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  • 류두진 교수

    Improving Return Predictability with Derivatives Data Pre-processing

    Professor Doojin Ryu, Director of the Global Finance Research Center, worked with Dr. Geul Lee, a BK21 Research Professor, and Professor Li Yang of the University of New South Wales. They propose a new pre-processing method for options data that refines the dataset and increases the precision of return forecasts. This study reveals that day‑to‑day changes in quote availability at extreme strike prices weaken predictive strength. To solve this problem, the team introduces Domain Stabilization, or DStab, an easy‑to‑apply rule that markedly enhances implied‑moment‑based forecasts. Option quotes span a wide range of strike prices. However, quotes for deep out-of-the-money contracts, whose strikes lie far from the current underlying price and offer little chance of profit, are often missing or so low that they lack credibility. Because the range of strikes with reliable quotes changes over time, implied-moment estimates accumulate extra noise. This study proposes a noise reduction rule that discards quotes, even seemingly reliable ones, when they would otherwise introduce noise and distort the estimates. The resulting filter sharpens the information about future underlying returns embedded in the implied moments. Empirical tests confirm that DStab outperforms earlier pre-processing methods. By removing option quotes according to rigorous thresholds, the approach strengthens return predictions and offers a practical answer to the persistent lack of reliable observations in derivatives markets. ※ Title: Domain stabilization for model-free option implied moment estimation ※ Journal: Journal of Financial Econometrics ※ Publisher: Oxford University Press ※ Author(s): First Author – Lee, G. (Geul Lee); Corresponding Author – Ryu, D. (Doojin Ryu); Co-Author – Yang, L. ※ DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jjfinec/nbae037

    • No. 319
    • 2025-07-09
    • 96
  • 임용택 교수 연구

    From novel immune modulation mechanisms to therapeutic efficacy validation and technology transfer

    Professor Yongtaek Lim's research team at the Sungkyun Advanced Institute of Nano-Technology (SAINT), including co-first authors Yeon Jeong Yoo (Ph.D. candidate) and Soohyun Kim (M.S. student), has developed a multiscale dynamic immunomodulation vaccine adjuvant platform, SE (Trojan-TLR7/8a), that induces broad and durable immune responses against infectious diseases. Professor Lim's team previously developed Trojan-TLR7/8a—the world’s first engineered immunomodulator capable of dynamically controlling immune activation kinetics—published in Nature Nanotechnology (2023). They subsequently demonstrated its efficacy as a novel immunotherapy in various tumor models (Advanced Materials, 2023, 2024) and successfully transferred the core technology to a domestic biotech startup. In this study, the team introduced an innovative approach that precisely regulates both the delivery speed and location of vaccines at macroscopic and microscopic levels—so-called multiscale immunomodulation. This strategy enhances both the quality and persistence of immune responses by promoting the migration of non-exhausted antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to lymph nodes, ensuring efficient co-delivery of antigen and adjuvant, and enabling sustained immune activation within the lymph nodes, ultimately leading to robust T cell responses. Conventional vaccines have primarily relied on antibody-mediated immunity, with limitations in inducing long-term immune memory and responding to viral variants. Notably, they fail to effectively elicit CD8⁺ T cell responses, which are essential for the elimination of infected cells and maintenance of memory immunity. Although mRNA vaccines marked a major advancement, they still face challenges related to variant coverage, immune durability, and stringent storage conditions, highlighting the need for a new vaccine design strategy capable of effectively inducing T cell-based immunity. To address these limitations, the research team developed the SE(Trojan-TLR7/8a) platform by incorporating Trojan-TLR7/8a, a spatiotemporally controllable TLR7/8 agonist, into a clinically approved squalene-based nanoemulsion (SE). This formulation ensures stable loading and enables lyophilization, making it highly applicable for real-world vaccine storage and distribution. Furthermore, through collaborative research with the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Korea Virus Research Institute (Director Young Ki Choi) and the College of Veterinary Medicine at Chungnam National University (Professor Jong-Soo Lee), this study demonstrated broad and long-term protective efficacy against various pathogenic models, including SARS-CoV-2 variants, influenza virus subtypes, and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV). The SE (Trojan-TLR7/8a)-vaccinated group exhibited a 100% survival rate. The platform effectively induced neutralizing antibody production by enhancing follicular helper T cell and germinal center B cell response, and also promoted antigen-specific polyfunctional CD8⁺ T cell generation. Recently, the team also validated the efficacy and mechanism of action (MOA) of Alum + Liposome(Trojan-TLR7/8a)-based adjuvant platforms, which was published in Nature Communications (2025). The study has been published in Cellular and Molecular Immunology (IF: 21.8), a globally recognized journal in the fields of immunology and biomedical science (Online publication in June 25th ,2025). Authors: Yeon-Jeong Yoo (First Author, Ph.D. Candidate), Suhyun Kim (Co-First Author, Master’s Student), Jooa Song (Co-Author, Integrated Master’s-Ph.D. Program), Yongtaek Lim (Corresponding Author, Professor at Sungkyunkwan University) Title: Multiscale dynamic immunomodulation by a nanoemulsified Trjoan-TLR7/8a adjuvant for robust protection against heterologous pandemic and endemic viruses (Cellular and Molecular Immunology; IF=21.8, 2025) D.O.I.: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41423-025-01306-6 [Figure 1] Development process and mechanism of action of SE (Trojan-TLR7/8a) [Figure 2] Induction of antigen-specific multifunctional CD8+ T cells and neutralizing antibodies by SE (Trojan-TLR7/8a) in a SARS-CoV-2 model

