ES
-
Prof. Lee"s Team Pioneers Biotechnological Production of Chemical Using Renewable Materials
A research team led by Prof. Sang-Yup Lee of the Bio and Brain Engineering Department at KAIST has succeeded in engineering the bacterium E. coli to produce the industrial chemical putrescine, university authorities said on Monday (Aug. 31).
Putrescine, a four carbon chain diamine, is an important platform chemical with a wide range of applications for the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and chemical industries. It is currently used to synthesize nylon-4,6, a widely used engineering plastic.
The research result, published in the Biotechnology and Bioengineering journal, proviDrdes a renewable alternative to the traditional process using fossil fuels.
Currently the production of putrescine on an industrial scale relies on chemical synthesis, which requires non-renewable petrochemicals and expensive catalyst systems. This process is highly toxic and flammable with potentially severe repercussions for both the environment and human health.
"For the first time we have developed a metabolically engineered E. coli strain that efficiently produces putrescine," said Professor Lee. "The development of a bio-refinery for chemicals and materials is very important in a world where dependency on fossil fuels is an increasing concern."
The team developed a strain of E.coli capable of producing putrescine through metabolic engineering. This is where a cell"s metabolic and regulatory networks are enhanced in order to increase production of a needed material.
First the team weakened or deleted competing metabolic pathways within the E. coli strain before deleting pathways which cause putrescine degradation. They also amplified the crucial enzyme Spec C, which converts the chemical ornithine into putrescine. Finally the putrescine exporter, which allows excretion of intracellularly made putrescine, was engineered while a global regulator was engineered to further increase the concentration of putrescine. The final result of this process was an engineered E.coli strain which produced 24.2 g of putrescine per litre.
However, as it was believed that putrescine is toxic to microorganisms the team had to study putrescine tolerance in E.coli before it could be engineered to overproduce the chemical to the levels needed for industrial production.
The results revealed that E. coli can tolerate at least 0.5 M of putrescine, which is tenfold higher than the usual concentration in the cell. This level of tolerance was an important surprise as it means that E. coli can be engineered to overproduce putrescine to industrially competitive levels.
"The previously expected toxicity of putrescine may explain why its microbial production has been overlooked," said Lee. "Now a metabolically engineered E. coli strain has been developed which is capable of efficiently producing putrescine using renewable methods to an industrial level. This metabolic engineering framework should be useful for developing metabolically engineered microorganisms for the efficient production of other chemicals from renewable resources," he added.
2009.09.01 View 12904 -
KAIST Undergraduates Open Four-Day International Conference
The ICISTS-KAIST, an annual international conference organized by KAIST undergraduate students, opened on Thursday (Aug. 20) at the KAIST"s main campus in Daejeon.
The 2009 ICISTS (International Conference for the Integration of Science and Technology into Society) drew around 200 experts and students from 44 countries. Since its inception in 2005 to promote discourse on important science and technology issues affecting modern society, the conference has served as an opportunity for academic networking among students in various parts of the world.
The four-day conference consists of lectures, open discussions among lecturers and students, field trips to help students to understand actual applications, and team projects.
This year"s conference offers three workshops under the themes of "Climate Change: Merging Technology and Policy for Green Solutions"; "Human-Computer Interaction: Designing Computer System for Intuitive Human Access"; and "Nano Clinic: Breakthrough in Conquering Disease."
Lectures by invited experts in various scientific fields will help broaden students" perspectives particularly from interdisciplinary viewpoints, said an organizer of the conference.
2009.08.28 View 13551 -
Transparent Antenna for Automobile Developed
A research team led by Prof. Jae-Woo Park of the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, KAIST, developed a transparent antenna for the next-generation automobiles, university authorities said on Monday (Aug. 17).
The development was made possible through joint researches with the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group; Winncom, a car antenna manufacturer; and a group of researchers led by Han-Ki Kim of the Department of Display Materials Engineering at Kyung Hee University in Seoul.
The transparent antennas were developed in two kinds -- one for the HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access), a new protocol for mobile telephone data transmission, and the other for transmitting and receiving radio wave for emergency call.
