Campus/People
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Dr.Sung-Chul Shin Inaugurated as the 16th President of KAIST
(President Shin delivers his inaugural address at the inauguration ceremony on March 15.)
Professor Sung-Chul Shin was officially inaugurated as its 16th president of KAIST on March 15 in a ceremony at the KAIST Auditorium.
The celebration began with a procession by dignitaries including the KAIST Board of Trustees Chairman Jang-Moo Lee, the National Academy of Sciences of Korea President Sook-Il Kwun, Daejeon City Mayor Sun-Taik Kwon, National Assemblyman Sangmin Lee, KAIST Alumni Association President Jungsik Koh. Academic leaders, foreign envoys, faculty, students, and staff members of KAIST joined the ceremony.
In his inaugural speech, President Shin presented a new vision for KAIST to become a global value creator in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He said that KAIST has played a pivotal role in the nation’s industrialization and information revolution over the past half century and, with the advent of the new industry paradigm, KAIST should be now responsible for being a new value creator, not only serving the nation but pursuing global betterment. “KAIST should be a global hub of new knowledge and technology creation,” he emphasized.
Envisioning a “Global Value-Creative World-Leading University,” President Shin aims for KAIST to be an institution which can create global value as an innovative global leading research university. To realize this vision, he pledged to continue innovation in five areas of education, research & development, technology commercialization, globalization of the campus, and future strategy for the university and the nation.
In the educational innovation, he emphasized multidisciplinary studies, team work, and leadership training for students. To this end, KAIST will expand the non-departmental courses toward entire 4-year course while concurrently operating the existing system of declaring a major in students’ second year. KAIST will offer mandatory courses in humanities, social sciences, and arts and most classes will be run by team-based learning and group research activities. “KAIST Global Leadership Center” will support students to develop the qualities required for collaboration and the global leaderships.
With respect to the research innovation, President Shin said KAIST will establish “Convergence Research Matrix” system to foster strategic research groups for interdisciplinary and convergence collaboration across a wide range of divisions and departments. “Based on the CRMS, we will identify 10 flagship future-oriented convergence research areas for KAIST to truly claim its reputation as a world-leading research university,” he said. He added he will also introduce the “Collaborative Research Lab” system to better retain the academic successes without interruption, and to improve the continuity of research. “We will strive to organize teams of professors in diverse age groups to work together in mutually complementary fields,” he added.
In terms of technological commercialization, he hopes that KAIST to be a role model. He said he will make every effort to establish a resilient R&DB environment with ideas, technologies, and entrepreneurship. KAIST will rev up a new university-industry cooperation, fully sponsoring the creation of “Technology in-Kind Investment Companies.”
KAIST will continue to take initiative for globalization. He said KAIST will create an ‘English-Only Zone’ at the campus, saying that his ultimate goal is to create Korean-English bilingual campus. He also asked the foreign community to make their effort to learn Korean and Korean culture while staying at KAIST, in an effort to embrace diversity at the campus. He plans to increase the ratio of foreign faculty from nine percent to 15 percent, while doubling the current foreign student enrollment ratio of five percent.
As for the future strategy for the university and the nation, he will soon finalize the long-term strategic plan of “Vision 2031” that will lay out a roadmap for KAIST future direction toward its 60th anniversary. KAIST will also play a fundamental role in shaping national policies and strategies for science and technology by operating think-tank groups that consist of KAIST beyond disciplines. These think-tanks will design detailed development plans for KAIST as well as for national strategies for the advancement of science and technology.
He said that such institutional innovation will not be completed without the support, dedication, and passion of all KAIST members, adding that he will strive to serve them with 3Cs (Change, Communication, and Care).
For the full text of President Shin’s inaugural address, please click.
2017.03.15 View 9264 -
6 Subjects of KAIST Ranked in the Top 20 in the World
Six disciplines of KAIST have emerged among the top 20 in the world. The 2017 QS World University Rankings by Subject rated Materials Science at KAIST 13th in the global ranking. Other subjects ranked within top 20 include Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (15th), Civil and Environmental Engineering (15th), Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (15th), Electrical Engineering (17th), and Chemistry (18th). This year, two more disciplines advanced into the top 20 from four in 2016.
