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KAIST: Late-Summer Rain Belt Has Moved About 200 km North, Raising the Risk of Concurrent Heavy Rain and Heat in Korea
“Where the front that brings the rain stays is becoming as important as how heavily it rains.”
A joint research team from KAIST and the APEC Climate Center has found that the East Asian summer front has migrated north over the past half century, with the shift exceeding 200 km in late summer. This raises the risk that the Korean Peninsula will experience heavy rain and heat stress at the same time. The findings suggest that summer disaster planning should address flood prevention and heat-illness management together, through late September.
KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on October 23 that a research team led by Professor Hyungjun Kim from the Department of AI and Futures Studies, who is also Director of the KAIST Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, has identified the long-term northward migration of the East Asian summer front and the resulting increase in compound risk. The team conducted the study with Dr. Suyeon Moon and Dr. OkYeon Kim from the APEC Climate Center (APCC; Director Kyung-Ja Ha) by analyzing 47 years (1979 to 2025) of high-resolution reanalysis data.
Frontal precipitation accounts for about 40% of total summer precipitation in East Asia, and for about half in June and September. A front forms along the boundary between contrasting air masses, where temperature and moisture change sharply. The summer of 2024 illustrates what is at stake: Gunsan recorded an hourly rainfall of 131.7 mm, the highest on record, and more than 600 mm of rain fell over the Seoul metropolitan area in two days, while prolonged heat waves occurred during the same period.
The position of the front has received relatively little attention. Previous research has mainly examined changes in the intensity of frontal precipitation under global warming, and the research team also showed in earlier work that this intensity has increased. However, even a small shift in the position of a front can substantially change regional precipitation patterns and determine which communities face flooding and which swelter in the heat.
The team applied an automated front-detection algorithm to ERA5, a high-resolution (about 25 km) reanalysis dataset from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and tracked the position of the front every six hours over the 47 years. After confirming that the detected fronts agreed well with front positions on weather maps, they found than throughout the summer, the front in the most recent period (2006 to 2025) was located farther north than in the earlier period (1979 to 1998).
The front moved north by about 213 km in late summer (September 10 to 30), compared with an average of about 146 km during the active frontal season (June 25 to July 15). In the earlier period, the late-summer front was located over the Yangtze River basin and the sea south of Jeju Island. In recent years, it has reached the southern Korean Peninsula. The shift is linked to a combination of factors, including warmer sea surface temperatures and changes in atmospheric circulation.
The northward migration also changed the spatial pattern of precipitation and heat stress. During the active frontal season, years with a northward-shifted front showed more precipitation in northern areas, including the Korean Peninsula, and greater heat stress in southern areas. The effect was stronger in late summer. In years when the front moved north, frontal precipitation increased substantially over the Korean Peninsula, and heat stress rose by more than 0.4°C at the same time. Heat stress was measured with the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), an index that accounts for humidity as well as air temperature. A higher WBGT indicates hot, humid conditions in which sweat evaporates less readily, raising discomfort and the risk of heat stroke.
Wet and hot conditions also occurred together far more often in late-summer years with a northward-shifted front. Days on which both precipitation and heat stress were above normal levels occurred about 8 to 19 times more often in these years than in years when the front stayed in the south. The ratio remained significantly high, at about 3 to 9 times, even after the long-term trends were removed. This indicates that the result cannot be explained solely by separate increases in precipitation and temperature.
“This study shows that not only the intensity but also the position of fronts is changing, and as a result, the places and times at which rain and heat arrive are changing even within the same summer,” said Professor Hyungjun Kim. He added that September has received little attention in summer disaster preparedness, and that a comprehensive adaptation strategy is needed to manage late-summer heavy rain and extreme heat together as a single compound risk.
The study was published in the international journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science. Dr. Suyeon Moon of the APEC Climate Center is the first author and a corresponding author, and Professor Hyungjun Kim of KAIST is a corresponding author.
Paper title: Recent change in northward migration of the East Asian summer front and increased compound wet–hot conditions
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-026-01570-x
Authors: Suyeon Moon (APEC Climate Center, first and corresponding author), OkYeon Kim (APEC Climate Center), and Hyungjun Kim (KAIST, corresponding author)
This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea’s [AI-based Future Climate Technology Development] Program and by the Korea Meteorological Administration Research and Development Program “APEC Climate Center for Climate Information Services.”
2026.10.23 View 275 -
KAIST Develops a Venus Flytrap-Inspired 'Robot Hand' Material That Detects What Comes Near and Grasps It Under UV Light
A Venus flytrap closes its leaves to trap prey when it senses a stimulus. Taking inspiration from this plant, KAIST researchers have combined the roles of a skin that senses approaching objects and a muscle that grasps them in a single soft material. When an electrically charged object comes near, ions inside the material move and produce an electrical signal. When ultraviolet (UV) light is applied, the material bends and grasps the object. Because it holds its deformed shape for more than 10 minutes after the light is turned off, the material shows potential for soft robotic hands that require fewer components and less wiring.
KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on September 30 that a research team led by Professor Hong Chul Moon from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering has developed the ‘Ionograsper,’ an ionic soft robot that senses nearby objects and moves in response to light. An ionic material contains ions, small particles that carry a positive or negative electric charge, which allow the material to respond to electrical changes in its surroundings.
Humans notice objects with their eyes or skin and grasp them by moving their muscles. Robots likewise need sensors to detect their surroundings and actuators to generate movement. However, when these devices are attached separately to a soft robot, which bends flexibly, the number of components and the amount of wiring increase, and the structure becomes more complex.
The research team combined the roles of a robot’s skin and muscle in a single soft polymer material. Polymers are substances made of small molecules linked into long chains; plastics and rubber are common examples. The team combined azobenzene, a compound that changes shape when exposed to light, with a hygroscopic polymer that absorbs moisture from the air. This produced a network structure in which ions can move.
When a charged object approaches, its electric field causes the positive and negative ions inside the material to redistribute. As a result, changes occur inside the material even without direct contact. The researchers used the resulting electrical signal to detect the approach and movement of objects without applying a separate sensing voltage.
To make the material move, the researchers irradiate it with UV light. Azobenzene changes its molecular shape when it absorbs light, and moisture escapes from the irradiated side of the material. This causes the material to bend toward the light, which can be used to grasp an object.
