Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2005

UNIVERSITY MEMBERS HONOURED • Prof. Dennis L o Yuk-ming, Dr. L i Ka S h i ng Professor of M e d i c i n e a n d professor of c h em i c al p a t h o l o g y , a n d P r o f . J i m m y Y u C h a i - m e i, p r o f e s s or i n t h e D e p a r t m e nt of Ch em i s t r y, we re each conferre d a S t a t e N a t u r a l S c i e n c e A w a r d , second class, i n r e c o g n i t i o n of the a c h i e v e m e n t s o f t h e i r p r o j e c t s ‘ B i o l o g y a n d D i a g n o s t i c A p p l i c a t i o n s o f F o e t a l N u c l e i c A c i d s i n M a t e r n a l P l a s ma' a n d ‘ P h o t o c a t a l y t ic D e g r a d a t i on o f Persistent Organic Pollutants' respectively. P r o f . D e n n i s L o ' s r e s e a r c h h as i m p o r t a n t i m p l i c a t i o n s f o r p r e n a t a l d i a g n o s i s . M a n y t r a d i t i o n al m e t h o ds o f p r e n a t a l d i a g n o s i s are i n v a s i v e a n d constitute a finite risk to the foetus. Prof . Lo breaks n ew g r o u nd b y s h o w i n g that foetal D N A is present i n the plasma o f a pregnant w o m a n , thereby l a y i ng a s o l i d f o u n d a t i o n f o r the use o f c i r c u l a t i ng f o e t al D N A f o r n o n - i n v a s i ve p r e n a t a l d i a g n o s i s. He als o d e m o n s t r a t e d , f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e i n t he w o r l d , t h at t he f o e t u s releases its R N A ( p r o d u c t s o f g e n e e x p r e s s i o n ) i n t o t h e m o t h e r ' s p l a s m a . T h e d e t e c t i o n o f circulating foetal R N A , therefore, p r o v i d e s a p r o m i s i n g me a ns to m o n i t o r the gene expression profil e of an u n b o rn foetus. This d i s c o v e r y h as g r e a t l y e n h a n c e d t h e d i a g n o s t i c a p p l i c a t i on of p l a s ma - b a s ed mo l e c u l a r diagnostics. Prof. Lo has also been selected as the w i n n e r of the 2006 I FCC - A b b o tt A w a r d for S i g n i f i c a nt C o n t r i b u t i o ns to M o l e c u l a r Diagnostics for his f u n d ame n t a l biological o b s e r v a t i o ns o n t h e b i o l o g y o f p l a s m a nucleic acid s a nd hi s d e v e l o pme n t of n ew a nd exciting clinical applications based o n these observations. The awa r d is sponsored b y A b b o t t Diagnostics and has been created t o h o n o u r an i n d i v i d u a l w h o has m a de u n i q u e c o n t r i b u t i o n s to the p r omo t i on a nd u n d e r s t a n d i ng o f molecular b i o l o g y and its a p p l i c a t i o n i n c l i n i c a l c h e m i s t r y a n d laboratory medicine t h r o u g h o ut the w o r l d. P r o f . Y u ' s i n t e r d i s c i p l i n a r y p r o j e ct i n v o l v es e n v i r o nme n t a l science, chemistry, a nd material science. I t aims at d e v e l o p i ng visible-light photo-catalytic systems for the e f f i c i e n t d e g r a d a t i o n o f t o x i c o r g a n ic pollutants w h i c h are a serious environmental concern w o r l d w i d e. It has also overcome th e major drawbac k of the present technology 一 t h at p h o t o c a t a l y t ic processes need to be activated b y ultraviolet light, w h i c h accounts for only 3 to 5 per cent o f the solar spectrum. T h e State N a t u r a l Science A w a r d is Ch i n a ' s mo s t prestigious a w a r d i n science and technology. It recognizes achievements i n various fields of natural science tha t have b r o u g h t s i g n i f i c a n t a d v a n c e m e n t i n s c i e n t i f ic k n o w l e d g e, are l e a d i n g i n the w o r l d , a n d h a v e g r e at i m p a c t o n f u t u r e r e s e a r ch a n d d e v e l o p m e n t . T he h i g h l y c omp e t i t i v e s e l e c t i o n exercise i n v o l v es a three-stage r e v i e w b y panels of experts a n d the awa r d committee. The first-class award, b e s t owe d o n l y o n achievements of monumental significance, was no t conferred thi s year. Prof. Dennis Lo Yuk-ming Prof. Jimmy Yu Chai-mei News in Brief 4 7