QS ranked KAIST as the top science and technology research university in Korea. KAIST earned the highest global rankings among Korean universities in the following seven areas: Materials Science and Engineering (13th), Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (15th), Civil and Environmental Engineering (15th), Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (15th), Electrical Engineering (17th), Chemistry (18th), and the School of Computing (33th). In addition, two more disciplines of Physics (44th) and Mathematical Sciences (47th) were ranked second among domestic universities.
The London-based university ranking by Quacquarelli Symonds, Ltd. announced the global university ranking by 46 subjects on March 8. QS rankings are based on academic reputation, employer reputation, the number of research citations, and research accomplishment index (H-index).
2017.03.09 View 4483 -
13 KAIST Faculty Named as Inaugural Members of Y-KAST
The Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) launched the Young Korean Academy of Science and Technology (Y-KAST) and selected 73 scientists as its inaugural members on February 24. Among them, 13 KAIST faculty were recognized as the inaugural members of Y-KAST.
Y-KAIST, made up of distinguished mid-career scientists under the age of 45, will take the leading role in international collaboration as well as innovative agenda-making in science and technology.
The inaugural members include Professor Hyotcherl Ihee of the Department of Chemistry and Dr. Sung-Jin Oh of the Center for Mathematical Challenges at the Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS), affiliated with KAIST. Professor Ihee is gaining wide acclaim in the fields of physics and chemistry, and in 2016, Dr. Oh was the youngest ever awardee of the Presidential Award of Young Scientist.
The other Y-KAIST members are as follows: Professors Haeshin Lee of the Department of Chemistry; Mi Young Kim, Byung-Kwan Cho, and Ji-Joon Song of the Department of Biological Sciences; Song-Yong Kim of the Department of Mechanical Engineering; Sang-il Oum of the Department of Mathematical Sciences; Jung Kyoon Choi of the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering; Seokwoo Jeon, Sang Ouk Kim, and Il-Doo Kim of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Jang Wook Choi of the Graduate School of EEWS (Energy, Environment, Water and Sustainability); and Jeong Ho Lee of the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering.
The leading countries of the Academy of Science, which include Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Canada, and Japan, have established the Young Academy of Science since 2010 in order to encourage the research activities of their young scientists and to establish a global platform for collaborative research projects through their active networking at home and abroad.
President Myung-Chul Lee of KAST said, “We will spare no effort to connect these outstanding mid-career researchers for their future collaboration. Their networking will make significant impacts toward their own research activities as well as the global stature of Korea’s science and technology R&D.
(Photo caption: Members of Y-KAST pose at the inaugural ceremony of Y-KAST on February 24.)
2017.03.02 View 15344 -
Welcoming the 2017 Freshmen
President Sung-Chul Shin welcomed 756 new undergraduates for 2017 during the Freshmen Convocation on February 27, urging them to be adamant in challenging themselves to become global leaders during the next four years and beyond at KAIST. Family, friends, faculty, and staff members cheered them on at the ceremony in the auditorium. The KAIST orchestra and chorus also celebrated the freshmen’s new start.
President Shin encouraged students to become global leaders by deepening their knowledge of basic studies as well as broadening their interdisciplinary spectrum while studying at KAIST.
“In the era of Industry 4.0, new discoveries will be made in interdisciplinary studies. Thus, I ask you to study humanities and social studies very diligently, the basis of creative research and development to broaden your knowledge spectrum. Conventionally, the science and technology fields are dominated by left-sided brains working while the humanities and social sciences are influenced by the right brain. KAIST will soon provide a new curriculum of full-brain teaching which will actively stimulate both sides of the brain. Such a new track will help students fully exercise their ingenuity, especially in comprehending the newest trends of science and technology,” he said.
He added, “Korea stands as one of seven most innovative nations with significant growth potential and the world is paying attention to us. You are the top 0.3 percent of science and technology talents in the nation who will be the leaders of our future. Thus, we plan to establish the Global Leadership Center in order to train our students to be outstanding leaders through their qualifications, manner, and mindset.”
He also cited communication skills as a critical aspect that every student, especially those majoring in science and technology, should focus on. “Communication is a critical tool for any scientist and leader. Students should study and learn how to better present themselves and deliver what they think more effectively and persuasively to others in the hyper-connected, horizontal society of the future. In particular, English communication skills are very crucial for engaging in leadership roles on the global stage.”
