ph.D candidate See-On Park, Professor Jongwon Lee, and Professor Shinhyun Choi>
In the midst of the co-development of artificial intelligence and robotic advancements, developing technologies that enable robots to efficiently perceive and respond to their surroundings like humans has become a crucial task. In this context, Korean researchers are gaining attention for newly implementing an artificial sensory nervous system that mimics the sensory nervous system of living organisms without the need for separate complex software or circuitry. This breakthrough technology is expected to be applied in fields such as in ultra-small robots and robotic prosthetics, where intelligent and energy-efficient responses to external stimuli are essential.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on July15th that a joint research team led by Endowed Chair Professor Shinhyun Choi of the School of Electrical Engineering at KAIST and Professor Jongwon Lee of the Department of Semiconductor Convergence at Chungnam National University (President Jung Kyum Kim) developed a next-generation neuromorphic semiconductor-based artificial sensory nervous system. This system mimics the functions of a living organism's sensory nervous system, and enables a new type of robotic system that can efficiently responds to external stimuli.
In nature, animals — including humans — ignore safe or familiar stimuli and selectively react sensitively to important or dangerous ones. This selective response helps prevent unnecessary energy consumption while maintaining rapid awareness of critical signals. For instance, the sound of an air conditioner or the feel of clothing against the skin soon become familiar and are disregarded. However, if someone calls your name or a sharp object touches your skin, a rapid focus and response occur. These behaviors are regulated by the 'habituation' and 'sensitization' functions in the sensory nervous system. Attempts have been consistently made to apply these sensory nervous system functions of living organisms in order to create robots that efficiently respond to external environments like humans.
However, implementing complex neural characteristics such as habituation and sensitization in robots has faced difficulties in miniaturization and energy efficiency due to the need for separate software or complex circuitry. In particular, there have been attempts to utilize memristors, a neuromorphic semiconductor. A memristor is a next-generation electrical device, which has been widely utilized as an artificial synapse due to its ability to store analog value in the form of device resistance. However, existing memristors had limitations in mimicking the complex characteristics of the nervous system because they only allowed simple monotonic changes in conductivity.
To overcome these limitations, the research team developed a new memristor capable of reproducing complex neural response patterns such as habituation and sensitization within a single device. By introducing additional layer inside the memristor that alter conductivity in opposite directions, the device can more realistically emulate the dynamic synaptic behaviors of a real nervous system — for example, decreasing its response to repeated safe stimuli but quickly regaining sensitivity when a danger signal is detected.
<New memristor mimicking functions of sensory nervous system such as habituation/sensitization>
Using this new memristor, the research team built an artificial sensory nervous system capable of recognizing touch and pain, an applied it to a robotic hand to test its performance. When safe tactile stimuli were repeatedly applied, the robot hand, which initially reacted sensitively to unfamiliar tactile stimuli, gradually showed habituation characteristics by ignoring the stimuli. Later, when stimuli were applied along with an electric shock, it recognized this as a danger signal and showed sensitization characteristics by reacting sensitively again. Through this, it was experimentally proven that robots can efficiently respond to stimuli like humans without separate complex software or processors, verifying the possibility of developing energy-efficient neuro-inspired robots.
<Robot arm with memristor-based artificial sensory nervous system>
See-On Park, researcher at KAIST, stated, "By mimicking the human sensory nervous system with next-generation semiconductors, we have opened up the possibility of implementing a new concept of robots that are smarter and more energy-efficient in responding to external environments." He added, "This technology is expected to be utilized in various fusion fields of next-generation semiconductors and robotics, such as ultra-small robots, military robots, and medical robots like robotic prosthetics".
This research was published online on July 1st in the international journal 'Nature Communications,' with Ph.D candidate See-On Park as the first author.
Paper Title: Experimental demonstration of third-order memristor-based artificial sensory nervous system for neuro-inspired robotics
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60818-x
This research was supported by the Korea National Research Foundation's Next-Generation Intelligent Semiconductor Technology Development Project, the Mid-Career Researcher Program, the PIM Artificial Intelligence Semiconductor Core Technology Development Project, the Excellent New Researcher Program, and the Nano Convergence Technology Division, National Nanofab Center's (NNFC) Nano-Medical Device Project.
