Bulletin No. 2, 2013

Exploring the Mysteries of the World   39  An Integrated Trans-omics Approach to Diabetic Cardio-renal Complications: From Novel Discoveries to Personalized Medicine (TRS) Prof. Ronald C.W. Ma (4th left, front row), p r o fe s s o r, Depa r tmen t o f Med i c i ne and Therapeutics, leads a team to conduct the project. The team will utilize data from the Hong Kong Diabetes Registry which contains the biochemical assessment of risk factors and medication history of over 10,000 patients with type 2 diabetes. With a multi-omic approach and new-generation sequencing and other technologies, the team will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the genome, epigenome and transcriptome of diabetic patients with complications and diabetic patients free of complications despite long duration of the disease. Professor Ma believes that the discoveries will improve the understanding of what causes diabetic complications, help develop new drugs, and guide individualized treatment. Smart Solar Energy Harvesting, Storage, and Utilization (TRS) Prof. Wong Ching-ping (2nd right), Dean of Engineering, and his team members study the new technology in energy harvesting, storage and utilization in this project. They will develop high-performance vacuum deposited thin-film photovoltaics (PV) devices and modules which will make low-cost, high-throughput, and large- area PV production possible. They will explore new materials and processing approaches for high energy-density batteries and supercapacitors, so as to realize a hybrid storage system. They will also formulate strategies to integrate, manage, and control various subsystems to enhance the efficiency and security in energy utilization. Profes sor Wong believes the projec t will strengthen the competitive edge of Hong Kong in solar energy technologies and increase the penetration of solar energy utilization.