    • No. 318
    • 2025-07-04
    • 168
  • 원홍희 교수

    Genetic Link Between Happiness and Psychiatric Disorders Identified

    A groundbreaking study has revealed a significant genetic connection between happiness and psychiatric disorders. The joint research was led by Professor Hong Hee Won and Researcher Yae-Eun Ahn of the Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University / Samsung Medical Center; Professor Woojae Myung from the Department of Psychiatry at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital; and former clinical fellow Dr. Jinyoung Jung from Samsung Medical Center (currently affiliated with the Armed Forces Guri Hospital). Their findings were published in a recent issue of Nature Human Behaviour (Impact Factor: 21.4), under the title: "Polygenic overlap between subjective well-being and psychiatric disorders and cross-ancestry validation." Subjective well-being, which encompasses individuals’ perceived happiness and life satisfaction, plays a crucial role in shaping personal behavior and health. It is estimated that around 40% of subjective well-being is influenced by genetic factors. Focusing on the known correlation between low subjective well-being and mental disorders such as depression, the research team set out to identify genetic links between happiness and psychiatric conditions. Using genome data from approximately 650,000 individuals of European ancestry and 110,000 Korean individuals, the study examined the genetic correlations between subjective well-being and 14 psychiatric or neurological disorders, including: ▲Major depressive disorder (MDD) ▲Bipolar disorder type I and II ▲Schizophrenia ▲Generalized anxiety disorder ▲Anorexia nervosa ▲Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) ▲Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ▲Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) ▲Tourette syndrome ▲Alcohol use disorder ▲Cannabis use disorder ▲Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) ▲Alzheimer’s disease The analysis revealed that seven of these ▲major depressive disorder, ▲bipolar I disorder, ▲schizophrenia, ▲anorexia nervosa, ▲ADHD, ▲cannabis use disorder, and ▲ASD share genetic variants with subjective well-being. This suggests that many of the genetic variants influencing mental disorders also affect how happy people feel. Even when symptoms are managed through medication or therapy, patients may still struggle to improve their sense of well-being, increasing the likelihood of relapse. Notably, 93% of the genetic variants associated with depression were also linked to subjective happiness. The team also identified new genes associated with both subjective well-being and psychiatric conditions. For example, genes such as ZMYND8 and LINC02163 were found to influence emotional regulation, this is the first time these genes have been linked to this function. These genes were primarily expressed in brain regions such as the basal ganglia, frontal lobe, cerebellar hemisphere, amygdala, and hippocampus, which are closely associated with psychiatric disorders. Professor Hong Hee Won commented: “This study reconfirms the strong genetic connection between subjective well-being and psychiatric disorders. Understanding the genetic composition of happiness can provide essential insight for identifying the causes of mental illness and developing effective treatments.” Professor Woojae Myung added: “Many patients continue to have trouble feeling happiness even after their psychiatric symptoms are treated. These residual symptoms significantly impact their quality of life. If we can unravel the molecular mechanisms linking mental disorders and happiness, we may be able to develop new treatments that target these lingering challenges.” This study was supported by the Basic Research Program (Mid-Career Researcher Program) of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Naver Digital Bio Innovation Research Fund, and the Physician-Scientist Training Program of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI). ※ Paper Information · Journal : Nature Human Behaviour (IF 21.4) · Title : Polygenic overlap between subjective well-being and psychiatric disorders and cross-ancestry validation · Link : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02155-z

