Newsletter No. 3174

第 317 期 2008 年 5 月 4 日 No. 317 4 May 2008 諾貝爾生理醫學及經濟學權威剖析最新研究 Nobel Laureates Share Latest Research 兩 位諾貝爾獎得獎人—1991年生 理/醫學獎得主埃爾溫 ． 內爾教 授，以及2007年經濟學獎得主之一艾力 克 ． 馬斯金教授於4月15日蒞臨中大，主 講新鴻基地產及中大合辦的「新鴻基地 產諾貝爾獎得獎學人傑出講座系列」， 吸引近50 0名中大教職員、學生、，校 友、公眾以及來自醫學界與商界的人士 出席。 講座於本港多所大專院校、香港科技 園、香港教育城網站，以及內地多所著名 學府直播，促進各地學術交流。 內爾教授在講座中介紹他的最新研究， 以及當今神經科學的前沿。他指出當今 的神經科學研究朝著兩個方向發展：一 是「自上而下」取向，即採用現代造影技 術和心理物理學測試，去測量記憶、意 識和認知的高層次腦功能，並確定其發 生位置；另一是「自下而上」取向，著眼 於探討基因組和信號傳導分子的性質， 以及它們之間的相互作用，從而了解神 經脈衝傳送和突觸傳遞等的機制。 內爾教授採用後者研究聽覺通道中一個 特別突觸，並應用精確電生理和熒光測 定技術，以了解鈣信號控制突觸傳遞及 短時程突觸可塑性的複雜機制。 馬斯金教授介紹他的獲獎研究「機制 設計理論」，說明只要訂定目標，總可以 找到合適的架構、程序或機制達成該目 標。這理論能解釋哪些情況下，市場運 作機制有效。 他以簡單例子闡述該理論，例如母親想 將蛋糕公平分予兩兒子，她可以設計一 個機制達成「公平」這目標：讓長子將 蛋糕分作兩塊，並讓幼子先挑，這樣，長 子必會把蛋糕平分成兩半。好的機制設 計，可讓斤斤計較的參與者，按自利原則 選擇方案，而最終可互相制衡，令資源 得以公平分配。 P rof. Erwin Neher, 1991 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, and Prof. Eric S. Maskin, one of the 2007 Nobel laureates in Economic Sciences, delivered lectures in the eleventh instalment of the Sun Hung Kai Properties Nobel Laureates Distinguished Lectures on 15 April at CUHK. About 500 guests attended the lectures, including CUHK staff, students, alumni and members of the medical and commercial sectors. Both lectures were broadcast live to local universities, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, Hong Kong Education City website and several universities on the mainland. Prof. Neher presented his latest research and introduced current frontiers in the neurosciences. He explained the two directions of current neuroscience research. The ‘top-down-approach’ studies the higher brain functions, such as memory, consciousness and cognition. It uses modern imaging technology and psychophysical tests to localize and quantitate these accomplishments. The ‘bottom-up- approach’ starts with the genome and the signaling molecules, which underlie the information processing in the brain. It studies properties of these molecules and the interactions among them with the aim to understand mechanisms, 財政司司長曾俊華參觀中大 Financial Secretary Mr. John Tsang Visits CUHK 卓越學科領域植物及農業生物科技中心副主任林漢明教授（右一）向財政司司長曾俊華先生（右二） 介紹中心的研究，旁為校長劉遵義教授（左二）及中心主任辛世文教授（左一） Mr. John Tsang (2nd right), accompanied by Prof. Lawrence J. Lau, Vice-Chancellor, CUHK (2nd left) is briefed on the agricultural biotechnology research of the UGC-AoE Centre for Plant and Agricultural Biotechnology by Prof. Lam Hon-ming, (1st right), centre deputy director, and Prof. Sun Sai-ming Samuel (1st left), centre director 香 港特別行政區財政司司長曾俊華先生4月11日到訪中大，了解大學的尖端科研 項目，並在校長劉遵義教授陪同下參觀植物及農業生物科技中心。該中心獲 教資會甄選為卓越學科領域，且剛得到國家科學技術部批准，列為國家重點實驗室。 中心主任辛世文院士介紹有關研究，包括水稻產量提升、水稻營養成分改良及作物 抗逆性等。曾司長亦參觀了威爾斯親王醫院李嘉誠健康科學研究所，由中大醫學院 李嘉誠醫學講座教授盧煜明教授介紹其無創性產前診斷研究。 曾司長對中大的頂尖研究甚感興趣，並對科研人員所取得的成果表示欣喜，他鼓勵 研究人員繼續努力，貢獻香港以至全世界。 M r. John Tsang, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR, visited CUHK on 11 April to learn about the latest developments of the University. Prof. Lawrence J. Lau Vice-Chancellor, CUHK, accompanied him to the UGC-AoE Centre for Plant and Agricultural Biotechnology, which has received approval recently from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China to set up the State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology (CUHK). Prof. Sun Sai-ming Samuel, director of the centre, introduced him to research that strives rice yield and improve the nutritive value of rice and crop resistance. Mr. Tsang also paid a visit to the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences at the Prince of Wales Hospital. Prof. Lo Yuk-ming Dennis, Li Ka Shing Professor of Medicine, showed him the revolutionary research in non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. Mr. Tsang was impressed and encouraged the research teams to continue striving for excellence and contributing to Hong Kong and the world. such as nerve impulse propagation and synaptic transmission. Prof. Neher’s work adopts the latter approach, taking advantage of a very special synapse in the auditory pathway. Precise electrophysiological and fluorimetric techniques can be applied to this synapse revealing details of the intricate mechanisms by which calcium signals control synaptic transmission and its short- term plasticity. Prof. Maskin gave a brief introduction to the theory of mechanism design. Mechanism design theory characterizes when, given a social goal, it is possible to find an institution, procedure, or mechanism that achieves that goal. The theory allows us to distinguish situations in which markets work well from those in which they do not. Prof. Maskin illustrated it with a simple example. A mother wants to divide a cake between two children fairly. She designs a mechanism: the elder brother divides the cake into two and the younger one gets to pick first. That way the elder brother will divide the cake into two equal halves. A good mechanism divides resources in a fair and balanced way and a check-and-balance system will emerge spontaneously when all participants, with the aim of maximizing their benefits, make their own choice. 埃爾溫 ． 內爾教授 Prof. Erwin Neher 艾力克 ． 馬斯金教授 Prof. Eric S. Maskin