When the light is turned off, moisture re-enters the material through nanoscale pores that formed on its surface during irradiation. The material then bends in the opposite direction and holds its deformed shape for more than 10 minutes, until the polymer structure slowly relaxes. This means the light does not need to stay on for the material to maintain its grasping position.
A defining feature of the study is that three functions, sensing an object, moving, and retaining a changed shape for a period of time, are realized in a single material. The researchers also analyzed how light-induced changes in the molecules and in moisture content lead to bidirectional bending and shape retention.
This material design approach could help reduce the components and wiring required when sensors and actuators are mounted separately on soft robots. The work, however, remains at the research stage: the material currently detects charged objects and is actuated by UV light. The team plans to increase the sensing distance, actuation speed, durability under repeated use, and load-bearing capacity, and to make the material responsive to visible or near-infrared light.
“Rather than attaching a robot’s skin and muscles separately, we created a single material that senses objects and moves when it receives light, and a key feature is that it maintains its deformed shape even after the light is turned off,” said Professor Hong Chul Moon. He added that the team plans to combine the material with AI control technologies and develop it into a sensing and actuation material for physical AI robots.
Professor Yong Min Kim of the School of Chemical Engineering at Jeonbuk National University served as the first author, and Professor Hong Chul Moon of KAIST’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering served as the corresponding author. The study was published online in the international journal Advanced Materials on September 14, 2026, and was selected as the front cover article of Issue 62.
Paper title: A Multifunctional Ionograsper Enabling Ion-Redistribution Proximity Sensing and Structural-Reconfiguration-Driven Bidirectional Actuation,
DOI: 10.1002/adma.74981
Authors: Yong Min Kim (Jeonbuk National University, first author); Jin Han Kwon, Hyeon Woo Yang, Sungryong Kim, and Gyeong Rok Lee (KAIST, co-authors); Hong Chul Moon (KAIST, corresponding author)
Related Video: https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.74981
This research was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (Ministry of Science and ICT, MSIT) (RS-2025-00554260) and by the Nano & Material Technology Development Program through the NRF, funded by the MSIT (RS-2025-02221332).
2026.09.30 View 2018 -
AI Takes the Wheel in 'Mario Kart' as Students Use Generative AI in Eight-Hour Hacking Contest
AI will take the wheel in "Mario Kart," while students use generative AI tools to tackle an eight-hour hacking contest, as KAIST and POSTECH bring their scientific rivalry to the playing field.
KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) and POSTECH (President Seong Keun Kim) announced on September 18 that the 23rd KAIST-POSTECH Science War, also known as the "KA-PO War," will take place at POSTECH on September 18 and 19.
First held in 2002, the annual event brings students from both universities together for scientific competitions, sports matches, and performances. The two universities take turns hosting the event in Daejeon and Pohang. Following convention, the visiting university's name comes first in the event title, making this year's edition the "KA-PO War." The name "Science War" reflects the event's distinctive combination of technical challenges and athletic competitions.
This year's games feature seven events. The four sports events are baseball, soccer, basketball, and esports matches featuring "League of Legends", while the three science events are a hacking competition, an AI competition, and a science quiz.
This year's science events highlight current technology trends, incorporating generative AI and concepts from autonomous driving into the competitions.
The hacking competition will run for eight hours, from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on the first day. The competition will present information security challenges, including cryptography problems, in rounds, with participants earning points for solving them within the allotted time. The use of generative AI tools is fully permitted. A screen will display live scores and participants' progress solving the challenges so spectators can follow the action.
Also beginning at 2:00 p.m. on the first day, the AI competition will take place at the POSTECH eSports Colosseum. AI programs developed and trained by students from both universities will control karts in the popular racing game "Mario Kart Wii" and compete head-to-head. With the AI used to drive the karts without human input, the event serves as a virtual autonomous driving competition.
Scores across four courses will determine the winner of each round. The first team to win two of three rounds will win the match.
The science quiz will begin at 2:00 p.m. on the second day on the stage in front of POSPLEX, combining questions on general science and recent research trends with 'rock-paper-scissors chess,' a chess variant that tests strategic thinking and teamwork alongside scientific knowledge.
The university that wins at least four of the seven events will be crowned this year's overall champion. KAIST currently leads the all-time standings with 13 overall victories to POSTECH's eight.
"We hope this year's KA-PO War goes beyond a friendly exchange to become a special festival where students from Korea's two leading science and technology universities compete fiercely with their pride on the line, while sharing laughter and enjoying themselves together," said Dong-hyeok Lee, chair of the KA-PO War organizing committee and a student in KAIST's Department of Materials Science and Engineering who entered KAIST in 2024.
"The KA-PO War is more than a competition to determine winners and losers. It is a special festival where KAIST and POSTECH students share their passion and talents through science and sports," said KAIST President Choongsik Bae. He added that he hopes the event inspires students to take pride in their role as future leaders of Korean science and technology and gives them a valuable opportunity to learn from one another and grow together through competition.
2026.09.18 View 1564 -
KAIST Technology Behind Toothbrushes and Sportswear Advances into High-Performance Graphene Fiber Research
KAIST’s discovery of graphene oxide liquid crystals in 2011 has laid the foundation for 15 years of research worldwide, leading to technologies for producing graphene fibers with high strength and thermal conductivity. The fundamental materials research that helped bring antibacterial toothbrushes and functional sportswear to market is now advancing into materials for thermal management.
KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on September 18 that Professor Sang Ouk Kim’s team in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering has published a commentary in the News & Views section of Nature Materials, highlighting recent advances in high-performance graphene fibers based on graphene oxide liquid crystals and their scientific significance.
Graphene oxide consists of graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb structure, with oxygen functional groups attached. Graphene is strong and conducts heat and electricity well, but its poor dispersibility in common solvent makes it difficult to process in liquid form. By contrast, the oxygen functional groups allow graphene oxide to disperse readily in water and other solvents, making it easier to formulate into inks, apply as coatings, or spin into fibers.
In 2011, Professor Kim’s team was the first in the world to report that graphene oxide dispersed in water above a certain concentration spontaneously forms a liquid-crystalline state in which its thin sheets align in a common direction.
Above critical concentration conditions, graphene oxide sheets randomly dispersed in water align like a scattered deck of cards arranged to face the same direction. This alignment allows graphene oxide to be drawn into long fibers while maintaining the sheets’ orientation along the fiber axis.