2025.07.16 View 685 -
A KAIST Team Engineers a Microbial Platform for Efficient Lutein Production
<(From Left) Ph.D. Candidate Hyunmin Eun, Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee, , Dr. Cindy Pricilia Surya Prabowo>
The application of systems metabolic engineering strategies, along with the construction of an electron channeling system, has enabled the first gram-per-liter scale production of lutein from Corynebacterium glutamicum, providing a viable alternative to plant-derived lutein production.
A research group at KAIST has successfully engineered a microbial strain capable of producing lutein at industrially relevant levels. The team, led by Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, developed a novel C. glutamicum strain using systems metabolic engineering strategies to overcome the limitations of previous microbial lutein production efforts. This research is expected to be beneficial for the efficient production of other industrially important natural products used in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
Lutein is a xanthophyll carotenoid found in egg yolk, fruits, and vegetables, known for its role in protecting our eyes from oxidative stress and reducing the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. Currently, commercial lutein is predominantly extracted from marigold flowers; however, this approach has several drawbacks, including long cultivation times, high labor costs, and inefficient extraction yields, making it economically unfeasible for large-scale production. These challenges have driven the demand for alternative production methods.
To address these issues, KAIST researchers, including Ph.D. Candidate Hyunmin Eun, Dr. Cindy Pricilia Surya Prabowo, and Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee, applied systems metabolic engineering strategies to engineer C. glutamicum, a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) microorganism widely used in industrial fermentation. Unlike Escherichia coli, which was previously explored for microbial lutein production, C. glutamicum lacks endotoxins, making it a safer and more viable option for food and pharmaceutical applications.
The team’s work, entitled “Gram-per-litre scale production of lutein by engineered Corynebacterium,” was published in Nature Synthesis on 04 July , 2025.
This research details the high-level production of lutein using glucose as a renewable carbon source via systems metabolic engineering. The team focused on eliminating metabolic bottlenecks that previously limited microbial lutein synthesis. By employing enzyme scaffold-based electron channeling strategies, the researchers improved metabolic flux towards lutein biosynthesis while minimizing unwanted byproducts.
<Lutein production metabolic pathway engineering>
To enhance productivity, bottleneck enzymes within the metabolic pathway were identified and optimized. It was determined that electron-requiring cytochrome P450 enzymes played a major role in limiting lutein biosynthesis. To overcome this limitation, an electron channeling strategy was implemented, where engineered cytochrome P450 enzymes and their reductase partners were spatially organized on synthetic scaffolds, allowing more efficient electron transfer and significantly increasing lutein production.
The engineered C. glutamicum strain was further optimized in fed-batch fermentation, achieving a record-breaking 1.78 g/L of lutein production within 54 hours, with a content of 19.51 mg/gDCW and a productivity of 32.88 mg/L/h—the highest lutein production performance in any host reported to date. This milestone demonstrates the feasibility of replacing plant-based lutein extraction with microbial fermentation technology.
“We can anticipate that this microbial cell factory-based mass production of lutein will be able to replace the current plant extraction-based process,” said Ph.D. Candidate Hyunmin Eun. He emphasized that the integrated metabolic engineering strategies developed in this study could be broadly applied for the efficient production of other valuable natural products used in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.
<Schematic diagram of microbial-based lutein production platform>
“As maintaining good health in an aging society becomes increasingly important, we expect that the technology and strategies developed here will play pivotal roles in producing other medically and nutritionally significant natural products,” added Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee.
This work is supported by the Development of Next-generation Biorefinery Platform Technologies for Leading Bio-based Chemicals Industry project 2022M3J5A1056072 and the Development of Platform Technologies of Microbial Cell Factories for the Next-Generation Biorefineries project 2022M3J5A1056117 from the National Research Foundation supported by the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT.
Source:
Hyunmin Eun (1st), Cindy Pricilia Surya Prabowo (co-1st), and Sang Yup Lee (Corresponding). “Gram-per-litre scale production of lutein by engineered Corynebacterium”. Nature Synthesis (Online published)
For further information:
Sang Yup Lee, Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST (leesy@kaist.ac.kr, Tel: +82-42-350-3930)
2025.07.14 View 1127 -
KAIST Develops Novel Candidiasis Treatment Overcoming Side Effects and Resistance
<(From left) Ph. D Candidate Ju Yeon Chung, Prof.Hyun Jung Chung, Ph.D candidate Seungju Yang, Ph.D candidate Ayoung Park, Dr. Yoon-Kyoung Hong from Asan Medical Center, Prof. Yong Pil Chong, Dr. Eunhee Jeon>
Candida, a type of fungus, which can spread throughout the body via the bloodstream, leading to organ damage and sepsis. Recently, the incidence of candidiasis has surged due to the increase in immunosuppressive therapies, medical implants, and transplantation. Korean researchers have successfully developed a next-generation treatment that, unlike existing antifungals, selectively acts only on Candida, achieving both high therapeutic efficacy and low side effects simultaneously.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 8th that a research team led by Professor Hyun-Jung Chung of the Department of Biological Sciences, in collaboration with Professor Yong Pil Jeong's team at Asan Medical Center, developed a gene-based nanotherapy (FTNx) that simultaneously inhibits two key enzymes in the Candida cell wall.
