We are proud to share that, young scientists from CityU College of Science have received the Excellent Young Scientists Fund under the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). CityU has a total of 4 awardees this year, and 2 of them are from the Department of Chemistry, under the College of Science.
With his research project titled “RNA G-quadruplex structures: transcriptomics and gene regulation”, Dr. Chun Kit Kwok, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry, has been recently awarded the NSFC Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Hong Kong and Macao).
“RNA G-quadruplex” (rG4) is a special RNA structure motif. In his NSFC Excellent Young Scientists Fund project, Dr. Kwok and his team will develop an innovative approach to investigate the dynamics of rG4 folding in cells, and decipher the underlying biochemical mechanism by using rG4-targeting L-RNA aptamers. The outcomes will shed light on the location, dynamics, and targeting of functional rG4 structures in cells, and advance our understanding of rG4 transcriptomics and biology.
Dr. Thuc Hue Ly, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry, is another recipient of the NSFC Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Hong Kong and Macao), with her project titled “Two-dimensional material interface and structure property relationships”.
The implementation of the new controllable and reversible doping technologies of 2D semiconductors that her team developed would facilitate the large-scale fabrication of 2D electronic or optoelectronic devices in near future. Supported by the Fund, Dr. Ly will continue focusing on the preparation and assembly of a set of two-dimensional material interfaces, and make direct correlations between the properties and structures for the next generation of electronic and optoelectronic devices.
The Excellent Young Scientists Fund is granted annually to support young scholars with good achievements in basic research in conducting innovative research in areas of their own choice, so as to promote fast growth of young talents and foster outstanding talents on the international science frontiers.