Following this discovery, researchers worldwide have developed methods for producing graphene fibers from graphene oxide liquid crystals. Conventional methods, however, have faced problems such as breaks in the liquid filament during drawing and insufficiently aligned or loosely packed graphene sheets, which leave voids and defects within the fibers. These problems have limited efforts to improve strength and thermal conductivity simultaneously.
In their commentary, Professor Kim’s team discussed recent research addressing these limitations and analyzed how research on graphene oxide liquid crystals could lead to technologies for manufacturing high-performance fibers.
Researchers at Zhejiang University in China recently dispersed graphene oxide in highly viscous glycerol, giving the dispersion viscoelastic properties similar to those of a polymer solution. This enabled “ultrahigh-ratio drawing” during wet spinning, allowing the graphene oxide dispersion to be stretched much further than before.
During this process, the graphene oxide sheets become more closely aligned along the fiber axis, reducing internal voids and defects. Subsequent heat treatment at high temperatures promotes the growth of large, aligned graphitic crystallites, producing lightweight, strong graphene fibers with high thermal and electrical conductivity.
The graphene fibers produced in this recent study were reported to have a tensile strength of up to 5.9 gigapascals (GPa) and a thermal conductivity of up to 1,720 watts per meter per kelvin (W/(m·K)). In simple terms, the fibers resist breaking when pulled and transfer heat quickly. These results show how denser packing and better alignment of graphene oxide sheets can improve both strength and thermal conductivity.
In the commentary, Professor Kim’s team highlighted how research on graphene oxide liquid crystals has progressed from observing a fundamental phenomenon to processing a two-dimensional material through flow and stretching, much like a polymer solution.
KAIST's core technology related to graphene oxide liquid crystals has already moved beyond the laboratory into consumer products. Antibacterial graphene toothbrushes incorporating technology from Materials CreationCo., Ltd., a faculty startup founded by Professor Kim, have sold more than 14 million units since their 2023 launch. Functional fibers made with GrapheneTex material were used in the uniforms of the Taekwondo demonstration team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. More recently, the material has been applied to functional golf apparel, other sportswear, and bedding, as the company pursues expansion into global markets.
“Since its discovery in 2011, graphene oxide liquid crystal has provided a foundation for research over worldwide that has now led to strong, high-performance graphene fibers that conduct heat efficiently,” said Professor Kim. “What makes this significant is that a single line of basic research has led to applications ranging from consumer products such as toothbrushes and functional clothing to advanced materials for electronics, mobility, and aerospace.”
The commentary was written by PhD candidates Jin Hyo Kim and Sujin Cha and Professor Sang Ouk Kim, all of KAIST’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and was published in the News & Views section of Nature Materials on September 8. (END)
Commentary title: Processing graphene fibres by viscous flow
DOI: 10.1038/s41563-026-02735-y
2026.09.18 View 3337 -
KAIST Researchers Uncover How Neurons Deliver RNA to Where It Is Needed
Much like a courier reading an address on a package, neurons must deliver RNA to the precise locations where it is needed. A KAIST research team has discovered how a small chemical modification on RNA acts as a “delivery tag,” helping selected RNAs travel to distant regions of neurons.
The findings provide a basis for investigating RNA “delivery errors” in brain disorders—cases in which RNA is produced normally but fails to reach its intended destination—and may ultimately inform the development of new therapeutic strategies.
KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on September 14 that a research team led by Professor Ki-Jun Yoon of the Department of Biological Sciences has identified a mechanism through which N6-methyladenosine, or m6A, facilitates the transport of specific RNAs to distal axons, the long, cable-like projections of neurons.
Unlike most other cells, neurons have long, highly branched extensions. Axons transmit signals to other neurons, while dendrites receive incoming signals. For the brain to develop and function normally, these structures must grow properly and form appropriate connections.
Because neurons can extend over considerable distances, RNA produced in the cell body may be needed far away, including at the growing tip of an axon. Neurons must therefore identify particular RNAs among thousands of candidates and transport them to the correct subcellular locations.
Just as producing a package does not complete its delivery—the package must also reach the correct address—producing RNA is only part of the process. RNA must arrive at the right place at the right time. However, the mechanisms through which neurons select and transport RNAs over long distances have remained incompletely understood.
The research team found that m6A, a small chemical modification added to RNA, plays an important role in this process. m6A is a modification of adenosine, one of the building blocks of RNA, and is known to influence several aspects of RNA metabolism, including stability and translation. The new study shows that m6A can also function as a molecular “delivery tag” that promotes the transport of specific RNAs to distal regions of neurons.
The researchers first examined mice in which Mettl14, a component of the enzyme complex that installs m6A on RNA, was deleted from developing neurons. In the absence of normal m6A modification, the neurons exhibited impaired axon projection and neurite development. These findings confirmed that m6A plays an important role in the early development of neurons.
The team then used a high-resolution technique known as m6A-SAC-seq to map the precise locations of m6A modifications in RNA from the developing mouse brain at single-nucleotide resolution. The resulting map revealed that RNAs associated with axon development and synapse organization were among those marked by m6A.
The researchers also identified how this “delivery tag” is recognized and connected to the cellular transport machinery. They found that YTHDF2, a protein that recognizes m6A-modified RNA, works with the RNA-binding protein FMRP and the motor protein KIF5C to facilitate the transport of RNA along neuronal processes.
In the delivery analogy, m6A serves as the tag attached to the RNA, YTHDF2 reads the tag, and FMRP and KIF5C help connect the RNA to the cellular machinery that carries it toward its destination.
YTHDF2 has previously been studied primarily for its role in promoting the degradation of RNA that is no longer needed. This study reveals an additional function: in developing neurons, YTHDF2 also helps transport specific RNAs to distal locations rather than simply directing them toward degradation.
The findings offer a new perspective on the study of brain disorders. Research has traditionally focused on whether RNA is produced and maintained correctly. The new results suggest that researchers should also consider whether normally produced RNA is delivered to the correct location within a neuron.
In other words, neurological dysfunction may potentially arise not only from defects in RNA itself, but also from problems with the molecular tags or transport machinery that determine where the RNA travels.