Using the transparent electrically conductive film formation technology, the transparent antennas are to be mounted on the windshield of a vehicle.
"The development of transparent antenna represents a step forward for the advancement of the next-generation automotive electronic technology," said Seong-woo Kim, a senior researcher at the Hyundai-Kia Group.
2009.08.18 View 12352 -
Self-Made Businessman Donates $24 Mil. Worth of Property to KAIST
Byeong-Ho Kim, a self-made businessman, has donated land worth 30 billion won ($25 million) to KAIST, the university"s authorities said on Thursday (Aug. 13).
The 68-year-old businessman said his aim is to give students from lower-income families a chance at a decent education and, ultimately, make Korea richer and powerful through development of science and technology. He runs the Seojeon Farm in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
Kim visited KAIST on Wednesday (Aug. 12) with his wife and 36-year-old son to finalize details of the donation with KAIST President Nam-Pyo Suh. He signed papers to certify the deed to donate 94,380 square meters of land in a ceremony.
"I promised my family I"d invest our money for a good purpose. Now I hope KAIST can educate students who can"t afford to pay tuition fees. I wasn"t able to study
further than elementary school due to poverty," Kim said, wishing that his donation could be used in fostering talented students and great scholars from around the world.
Kim"s wife, Sam-Yeol Kim, 60, sent an e-mail to KAIST last July 27, on behalf of her husband who suffered a stroke in 2004, to inform the university of her husband"s intent to make the donation.
Kim had pledged to his wife and son that some day he would return all his assets to society before his death. He began to look for the right beneficiary five years ago and chose KAIST as he was impressed by reformatory and innovative efforts at the university where its president was donating all his extra earnings to the university.
“I believe that KAIST can make my dream come true. It is to have advanced science and technology education turn Korea into a country where everyone can live happily,” said Kim at the ceremony.
He recalled his early life, saying, “I left for Seoul when I was 17 years old with just 76 won. I had to save money so much it was scary. Even when the weather was stifling, I refused to buy myself cold soft drinks just to save 1 more won.”
Even though he grew up in a difficult environment, Mr. Kim maintained a firm conviction in familial ties and education. Being the oldest of seven children, he had to support his younger siblings’ education, but never complained about his own lack of opportunity. When his father died, he took money that had been left over from funeral expenses and donated it to relatives as scholarships for their children. He believed that such kindness was the best way to make his father’s passing meaningful. In addition, he donated one billion won to a scholarship fund that helps those like him, who never had a chance to study or learn.
Mr. Kim’s favorite phrase is, “Earning money takes skill, but to spend it is an art.” This mirrors his philosophy of saving and economizing in order to make as much money as possible, then donating generously to the upbringing of future generations.
The decision to donate was also heavily influenced by the support of his wife, and his family. When he first hinted at his intention to donate, his family simply accepted the decision, saying that they were proud of him. Kim had always emphasized that wealth should be given back to society, and as such, his son Se-Yoon Kim donated to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other charity organizations every month, saying that his actions were an obvious duty.
KAIST officials said they were emotionally moved to learn that Mr. Kim donated the fortune to a university, which is completely unrelated to him or anyone in his family, simply for the sake of the nation’s future. They said that Kim is a figure that all of Korean society should follow, and that everyone in KAIST will etch his wish into their hearts, and try their hardest to make sure future generations will prosper.
2009.08.18 View 10569 -
KAIST College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering Signs MOU with Harvard
KAIST’s College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Harvard University’s Center for Brain Science on July 20, which will allow for joint research and exchange in researchers between the two institutions.
Headed by Director Kenneth Blum, Harvard’s Center for Brain Science leads the world in brain-related research. The new MOU will allow for research cooperation, exchanges of professors, researchers, and students, joint usage of infrastructure and research materials, and finally, sharing of research assignments.
The Dean of the College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering Sang Yup Lee, who concerted efforts to form the MOU said, “This agreement will bring together two of the world’s leading brain-related research teams, and I hope that combining their expertise will bring great advances in brain science and engineering.
