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Eggshell-like Cell Encapsulation and Degradation Technology Developed
Some bacteria form endospores on cell walls to protect their DNA in case of nutrient deficiency. When an endospore meets a suitable environment for survival, the cell can revert to the original state from which it can reproduce.
The technique that can artificially control such phenomenon was developed by an international team of researchers. At first, a cell is wrapped and preserved like an egg. When the cell is needed, the technique allows the endospore to decompose while it is alive. Future applications for this technique include cell-based biosensor, cell therapy, and biocatalyst processes.
Professors Insung Choi and Younghoon Lee from the Department of Chemistry at KAIST as well as and Professor Frank Caruso from the University of Melbourne developed this technique which permits a cell to stay alive by coating it with film on a nanometer scale and then to be decomposed while it is alive.
The research finding was published in the November 10th issue of Angewandte Chemie International Edition as the lead article.
Cell encapsulation allows researchers to capture a cell in a tight capsule while it is alive. It is highly recognized in cell-based applications where the control of cell stability and cell-division is the biggest issue.
Traditional cell encapsulation methods utilized organic film or inorganic capsules that are made of organic film moldings. Although these films tightly closed around the cell, because they were not easily decomposable, it was difficult to apply the method.
The research team succeeded in encapsulating each cell in a metal-polyphenol film by mixing tannic acid and iron ion solution with yeast cells.
Usually extracted from oak barks or grape peels, tannic acid is a natural substance. It forms a metal-polyphenol film within ten seconds when it meets iron ions due to its high affinity with cells. Cells encapsulated with this film presented high survival rates. Since the film forms quickly in a simple manner, it was possible to obtain large amount of encapsulated cells.
The research team also found that the metal-polyphenol film was stable in neutral pH, but is easily degradable under a weak acidic condition. Using this property, they were able to control cell division by restoring the cell to its pre-encapsulated state at a desired moment.
Protecting the cell from the external environment like an egg shell, the metal-polyphenol film protected the cell against foreign conditions such as lytic enzymes, extended exposure to UV radiation, and silver nanoparticles. The research indicated that the encapsulated cells had a high survival rate even under extreme environments.
Professor Lee said that “not only the cells remain alive during the encapsulation stage, but also they can be protected under extreme environment.” He added, “This is an advanced cell encapsulation technology that allows controlling cell-division of those cells through responsive shell degradation on-demand.”
Professor Choi commented, “Although the cell encapsulation technology is still in its infancy, as the technology matures the application of cell-manipulation technology will be actualized.” He highlighted that “it will serve as a breakthrough to problems faced by cell-based applications.”
Sponsored by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and the National Research Foundation of Korea, the research was led by two Master’s candidates, Ji Hun Park and Kyung Hwan Kim, under the joint guidance of research professors from KAIST and the University of Melbourne.
Figure 1: Lead article of Angewandte Chemie
Background: Shows a live native yeast (in green) encapsulated in a metal-polyphenol film (in red) illustrating the vitality of the yeast
Front: A native yeast at each encapsulation stage
Pictured on the bottom left is a cell prior to encapsulation. Following the red arrow, the native yeast is in purple to show metal-polyphenol film formed around the cell. The cell after the green arrow is a visualization of the degradation of the film in weak acidic condition.
Figure 2: A mimetic diagram of cell encapsulation with a metal-polyphenol film
Top: A native yeast before encapsulation
Middle: A native yeast encapsulated with Tannic Acid-Fe (III) Nanoshell – cell-division of the encapsulated cell is controlled by pH and the shell is protected against silver nanoparticle, lytic enzyme, and UV-C
Bottom: Shell degradation on-demand depending on pH
2014.11.18 View 9620 -
KAIST-Coursera Offers a Course Entitled "Supply Chain Management: A Learning Perspective"
“Supply Chain Management: A Learning Perspective”
Learn about how to create maximum value through effective supply chain management, in particular, from a dynamic learning perspective.
Professor Bowon Kim of the Department of Management at the College of Business, KAIST, is offering a massive open online course through Coursera from October 27, 2014 to December 21, 2014. (Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=VzMupUEWhds&list=PLXmuftxI6pTXJPLdhnCMZvde1rQIeu2kL)
Entitled “Supply Chain Management: A Learning Perspective,” the course explains the fundamental principles of value creation by reviewing a supply chain of products and services that are used by consumers. The supply chain is comprised of four primary functions such as supplier, manufacturer, distributor, and consumer. Through the course, students will explore such questions as how a product or service is developed; how the value-creating activities or functions are effectively coordinated; who should lead the process of value creation; and how a supply chain can influence the creation of values in products or services.
The course is open to anyone who is interested in business management. For more information, please visit https://www.coursera.org/kaist.
2014.11.14 View 7129 -
The Website of the KAIST Industrial Design Department Receives a Design Award
The 10th QS-Apple Higher Education Conference and Exhibition took place on November 11-13, 2014 in Taipei, Taiwan. The conference was hosted by Quacquarelli Symonds, a British company specializing in education, which publishes annually its world university rankings. Apple stands for Asia Pacific Professional Leaders in Education.