Finally, President Shin asked students to manage their time well in order to accomplish their goals. “Your future will be determined by what dreams you dream in college and how you prepare for it. I hope that your days at KAIST will be a time of diligent preparation for your ambitious dreams,” he added.
For full context of his speech, please click.
(Photo caption: President Shin makes a welcoming address at the 2017 Freshmen Convocation (above) and freshmen representatives present the oath of freshmen to President Shin.)
2017.02.28 View 3514 -
Prof. Woo Chang Kim Is Appointed as Managing Editor of Quantitative Finance
Professor Woo Chang Kim of the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department has been elected as the Managing Editor of Quantitative Finance.
Founded in 2001, Quantitative Finance has been an internationally-acclaimed peer-reviewed journal in the field of financial engineering, along with Mathematical Finance.
This is the first time for a Korean researcher to be named for the editorial board, which consists of eminent scholars from around the world, including four Nobel laureates.
Professor Kim’s expertise lies in financial optimization, portfolio management, and asset liability management. In recent years, he has focused his research on robo-advisors in the area of FinTech, and for this contribution, he was appointed as managing editor.
Professor Kim also served as an editor, deputy editor, and a member of the editorial boards for various journals, including the Journal of Portfolio Management and Optimization and Engineering. Currently, he serves as a member of the Korean National Pension Fund’s Electoral Commission, an adviser to Samsung Asset Management Co., Ltd., and the director of the KAIST Asset Management for Future Technology Research Center that was opened in October 2016.
2017.02.23 View 7396 -
A KAIST Alumnus Receives the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships
Dr. Je-Kyung Ryu, a graduate of the Physics Department at KAIST in 2014, received the 2017 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship.
Established in 1996, the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships support young scientists in or outside Europe to help them grow as independent researchers. The recipients are recognized to have the highest potential to make a difference in science and technology and work on research and innovation.
Dr. Ryu is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Cees Dekker Lab in the Department of Bionanoscience at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Netherlands.
He was among six international researchers at TU Delft who were awarded this research grant.
The grant of 177,000 euros will be offered for two years from March 2017 to February 2019 to cover his salary and research expenses.
For a news article published by TU Delft on the award, please click below:
QN and BN Successfully Attract Young Scientific Talent
February 1, 2017
2017.02.22 View 6216 -
Dr. Sung-Chul Shin Selected 16th President of KAIST
(President Sung-Chul Shin)
The KAIST Board of Trustees elected Professor Sung-Chul Shin of the Department of Physics the 16th president of KAIST on February 21. Professor Shin succeeds President Sung-Mo Kang whose four-year term will end on February 23. He is the first KAIST alumnus to serve as its president.
The Board of Trustees announced, “We believe that Professor Shin’s scientific achievement, outstanding leadership, and clear vision will serve KAIST faculty, students, and staff very well. He will be the best person to help KAIST leap forward in the four years ahead.”
The newly-elected president said, “I am humbled and honored to have been elected to lead such a prestigious institute of Korea. Aiming to be one of the top ten global universities, KAIST will continue to innovate its systems.” Previously, Dr. Shin led the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) for six years as president since 2011.
Professor Shin joined the KAIST faculty in 1989. He graduated from Seoul National University and then earned his MS degree in condensed matter physics at KAIST in 1977. After earning his Ph.D. in material physics at Northwestern University in 1984, he worked at Eastman Kodak Research Labs as a senior research scientist for five years.
Before heading to DGIST, President Shin held key administrative positions at KAIST from the early 1990s including dean of planning, dean of the international office, and vice-dean of student affairs. During President Robert Laughlin’s tenure, the first foreign president at KAIST, he served as vice-president for two years from 2004. He also served on the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology of the Korean government as vice chairperson from 2015 to 2016.
A renowned scholar in the field of nanoscience, President Shin’s research focuses on the artificial synthesis and characterization of nonmagnetic materials, magnetic anisotropy, and magneto-optical phenomena. He leads the Laboratory for Nanospinics of Spintronic Materials at KAIST and has published in 290 journals while holding 37 patents.