KAIST’s College of Life Science and Bioengineering, which is known for its creative interdisciplinary research, is producing exemplary research results in the field of brain science from its Biological Sciences and Bio and Brain Engineering departments.
In addition to cooperation with Harvard, KAIST has also formed partnerships with Emory University, Japan’s RIKEN Brain Institute, and Germany’s Max Planck Institute. Not only does it have a worldwide network pertaining to brain research, but KAIST has also engaged in cooperative research with prominent domestic institutions such as, Asan Medical Center, the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, and the SK Corporation. Through these connections, KAIST has managed to lead in mutually cooperative brain interdisciplinary research.
2009.08.10 View 14578
-
KAIST's OLEV Best Model of Creative Growth Engine
Various models of electric vehicles designed to replace the internal combustion automobiles face significant problems as they invariably failed to overcome the limitations involving lithium battery in terms of power capacity, weight, raw materal price, recharging time and preparation of charging stations. Worst of all, the limited supply of lithium will eventually raise its price sky high when all cars use lithium batteries, and the economic value of electric cars will be lost.
KAIST"s online electric vehicle project (OLEV) seeks to resolve these fundamental problems involving electric vehicles that have so far been developed. KAIST OLEV, a project to develop a new growth engine for the nation and lead the future of global automotive industry, is an entirely new concept: the electric vehicle picks up power from underground power supplier lines through the non-contact magnetic charging method, while either running or standing. This is the first eco-friendly and economic automotive system that can resolve the problems inherent to previously-developed electric vehicles, according to the KAIST OLEV Project Center.
In February 2009, KAIST researchers first proved that up to 80 percent power conveyance is possible through a gap of 1 centimeter from the power line, and in July they successfully supplied power to a bus -- up to 60 percent across a 12 cm gap from the power line embedded in the ground -- using power supply and pick-up devices they developed. In this process, KAIST has secured the core technologies for maximizing power efficiency and minimizing the cost of installing the non-contact power supply system. KAIST has established the Online Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd., to undertake business activities related to the OLEV project, including the IPR on power supply and pick-up devices, parts and accessories and commercial promotion. A demonstration event is scheduled for Aug. 13, Thursday.
The impact of the development of the OLEV technology on the energy and environment issues and the overall economy will be enormous. In case a half of the total automobiles running in Korea, or 6 million vehicles, are replaced with OLEV, electric power produced by just two of the nation"s atomic power plants will be enough to operate them all, and the nation will be able to reduce crude oil import by 35 million barrels worth U.S.$3 billion a year (supposing $80 per barrel).
Korea"s export of OLEV units will in the future surpass the present level of overseas sale of conventional cars. When nations use online electric vehicles in large numbers, their demand for CO2-free power plants will grow. Korea has cutting-edge technology in the construction of atomic power plants. As a world leader in the area of nuclear power plant, Korea will enjoy new opportunities to contribute to the global advancement of atomic power generation as well as transportation industries.
Korea still shares a small portion of the world"s automobile market estimated to worth some 2,000 trillion Korean won. But commercialization of the OLEV technology worldwide will greatly enhance Korea"s global automotive market share. Successful development of the online electric vehicle requires preemptive investment and positive support by the government for the ultimate purpose of resolving energy and environment problems.
If and when domestic enterprises secure technological supremacy in the next generation automobile market with their online electric vehicles which will replace the 100-year-old combustion engine, it will be the most desirable shortcut to raising Korea"s international competitiveness. OLEV promises to be the model of creative growth engine in the 21st century.
2009.07.30 View 15915
-
KAIST Professor Whang Turns VLDB Journal Into One of the Best in Its Field
Kyu-Young Whang, a Distinguished Professor at KAIST’s Computer Science Department, has developed The VLDB Journal into one of the world’s best journals on database technology.