Current antifungal drugs for Candida have low target selectivity, which can affect human cells. Furthermore, their therapeutic efficacy is gradually decreasing due to the emergence of new resistant strains. Especially for immunocompromised patients, the infection progresses rapidly and has a poor prognosis, making the development of new treatments to overcome the limitations of existing therapies urgent.
The developed treatment can be administered systemically, and by combining gene suppression technology with nanomaterial technology, it effectively overcomes the structural limitations of existing compound-based drugs and successfully achieves selective treatment against only Candida.
The research team created a gold nanoparticle-based complex loaded with short DNA fragments called antisense oligonucleotides (ASO), which simultaneously target two crucial enzymes—β-1,3-glucan synthase (FKS1) and chitin synthase (CHS3)—important for forming the cell wall of the Candida fungus.
By applying a surface coating technology that binds to a specific glycolipid structure (a structure combining sugar and fat) on the Candida cell wall, a targeted delivery device was implemented. This successfully achieved a precise targeting effect, ensuring the complex is not delivered to human cells at all but acts selectively only on Candida.
<Figure 1: Overview of antifungal therapy design and experimental approach>
This complex, after entering Candida cells, cleaves the mRNA produced by the FKS1 and CHS3 genes, thereby inhibiting translation and simultaneously blocking the synthesis of cell wall components β-1,3-glucan and chitin. As a result, the
Candida cell wall loses its structural stability and collapses, suppressing bacterial survival and proliferation.
In fact, experiments using a systemic candidiasis model in mice confirmed the therapeutic effect: a significant reduction in
Candida count in the organs, normalization of immune responses, and a notable increase in survival rates were observed in the treated group.
Professor Hyun-Jung Chung, who led the research, stated, "This study presents a method to overcome the issues of human toxicity and drug resistance spread with existing treatments, marking an important turning point by demonstrating the applicability of gene therapy for systemic infections". She added, "We plan to continue research on optimizing administration methods and verifying toxicity for future clinical application."
This research involved Ju Yeon Chung and Yoon-Kyoung Hong as co-first authors , and was published in the international journal 'Nature Communications' on July 1st.
Paper Title: Effective treatment of systemic candidiasis by synergistic targeting of cell wall synthesis
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60684-7
This research was supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
2025.07.08 View 661 -
KAIST Uses AI to Discover Optimal New Material for Removing Radioactive Iodine Contamination
<(From the Right) Professor Ho Jin Ryu, Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, Dr. Sujeong Lee, a graduate of the KAIST Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Dr. Juhwan Noh of KRICT’s Digital Chemistry Research Center>
Managing radioactive waste is one of the core challenges in the use of nuclear energy. In particular, radioactive iodine poses serious environmental and health risks due to its long half-life (15.7 million years in the case of I-129), high mobility, and toxicity to living organisms. A Korean research team has successfully used artificial intelligence to discover a new material that can remove iodine for nuclear environmental remediation. The team plans to push forward with commercialization through various industry-academia collaborations, from iodine-adsorbing powders to contaminated water treatment filters.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 2of July that Professor Ho Jin Ryu's research team from the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, in collaboration with Dr. Juhwan Noh of the Digital Chemistry Research Center at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT, President Young Kook Lee), which operates under the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST, Chairman Youngsik Kim), developed a technique using AI to discover new materials that effectively remove radioactive iodine contaminants.
Recent studies show that radioactive iodine primarily exists in aqueous environments in the form of iodate (IO₃⁻). However, existing silver-based adsorbents have weak chemical adsorption strength for iodate, making them inefficient. Therefore, it is imperative to develop new adsorbent materials that can effectively remove iodate.
