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Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year Award
The Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year Award, initiated by the Berlin-based Falling Walls Foundation, showcases and celebrates the most recent breakthroughs in science and society from all around the world. Awardees are selected by a jury comprising globally recognised experts in the fields.
The Falling Walls Foundation, a charity supported by the German government and numerous acclaimed academic institutions, foundations, companies, and NGOs, has been organizing the Science Breakthroughs of the Year Award to foster dialogue on research and innovation globally and promote the latest scientific findings. The event brings together the latest breakthroughs, outstanding science projects and bright minds behind them in 10 scientific, innovation, and humanistic categories.
Falling Walls Winners
Two CUHK researchers were shortlisted as one of the top 10 scientists in the category of Engineering and Technology, and top 25 Science Start-ups. They are:
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Prof. Shih-Chi Chen, Dept. of Mechanical & Automation Engineering | Prof. Xiao Yang, Dept. of Microbiology | ||
Top 10 Scientists – Engineering and Technology | Breaking the Wall to Using Ultrafast Multi-Material 3D Nanofabrication |
Top 25 Science Start-ups (Falling Walls Venture) | Ynno Med Ltd.: Breaking the Wall to Novel Antibiotic Candidates |
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Prof. Shih-Chi Chen of the Faculty of Engineering developed a revolutionary nanoscale 3D printing platform based on femtosecond projection that achieved a record-setting resolution of 20nm, a printing rate of 400mm3/hour, and a lower cost at US$1.5/mm3. It supports nanofabrication with 20 different materials, addressing critical fabrication challenges in nanotechnology, photonics, energy, and biotechnology.
Read more: ➢ Introduction to Prof. Shih Chi Chen’s work |
Prof. Xiao Yang co-founded Ynno Med Ltd. (YnnoMed), which focuses on the discovery and development of first-in-class antimicrobial drugs using in-house developed AI-assisted technology, ultimately accelerating the availability of new drugs. YnnoMed has pioneered the development of bacterial transcription inhibitors as new antimicrobial drug candidates to combat the ever-present situation of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. |
Finalists
Two CUHK researchers were shortlisted as finalists in two categories, including:
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Prof. Li Zhang, Dept. of Mechanical & Automation Engineering | Prof. Shih-Chi Chen, Dept. of Mechanical & Automation Engineering | ||
Engineering and Technology | Wirelessly-powered soft medical devices that revolutionise clinical therapies | Science Start-ups | Precision Cut Ltd. | ||
Prof. Li Zhang of CUHK Faculty of Engineering is a world leading pioneer in developing wirelessly-powered soft medical devices that can revolutionise clinical therapies, in particular non-invasive treatments in the digestive system. His breakthroughs include electronic stents for gastric acid reflux treatment, and magnetic slime robot and soft robots that can be deployed in the digestive system for minimally invasive surgery, micromanipulation and targeted drug delivery. | Prof. Shih-Chi Chen co-founded Precision Cut Ltd, which presents an ultrafast microtome that sections fresh tissues and soft materials into thin slices. Combining with light sheet microscopy, Precision Cut offers a personalized medicine medical solution, e.g. tumors from patients are sectioned into thin arrays and cultured alive for drug screening. The 3D imaging platform also realises automated 3D super-resolution imaging.
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