Bulletin No. 2, 2014

The Best and the Brightest  33  Medical Student Awarded Runner-up for Neurobiology Prize W ith research on synaptic connections in the neocortex, Dr. Ko Ho Owen, Year 5 medical student, is selected as one of the runners- up in this year’s Eppendorf & Science  Prize for neurobiology. Being the first Hong Kong scientist to snatch this honour, Owen’s winning entry concluding his research achievement has been published in the prestigious scientific journal Science . Eppendorf & Science  Prize for Neurobiology, established in 2002, is a global prize awarded annually to young scientists below age 35 for the most outstanding neurobiological research based on methods of molecular and cell biology Owen’s research provides experimental ground for scientists to comprehend how the brain functions. By investigating the functionality of each neuron in brain and their connectivity, he hopes to find ways to fix the malfunction whenever aroused. Genetic Engineering Team Wins Gold in iGEM A genetic engineering team formed by 10 CUHK undergraduate students of science and engineering participated in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) 2014 Giant Jamboree held in Boston this fall. They competed with 243 teams and walked away with a gold medal. The winning projec t was named ABCDE (AzotoBacter vinelandii Cluster-transformable & D e o x y g e n a t e d p r o t e i n E x p r e s s i o n system). Azotobacter vinelandii  is a bacterium that naturally exists in soil. By mutating its gene, the CUHK team developed an intracellular anaerobic protein expression system, in which different oxygen sensitive proteins or enzymes are able to function. By adding remodelled nitrogenase and hydrogenase, the bacteria can covert carbon dioxide into methane, which can be used as a biofuel, and other carbon compounds in a natural aerobic environment.