Professor Ho Jin Ryu’s team used a machine learning-based experimental strategy to identify optimal iodate adsorbents among compounds called Layered Double Hydroxides (LDHs), which contain various metal elements.
The multi-metal LDH developed in this study – Cu₃(CrFeAl), based on copper, chromium, iron, and aluminum—showed exceptional adsorption performance, removing over 90% of iodate. This achievement was made possible by efficiently exploring a vast compositional space using AI-driven active learning, which would be difficult to search through conventional trial-and-error experiments.
<Picture2. Concept of Developed AI-Based Technology for Exploring New Materials for Radioactive Contamination Removal>
The research team focused on the fact that LDHs, like high-entropy materials, can incorporate a wide range of metal compositions and possess structures favorable for anion adsorption. However, due to the overwhelming number of possible metal combinations in multi-metal LDHs, identifying the optimal composition through traditional experimental methods has been nearly impossible.
To overcome this, the team employed AI (machine learning). Starting with experimental data from 24 binary and 96 ternary LDH compositions, they expanded their search to include quaternary and quinary candidates. As a result, they were able to discover the optimal material for iodate removal by testing only 16% of the total candidate materials.
Professor Ho Jin Ryu stated, “This study shows the potential of using artificial intelligence to efficiently identify radioactive decontamination materials from a vast pool of new material candidates, which is expected to accelerate research for developing new materials for nuclear environmental cleanup.”
The research team has filed a domestic patent application for the developed powder technology and is currently proceeding with an international patent application. They plan to enhance the material’s performance under various conditions and pursue commercialization through industry-academia cooperation in the development of filters for treating contaminated water.
Dr. Sujeong Lee, a graduate of the KAIST Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Dr. Juhwan Noh of KRICT’s Digital Chemistry Research Center, participated as the co-first authors of the study. The results were published online on May 26 in the internationally renowned environmental publication Journal of Hazardous Materials.
※ Paper title: Discovery of multi-metal-layered double hydroxides for decontamination of iodate by machine learning-assisted experiments ※ DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.138735
This research was supported by the Nuclear Energy Research Infrastructure Program and the Nano-Materials Technology Development Program funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
2025.07.03 View 1306 -
KAIST Enhances Immunotherapy for Difficult-to-Treat Brain Tumors with Gut Microbiota
< Photo 1.(From left) Prof. Heung Kyu Lee, Department of Biological Sciences,
and Dr. Hyeon Cheol Kim>
Advanced treatments, known as immunotherapies that activate T cells—our body's immune cells—to eliminate cancer cells, have shown limited efficacy as standalone therapies for glioblastoma, the most lethal form of brain tumor. This is due to their minimal response to glioblastoma and high resistance to treatment.
Now, a KAIST research team has now demonstrated a new therapeutic strategy that can enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy for brain tumors by utilizing gut microbes and their metabolites. This also opens up possibilities for developing microbiome-based immunotherapy supplements in the future.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on July 1 that a research team led by Professor Heung Kyu Lee of the Department of Biological Sciences discovered and demonstrated a method to significantly improve the efficiency of glioblastoma immunotherapy by focusing on changes in the gut microbial ecosystem.
The research team noted that as glioblastoma progresses, the concentration of ‘tryptophan’, an important amino acid in the gut, sharply decreases, leading to changes in the gut microbial ecosystem. They discovered that by supplementing tryptophan to restore microbial diversity, specific beneficial strains activate CD8 T cells (a type of immune cell) and induce their infiltration into tumor tissues. Through a mouse model of glioblastoma, the research team confirmed that tryptophan supplementation enhanced the response of cancer-attacking T cells (especially CD8 T cells), leading to their increased migration to tumor sites such as lymph nodes and the brain.
In this process, they also revealed that ‘Duncaniella dubosii’, a beneficial commensal bacterium present in the gut, plays a crucial role. This bacterium helped T cells effectively redistribute within the body, and survival rates significantly improved when used in combination with immunotherapy (anti-PD-1).
Furthermore, it was demonstrated that even when this commensal bacterium was administered alone to germ-free mice (mice without any commensal microbes), the survival rate for glioblastoma increased. This is because the bacterium utilizes tryptophan to regulate the gut environment, and the metabolites produced in this process strengthen the ability of CD8 T cells to attack cancer cells.