    • No. 317
    • 2025-06-27
    • 420
  • 이해나 교수

    SKKU Professor Haena Lee's Research Team Finds: “Remarriage Benefits Cognitive Health—But Only for Men”

    A new study by Professor Haena Lee of the Department of Sociology at Sungkyunkwan University reveals that marital biographies over the life course significantly influence cognitive health in old age—and that these effects differ by gender. In particular, the study finds that remarriage increases the risk of cognitive impairment for women, while it appears to protect cognitive health for men. The findings were published in Innovation in Aging, a top-tier international journal in the field of gerontology (top 3% in JCR). This study is among the first to longitudinally track marital histories across the life course and connect them to cognitive outcomes in late life, offering meaningful contributions to the fields of aging and social epidemiology. While previous studies have emphasized the health benefits of being currently married, such cross-sectional approaches often overlook the evolving structure and context of marriage and the social interactions over the life course. Using 16 years of longitudinal data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS), Professor Lee’s research tracked diverse marital trajectories—including first marriage, remarriage, divorce, and widowhood—and assessed their relationship with cognitive impairment through a gendered lens. The findings reveal that individuals who remarried faced a higher risk of cognitive impairment compared to those in long-term first marriages. Notably, this adverse effect was only significant for women. The study suggests that marriage may not confer uniform health benefits, especially for women, who often assume the role of “kin-keepers”—those responsible for maintaining emotional ties and caregiving roles within families. Interestingly, women in remarriages were at even greater risk of cognitive impairment than women who were currently living alone, indicating that remarriage may introduce emotional and social burdens for women. In contrast, remarried men showed significantly lower risk of cognitive decline compared to divorced or widowed men living alone. “Marital biography isn’t just about whether someone is married,” Professor Lee explains. “It reflects who individuals interact with and how their social relationships evolve over the life course. In later life, as social networks shrink, marital history becomes a key indicator of the quality of one’s remaining social connections.” The research was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Kyungwon Choi, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, and Professor Jooyoun Kim from the University of Seoul. ※ Title: Gender, Marital Histories, and Cognitive Impairment in Later Life: Does Remarriage Disadvantage Women? ※ Journal: Innovation in Aging ※ DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaf043 ※ Authors: Professor Haena Lee

    • No. 316
    • 2025-06-25
    • 327
  • 전영준 교수 연구

    Sungkyunkwan University Research Team Develops Standardized Technology for cell free (cf) RNA Extraction and Analysis