Professor Whang, Editor-in-Chief of The VLDB Journal, is credited for the journal’s remarkable success evidenced by the rise of the publication’s Science Citation Index (SCI) impact factor from 3.818 to 6.8 in the period of one year. This placed the VLDB in the first place amongst 99 information systems journals and 44 hardware and architecture-related journals registered with the SCI. With only the exception of the Survey Journal, this makes The VLDB Journal the best in computer science.
The VLDB Journal is a quarterly journal published on behalf of the VLDB Endowment. The journal, launched in 1992, is dedicated to the publication of scholarly contributions to the advancement of information system architectures, the impact of technological advancements on information systems, and the development of novel database applications.
The VLDB Journal’s closest competitors in database technology, IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering and ACM Transactions on Database Systems, received an impact factor of 2.236 and 1.613 respectively. Comparatively, Professor Whang’s journal retains an impact factor nearly 3 to 4 times greater.
During Professor Whang’s six-year term as Editor-in-Chief, he has actively pursued the use of innovative ideas, strengthened the board of editors, standardized the length of review time, and made the journal much more accessible through the Internet. Furthermore, he drastically reduced publication time and sought a policy that focused more on the journal’s readers, which led to The VLDB Journal’s SCI impact factor rising from 1.149 (2002) to 6.8 (2008).
As one of The VLDB Journal’s founding members, Professor Whang has worked for the advancement of his journal tirelessly for 19 years with many accomplishments in database technology, including physical database design, determining the quality of a database, and the creation of a database management system. As a result, Professor Whang became the first IEEE fellow concerning domestic computer science. He is also a trustee of The VLDB Endowment, a fellow of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology, and of course, a Distinguished Professor at KAIST.
2009.07.16 View 13103 -
Prof. Park to Receive HP's Annual Innovation Research Award
Prof. In-Kyu Park of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, has been will receive an award from Hewlett-Packard"s second annual Labs Innovation Research Program, university authorities said on Wednesday (July 8).
Prof. Park was chosen as the winner of the research award for his paper entitled "Eco-friendly nanomanufacturing for intelligent environment sensing applications."
Sixty projects from 46 universities in 12 countries were selected as the recipients of the awards from HP Labs, the company"s central research arm. The program is designed to create opportunities for colleges, universities and research institutes to conduct collaborative research with HP.
HP Labs Innovation Research Awards provide project funding of up to $100,000 for one year to each of the chosen academic institutions, which is renewable for up to three years based on research progress and HP business requirements.
Prof. Park has conducted joint researches on nanoimprinting, nanosensors, and nanoelectronics with HP"s Information and Quantum Systems Lab since 2005. Starting from the later half of 2009, he is to receive research grants under the industry-academia cooperation program of the world"s information technology giant firm.
2009.07.09 View 12779 -
Prof. Choi Unveils Method to Improve Emission Efficiency of OLED
A KAIST research team led by Prof. Kyung-Cheol Choi of the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science discovered the surface plasmon-enhanced spontaneous emission based on an organic light-emitting device (OLED), a finding expected to improve OLED"s emission efficiency, KAIST authorities said on Thursday (July 9).
For surface plasmon localization, silver nanoparticles were thermally deposited in a high vacuum on cathode. Since plasmons provide a strong oscillator decay channel, time-resolved photoluninescene (PL) results displayed a 1.75-fold increased emission rate, and continuous wave PL results showed a twofold enhanced intensity.
"The method using surface plasmon represents a new technology to enhance the emission efficiency of OLED. It is expected to greatly contribute to the development of new technologies in OLED and flexible display, as well as securing original technology," Prof. Choi said.
The finding was published in the April issue of Applied Physics Letters and the June 25 issue of Optics Express. It will be also featured as the research highlight of the August issue of Nature Photonics and Virtual Journal of Ultrafast Science.
2009.07.09 View 19103 -
Prof. Cho Appointed Editor-in-Chief of Systems Biology Encyclopedia
Prof. Kwang-Hyun Cho of the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, has been appointed as the editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Systems Biology which is currently in development by Springer, a New York-based publishing company, university authorities said on Monday (July 6).