Professor Heung Kyu Lee explained, "This research is a meaningful achievement, showing that even in intractable brain tumors where immune checkpoint inhibitors had no effect, a combined strategy utilizing gut microbes can significantly enhance treatment response."
Dr. Hyeon Cheol Kim of KAIST (currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Biological Sciences) participated as the first author. The research findings were published online in Cell Reports, an international journal in the life sciences, on June 26.
This research was conducted as part of the Basic Research Program and Bio & Medical Technology Development Program supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
※Paper Title: Gut microbiota dysbiosis induced by brain tumor modulates the efficacy of immunotherapy
※DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115825
2025.07.02 View 1368 -
2025 KAIST Global Entrepreneurship Summer School Concludes Successfully in Silicon Valley
< A group photo taken at the 2025 GESS Special Lecture.Vice President So Young Kim from the International Office, VC Jay Eum from GFT Ventures, Professor Byungchae Jin from the Impact MBA Program at the Business School, and Research Assistant Professor Sooa Lee from the Office of Global Initiative>
The “2025 KAIST Global Entrepreneurship Summer School (2025 KAIST GESS),” organized by the Office of Global Initiative of the KAIST International Office (Vice President So Young Kim), successfully concluded. Now in its fourth year, the program was designed to provide KAIST students with firsthand experience of the world’s leading startup ecosystem in Silicon Valley, USA, and to strengthen their practical capabilities to take on challenges on the global stage.
This year’s 2025 KAIST GESS welcomed approximately 40 participants, including 24 undergraduate and graduate students selected through document screening, interviews, team presentations, mentoring, and peer evaluations, as well as 16 Impact MBA students from the College of Business. The selected undergraduate and graduate participants underwent two months of pre-program training and received mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs to refine their business models and elevate their project ideas. Meanwhile, Impact MBA students joined the Silicon Valley program onsite, attending key lectures and networking sessions to broaden their understanding of the global startup ecosystem.
From June 22nd, participants spent seven days in Silicon Valley completing the global entrepreneurship curriculum. The program was operated in cooperation with major organizations including the KOTRA Silicon Valley IT Center, Korea-US AI Semiconductor Innovation Center (K-ASIC), and Plug and Play Tech Center. Local experts delivered lectures on topics such as “Startup Culture,” “Learning from Failures” and “Networks and Capital.”
Participants also had the opportunity to visit startups led by KAIST alumni and local entrepreneurs, gaining valuable insights from firsthand stories about global entrepreneurship. Companies visited included Medic Life Sciences (CEO Kyuho Han) and ImpriMed (CEO Sungwon Lim). Through these visits, participants received practical advice on market entry strategies and overcoming challenges in the global arena.
As part of their first onsite schedule, KAIST students attended an interactive fireside chat titled “Global Entrepreneurship and AI,” where they engaged in in-depth discussions on the future of AI-driven global startups. The session featured three distinguished speakers: Jay Kim, Head of US Business Development at Hyper Accel; Chandra Shekhar Dhir, AI/ML Director at JPMorgan Chase’s Machine Learning Center of Excellence; and Taesu Kim, co-founder of AI voice synthesis startup Neosapience and KAIST alumnus. Taesu Kim shared, “Facing serious health issues made me reflect on my life, and after recovering, I wanted to pursue something that could create a real impact on society, which led me to start my own company.” He also advised students to “take time at important turning points in life to deeply think about what you truly want to do and how you can contribute to society.
In line with the core value of ‘paying it forward’—a fundamental principle of global entrepreneurship learned in Silicon Valley—GESS participants engaged in a community service project titled “Let’s Play with AI+Tech,” organized in collaboration with the Sunnyvale community and Foothill College. Leveraging their strong foundation in AI, KAIST students designed and led a hands-on ‘Doodle AI’ educational program to make foundational AI concepts accessible and engaging for underrepresented local elementary school children and their parents, fostering meaningful community interaction.
On the final day of the 2025 KAIST GESS, a pitch competition was held with participation from Silicon Valley venture capitalists and accelerators. Participants presented their business models, developed over the two-month program, to a panel of judges. The winning team was eaureco, and Si Li Sara Aow (Civil and Environmental Engineering) shared, “GESS was a valuable opportunity to test and hone practical entrepreneurship skills beyond mere networking.” She added, “At first, I lacked confidence, but challenging myself to pitch in the final presentation gave me the courage to take one step closer to global entrepreneurship. Pitching in Silicon Valley, the heart of global startups, was an invaluable experience that will shape my path as a global entrepreneur.”