Future studies could investigate whether such RNA delivery errors occur in neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorders and whether they contribute to neuronal dysfunction or disease onset. If such links are established, the findings could eventually support the development of therapeutic approaches that regulate RNA transport and restore the delivery of specific RNAs to their intended locations.
The high-resolution m6A map of the developing nervous system generated in this study may also serve as a valuable resource for examining how RNA modification and intracellular transport change during brain aging and neurodegenerative disease.
“Our study shows that a small chemical modification on RNA does more than regulate RNA stability—it also plays an important role in delivering specific RNAs to the locations where they are needed within neurons,” said Professor Yoon. “We hope these findings will provide a foundation for understanding why RNA may fail to reach its intended destination in brain disorders and for exploring new therapeutic possibilities.”
Bonsang Koo, Dr. Ajeet Kumar, and Huiseon Hwang of the KAIST Department of Biological Sciences contributed equally to the study as co-first authors. The paper was published in Nature Communications on July 30.
Paper title: The m⁶A reader YTHDF2 regulates mRNA transport and axon outgrowth in developing neurons
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-76161-8
Author information: Co-first authors (Bonsang Koo, Ajeet Kumar, Huiseon Hwang); Contributing authors (Minyeong Park, Sung-Min Lee, Ki-Heon Lee, Ji-Hoon Moon, Jaewon Yang, Chan-Woo Park, Saebom Lee, Hee-Jung Jo, Woo-il Kim, Eunji Cho, Hagyeong Lee, Chang-Won Lee, Jae-Sung Woo, Jong Hyuk Yoon, Yoon Ki Kim); Corresponding author (Ki-Jun Yoon)
This work was supported by National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grants (2020M3A9E403967022, RS-2024-00332454, RS-2024-00440778, and RS-2026-25488918 to K.-J.Y.) funded by the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT, and Future Planning (MSIP), the POSCOScience Fellowship from the POSCO TJ Park Foundation (to K.-J.Y.), the Young Investigator Grant from the Suh Kyungbae Foundation (to K.-J.Y.), the Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) Basic Research Program through the Korea Brain Research Institute, funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) (24-BR-02-03 to J.H.Y).
2026.09.14 View 4268 -
KAIST Professor Jaekyung Kim Selected as One of Asia's 12 Next-Generation Scientists
KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on September 4 that Professor Jaekyung Kim from the Department of Biological Sciences has been selected as a Fellow of the “2026 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF),” a program that supports promising young scientists across Asia.
The Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF) is a privately funded research fellowship in Asia, established to support young scientists in carrying out creative and challenging research. Since selecting its first cohort of Fellows in 2023, the AYSF selects 12 early-career researchers each year across the fundamental science disciplines of life sciences, physical sciences, and mathematics and computer science. Each selected Fellow receives a total of $100,000 USD over two years to support their research.
The AYSF does more than support young scientists across individual academic disciplines —it actively encourages interdisciplinary research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries to open new research directions. It places particular emphasis on supporting young scientists at the critical stage of launching their careers as independent researchers, helping them develop creative ideas and pioneer new areas of research.
Candidates are nominated from among full-time researchers at universities or research institutions in Asia who are within 10 years of completing their terminal degree (Ph.D./M.D.). Among the nominated candidates, a Selection Committee composed of scientists from Asia and around the world conducts a comprehensive evaluation of each candidate’s research achievements and future research potential.
This year, 12 early-career researchers in Asia were selected as 2026 Fellows Professor Kim was named a Fellow in the life sciences category, alongside Professor Mikyung Shin of Sungkyunkwan University, making them the two Fellows affiliated with Korean universities. Previous AYS Fellows from Korea include Professor Kyeongsu Choi of the Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS) in 2023; Professor Jiheong Kang of Seoul National University in 2024; and Professor Seongjun Park of Seoul National University and Professor In-Jee Jeong of KIAS in 2025.
Professor Kim studies how the brain organizes experiences and information into memories during sleep. Using a systems- and computational-neuroscience approach, he focuses on memory consolidation—the process by which information learned during the day becomes stabilized into long-term memory during sleep—and the neural mechanisms involved. He also analyzes biological signals related to dreaming and investigates how sleep affects higher cognitive functions such as creative thinking.
Professor Kim received his bachelor's degree from Hanyang University and his Ph.D. from KAIST, and completed postdoctoral research at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the San Francisco VA Medical Center. He joined the KAIST Department of Biological Sciences in 2023 and currently leads the Neural Processing Lab.
The 2026 AYS Fellows will attend the 2026 AYSF Annual Conference on November 9, 2026, at the University of Hong Kong to showcase their research work and innovative ideas.
2026.09.04 View 3078 -
KAIST and Caltech Build Global Co-Mentoring Model for Next-Gen Researchers
KAIST is building a new global cooperation model with the Caltech — a world-renowned U.S. research institution — that goes beyond joint research to jointly nurture next-generation researchers as well.
KAIST, led by President Choongsik Bae, is holding the 1st KAIST-Caltech Joint Workshop on Molecular Science and Chemical Innovation with the Caltech in the United States from September 1 to 2.
The workshop is designed not merely to share the latest research achievements in advanced molecular science and future chemical technologies, but to build a sustainable framework of cooperation that links joint research and talent development, extending even to the shared use of research facilities.
At this workshop, particular attention is being given to establishing and operating the KAIST-Caltech Global Research Fellow (KCGRF) platform, a joint mentoring program for postdoctoral researchers.
KCGRF is a program in which faculty members from both institutions identify joint research topics and jointly select and mentor postdoctoral researchers. By enabling participating researchers to experience the research environments of both KAIST and Caltech, the program aims to nurture next-generation scientists with strong international research capabilities.
This joint initiative represents a concrete practice model of KAIST's Global Connect strategy. The vision goes beyond simple exchange with overseas universities. It aims to realize a collaborative internationalization, in which talent, knowledge, and research ideas flow between the two institutions, leading to joint research and the joint training of next-generation researchers.
Caltech is a world-renowned research institution with a long-standing tradition of excellence in the natural sciences, including chemistry and physics, and has produced numerous Nobel laureates. KAIST plans to combine Caltech's basic science research capabilities with KAIST's strengths in AI-driven and autonomous research to jointly pioneer new research topics in the field of future chemistry.