A fellow in the American Physical Society (APS) since 2008, he was the president of the Korean Physical Society from 2011 to 2012. He has been on the editorial board of J. Magnetism and Magnetic Materials from 2009 and was the first Korean recipient of the Asian Union of Magnetics Societies (AUMS) Award, which recognizes outstanding scientists in the field of magnetics.
President Shin envisions making KAIST’s research and education more competitive through continuing innovation. His innovation efforts will extend to the five key areas of education, research, technology commercialization, globalization, and future planning.
Among his priorities, he emphasizes multidisciplinary studies and leadership training for students. He plans to focus on undeclared major courses for undergraduates to help them expand their experience and exposure to diverse disciplines. This approach will help create well-rounded engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs by enabling them to develop skills while leveraging a strong connection to the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
To better respond to Industry 4.0, which calls for convergence studies and collaborative work, he proposed establishing a ‘Convergence Innovation System’ by strategically selecting 10 flagship convergence research groups. In order to accelerate the technology commercialization and ecosystem of start-ups, he will strengthen entrepreneurship education, making it a prerequisite requirement for students. President Shin said he will spare no effort to incubate and spin-off ventures in which KAIST technology is being transferred. For globalization efforts, he plans to increase the ratio of foreign faculty from 9 percent to 15 percent, while doubling the current foreign student enrollment ratio of 5 percent. For future strategic innovation, he will implement a long-term innovation strategic plan dubbed ‘Vision 2031.’
2017.02.22 View 9333 -
The 2016 Research Highlights
KAIST has selected the ten most outstanding projects of 2016 conducted by its faculty and researchers. This selection embodies the KAIST research portfolios that translate their discoveries into meaningful and measurable impact toward a better world. All of them demonstrate exceptional creativity, which open new research paths for each field in its novelty, innovation, and impact.
The following list has been reviewed by a committee of faculty peers headed by Associate Vice President for Research. Following are the 2016 KAIST research highlights:
□ Commercialization of 3D Holographic Microscopy
By YongKeun Park of the Department of Physics
Professor YongKeun Park and his colleagues develop a powerful technique to measure 3D images of live cells without labeling agents. This technique, called 3D holographic microscopy or holotomography, will open a new avenue for the study of cell biology and its applications in medical diagnosis. This research also led to the founding of a start-up company Tomocube Inc. and the successful commercialization of the technique.
Professor Park and his research team developed a solution based on digital holography technology used to visualize 3D refractive index tomograms of live cells without staining. This allowed the real-time observation of biological cells in 2D, 3D, and 4D without the use of labeling agents. Conventional techniques for 3D cell imaging requires the use of labeling agents such as fluorescence dyes and proteins, which prevent from investigating the physiology of intact untreated cells. In particular, label-free imaging capability becomes more important in several emerging fields such as stem cell research and immunotherapy.
The team employs the concept of 3D digital holography to achieve the optical measurements of 3D refractive index tomograms of live cells and tissues. Also, a digital micromirror device (DMD), which has been used for DLPTM projectors, was utilized to steer a laser beam for 3D measurements.
Tomocube, founded from seed money funded by the EndRun Project of the Institute for Startup KAIST, succeeded in the commercialization of the 3D holographic microscopy and established an international distribution network in more than ten countries. It now has started exporting the product to several countries. The microscopes are being used in several leading research institutes including MIT, German Cancer Center, Pittsburg Medical Center, and Seoul National University Hospital Selected as one of the top ten mechanical technologies of 2016 by the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers, the team raised four billion KRW investment from industry leaders including Soft Bank Venture Korea, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, and InterVest investment.
(Figure: Images of cells measured by 3D microscopy)
□ Designer Proteins with Chemical Modifications
By Hee-Sung Park and Hee Yoon Lee of the Department of Chemistry
Professor Hee-Sung Park developed a new strategy for installing authentic post-translational modifications (PTM) into recombinant proteins. Most essential biological processes are controlled by PTM, which plays a critical role in metabolic changes. However, abnormal protein modification aroused by environmental or genetic factors induce diverse diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and many other chronic diseases.