The program concluded with a special lecture by Jay Eum, a seasoned Silicon Valley venture capitalist and a judging panel member for GESS over the past three years. He shared key insights on startup success from an investor’s perspective, advising, “The journey of entrepreneurship is never easy, but the sooner you start, the better.” He further encouraged participants to “focus on solving problems in local markets, but do not fear challenging global markets,” inspiring them with courage and actionable advice.
So Young Kim, Director of the KAIST Office of Global Initiative, said, “We hope the 2025 KAIST GESS serves as a stepping stone for KAIST students to grow into influential entrepreneurs on the global stage,” adding, “This program is also expected to further enhance KAIST’s international reputation.”
Byungchae Jin, Faculty Chair of the KAIST Impact MBA, College of Business, highlighted the program's educational benefits, stating, “Engaging directly with local entrepreneurs and gaining practical experience in Silicon Valley's startup environment provide students with hands-on learning and significant inspiration.”
The 2025 KAIST GESS was jointly hosted by the KAIST Office of Global Initiative, Impact MBA, and Startup KAIST. Moving forward, KAIST plans to continue expanding its field-based global entrepreneurship education by linking with key global hubs like Silicon Valley, fostering next-generation global leaders who will lead innovation and challenge the status quo.
2025.07.01 View 1352 -
KAIST Invites World-Renowned Scholars, Elevating Global Competitiveness
< Photo 1. (From left) Professor John Rogers, Professor Gregg Rothermel, Dr. Sang H. Choi >
KAIST announced on June 27th that it has appointed three world-renowned scholars, including Professor John A. Rogers of Northwestern University, USA, as Invited Distinguished Professors in key departments such as Materials Science and Engineering.
Professor John A. Rogers (Northwestern University, USA) will be working with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering from July 2025 to June 2028 with Professor Gregg Rothermel (North Carolina State University, USA) working with the School of Computing from August 2025 to July 2026, and Dr. Sang H. Choi (NASA Langley Research Center, USA) with the Department of Aerospace Engineering from May 2025 to April 2028.
Professor John A. Rogers, a person of global authority in the field of bio-integrated electronics, has been leading advanced convergence technologies such as flexible electronics, smart skin, and implantable sensors. His significant impact on academia and industry is evident through over 900 papers published in top-tier academic journals like Science, Nature, and Cell, and he comes in an H-index of 240*. His research group, the Rogers Research Group at Northwestern University, focuses on "Science that brings Solutions to Society," encompassing areas such as bio-integrated microsystems and unconventional nanofabrication techniques. He is the founding Director of the Querrey-Simpson Institute of Bioelectronics at Northwestern University.
* H-index 240: An H-index is a measurement used to assess the research productivity and impact of an individual authors. H-index 240 means that 240 or more papers have been cited at least 240 times each, indicating a significant impact and the presumable status as a world-class scholar.
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering plans to further enhance its research capabilities in next-generation bio-implantable materials and wearable devices and boost its global competitiveness through the invitation of Professor Rogers. In particular, it aims to create strong research synergies by linking with the development of bio-convergence interface materials, a core task of the Leading Research Center (ERC, total research budget of 13.5 billion KRW over 7 years) led by Professor Kun-Jae Lee.
Professor Gregg Rothermel, a world-renowned scholar in software engineering, was ranked second among the top 50 global researchers by Communications of the ACM. For over 30 years, he has conducted practical research to improve software reliability and quality. He has achieved influential research outcomes through collaborations with global companies such as Boeing, Microsoft, and Lockheed Martin. Dr. Rothermel's research at North Carolina State University focuses on software engineering and program analysis, with significant contributions through initiatives like the ESQuaReD Laboratory and the Software-Artifact Infrastructure Repository (SIR).
The School of Computing plans to strengthen its research capabilities in software engineering and conduct collaborative research on software design and testing to enhance the reliability and safety of AI-based software systems through the invitation of Professor Gregg Rothermel. In particular, he is expected to participate in the Big Data Edge-Cloud Service Research Center (ITRC, total research budget of 6.7 billion KRW over 8 years) led by Professor In-Young Ko of the School of Computing, and the Research on Improving Complex Mobility Safety (SafetyOps, Digital Columbus Project, total research budget of 3.5 billion KRW over 8 years), contributing to resolving uncertainties in machine learning-based AI software and advancing technology.