Collaboration between KAIST and Caltech began in 2024 through the BrainLink program, which supports exchanges among outstanding researchers. Centered on the Nitrogen-Hydrogen Synergy Hub Research Center, led by Professor Hyungjun Kim of the KAIST Department of Chemistry, the two institutions have continued joint research and researcher exchanges. This year, the partnership expanded further after being selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Top-Tier Research Institution Cooperation Platform and Joint Research Support Program. Through this program, KAIST launched the Center for Intelligent Circular Chemical Ecosystem Innovation, led by Professor Sang Woo Han of the KAIST Department of Chemistry.
Building on this cooperation, the KAIST Department of Chemistry and Caltech’s Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in March 2026, further strengthening their collaborative framework. The two institutions plan to hold joint workshops every year, match faculty members for joint mentoring, identify postdoctoral researchers, promote reciprocal research visits, and establish a sustainable operating structure for the joint mentoring program.
At the workshop, researchers are exploring new opportunities for collaboration in key fields shaping the future of chemistry, including AI for chemistry, autonomous laboratories, computational and theoretical chemistry, molecular science, catalysis, synthesis, electrochemistry, and sustainable and circular chemistry. KAIST is also pursuing plans to jointly utilize its autonomous laboratories in synthesis and electrochemistry with Caltech researchers. By jointly utilizing this advanced research environment, in which AI supports experimental design, execution, and data analysis, researchers from both institutions plan to expand the speed and scope of their joint research.
In addition, the two institutions plan to promote short-term reciprocal visits by graduate students, building a sustainable human and academic exchange system that connects graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty members. The vision goes beyond one-off, project-centered cooperation, aiming to build a long-term foundation in which next-generation researchers from both institutions naturally interact and create new joint research.
The Center for Intelligent Circular Chemical Ecosystem Innovation aims to build a new chemical technology platform that contributes to carbon neutrality and the circular economy by developing intelligent chemical upcycling technologies that convert chemical industry byproducts into high-value chemicals and materials.
Professor Sang Woo Han of KAIST's Department of Chemistry said, "Through this workshop, we aim to expand the KAIST-Caltech collaboration from joint research to a stage where we jointly nurture next-generation researchers." He added, "By connecting the strengths of both institutions, we will work to create new research topics and achievements in the field of future chemistry."
President Choongsik Bae of KAIST said, "KAIST's international cooperation is about building relationships in which outstanding universities, people, and knowledge from around the world flow back and forth and grow together." He emphasized, "By expanding collaboration with world-class research institutions such as Caltech, we will carry KAIST's 'Global Connect' forward into concrete achievements."
Professor Sarah Reisman from Caltech’s Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, “Caltech and KAIST chemistry faculty have a long history of student exchanges and research collaboration, and this workshop is a wonderful opportunity to bring our faculty together and launch new projects supported by the Center for Intelligent Circular Chemical Ecosystem Innovation.” She added, “We are delighted to continue our strong partnership with KAIST.”
2026.09.02 View 2136 -
Neural Implant in Korea Remotely Controlled from the United States, Bringing Brain Research into the IoT Era
A researcher in Chicago remotely controls a miniaturized brain implant in Daejeon, Korea — over the internet. Korean researchers have developed a wireless device that can deliver drugs and light to precisely modulate targeted neurons from anywhere in the world. The technology is expected to overcome the constraints of distance and location, supporting long-term studies of brain disorders and the future development of therapeutic devices.
KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on August 27 that a research team led by Professor Jae-Woong Jeong from the School of Electrical Engineering, in collaboration with Professor Wha Young Kim's team at Yonsei University College of Medicine, has developed an IoT-enabled wireless neural implant that integrates drug delivery, optical stimulation, wireless communication, and internet-based remote control into a single miniaturized device.
Conventional studies involving optical stimulation or drug delivery to the brain often required bulky equipment connected by wires, restricting the natural movement of experimental animals. Even wireless devices had their own limitations, often requiring researchers to operate them at close range, thereby restricting experimental flexibility and introducing the so-called “observer effect”.
To overcome these limitations, the research team developed the brain implant with IoT connectivity. Even without being physically present in the laboratory, researchers can remotely administer drugs or stimulate specific brain neurons with light in real time via the internet. The device can also be programmed to operate automatically at a preset time.
The device is about the size of a sugar cube and is designed not to interfere with the animal's natural behavior. Researchers no longer need to repeatedly approach or handle equipment near the animal, reducing the stress caused by a researcher's presence, which can otherwise affect the animal's behavior and bias experimental results.
The implant contains a microfluidic system that precisely delivers drugs to a targeted region of the brain, as well as a micro-LED that enables optical control of specific neurons. Drug delivery and optical stimulation can be controlled independently, or the two functions can be combined.
The drug reservoir is designed to be magnetically detachable. Even after the drug is depleted, researchers can replace or refill the reservoir without the need for additional implantation surgery, enabling long-term, repeated experiments.
The research team implanted the device in rats and verified its performance over a four-week period. In particular, a researcher in Chicago successfully operated the brain implant in Daejeon, Korea, in real time via the internet, demonstrating that the device can operate reliably over intercontinental distances.
The team also conducted an experiment in which cocaine was wirelessly administered to a rat's brain while specific neurons were simultaneously stimulated with light. The results showed that addiction-related behavioral responses could be suppressed, demonstrating the potential of combining drug delivery and optical stimulation for neural circuit research.
By eliminating the need for researchers to operate equipment directly beside experimental animals, this technology enables long-term studies of the relationship between brain circuits and behavior under naturalistic conditions. It is expected to be useful for studying conditions that involve long-term changes in neural circuit function and behavior, such as addiction, depression, and neurodegenerative diseases.
The technology could ultimately pave the way for intelligent implantable medical devices that combine brain-state sensing with AI to deliver drugs or neural stimulation precisely when needed.
Professor Jae-Woong Jeong from KAIST said, “This technology transforms wireless brain implants that use light and drugs from short-range control tools into IoT-based brain engineering platforms capable of long-term, automated, and remote experimentation.” He added, “In the long term, it could contribute to the development of intelligent implantable medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders.”
Professor Wha Young Kim from Yonsei University said, “This platform allows researchers to remotely and precisely control specific brain circuits over extended periods while animals move freely under naturalistic conditions.” She added, “It is expected to become an important tool for identifying causal relationships between neural circuits and behavior in disease models such as addiction, depression, and neurodegenerative disorders.”