    Suwon, South Korea – A research team led by Professor Young-Jun Jeon from the Department of Integrative Biotechnology at Sungkyunkwan University, in collaboration with Stanford University School of Medicine, has successfully developed the world's first standardized method for the extraction and bioinformatics-based analysis of cf- transcriptome from human blood samples. Since the clinical potential of cf-mRNA was first proposed in Science in 2018, its utility has been continuously validated across numerous studies. However, limitations in reproducibility and environmental variability in clinical settings have hindered its translation into actual clinical applications—issues common across all areas of liquid biopsy. To address these challenges, Professor Young-Jun Jeon initially proposed and began developing this platform during his postdoctoral period at Stanford University in 2016. After joining Sungkyunkwan University in 2020, he continued to refine the methodology through ongoing research and collaboration, ultimately succeeding in standardizing both plasma transcriptome extraction and data generation processes. A key outcome of the study was the development of the RARE-Seq platform, which focuses on detecting approximately 5,500 rare cf-mRNAs not typically found in healthy individuals. Based on the hypothesis that some of these rare transcripts may serve as biomarkers for various diseases, targeted analysis was performed. The platform demonstrated the highest sensitivity among current liquid biopsy technologies and was validated in pilot clinical studies, including early detection of lung cancer. Professor Jeon commented, “RARE-Seq, by targeting the transcriptome, enables comprehensive diagnostics and the discovery of patient-specific therapeutic targets across virtually all diseases. Building on this, we have developed an AI-based analytic technology called LUNA-Seq to further maximize the platform’s accuracy.” He added, “We have secured multiple research grants from the National Research Foundation of Korea and are currently conducting clinical research applying this platform to areas such as immunotherapy response prediction in lung cancer, early detection of pancreatic and prostate cancer, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer's disease.” - RARE-Seq: A sequencing method designed to selectively analyze genes with low expression levels in healthy individuals to extract disease-specific signals. - LUNA-Seq: An AI-based analytical platform that enhances RARE-Seq by also analyzing commonly expressed genes to identify disease-specific patterns. This groundbreaking research was supported by the Basic Research Laboratory program of the National Research Foundation of Korea and conducted in partnership with Stanford University School of Medicine. The findings were published in Nature, one of the most prestigious international journals, showcasing Korea’s world-class capabilities in the field of liquid biopsy. - Title of the Paper: An ultrasensitive method for detection of cell-free RNA - Journal: Nature - DOI: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08834-1 - Corresponding Author: Maximilian Diehn - First Author: Young-Jun Jeon ▲Limitations of RARE-Seq and Overview of LUNA-Seq ▲ Overview of the RARE-Seq Analysis Platform and Results

    • No. 315
    • 2025-06-25
    • 489
  • 방석호 교수 연구

    SKKU's Interdisciplinary Team Led by Prof. Suk Ho Bhang (Dept of Chemical Engineering) and Prof. Jeeheon Jeong

    A research team at Sungkyunkwan University, led by Professor Suk Ho Bhang of the Department of Chemical Engineering and at Gachon University, led by Professor TaeIl Lee of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has developed a novel 3D cell culture platform using a ‘Free-Standing (FS) Device,’ signaling a transformative leap in next-generation tissue regeneration and stem cell therapy. This technology enables rapid and highly efficient cell compaction and spheroidization, with its therapeutic potential validated in animal models. To overcome the complexity and time-consuming limitations of conventional 3D culture methods, the team engineered a levitated cell culture system using acoustic standing waves within a liquid medium. The FS Device suspends cells in mid-air, facilitating their autonomous assembly into dense, uniform spheroids. The foundational studies were previously published in Bioengineering & Translational Medicine (2022) and Biomaterials Research (2023). In the most recent advancement, Professors Suk Ho Bhang (Chemical Engineering) and Jeeheon Jeong (Medicine) collaborated to develop a new FS Device-based cell culture method aimed at significantly enhancing islet transplantation for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. This study achieved the formation of high-functionality heterotypic pseudo-islets (Hislets) within just 20 hours—dramatically reducing the 5+ days typically required for pseudo-islet formation. The findings were published in Bioactive Materials (Impact Factor: 18.9, JCR Top 1%) in May 2025. Paper Title: Subaqueous acoustic pressure system based one day heterotypic pseudo-islet spheroid formation with adipose derived stem cells for graft survival-related function enhancement First Authors: Dr. Jiyu Hyun, Mr. Junhyeong Park (Ph.D. candidate) Corresponding Authors: Prof. Hyun-ji Park, Prof. Dong Yun Lee, Prof. Jee-Heon Jeong, Prof. Suk Ho Bhang Journal: Bioactive Materials, Volume 51, Pages 276–292 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2025.05.005