Professor Park has conceived a novel chemical biology route to achieve authentic and selective chemical modifications in proteins.He first used the established O-phosphoserine (Sep) orthogonal translational system to create a Sep-containing protein. The Sep residue is then dephosphorylated to dehydroalanine (Dha). Finally, Zn-Cu is conjugated to Dha of alkyl iodides, which enables it to form chemo-selective carbon-carbon bonds.
This approach offers a powerful tool to engineer designer proteins with diverse chemical modifications, providing a novel platform for investigating numerous diseases and drug development including for cancer and Alzheimer's. Furthermore, this research will allow mass production of abnormally modified proteins that could induce diseases, opening up new prospects in disease treatment research. It will help to enable investigation and discovery of new drug inhibitors that directly target abnormally modified proteins.
(Figure: Application of Customized Protein Modification Technology)
□ Lanthanum-Catalyzed Synthesis of Microporous 3D Graphene-Like Carbons in a Zeolite Template
By Ryong Ryoo, of the Department of Chemistry
Professor Ryong Ryoo’s team presented a scaled-up carbon synthesis viable for practical applications such as Li-ion batteries and catalyst supports.
Zeolite-templated carbon has an extremely large surface area and a regular microporous structure. As a result, it was expected to show excellent performance in various applications, such as for electrode materials or catalyst supports. However, until recently difficulties in synthesis have hindered research on application and properties of zeolited-templated carbon compared to other porous carbon materials.
Professor Ryoo’s team demonstrated that lanthanum ions embedded in zeolite pores lowered the temperature for carbonization of ethylene or acetylene. In this contribution, a graphene-like carbon structure was selectively formed inside zeolite template without the non-selective carbon deposition. Single crystal X-ray diffraction data revealed that carbon formed along the micropore surface. After removal of zeolite template, the carbon framework showed high electrical conductivity.
His synthesis method not only allowed selectivity in ethylene carbonization inside zeolite pore but permitted the diffusion of carbon material even when a large amount of zeolites was synthesized at once, allowing mass production of carbon. Thus, this method is expected to accelerate research on the application and properties of zeolite-templated carbon.
(Figure: Electron density distribution of zeolite that underwent selective pore carbonization. The structure of carbon determined by electron density distributions of carbon atoms, shown in yellow and red, within the framework of zeolite, shown in blue, can be observed.)
□ Complete Prevention of Blood Loss by Self-Sealing Hemostatic Needles
By Haeshin Lee of the Department of Chemistry
Professor Haeshin Lee’s team invented a hemostatic hypodermic needle, which prevented bleeding of punctured tissue during and after injections.
Bleeding unavoidably accompanies injections when a conventional needle penetrates tissue. Though the scale of bleeding from controlled injections does not cause harm to healthy individuals, uncontrolled bleeding may bring serious complications for those who suffer from hemophilia, coagulopathy, or who have been exposed to infectious diseases.
Professor Lee’s hemostatic hypodermic needle is coated with partially cross-linked catechol-functionalized chitosan that undergoes a solid-to-gel phase transition in situ to seal-seal punctured tissues. The team reported a complete prevention of blood loss following intravenous and intramuscular injections in animal models. They observed a 100% survival rate in hemophiliac mice following a syringe injection into a jugular vein.
The self-sealing hemostatic needles may help to prevent complications associated with bleeding in clinical settings such as for diabetic patients who experience delayed hemostasis and in the procedure of biopsy thereby preventing profuse bleeding.
□ An Immunological Mechanism for the Contribution of Commensal Microbiota Against Herpes Simplex Virus Infection in Genital Mucosa
By Heung Kyu Lee of the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering
Professor Heung Kyu Lee identified an immunological mechanism of commensal microbiota against herpes virus infections. The protective mechanisms of commensal bacteria against viral infections was limited to how immune inductive signals are provided by commensal bacteria for enhancing innate and adaptive immunity. Until Professor Lee’s research discovery, whether, or how, commensal bacteria might influence the effector arm of immune responses such as effector T cells to eliminate infected virus remained unknown.
Professor Lee’s team demonstrated that dysbiosis within the vaginal microbiota resulted in severe impairment of antiviral protection against HSV-2 infection. IL-33 released into the vaginal tract after antibiotic treatment blocked the ability of effector T cells to migrate into vaginal tissues and secrete the antiviral cytokine, IFN-γ. Thus, the findings suggested a previously unstudied role of commensal bacteria in the effector phase of the antiviral immune response against genital herpes. These findings provided insight into the mechanisms by which the secretion of proteases from opportunistic pathogens in susceptibility to various sexually transmitted pathogens might induce type 2 immunity within the female genital tract.