Eun Young Jeong, a doctoral student in KAIST's School of Electrical Engineering, and Jong Woo Park, a doctoral student at Yonsei University College of Medicine, served as co-first authors. The study was published on July 29 in the international journal Science Advances.
Paper title: IoT-enabled wireless neural implant for chronic, programmable neuropharmacology and optogenetics,
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aee8648
This research was supported by the Mid-Career Researcher Program and Basic Research Laboratory Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea, funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT, as well as the Industrial Technology Alchemist Project of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
2026.08.27 View 5934 -
KAIST and Thermo Fisher Scientific to Establish Next-Generation Autonomous Research Hub, “SHARE Hub”
KAIST is partnering with Thermo Fisher Scientific to establish SHARE Hub, a next-generation autonomous research hub where AI designs experiments and robots execute them. The initiative aims to accelerate scientific discovery and drug development by integrating researchers, AI systems, laboratory robotics, and experimental data into a self-driving research environment.
KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on August 27 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Thermo Fisher Scientific on August 26 to establish SHARE Hub and pursue broader strategic collaboration.
The MOU signing ceremony brought together KAIST President Choongsik Bae and senior executives from Thermo Fisher Scientific, including Dan Shine, Senior Vice President and President of the Analytical Instruments Group; Soo Jin Seok, Vice President and General Manager for Korea and Taiwan; Manoj Prasad, Vice President of IT & Digital Solutions for Asia Pacific and the Middle East; and Mark Fish, Vice President and General Manager of Digital Science & Automation Solutions.The two institutions will combine KAIST’s multidisciplinary expertise in life sciences, chemistry, medicine, AI, and robotics with Thermo Fisher Scientific’s advanced research equipment and capabilities in laboratory automation and systems integration to establish SHARE Hub.*
*SHARE Hub: A self-driving laboratory connecting human intuition, AI reasoning, robotic execution, and experimental data.
“SHARE Hub is not simply another laboratory equipped with advanced instruments. It is an open-innovation platform where scientists, AI researchers, engineers, and industry partners can jointly develop and validate next-generation autonomous laboratories,” said KAIST President Choongsik Bae. “We expect SHARE Hub to bring KAIST’s ‘Beyond Laboratory’ strategy to life and evolve into a global collaboration model that sets a new standard for the future of scientific research.”
Dan Shine, Senior Vice President and President, Analytical Instruments Group at Thermo Fisher Scientific, said, “As advanced analytical technologies become increasingly connected with AI and automation, the way scientists generate and interpret data and translate it into new discoveries is rapidly evolving. By bringing together KAIST’s outstanding research capabilities with Thermo Fisher Scientific’s analytical technologies and scientific expertise, we look forward to applying and validating new ways of working in real research environments through the SHARE Hub and turning promising ideas into meaningful scientific outcomes.”
SHARE Hub goes beyond conventional laboratory automation, in which machines simply perform predefined tasks. Researchers will formulate scientific questions and set research directions, and then AI will design experiments, robots will execute them, and the resulting data will be fed back into the AI system to inform subsequent experiments.
Recent advances in AI have significantly accelerated the design of new drug candidates. However, synthesizing candidate compounds and evaluating their efficacy and physicochemical properties still require considerable time, cost, and specialized expertise. Existing laboratory automation systems have also faced challenges integrating individual instruments, operating software, and AI systems, making it difficult to analyze results in real time, and autonomously select and execute subsequent experiments.
To overcome these limitations, SHARE Hub will be built around “Digital Plug & Play” and “Physical Plug & Play” architectures, enabling new AI systems, robots, and laboratory instruments to be integrated flexibly. This modular approach will allow rapidly evolving technologies to be introduced into research environments and promptly evaluated for their performance and usability under real-world conditions.
Rather than focusing solely on equipment deployment or experimental automation, the KAIST–Thermo Fisher Scientific partnership will jointly develop the enabling technologies and research methods required for autonomous laboratories. KAIST’s foundational technologies and research ideas in AI, biotechnology, and engineering will be combined with Thermo Fisher Scientific’s research instruments, automation platforms, and systems-integration capabilities. These capabilities will then be integrated, tested, and refined within SHARE Hub.
As part of this effort, the two institutions will launch a “Challenge Program” to develop core AI, robotics, and automation technologies, and apply them to real-world challenges in scientific research and drug discovery. Through the program, KAIST will serve as a co-developer, early adopter, and validation partner, helping drive the development and advancement of emerging technologies.
SHARE Hub is envisioned not as an autonomous laboratory dedicated to a single research team or discipline, but as an open research hub where KAIST researchers from diverse fields can collaborate with external partners to test and apply new technologies. By bringing life sciences, chemistry, and medicine together with AI and robotics, the hub will develop new autonomous experimentation technologies and research methods while addressing real-world scientific challenges.
KAIST plans to gradually expand participation to companies, universities, research institutes, and hospitals in Korea and abroad. In doing so, it aims to develop SHARE Hub into an open-innovation testbed for the joint development and validation of research equipment and AI, robotics, and automation technologies. The ultimate goal is to establish SHARE Hub as a global benchmark for autonomous science and drug discovery, pioneering new research methods and sharing the resulting technologies with research communities worldwide.
“SHARE Hub is not merely about automating experiments. Its central purpose is to connect researchers with technologies that enable AI and robots to tackle real scientific questions,” said Hee-Seung Lee, Dean of the KAIST College of Natural Sciences and Director of the InnoCORE AI-CRED Institute (AI Co-Research & Education for Innovative Drug). “We plan to develop the hub into an open research environment where researchers from different disciplines and industry partners can jointly develop and validate new technologies.”
KAIST also held the “KAIST–Thermo Fisher Scientific Mini-Symposium for SHARE” on the afternoon of August 26. During the symposium, KAIST researchers presented their latest work in major areas of autonomous science, including autonomous drug discovery, AI-driven protein design, next-generation therapeutics, and autonomous chemical experimentation.
At the symposium, Mark Fish, Vice President and General Manager of Digital Science & Automation Solutions at Thermo Fisher Scientific, presented a vision for the future of autonomous science and drug discovery. Building on the discussions at the event, the two institutions explored future directions and plans for collaborative research.
