Annual Report 2021–22

研究、創新與創業 Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship 37 推動研究應對全球挑戰 Tackling global challenges with impactful research CUHK has an institutional commitment to advancing scholarship that addresses the climate crisis. A research team from the School of Life Sciences has unveiled a novel competitivemechanismof autophagy in plants, providing an important basis for improving the nutrient and energy efficiency in crops. The discovery potentially provides a practical solution through the development of sustainable agriculture to food crises caused by the climate-induced decrease in crop productivity. A ground-breaking study led by CUHK in collaboration with the University of Exeter has shown that dietary shifts towards eatingmoremeat have contributed to worsening air quality and relatedmortality in China. The research, which brought together world-leading experts from a wide range of disciplines from Hong Kong and the UK, is the first in the world to demonstrate that the wide adoption of a more plant-based diet could help to mitigate the serious air pollution problems in China. To combat global warming, cutting the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is as important as reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. A research team at CUHK’s Department of Chemistry has developed an electrochemical system, the acidic CO 2 electrolyser, to convert carbon dioxide and water with renewable electricity into valuable chemical raw materials, providing a promising low-carbon alternative to fossil fuel-based materials in chemical industries and an economically viable solution for building a greener future. 中大作為一所公益為先的大學，積極追求研 究卓越，協助全球應對氣候危機。 中大生命科學學院研究團隊成功發現 植物 細胞自噬的新機制 ，此發現為改良農作物的 營養和能量效率提供重要依據，有助推動可 持續農業，解決氣候變化令農作物產量下降 而引發的糧食危機。 中大和埃克塞特大學的一項突破性聯合研 究發現，中國民眾 嗜食肉類的飲食習慣導致 空氣質素惡化 ，增加相關死亡率。研究匯集 來自香港和英國不同學科的優秀學者，首次 發現廣泛採用植物為主飲食有助緩解中國 嚴重的空氣污染問題。 要減緩全球暖化的影響，除減少溫室氣體 排放外，降低大氣中的二氧化碳含量同等重 要。中大化學系團隊研發一種新型電化學系 統── 酸性二氧化碳電解槽 ，利用再生能源 將二氧化碳和水轉化成商用化工原材料，有 助化工產業實現低碳轉型，以合乎經濟效益 的方法推動環保。 中大生命科學學院研究團隊成功發現植物細胞自噬的新 機制。 A research team from the School of Life Sciences has unveiled a novel competitive mechanism of autophagy in plant. 酸性二氧化碳電解槽為化工業實踐碳中和目標提供新路向。 The novel acidic CO 2 electrolyser provides a solution to carbon neutrality in chemical industries.