Promoting awareness of overuse of antibiotics, the research is expected to contribute to the development of viral vaccines with enhanced defense capacity by regulating commensal bacteria to promote health.
□ Development of a Pulse-Echo Laser Ultrasonic Propagation Imaging System
By Jung-Ryul Lee of the Department of Aerospace Engineering
Professor Jung-Ryul Lee’s team for the first time developed a mobile laser ultrasonic propagation imaging system that is capable of 2500-point inspection per second and visualization of pulse-echo ultrasonic wave through the thickness of a solid medium. This novel ultrasonic propagation visualization system has been successfully prototyped for the application of in-situ and in-process nondestructive evaluation of aerospace structures.
The real world proof-of-concept was achieved by testing the new system in the inspection of a space launcher fuselage (KSLV-II), control surfaces of military transport (CN-235), and the brake disk of F-16, guided weapon fuselage. In addition, the system has passed F-16 standard specimen test done by Korea Air Force and got a US patent. The prototype which was developed over a period of two years has been successfully delivered to Korea Air Force last December.
Furthermore, Boeing has expressed interest in prototype development project and KAIST OESL has been selected as the Boeing-KAIST technical contact lab and received a two-year grant from Boeing. The second prototype is under construction for Boeing and the third prototype will be delivered to an optional research institute and used as a standard inspection instrument.
□ Birefractive Stereo Imaging for Single-Shot Depth Acquisition
By Min H. Kim of the School of Computing
Professor Min H. Kim’s team proposed a novel 3D imaging method that allows the capture of not only color pictures but also corresponding depth images while traditional cameras capture just color pictures.
Depending on the polarization state of light, the incident light on a birefringent material such as calcite can be refracted into two different angles. This physical phenomenon is called double refraction. Whereas traditional stereo imaging requires at least two stereo cameras, 3D imaging method can capture depth from a single picture of double refraction. This proposed 3D imaging technique can be applied to many graphics and computer vision applications such as AR/VR applications that require color and depth information simultaneously.
This technology, which could measure depth images, is currently needed for various industrial applications. The suggested method in this research to measure depth information from one photo using double refraction media accurately can be used in areas where system size and cost are important, such as mobile cameras, VR/ARs, driverless cars, and 3D microscopes.
(Figure: Measuring high-resolution depth of single image via bi-refringent medium)
□Development of Environment Friendly Geotechnical Construction Material Using Biopolymer
By Gye-Chun Cho of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professor Gye-Chun Cho has succeeded in making a 100% bio-based KABS (KAIST Bio-Soil) binder using biopolymer, an eco-friendly geotechnical construction material. A biopolymer is an organic polymer produced in the course of microbial activities and thus is an eco-friendly material manufactured without generating carbon dioxide. Biopolymers have been used in food, agriculture, cosmetics, and medicine as hardener and gelling agents, but have never been applied in construction. His team verified the microscopic interaction, feasibility, and strengthening mechanism of microbial biopolymers for soils for the first time in the world, suggesting that biopolymers be an eco-friendly soil binder.
In addition to soil binders, biopolymers can also be applied to various fields of ground construction (e.g., ground improvement, grouting, erosion control, vegetation, anti-desertification, etc.). The team expects more biopolymer applications in construction since increasing demands for replacing cement-based or chemical ground materials have surged.
With KABS binder, the team has performed several field tests along with industrial technology transfer underway. In collaboration with the Korea Expressway Corporation and LH Corporation, Professor Cho’s team is working on additional commercial applications.
(Figure: Strength enhancement effect of soil grain processed by biopolymer )
□ Protein Delivery Via Engineered Exosomes
By Chulhee Choi of the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering
Professor Chulhee Choi’s team unveiled a new tool for intracellular delivery of target proteins, named “exosomes for protein loading via optically reversible protein-protein interactions” or “EXPLORs”.