Dr. Sang H. Choi, a global expert in space exploration and energy harvesting, has worked at NASA Langley Research Center for over 40 years, authoring over 200 papers and reports, holding 45 patents, and receiving 71 awards from NASA. In 2022, he was inducted into the 'Inventors Hall of Fame' as part of NASA's Technology Transfer Program. This is a rare honor, recognizing researchers who have contributed to the private sector dissemination of space exploration technology, with only 35 individuals worldwide selected to date. Dr. Choi's extensive work at NASA includes research on advanced electronic and energetic materials, satellite sensors, and various nano-technologies.
Dr. Choi plans to collaborate with Associate Professor Hyun-Jung Kim (former NASA Research Scientist, 2009-2024), who joined the Department of Aerospace Engineering in September of 2024, to lead the development of core technologies for lunar exploration (energy sources, sensing, in-situ resource utilization ISRU).
KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee stated, "It is very meaningful to be able to invite these world-class scholars. Through these appointments, KAIST will further strengthen its global competitiveness in research in the fields of advanced convergence technology such as bio-convergence electronics, AI software engineering, and space exploration, securing our position as the leader of global innovations."
2025.06.27 View 2191 -
New and Highly Efficient Recycling Technology to Turn Used Tires into Raw Materials for Rubber and Nylon
< (From left) Kyungmin Choi (MS-Ph.D. integrated course, Department of Chemistry), Dr. Beomsoon Park, Professor Soon Hyeok Hong, Dr. Kyoungil Cho >
Approximately 1.5 billions of tires are discarded globally every year, and this is identified as one of the major causes of serious environmental pollution. The research team at the Department of Chemistry at KAIST has achieved a breakthrough by selectively converting waste tires into high-purity cyclic alkenes, valuable chemical building blocks used in the production of rubber and nylon fibers. This advance marks a new milestone in chemical recycling technology for waste tires.
The team, led by Professor Soon Hyeok Hong, has developed a dual-catalyst-based reaction system that overcomes the long-standing challenges associated with recycling vulcanized rubber materials.
Tires are composed of complex blends of synthetic and natural rubber, and their physical strength and durability are reinforced with additives such as silica, carbon black, and antioxidants. In particular, cross-linking between rubber chains is formed through the vulcanization process, giving them a structure resistant to heat and pressure, which is one of the main reasons why chemical recycling of waste tires is difficult.
Until now, waste tire recycling has mainly relied on pyrolysis or mechanical recycling methods. The pyrolysis method is a technology that decomposes polymer chains at high temperatures of 350-800°C to convert them into fuel oil, but it clearly has limitations such as high energy consumption, low selectivity, and the production of low-quality hydrocarbon mixtures.
To solve these problems, the research team developed a method to convert waste rubber into useful chemicals using dual catalysis. The first catalyst helps to break down rubber molecules by changing their bonding structure, and the second catalyst creates cyclic compounds through a ring-closing reaction.
This process shows high selectivity of up to 92% and a yield of 82%. The produced cyclopentene can be recycled into rubber, and cyclohexene can be used as a raw material for nylon fibers, making them industrially very valuable.
The research team successfully applied the developed system to discarded waste tires, achieving selective conversion into high-purity cyclic alkenes. Unlike the existing pyrolysis method, this is evaluated as a new turning point in the field of waste tire recycling as it can produce high-value chemicals through low-temperature precision catalytic reactions.
In addition, this catalytic platform is compatible with a wide range of synthetic and waste rubbers, positioning it as a promising foundation for scalable, circular solutions in the polymer and materials industries.
< Figure 1. Development of a Catalytic Method for Chemical Recycling of Waste Rubber >
Professor Hong stated, "This research offers an innovative solution for the chemical recycling of waste tires. We aim to develop next-generation high-efficiency catalysts and lay the groundwork for commercialization to enhance economic feasibility. Ultimately, our goal is to contribute to solving the broader waste plastic problem through fundamental chemistry."
This research, in which Beomsoon Park, Kyoungil Cho, and Kyungmin Choi participated, was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and was published online in the internationally renowned academic journal ‘Chem’ on June 18th.
