A research team led by Professor Jeong Wook Lee (CE) has developed a COVID-19 variant discrimination assay using one-pot molecular diagnostics. The team consisted of Bo Gyeong Kim (researcher, CE), Doeon Sung (integrated course, CE), Jeongmin Lee (integrated course, CE), and Chang Ha Woo (integrated course, I-Bio). The team released the discrimination assay on their lab website (https://sbl.postech.ac.kr) on Dec. 10. The fast-spreading COVID-19 variant known as Omicron was first found in South Africa and reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Nov. 24. Since then, countries worldwid

A research team led by Professor Chulhong Kim (CiTE, ME), and Park Byul-lee (CiTE M.S./Ph.D. candidate, advisor Prof. Chulhong Kim) conducted joint research with a research team led by Prof. Yumiao Zhang of the Chemical Engineering Department in Tianjin University to create photoacoustic imaging technology for deep-tissue images. This research was published in Small, one of the top multidisciplinary journals covering nano and microscale science.Optical Imaging prior to this research could look into less than one millimeter deep but the photoacoustic imaging technology enables us to observe a f

The year 2021 had been a year full of changes and events despite more than half the world still being in lockdown. Most importantly, it has been a year filled with climate-related issues. A multitude of heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, floods, and hurricanes have impacted virtually all nations across the globe, and the iconic photograph of a devastated old lady clutching her heart as she watched her house being devoured by a wildfire in Greece has resonated with a wide range of people. Numerous alarming climate reports have been released to the public and COP26 was finally held in Glasgow after

As the 2022 Beijing Olympics approaches not long after the Summer Olympics, there have been political boycott campaigns against the upcoming event. Spearheaded by the U.S., Australia, the UK, and Canada, the diplomatic campaign means the countries will still send athletes, but no government officials will attend the event. The boycott protests the alleged human rights abuse against the Uyghurs in Chinese concentration camps and the severe crackdown on pro-democracy movements in Hong Kong. Beijing has responded with fervor, maintaining their stance that such allegations hold no truth, and the c

A Korean research team led by Professor Sei Kwang Hahn (MSE) has developed a micromotor that passes through the gastric mucosa, stays in the stomach for over 24 hours, delivers a drug to the targeted tissue, and is completely discharged out of the body.Helicobacter pylori, which parasites on the mucus secreted from gastric mucosa, easily passes through the gastric mucosa. By mimicking the parasitic nature of H. pylori, the research team designed a urease (an enzyme that dissolves urea)-based micromotor drug carrier that delivers a drug to the stomach for more than 24 hours.Micromotors and nano

On Nov. 26, the seventh “Introducing My Research (IMR)” was held. As the name implies, IMR is a science communication competition among students and researchers of POSTECH who are given three minutes to introduce their research without using a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation. IMR was inspired by an international science communication competition, “FameLab”, and this year’s IMR was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Those who desired to apply for the IMR submitted a script by Nov. 9, and finalists were selected based on their scripts. For this year’s IMR, six speakers, who were all graduate

On Nov. 22, POSTECH made a contract with Samsung Electronics to establish the Department of Semiconductor Engineering (name not yet determined). President Moo Hwan Kim and Choi Si-young, president and general manager of the foundry business of Samsung Electronics, signed the contract via a non-face-to-face meeting.The Department of Semiconductor Engineering will be a semiconductor specialized education institute for the selected few. According to the contract, the Department of Semiconductor Engineering will admit 40 students every year for five years from 2023 to 2027, under the condition tha

In 2019, the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) raised the issue to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) that mobile carriers are discriminating between domestic content providers (CP) and global CPs. CCEJ pointed out that Netflix and other global CPs are not paying network usage fees.The major players in the current Internet networking architectures are Internet service providers (ISP), CPs, and users. ISPs, such as SK Broadband, provide physical connections to enable network access. CP provides content to Internet users who access it through the network. Companies such as Netflix, Na

Sweat is an effective body fluid that can be used to analyze bioanalytes without collecting blood. The sweat sensor can relieve the hassle of diabetic patients who repeatedly draw blood, and can also be used in various wearable healthcare devices which monitor the fatigue level of the body and daily health status. However, the practical use of sweat sensors is impeded because the sweat secretion rate is inherently low and irregular. Thus, a new method to collect sweat has been in need. Recently, a research team led by Professor Cho Kilwon of the Department of Chemical Engineering (CE) and Son

The esophagus is an organ through which water and food flow quickly. Therefore, when disease develops in the esophagus, it is difficult to treat with drugs directly.The research team of Professor Hyung Joon Cha of the Department of Chemical Engineering (CE) and Choi Hyun-sun (CE M.S. /Ph.D. Candidate, advisor Prof. Hyung Joon Cha) and the research team led by Prof. Yun Kee Jo of the Department of Biomedical Convergence Science & Technology at Kyungpook National University jointly developed a magnetically guidable microparticle using a bioengineered mussel adhesive protein (MAP). The microparti