The QS-Apple conference supports the internationalization of Asia Pacific universities by providing opportunities for networking, exchanging best practices, and discussing recent developments in higher education. During the conference, the organizers presented the Creative Awards for best international education promotional designs in four categories: Website Pages, Video, Print Advertisement, and International Student Recruitment Brochures.
KAIST’s Industrial Design Department received the Best Website Pages Award for their website in recognition of high levels of user convenience and satisfaction as well as English language services. A total of 39 universities in the Asia and Pacific region competed in this category, and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore came in second place, followed by Hong Kong Baptist University in third.
2014.11.13 View 8140 -
Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee Accepts an Honorary Professorship at Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at KAIST has been appointed an honorary professor at Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT). Founded in 1958, BUCT is one of the outstanding universities in mainland China, especially in chemistry studies.
In addition to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2012), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2013), Wuhan University (2014), and Hebei University of Technology (2014), this is the fifth honorary professorship Professor Lee has received from higher education institutions in China.
Professor Lee was recognized for his pioneering research in systems metabolic engineering of microorganisms necessary for the development of green chemical industries. He succeeded in producing succinic acid through bacterial fermentation and engineering plastic raw materials in the most effective and economical method for the first time in the world. Professor Lee also developed polylactic acid, a bio-based polymer that allows plastics to be produced through natural and renewable resources, as well as the microbial production of alkanes, an alternative to gasoline that can be produced from fatty acids.
Professor Lee has been actively working as a member of a group of global leaders supported by the World Economic Forum (WEF), serving as the Chairman of the Future of Chemicals, Advanced Materials & Biotechnology, Global Agenda Councils, WEF.
2014.11.13 View 10481 -
A KAIST Student Team Wins the ACM UIST 2014 Student Innovation Contest
A KAIST team consisted of students from the Departments of Industrial Design and Computer Science participated in the ACM UIST 2014 Student Innovation Contest and received 1st Prize in the category of People’s Choice.
The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST) is an international forum to promote innovations in human-computer interfaces, which takes place annually and is sponsored by ACM Special Interest Groups on Computer-Human Interaction (SIGCHI) and Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH). The ACM UIST conference brings together professionals in the fields of graphical and web-user interfaces, tangible and ubiquitous computing, virtual and augmented reality, multimedia, and input and output devices.
The Student Innovation Contest has been held during the UIST conference since 2009 to innovate new interactions on state-of-the-art hardware. The participating students were given with the hardware platform to build on—this year, it was Kinoma Create, a JavaScript-powered construction kit that allows makers, professional product designers, and web developers to create personal projects, consumer electronics, and "Internet of Things" prototypes. Contestants demonstrated their creations on household interfaces, and two winners in each of three categories -- Most Creative, Most Useful, and the People’s Choice -- were awarded.
Utilizing Kinoma Create, which came with a built-in touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth, a front-facing sensor connector, and a 50-pin rear sensor dock, the KAIST team developed a “smart mop,” transforming the irksome task of cleaning into a fun game. The smart mop identifies target dirt and shows its location on the display built in the rod of a mop. If the user turns on a game mode, then winning scores are gained wherever the target dirt is cleaned.
The People’s Choice award was decided by conference attendees, and they voted the smart mop as their most favorite project.
Professor Tek-Jin Nam of the Department of Industrial Design at KAIST, who advised the students, said, "A total of 24 teams from such prestigious universities as Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Tokyo joined the contest, and we are pleased with the good results. Many people, in fact, praised the integration of creativity and technical excellence our have shown through the smart mop.”
Team KAIST: pictured from right to left, Sun-Jun Kim, Se-Jin Kim, and Han-Jong Kim
The Smart Mop can clean the floor and offer users a fun game.
2014.11.12 View 10235 -
President Steve Kang will serve as the Chairman of Global Agenda Council on the Future of Electronics of the World Economic Forum
President Steve Kang of KAIST has been appointed to the Chairman of the Global Agenda Council (GAC) on the Future of Electronics of the World Economic Forum (WEF). He will serve the position for two years until September 2016.
President Kang and WEF council members co-hosted, with the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Future Circles Initiative, a future-focused, innovative brainstorming conference to help find strategies and ideas for the development of UAE. The conference took place on November 11-12, 2014 at the Mina Al Salam Hotel in Dubai.
WEF has about 80 GACs. Each council consists of 15 experts and thought leaders from the academia, industry, government, business, and non-profit sector and deals with specific issues that are important and relevant to the global community such as ageing, artificial intelligence and robotics, brain research, food and nutrition security, education, social media, and future of chemicals, advanced materials and biotechnology.
President Kang was recognized for his contribution to the advancement of science and higher education as an engineer, scholar, and professor. He led the development of the world’s premier CMOS 32-bit microprocessors while working at the AT&T Bell Laboratories. He also taught and conducted research at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. President Kang served as the chancellor of the University of California at Merced from March 2007 to June 2011.