    • No. 314
    • 2025-06-18
    • 615

  • The Future of Humanity Unfolding Through ESG:

    This study presents a significant advancement in Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) evaluation by addressing critical gaps in transparency, consistency, and industry-specific relevance. The ESG-Keyword integrated bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (ESG-KIBERT) model, developed using advanced natural language processing (NLP) techniques, enhances ESG classification performance and sets a new standard for automated ESG analysis. With robust performance metrics, it supports reliable and consistent assessments across industries. Additionally, incorporating Sustainability Accounting Standards Board's materiality map offers a customized evaluation framework that accounts for industry-specific factors affecting corporate sustainability. Furthermore, the integration of sentiment analysis enriches ESG evaluations by capturing market and investor perceptions, contributing to a more transparent assessment. This study offers a comprehensive, standardized ESG evaluation framework that improves both the methodological rigor and practical utility of corporate sustainability assessments, enabling more informed decision-making for companies, investors and policymakers. *Title : ESG-KIBERT: A new paradigm in ESG evaluation using NLP and industry-specific customization *Journal : DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS *DOI : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2025.114440

    • No. 313
    • 2025-06-13
    • 561
  • 최우석 교수 연구

    A Fascinating Material That Changes with Oxygen

    Most materials around us retain their properties once formed, but SrFeOx (strontium iron oxide) is an exception. This material drastically changes its properties depending on the amount of oxygen it contains — with x ranging from 2 to 3 — making it a highly intriguing subject of study. Professor Woo Seok Choi’s research team in the Department of Physics has developed this material in the form of thin single-crystal films and reported a series of significant findings. For instance, SrFeO2.5 adopts a layered structure called brownmillerite, which forms when oxygen is partially removed from SrFeO3, a material with a perovskite structure. The resulting structure features alternating layers of FeO6 octahedra and FeO4 tetrahedra and exhibits a distinctive electrical polarity — that is, a directional asymmetry. In this study, it was revealed that this structure shows ferroelectricity even at ultra-thin scales, down to a single atomic layer (as shown in the Figure below, see the first reference). Ferroelectricity is a key physical property for applications in memory and energy devices. This ferroelectric behavior originates solely in the FeO4 tetrahedral layers, while the FeO6 layers in between act like insulating spacers, minimizing interference between neighboring layers. As a result, each thin layer can switch its electric polarization independently — like stacking atomically thin electric switches — opening up exciting possibilities for next-generation ultra-compact memory devices. Meanwhile, further reducing the oxygen in SrFeO2.5 produces SrFeO2, which has a completely different structure known as the infinite-layer structure, where iron atoms are surrounded by oxygen only in two dimensions (see the second reference). This transformation is achieved by high-temperature treatment to remove oxygen atoms. In this study, researchers used real-time electron microscopy to directly observe how oxygen atoms escape along the layers, how iron atoms rearrange, and how the structure evolves step by step — all at the atomic scale. Surprisingly, this transformation happens very quickly, and the rate of change varies depending on the orientation of oxygen diffusion channels. In fact, the crystal structure can even rotate 90 degrees to align these channels in a direction that facilitates easier oxygen release. Thanks to this flexible yet precisely controlled structural behavior, SrFeOx is not only electrically active but also holds great potential for future optoelectronic devices involving magnetism, electrical conductivity, and even superconductivity. In essence, SrFeOx is an oxygen-tunable material whose structure and properties can be dramatically altered by adjusting its oxygen content — offering a key to creating faster, smaller, and more efficient electronic components in the near future. Reference [1] Sub-unit-cell-segmented ferroelectricity in brownmillerite oxides by phonon decoupling, Nat. Mater. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02233-7 (2025). [2] Monitoring the formation of infinite-layer transition metal oxides through in situ atomic-resolution electron microscopy, Nat. Chem. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-024-01617-7 (2025).