Prof. Cho will share the position with three other eminent scholars from Britain, Germany and the United States. Cho will be responsible for selecting editorial members for each section of the Encyclopedia and overseeing the overall editorial process.
The Encyclopedia of Systems Biology is a multi-volume reference compilation of the research outcomes in the field of systems biology all over the world. The ESB will consist of alphabetically ordered description of systems biology concepts and is envisaged to ultimately comprise 6-12 volumes. Publication of the Encyclopedia is scheduled for 2011.
2009.07.08 View 12196 -
KAIST President Suh Honored with 2009 ASME Medal
KAIST President Nam-Pyo Suh has chosen as the 2009 winner of the ASME Medal presented by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, university authorities said on Thursday (July 2).
President Suh received the honor for "seminal contributions to the advancement of engineering through research in tribology, polymer processing, metal processing, design and manufacturing, as well as contributions to engineering education and research infrastructure."
The selection of President Suh was unanimously approved by the 13-member Board of Governors of the ASME. Suh became the first scientist of Asian descent in the award"s 89-year-long history.
Founded in 1880, the ASME is a non-profit professional organization promoting the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences. The organization is known for setting codes and standards for mechanical devices. As of 2009, it has 120,000 members worldwide.
Only one ASME medal is awarded annually to recognize "eminently distinguished achievement." The award consists of a $17,000 honorarium, a gold medal, certificate and travel supplement for two days. It will be presented to President Suh during the 2009 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, which will be held in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, November 13-10, 2009.
President Suh is an internationally known educator, engineer and inventor. Born in Korea, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1954 to join his father, who was teaching at Harvard. He earned both his bachelor"s and master"s degrees from MIT before coming to Carnegie Tech for his doctoral education in mechanical engineering.
While teaching at MIT, he founded the MIT-Industry Polymer Processing Program in 1973 and the Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity. He left these positions in 1984 to serve with the U.S. National Science Foundation as its assistant director for engineering, until 1988.
He invented many new materials, products and manufacturing processes, earning more than 60 U. S. patents and founding several companies. He has written seven books and more than 300 scholarly papers. Among dozens of honors throughout his career, President Suh most recently received the 2007 Lifetime Achievement from the Society of Plastics Engineers.
The ASME conducts one of the world"s largest technical publishing operations through its ASME Press, holds numerous technical conferences and hundreds of professional development courses each year, and sponsors numerous outreach and educational programs.
2009.07.02 View 12703 -
USC Professor Appointed New Dean of KAIST College of Business
Ravi Kumar, former vice dean of the Graduate and International Program at the University of Southern California, has been appointed as dean of the KAIST College of Business, the university announced on Tuesday (June 30).
Dr. Kumar has been a professor of information and operations management at the Marshall School of Business, USC. He is widely known for his research on global operations, particularly in improving operational performance through cellular design and integrated decision-making with marketing and information technology.
KAIST President Nam-Pyo Suh said: "We are fortunate to have Prof. Kumar as the new Dean of the College of Business. He has made many important contributions to the USC business school, especially in adding international dimensions to the school"s activities. He has established an impeccable reputation as a scholar and visionary. We expect that he will display great leadership in making the KAIST College of Business one of the best schools of its kind in the world."
Prof. Kumar received his bachelor degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in 1974, master degree from the University of Texas, Arlington, in 1976 and doctorate degree from Northwestern University in 1981.
His papers have been published in Management Science, Marketing Science, Journal of Economic Theory, Production and Operations Management, Journal of Operations Management and Journal of Management Information Systems. He serves as a senior editor on the Board of Production and Operations management and Operations management Educational Review.
He has won several awards for teaching excellence at both the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and USC. They included the Outstanding Educator Award and the Golden Apple Teaching Award.
Prof. Kumar has extensive international consulting experiences with Rolls Royce, BMW, Daimler Benz Aerospace, ABB, Ericsson, BAS Global, Motorola, Reuters, Du Pont, Sanwa Bank, Korea First Bank, Korean Air, Infosys, Acer, Shell Hong Kong and other companies.
2009.07.01 View 12984