2026.08.27 View 2992 -
KAIST Uncovers the “Hidden Key” to Immunotherapy for Intractable Brain Tumors
Researchers have uncovered a clue to why immune checkpoint inhibitors—cancer therapies that release the immune “brakes” exploited by tumors to evade attack—show limited efficacy in some brain tumors. A KAIST research team found that B cell and antibody responses initiated in tumor-draining lymph nodes, rather than T cells alone, are critical to the antitumor effects of anti-CTLA-4 therapy, opening a new avenue for treating intractable brain tumors.
KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on the 19th of July that a research team led by Professor Heung Kyu Lee from the Department of Biological Sciences has identified a previously unrecognized immune mechanism through which anti-CTLA-4, a type of immune checkpoint inhibitor, promotes B-cell responses in tumor-draining lymph nodes, thereby helping the immune system attack brain tumors.
Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive malignant brain tumors, with frequent recurrence and a poor prognosis even after surgery and radiation therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, which restore the ability of immune cells to attack cancer cells, have produced substantial therapeutic benefits in various cancers. However, their effectiveness in glioblastoma has remained limited because of the highly immunosuppressive environment surrounding the tumor.
Researchers have traditionally regarded T cells—immune cells that can directly attack cancer cells—as the primary target of immune checkpoint inhibitors. B cells, meanwhile, are well known for producing antibodies following infection or vaccination, but their role in brain tumor immunotherapy has remained largely unexplored. The research team therefore investigated whether anti-CTLA-4 could influence B-cell responses as well as T-cell responses.
The findings challenged the prevailing T-cell-centered view. In mouse glioma models, anti-CTLA-4 treatment reduced tumor burden and significantly prolonged survival. However, these therapeutic effects were largely lost in mice lacking B cells, demonstrating that B cells are required for the efficacy of anti-CTLA-4 treatment in these models.
The team also identified where B cells played their key role. Rather than being prominent in the brain, where the tumor cells were located, the response increased markedly in the Deep Cervical Lymph Nodes, which are located deep in the neck and receive lymphatic drainage from the brain. In particular, germinal center B cells and T follicular helper cells, both of which are important for antibody formation, increased together in these lymph nodes. This was accompanied by an increase in immunoglobulin G, or IgG, responses. IgG is a major class of antibody that can recognize cancer cells as targets and help immune cells eliminate them.
The resulting IgG antibodies bound to the surface of glioma cells, helping macrophages—immune cells that engulf foreign substances and cancer cells—remove the tumor cells more effectively.
The research team also examined this process directly in vivo. Using a specialized dual-reporter glioma model expressing the red fluorescent protein mCherry and the green fluorescent protein EGFP, the researchers successfully visualized tumor-infiltrating phagocytes actively engulfing glioma cells following anti-CTLA-4 treatment.
The study provides the first functional evidence that B-cell immune responses—previously known mainly for their roles in infection and vaccination—can be a key factor determining the effectiveness of immunotherapy for hard-to-treat brain tumors. It also expands the conventional T-cell-centered framework of cancer immunotherapy by showing that treatment efficacy can be strongly shaped by immune responses originating not only within the tumor, but also in tumor-draining lymph nodes outside it.
Yumin Kim, a postdoctoral researcher in the KAIST Department of Biological Sciences, served as the first author of the study, with Professor Heung Kyu Lee serving as the corresponding author. Professor Ji Eun Oh from the KAIST Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering also contributed to the research. The findings were published on July 10 in Science Immunology.
Paper title: The efficacy of immunotherapy in glioma requires distal B-cell responses in tumor-draining lymph nodes
DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adz2494
Authors: Yumin Kim, In Kang, Byeong Hoon Kang, Won Hyung Park, Chae Won Kim, Hyun-Jin Kim, Jeongwoo La, Myoung Seung Kwon, Sang Hee Park, Seo Hyeon Im, Hyeon Cheol Kim, Keun Bon Ku, Minji Kim, and Ji Eun Oh from KAIST, with Heung Kyu Lee from KAIST as the corresponding author.
This research was supported by National Research Foundation of Korea grants RS-2023-NR077244 (to H.K.L.), RS-2024-00439735 (to H.K.L.), RS-2024-00411928 (to Y.K.), RS-2025-00517107 (to J.E.O.), and RS-2026-25509011 (to H.K.L.). This study was also supported by Samsung Science and Technology Foundation grants SSTF-BA1902-05 (to H.K.L.) and SSTF-BA2201-11 (to J.E.O.).
2026.07.20 View 5877 -
Crude Oil Separates Without Boiling: KAIST and Georgia Tech Develop Energy-Saving Membrane Technology
An international research team led by KAIST has developed a membrane technology that could significantly reduce the energy required for crude oil refining by replacing part of the century-old distillation process.
KAIST(President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced that a team led by Professor Dong-Yeun Koh of KAIST, in collaboration with Professor Ryan Lively's group at Georgia Tech, demonstrated a simple and inexpensive membrane capable of separating crude oil at room temperature without heating. The research was published in Nature, one of the world's leading scientific journals.
Crude oil underpins modern life by providing not only transportation fuels but also essential feedstocks for plastics, packaging materials, textiles, and countless consumer products. Because the cost of refining directly influences the price of these products, technologies that reduce refining energy consumption can generate substantial economic and environmental benefits.
Traditionally, refineries separate crude oil through distillation, a process that heats crude oil above 350 °C to vaporize it and then cools the vapor to recover different fractions. Globally, crude oil distillation consumes approximately 1,100 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy each year—equivalent to the annual output of about 130 nuclear power plants, each at gigawatt scale, operating continuously. As a result, distillation remains one of the largest sources of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the refining industry.
At the same time, increasing cost pressures in global petrochemical markets have intensified the need for more energy-efficient separation technologies.
Membrane-based crude oil fractionations have attracted increasing attention as a potential alternative. However, conventional wisdom has held that molecularly precise separation requires an ultrathin selective layer coated onto the membrane surface. While effective, such coatings increase manufacturing costs and are prone to defects when scaled to large areas, limiting industrial deployment.
To overcome this challenge, the researchers took a radically different approach. Instead of relying on a specialized coating, they passed crude oil directly through a bare porous polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membrane—a chemically stable and inexpensive polymer commonly used as a support material in industrial membranes.
