Annual Report 2023–2024

60 香港中文大學年報 CUHK Annual Report 2023–2024 研究團隊在亞馬遜雨林中安裝感應器 The research team installed a sensor in the Amazon rainforest 魏濤教授（右一）及研究團隊成功研發嶄新的可食用食品包裝膜 Professor Ngai To (first from right) and his team invented edible packaging 可持續發展研究 Researching for a sustainable future 中大積極進行開創研究和知識轉移工作，促進可持續發展。 CUHK seeks to make a positive impact on the environment through research and knowledge transfer. 熱帶雨林微氣候研究打開氣候變化新視窗 Unveiling mysteries of microclimates 中大地球與環境科學課程戴沛權教授和博士後研究員 Ali Ismaeel 博士與芬蘭赫爾辛基大學合作，展開全球首 個熱帶雨林微氣候研究。研究發現熱帶雨林微氣候的 複雜性和異質性，意味着全球暖化在同一雨林內的不 同區域可能造成不同程度的影響。 研發可食用食品包裝膜 Inventing eco-friendly packaging 由中大化學系魏濤教授領導的研究團隊研發了新一代 可降解材料以代替塑膠。研究發現細菌纖維能用作可 食用食品包裝膜，有望取代商業塑膠，有助餐飲商戶響 應即棄膠餐具管制措施。 A research team from the Department of Chemistry led by Professor Ngai To made a breakthrough by developing a new generation of biodegradable materials to replace plastics. They discovered that bacterial cellulose could be turned into edible food packaging film, an environment-friendly alternative that would help food and beverage shops comply with a government ban on disposable plastic tableware. A research team led by Professor Amos Tai Pui-kuen and Dr Ali Ismaeel from the Earth and Environmental Sciences Programme, in partnership with Finland’s University of Helsinki, conducted the world’s first study revealing the mysteries of microclimates within tropical forests. The research deepens understanding of near-ground temperatures experienced by organisms traversing the understory of a forest, showing that the impact of global warming may vary a lot from one area to another even within the same jungle.