※Paper Title: Catalytic and Selective Chemical Recycling of Post-Consumer Rubbers into Cycloalkenes
※DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2025.102625
2025.06.26 View 2419 -
Military Combatants Usher in an Era of Personalized Training with New Materials
< Photo 1. (From left) Professor Steve Park of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyusoon Pak, Ph.D. Candidate (Army Major) >
Traditional military training often relies on standardized methods, which has limited the provision of optimized training tailored to individual combatants' characteristics or specific combat situations. To address this, our research team developed an e-textile platform, securing core technology that can reflect the unique traits of individual combatants and various combat scenarios. This technology has proven robust enough for battlefield use and is economical enough for widespread distribution to a large number of troops.
On June 25th, Professor Steve Park's research team at KAIST's Department of Materials Science and Engineering announced the development of a flexible, wearable electronic textile (E-textile) platform using an innovative technology that 'draws' electronic circuits directly onto fabric.
The wearable e-textile platform developed by the research team combines 3D printing technology with new materials engineering design to directly print flexible and highly durable sensors and electrodes onto textile substrates. This enables the collection of precise movement and human body data from individual combatants, which can then be used to propose customized training models.
Existing e-textile fabrication methods were often complex or limited in their ability to provide personalized customization. To overcome these challenges, the research team adopted an additive manufacturing technology called 'Direct Ink Writing (DIW)' 3D printing.
< Figure 1. Schematic diagram of e-textile manufactured with Direct Ink Writing (DIW) printing technology on various textiles, including combat uniforms >
This technology involves directly dispensing and printing special ink, which functions as sensors and electrodes, onto textile substrates in desired patterns. This allows for flexible implementation of various designs without the complex process of mask fabrication. This is expected to be an effective technology that can be easily supplied to hundreds of thousands of military personnel.
The core of this technology lies in the development of high-performance functional inks based on advanced materials engineering design. The research team combined styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) polymer, which provides flexibility, with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) for electrical conductivity. They developed a tensile/bending sensor ink that can stretch up to 102% and maintain stable performance even after 10,000 repetitive tests. This means that accurate data can be consistently obtained even during the strenuous movements of combatants.
< Figure 2. Measurement of human movement and breathing patterns using e-textile >
Furthermore, new material technology was applied to implement 'interconnect electrodes' that electrically connect the upper and lower layers of the fabric. The team developed an electrode ink combining silver (Ag) flakes with rigid polystyrene (PS) polymer, precisely controlling the impregnation level (how much the ink penetrates the fabric) to effectively connect both sides or multiple layers of the fabric. This secures the technology for producing multi-layered wearable electronic systems integrating sensors and electrodes.
< Figure 3. Experimental results of recognizing unknown objects after machine learning six objects using a smart glove >
The research team proved the platform's performance through actual human movement monitoring experiments. They printed the developed e-textile on major joint areas of clothing (shoulders, elbows, knees) and measured movements and posture changes during various exercises such as running, jumping jacks, and push-ups in real-time.
Additionally, they demonstrated the potential for applications such as monitoring breathing patterns using a smart mask and recognizing objects through machine learning and perceiving complex tactile information by printing multiple sensors and electrodes on gloves. These results show that the developed e-textile platform is effective in precisely understanding the movement dynamics of combatants.
This research is an important example demonstrating how cutting-edge new material technology can contribute to the advancement of the defense sector. Major Kyusoon Pak of the Army, who participated in this research, considered required objectives such as military applicability and economic feasibility for practical distribution from the research design stage.
< Figure 4. Experimental results showing that a multi-layered e-textile glove connected with interconnect electrodes can measure tensile/bending signals and pressure signals at a single point >
Major Pak stated, "Our military is currently facing both a crisis and an opportunity due to the decrease in military personnel resources caused by the demographic cliff and the advancement of science and technology. Also, respect for life in the battlefield is emerging as a significant issue. This research aims to secure original technology that can provide customized training according to military branch/duty and type of combat, thereby enhancing the combat power and ensuring the survivability of our soldiers."
He added, "I hope this research will be evaluated as a case that achieved both scientific contribution and military applicability."
This research, where Kyusoon Pak, Ph.D. Candidate (Army Major) from KAIST's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, participated as the first author and Professor Steve Park supervised, was published on May 27, 2025, in `npj Flexible Electronics (top 1.8% in JCR field)', an international academic journal in the electrical, electronic, and materials engineering fields.
* Paper Title: Fabrication of Multifunctional Wearable Interconnect E-textile Platform Using Direct Ink Writing (DIW) 3D Printing
* DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00414-7
This research was supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
2025.06.25 View 2012