As crude oil permeated through the membrane, heavy hydrocarbons selectively deposited on the pore walls, gradually narrowing the pores and creating self-assembled separation channels smaller than 2 nanometers. Rather than relying on a specially engineered coating, the crude oil itself created the nanoscale pathways needed for precise molecular separation.
Through these self-formed channels, lighter fractions such as naphtha, gasoline, and kerosene permeated rapidly, while heavier components were effectively retained. In a surprising reversal, membrane fouling—normally regarded as a performance-degrading phenomenon—became the very mechanism that enabled highly selective separation.
The bare PAN membrane delivered crude oil permeation rates approximately 23 times higher than those of previously reported state-of-the-art crude oil membranes while maintaining stable performance for 28 consecutive days.
Professor Ryan Lively (Georgia Tech) commented “one of the key challenges facing membrane systems for crude oil separation was the low productivities of the membrane units – the PAN membranes with their surprising separation mechanism – dramatically increase the productivity of the membrane unit, to the point where industry should seriously consider adopting the technology.”
Importantly, the technology can be integrated into existing refinery infrastructure as a modular filtration unit, avoiding major equipment replacement and reducing barriers to industrial adoption.
Process simulations showed that using the membrane as a pretreatment step before conventional distillation could reduce energy consumption by 31.6%, carbon dioxide emissions by 37.6%, cooling water usage by 20.7%, and operating costs by 36%.
If adopted throughout Korea's refining and petrochemical sector, the technology could reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by approximately 10 million tonnes annually—equivalent to the emissions of roughly four million internal combustion vehicles.
Beyond crude oil refining, the membrane platform could be applied to a broad range of chemical separation processes, including the purification of pyrolysis oil derived from waste plastics, the recovery of solvents used in battery manufacturing, pharmaceutical purification, and biofuel production. The researchers believe the technology could serve as a versatile platform for next-generation molecular separations across multiple industries.
Professor Dong-Yeun Koh of KAIST said, “This study reveals a new scientific principle in which a membrane interacts with a complex mixture and spontaneously forms its own separation channels. Working with real crude oil supplied by HD Hyundai Oilbank allowed us to validate the technology under conditions relevant to industrial operation.”
Professor Jae W. Lee of KAIST, a co-corresponding author of the study, added, “By advancing large-area membrane modularization and long-term operational reliability, we hope to broaden the adoption of membrane-based processes throughout the refining and petrochemical industries.”
Dr. Jihoon Choi and Dr. Hyeokjun Seo of KAIST, the study’s co-first authors, said, “Our goal is to precisely control this spontaneous pore-constriction phenomenon and develop it into a membrane platform applicable to the entire refining process. We also aim to expand the technology to plastic recycling, biofuel purification, and other sustainable chemical processes that support carbon neutrality.”
The study was co-first-authored by Dr. Jihoon Choi and Dr. Hyeokjun Seo of KAIST and was published online in Nature on June 24, 2026.
Paper Title: Crude Oil Fractionation by Means of Mesoporous Polyacrylonitrile Membranes
DOI 10.1038/s41586-026-10677-3
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10677-3
This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea through the Basic Research Program for Outstanding Early-Career Researchers and the Engineering Research Center (ERC) Program.
2026.06.25 View 3474 -
KAIST Professor S. Josephine Suh Receives the 2026 Frontiers of Science Award
<Professor S. Josephine Suh>
Professor S. Josephine Suh wins the Frontiers of Science Award for the second consecutive year following last year - Honored for her paper published in November 2017, targeting research papers that have achieved significant results within the last 10 years - Recognized internationally for leading research achievements in the fields of quantum gravity and quantum field theory
KAIST announced on June 12th that a co-authored research paper by Professor S. Josephine Suh of the Department of Physics was selected as a winning paper for the '2026 Frontiers of Science Award' presented by the International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS). Professor Suh has won this award for two consecutive years, following her win in 2025.
The Frontiers of Science Award is presented to papers published within the last 10 years in the fields of mathematics, physics, and information science that have achieved outstanding academic originality and impact. The award ceremony will take place during the ICBS event to be held in Beijing, China, in August 2026.
The award-winning paper is "The soft mode in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model and its gravity dual," a joint research project between Professor Alexei Kitaev of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Professor S. Josephine Suh.
※ Paper Title: The soft mode in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model and its gravity dual, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2018)183)
The SYK (Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev) model is a quantum physics model in which a large number of Majorana fermions (special quantum particles whose particles and antiparticles have identical properties) interact randomly and strongly. Despite being a highly complex quantum many-body system (a system where many particles entangle and interact simultaneously), it allows for mathematically exact analysis. Furthermore, because its characteristics of quantum chaos (chaotic phenomena occurring in quantum systems) are remarkably similar to those of black holes, it has drawn attention as a core theory for understanding the microscopic structure (the fine quantum states that make up a black hole) of black holes.
The award-winning paper demonstrated that the physical properties displayed by the SYK model in a low-energy state precisely connect with two-dimensional gravity theory (a gravity model simplified by leaving only one dimension each for space and time). This research has since become a core theoretical foundation for black hole and quantum gravity research, establishing itself as one of the most widely cited representative papers in the relevant field.
In addition, the SYK model is utilized as a representative theoretical model to explain how information is stored and disappears inside a black hole, drawing attention as a key research topic for solving conundrums in modern physics.
The 'Frontiers of Science Award' is an international academic award that the International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS) has been presenting since 2023. The Global Committee makes the final selection of winning works through recommendations and evaluations from experts worldwide.
In its official notification of selection, the ICBS stated, "Professor Suh's research has made an outstanding contribution to the field of Formal Quantum Field Theory*," adding, "The researcher's dedication to expanding the boundaries of human knowledge provides great inspiration to the scientific community."
*Formal Quantum Field Theory: A field of theoretical physics that explores the mathematical principles and structures of quantum field theory, which explains the fundamental particles and forces of the universe.
Professor S. Josephine Suh said, "The research in this paper was a work showing how a specific quantum many-body system and gravity theory correspond at a microscopic level," and added, "The research currently underway seeks to obtain a physical understanding of how spacetime is generated from a quantum many-body system based on this correspondence."
The total prize money for this award is $25,000 (approximately 33 million KRW), which is shared jointly among the authors of the winning paper.
Reference: Official website of the Frontiers of Science Award: https://www.icbs.cn
2026.06.15 View 5258