HKUST Annual Report 2016-17

22 HKUST 2016-2017 Annual Report RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Fast forwarding the world of tomorrow through breakthroughs and new technologies Elastic Metamaterial with Seismic Potential Prof Ping Sheng (Physics) and his research team created an elastic metamaterial that is a composite of three solid materials. By harnessing anisotropic resonances inherent to the composite structure, the metamaterial can filter transverse waves within a certain range of frequencies. As transverse waves can lead to destructive horizontal shaking during earthquakes, this filtering property may provide an alternative earthquake-proofing solution. The research was published in Nature Communications. Fresh Perspectives on Neuropsychiatric Disorders A breakthrough by a research team led by Prof Mingjie Zhang (Life Science) provided mechanistic insights into the causes that lead to neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism, intellectual disorders and schizophrenia. Studies of the formation of the SynGAP/PSD-95 complex led to the unexpected finding that sees phase transition, a fundamental physics phenomenon, place different functional units at specific cellular locations in living neurons. Their work also provides fresh perspectives on why genetic mutations that alter the interactions of proteins can contribute to a spectrum of central nervous system diseases that currently have no treatments. The research findings appeared in Cell . Search for Cellular Mechanisms in Learning and Memory A multidisciplinary team led by Prof Nancy Ip (Life Science) has secured funding of $83.2 million under the Research Grants Council’s Areas of Excellence Scheme for an initiative entitled “Cellular mechanisms of synaptic functions and plasticity in health and neurodegenerative diseases”. The team will examine the signaling and cellular mechanisms governing neuron-neuron and glial- neuron communication, which modulate synaptic functions and network connectivity as well as learning and memory. The project seeks to lay crucial groundwork for delineating the mechanisms underlying learning and memory, and implicating key pathways and molecular players involved in cognitive dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.