Living in a hyperconnected world, it is hard to claim that one’s lifestyle is not influenced by any foreign cultural elements. The idea of culture as a mere social construct applies best to a pre-industrial society but not so much to the modern connected world. The increasing globalization and proliferation of social media has effectively rendered borders obsolete in a cultural sense. For this reason, it sounds a bit daunting to categorize cultures by nation. On a deeper look, though, culture plays an important role in a country’s geopolitical dominance, which is why the Korean Wave that is ta

As Korea’s vaccination program progressed smoothly, the government began preparing for a phased recovery in daily life. On Oct. 29, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH), headed by Prime Minister Kim Bu-gyeom, was convened with central ministries, 17 municipalities, and 18 city/province police agencies to discuss the “Roadmap for the Gradual Return to Normal”, the COVID-19 situations of major municipalities, and measures to be taken. In a televised press briefing, the Minister of Health and Welfare and the Commissioner of Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agenc

Professor Junsuk Rho (ME and CE) was appointed as the associate editor of Microsystems & Nanoengineering (MINE) published by Springer Nature.MINE is a world-renowned magazine on processing, production, devices, and systems of micro-nanomaterials. Prof. Rho is currently the only Korean to be appointed as an associate editor of the journal. He will lead editing on micro-/nano-photonics and micro-/nano-fabrication as the major editor in the field.In May, Prof. Rho was appointed as an associate editor of Light: Science and Applications, an eminent journal on optics published by Springer Nature. Pr

High summer temperatures cause green algae to flourish in lakes and rivers, leading to green algal blooms. Wastewater and fertilizer provide nutritive salts like nitrogen compounds to the freshwater deposits, accelerating algal spread and water quality deterioration. One of the most important technologies to prevent this spread is denitrification, which converts nitrate into dinitrogen and allows it to escape the water, leading to a decrease in nutritive salts.Professor Choi Wonyong of the Division of Environmental Science and Engineering (DESE) and Lee Shin-bi (DESE Ph.D. candidate, advisor P

On Sept. 12, the Financial Services Commission announced that it would allow trading of domestic and overseas stocks in decimal places. Until now, only Korea Investment & Securities and Shinhan Investment Corp served trading in decimal places, and decimal trading has been limited to overseas stocks. From the third quarter of 2022, securities firms will launch decimal trading services for domestic stocks. Decimal trading on overseas stocks will be expanded to other securities firms within this year.Unlike the conventional method of trading in which whole numbers of stocks must be sold, decimal

On Sept. 8, Naver and Kakao’s stock price showed a sharp decline of 7.87% and 10.06%, respectively. The cause of the decrease was an announcement made by the financial arms on Sept. 7 about regulations on Big-tech. Big-tech companies are prevailing IT firms, including Naver and Kakao. They flourished amid the non-face-to-face era triggered by COVID-19. However, their excessive market dominance and overuse of power became a problem.On Sept. 7, the financial arms judged Naver Financial and Kakao Pay’s recommendation on funds, insurance, and other financial products offered to customers on their

POSTECH uploaded a post on its website on July 26 titled Announcement of the invitation of professors from all areas of medical science. Accroding to the post, MD Ph.D.s, who study medical science including the drug discovery, stem cells, artificial organs, and neuroscience, will be invited.President Moo Hwan Kim said, “Since it may take time to establish a medical school and graduate school, we will first build the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering (working title) to prepare for a research base camp.” Once the recruitment of professors is completed by this year, the school wi

The research team led by Professor Won Jong Kim of the Department of Chemistry (CHEM) and Kim Tae-jeong (CHEM Ph.D. candidate) cooperated with OmniaMed Co., Ltd. to develop an injectable hybrid hydrogel platform that delivers therapeutic drugs to the sites of rheumatoid arthritis. The platform simultaneously removes nitric oxide (NO), the main cause of inflammation, through localized reactions without any side effects. This research was published in the inside back cover of the 34th issue Advanced Materials Volume 33.Inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis produce excessive nitric o

It has been a month since the fourth pandemic wave began in Korea, and COVID-19 is spreading at a frightening pace, constantly renewing the highest daily number of confirmed cases. One main cause is the Delta variant, which was first detected in Korea on April 18. Its rate of transmission is 225 times faster than that of the original strain, and the Delta variant has already established itself as the dominant species in the U.S. and other countries. Even worse, the rate of prevention of the Delta variant after two doses of vaccinations developed by companies such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer, or Mod

There is no new discovery in the recently published United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report; rather, it is the sheer certainty that reinforces the dire threat of the climate crisis. This 4,000-page report lays out piles of evidence obtained from both observed and simulated data that show the devastating trends of global temperature, precipitation, drought, etc. Unsurprisingly, the data points to anthropogenic factors as the main driving force. It is a “Code Red for humanity … the evidence is irrefutable … greenhouse gas emission and deforestation