Nanoparticle-mediated delivery of functional macromolecules is a promising method for treating a variety of human diseases. Among nanoparticles, cell-derived exosomes have recently gained attention as a new therapeutic strategy for the in vivo delivery of nucleotides and chemical drugs.
By integrating a reversible protein-protein interaction module controlled by blue light with the endogenous process of exosome biogenesis, the team successfully loaded cargo proteins into newly generated exosomes. Treatment with protein-loaded EXPLORs is shown to significantly increase intracellular levels of cargo proteins and their function in recipient cells in vitro and in vivo.
These results clearly indicate the potential of EXPLORs as a mechanism for the efficient intracellular transfer of protein-based therapeutics into recipient cells and tissues. This technology has been transferred to KAIST bio-venture Cellex Life Science, Incorporated for commercialization.
□ Hot Electron Detection under Catalytic Reactions
By Jeong Young Park of the Graduate School of EEWS
Professor Jeong Young Park’s team developed a novel catalytic nanodiode consisting of a thin metal catalyst deposited onto a semiconductor support. The team succeeded in observing in real-time hot electrons created in the course of catalytic reaction occurring at atmospheric pressure or at liquid-solid interfaces.
Use of a noble catalytic nanodiode is a new measurement system that detects hot electrons produced on catalyst surface through atmospheric pressure and liquid chemical reaction in real time that allows direct identification of the catalytic activity of catalytic reactions. In particular, the system allows macro-observation of hot-electron movements that change with the type of nano-catalyst without high-priced equipment in atmospheric pressure and liquidation, and thus is not limited to experimental conditions such as in ultrahigh vacuums.
Therefore, it could be applied in the future to analyze complex chemical reaction mechanisms of catalysts used in high temperature and various pressure conditions, and to develop high efficiency next-generation catalyst materials. This finding may lead not only to the fundamental understanding in the mechanism of the catalytic reactions but also to the development of next-generation catalysts with enhanced catalytic performance.
(Figure: Schematic diagrams of nano-catalyst hot electron element and graphene hot electron detector)
2017.02.20 View 13132 -
Professor Hahn Named Sangnam Business Researcher Awardee
Professor Minhi Hahn of the School of Management Engineering at the KAIST College of Business has been named the winner of the 22nd Sangnam Business Researcher Award. The Sangnam Award is the highest distinction made by the Korean Academic Society of Business Administration to recognize an outstanding scholar in the field of business & management for that year.
His research focuses on how marketing communication impacts customer choices and their satisfaction. Professor Hahn has served on the faculty of the College of Business since 1989, and has supervised more than 21 Ph.D.s and 203 master’s students while publishing more than 51 papers in domestic and foreign journals. He served as dean of the KAIST College of Business, president of the Korean Marketing Association, and president of the Korean Society of Consumer Studies. Currently Professor Hahn is a board member on the strategic committee of the College of Management at National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan.
Professor Hahn said, “I am pleased to receive this award on behalf of the people who are working for the development of Korean business administration. I will do my utmost to support younger scholars to continue their meaningful research." The award ceremony will take place at the Plaza Hotel in Seoul on February 23.
2017.02.19 View 6227 -
Professor Shin Honored Posthumously for Iridescent Microparticles
(The Late Professor Joong-Hoon Shin (left) and Professor Shin-Hyun Kim)
A research team co-led by Professor Shin-Hyun Kim from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Professor Jong-Ryul Jeong from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Chungnam National University developed iridescent microparticles with a structural color gradient. The research team posthumously dedicated their research to a renowned professor in the field of nanophotonics, the late Professor Joong-Hoon Shin of the Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology at KAIST. He passed away suddenly in a car accident last September.
The iridescent microparticles, which allow on-demand control over structural color, will be key components for next-generation reflection-mode displays with clear color realization even in direct sunlight.
Materials such as opals, Morpho butterfly wings, and peacock feathers all display beautiful colors without pigment, using regularly-spaced nanostructures. Regularly-spaced nanostructures render color, by selectively reflecting the light of a particular wave through light interference. As such, materials that possess periodic modulation of refractive index at subwavelength scale are referred to as photonic crystals.