2014.11.11 View 8267 -
KAIST and ETH Zürich Sign a MOU on Cooperation in Education and Research
KAIST and ETH Zürich, a leading engineering, science, and technology university in Switzerland, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to cooperate in engineering education and research on November 3, 2014 at the KAIST campus.
The two universities have agreed to implement student and academic exchange programs, collaborate on research in the advanced fields of engineering, and host joint conferences and seminars.
President Steve Kang of KAIST (on the right in the picture below) and President Ralph Eichler of ETH Zürich (on the left) attended the signing ceremony.
President Kang commented that KAIST and ETH Zürich would mutually benefit from the cooperation, sharing their knowledge and resources to further develop their faculty and student's work in the field.
2014.11.11 View 6380 -
Professor Sung-Yong Kim Receives the Young Scientist Award
Professor Sung-Yong Kim of the Department of Ocean Systems Engineering at KAIST received the Young Scientist Award for 2014 conferred by the Korean Society of Oceanography (KSO). The award was presented at the KSO’s fall conference that took place on November 6, 2014 at the campus of the Naval Academy of the Republic of Korea in Jinhae.
Professor Kim has been recognized for his outstanding research in coastal oceanography and environmental fluid mechanics. His research papers are frequently published in prestigious journals such as the Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans by the American Geophysical Union.
2014.11.11 View 7120 -
Community Outreach Program by KAIST Students for Underprivileged Children
The KAIST Leadership Executive Team (K-LET), a student volunteer group, hosted an event for children and teenagers who live in the local community. The K-LET invited 120 students in Daejeon and Sejong City on November 1, 2014 and held a quiz game called “Challenge! The Golden Bell” at the Creative Lecture Hall on campus.
The K-LET was created in 2009 by a group of students who wanted to contribute to the betterment of society through volunteer activities such as donating their time to teach math and science to students.
After the game, the participating students toured the campus and met KAIST students. Dong-Wook Lee, the President of K-LET, said, “We hope that the students have enjoyed their time with us, and we will continue to hold this kind of event next year and onwards.”
2014.11.06 View 5690 -
KAIST and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Agree to Cooperate
KAIST signed a cooperation agreement with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) on October 29, 2014 at the president’s office.
Established in 1972 and based in Austria as a non-governmental research organization, IIASA is an international scientific institute that conducts policy-oriented research into global problems such as climate change, energy security, or population aging. IIASA examines such issues and devises strategies for cooperative action unconstrained by political and national self-interest.
Dr. Pavel Kabat, the Director General and CEO of IIASA, headed a delegation that visited KAIST to attend the signing ceremony of the agreement. He said, “KAIST has been known as a leading research university, and its strength in the development of green technology and environmental policy will benefit our institution. In particular, we expect to see vibrant exchanges of knowledge and researchers with the Graduate School of Green Growth (GSGG) and the Graduate School of EEWS (energy, environment, water, and sustainability) at KAIST.”
The two organizations will implement joint research projects in the diffusion analysis of green technology, the development and improvement of evaluation models to integrate economy, energy, and environment, the development of an analysis system for water resources, and the establishment of academic workshops and conferences.
The Dean of GSGG, Professor Jae-Kyu Lee said, “IIASA is a well-respected international organization with accumulated knowledge about analysis and prediction techniques. With this agreement, we hope that KAIST will intensify its research capacity in environmental science and lead education and research in green growth and environmental technology.”
The picture below shows Dr. Pavel Kabat, the Director General and CEO of IIASA, on the left and President Steve Kang of KAIST on the right holding the signed agreement with professors from GSGG and EEWS Graduate School including Professor Jae-Kyu Lee, to the right of President Kang.
2014.11.05 View 9532 -
The Hancom and KAIST Research Center Opens
KAIST and Hancom, Inc., an office suite developer in Korea, established a joint research center to develop software technology and its related industry. President Steve Kang of KAIST, Sang-Chul Kim, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hancom, and professors from the computer science department at KAIST attended a ceremony to celebrate the opening of the center.
KAIST and Hancom signed a memorandum of understanding in April this year for the development of software industry in Korea, and based on the agreement, the two institutions identified five research projects and created a research center to implement them effectively.
President Kang said, “I hope that the research center will serve as a good example of university and industry collaboration. To that end, we will provide our support to the maximum extent possible to lead the software industry in Korea. We are also planning to hold a joint workshop on the latest trends in software technology and on the education of software developers.”
Established in 1990, Hancom created the native word processor for the Korean language called “Hangul.”
2014.11.05 View 7449 -
Professor Joong-Keun Park Receives SeAH Heam Academic Award
Professor Joong-Keun Park of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST received an award from SeAH Steel Corp. in recognition of his academic achievements in the field of metallic and materials engineering.
The award was presented at the 2014 Fall Conference of the Korean Institute of Metals and Materials which took place on October 22-24 at the Kangwon Land Convention Hotel.
The award, called “SeAH Heam Academic Award,” is given annually to a scholar who has contributed to the development of new metal and polymer composite materials and its related field in Korea. Following the award ceremony, Professor Park gave a keynote speech on ferrous metals for automotive materials.
2014.11.04 View 7439