In general, photonic crystals are only able to display a single color, so limitations exist when attempting to apply them to reflection-mode displays which call for multiple structural colors. The research team addressed the issue using inspiration from snowflakes stacking in the winter. When snow falls on the surface of a round-shaped structure, the thickness of the snow stacking differs depending on the orientation. Based on this observation, the research team created photonic microparticles with a structural color gradient by depositing two different materials on spherical microparticles.
When some material is deposited on the surface of a sphere, the material on the top is thickest and becomes thinner on the sides. The team alternately deposited titania and silica on the spherical microparticles to form periodic modulation of the refractive index. The thickness of the alternating photonic layers is reduced along the angle from the top, which yields a structural color gradient.
Consequently, the microparticles reflect long-wavelength red light from the top of the sphere and short-wavelength blue light from the side of the sphere. Any color of the visible spectrum can be selected in between the top and side depending on the orientation of the microparticles.
The research team used an external magnetic field as a way to control the orientation of the photonic microparticles and the structural colors. As magnetic iron layer was deposited underneath the alternating photonic layer, it was possible to freely control the orientation of the microparticles using a magnet, thereby allowing control of the color seen by the users.
KAIST doctoral candidate Seung Yeol Lee of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is the first author of this research, with support from the Midcareer Researcher Program of the National Research Foundation and funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning (MSIP). This research was published in the online edition of Advanced Materials on February 6, 2017.
Figure1: Sets of an OM image of photonic Janus microspheres and an SEM image showing a cross-section of the photonic layers.
Figure 2: A series of schematics and OM images showing the color change depending on the orientation angle of the photonic Janus microsphere.
2017.02.17 View 8030 -
KAIST Celebrates the 2017 Commencement
KAIST hosted its 2017 Commencement, awarding diplomas to 2,767 members of the Class of 2017 during a ceremony on February 17. President Sung-Mo Kang, Minister Yang-hee Choi of Science, ICT, and Future Planning, and Chairman of the KAIST Board of Trustees Jang-Moo Lee joined the ceremony along with the graduates and their family and friends at the Ryu Keun Chul Sports Complex.
The graduating class included 638 Ph.D. degrees, 1,335 Master’s degrees, and 794 Bachelor’s degrees being conferred. Among them, Young-Ki Song from the Department of Electric Engineering was honored to win the Minister’s Award, the highest award bestowed to an undergraduate. The KAIST Presidential Award went to Min-Jae Park of the Department of Mathematical Sciences and the KAIST Board of Trustee Chairman’s Award was presented to Jae-Hyung Cho from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Including this year’s graduating class, KAIST has turned out more than 59,000 highly educated science and technology talents including 11,731 Ph.D.s since its foundation in 1971. This year, 24-year-old Seo-Hee Oh earned her Ph.D. in chemistry as the youngest Ph.D. of the year after completing her Master’s and Ph.D. combined course in three years.
President Sung-Mo Kang praised the creativity of this graduating class and their excellent ability in his charge, saying, “As future leaders of our society, you are expected to develop a sense of compassion and outstanding professionalism to contribute to the advancement of not only Korea but also the whole world.’
For full text of President Kang’s charge to the graduates, please click.
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New Building Endowed in Bio and Brain Engineering Department
An endowment from the former Chairman of Mirae Industries, Moon Soul Chung, was used to establish the Yang Bun Soon Building in the Bio and Brain Engineering Department at KAIST. The opening ceremony for the building took place on February 8 and was attended by President Sung-Mo Kang, KAIST administrators, faculty, and students.
The Yang Bun Soon Building, named after the wife of Chairman Chung, is a new addition to the Bio and Brain Engineering Department complex. The five-story building was erected next to the 11-story Chung Moon Soul Building, which was completed in 2003 using a portion of his first endowment to KAIST. Chairman Chung donated approximately 30 billion KRW for funding a convergence research for IT and BT in 2001.
The new building was completed with financing from Chung’s second endowment of 21.5 billion KRW in support of the fields of brain and cognitive sciences in 2014. The building will accommodate both lab facilities and lecture halls.
At the ceremony, President Kang thanked the Chungs for their continuing generosity to KAIST. He commended Chung for showing how entrepreneurs can fulfill their social responsibility by supporting Korea’s future through donations and support.
(Photo caption: Chung Moon Soul Building (left) and Yang Bun Soon Building(right))
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