    • No. 312
    • 2025-06-10
    • 624
  • 최기홍 교수

    If Quitting Is Too Hard, Could E-Cigarettes Be a Safer Option?

    A recent Korean nationwide study published in the European Heart Journal (Impact Factor = 39.3) reports that patients who switch from combustible cigarettes to e-cigarettes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), or who successfully quit smoking altogether, show significantly lower risks of cardiovascular complications. Using data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), the study analyzed 17,973 adult smokers who underwent PCI. Participants were categorized into three groups: those who continued smoking combustible cigarettes, those who switched to e-cigarettes, and those who successfully quit smoking. The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including myocardial infarction, all-cause death, and repeat revascularization, was compared across these groups. The findings revealed that patients who entirely switched to e-cigarettes had an approximately 18% lower risk of MACEs compared with those who continued smoking combustible cigarettes. The reduction in risk was comparable to that observed in the complete smoking cessation group. Dr. Choi, the corresponding author emphasized the clinical implications: “Many patients continue to smoke even after suffering myocardial infarction, which increases the risk of stent thrombosis and other fatal complications. While smoking cessation is the best option, switching to less harmful alternatives such as e-cigarettes may be a pragmatic secondary approach for those unable to quit.” This publication is also a compelling example of interdisciplinary collaboration between physician and epidemiologist. The study was co-led by Prof. Ki Hong Choi (Cardiology, SKKU School of Medicine and Samsung Medical Center) and Prof. Danbee Kang (Department of Clinical Research Design & Evaluation, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology, SAIHST). Together, the team has consistently addressed clinical questions using diverse methodological approaches. Their efforts include numerous joint publications in top-tier journals with impact factors exceeding 10, including articles ranked in the top 5% of their respective fields. Beyond this study, they continue to lead a broad spectrum of projects that translate bedside questions into evidence through real-world data. Their work spans from evaluating treatment effectiveness to assessing health system interventions, all while maintaining a practical, patient-centered perspective.

    • No. 311
    • 2025-06-04
    • 783
  • 손동희, 신미경 교수 연구

    Adhesive Cortical Device Enables Artifact-Free Neuromodulation for Closed-loop Epilepsy Treatment

    Epilepsy, a neurological disorder affecting over 65 million people worldwide, is characterized by pathological electrical hyperactivity in the brain resulting in seizures. Notably, approximately 20-30% of all patients are diagnosed with intractable epilepsy, which does not respond to standard medications. Surgical resection of lesions remains a treatment option for these patients, but it presents challenges due to the complexity and risks involved in the procedure. As a less invasive alternative treatment, the concept of neuromodulation has been proposed, which involves directly stimulating lesioned tissue with mechanical, electromagnetic, or optical energy to suppress brain hyperexcitability. One promising approach is transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) neurostimulation, a non-invasive method that stimulates the brain with high precision without causing permanent damage. For tFUS to be effective in treating epilepsy, it must be paired with a system that can continuously monitor brain activity and adjust the treatment in real-time. However, existing cortex-interfacing devices face challenges due to their high stiffness and low shape adaptability, which makes it difficult for them to conform to the convoluted surface of the brain, resulting in poor tissue-device interfaces. Their low adhesion to the brain surface also means they struggle to provide accurate brain signals during ultrasound stimulation, due to the interference caused by the mechanical pressure waves. To address this challenge, the research team developed the Shape-Morphing Cortical-Adhesive (SMCA) sensor, a soft, flexible device that adheres closely to the brain’s surface, ensuring stable and accurate monitoring of brain activity even during tFUS stimulation. The SMCA sensor is composed of a unique combination of materials. It features a layer of catechol-conjugated alginate hydrogel that quickly bonds with brain tissue, providing strong adhesion and reducing the risk of movement or detachment. Additionally, the device’s substrate is made of a self-healing polymer that softens and conforms to the brain’s curved surface at body temperature, ensuring a snug fit and minimizing the risk of signal artifacts. The team tested the SMCA sensor both ex vivo (outside the body) and in vivo (inside the body), comparing its performance to that of existing devices without adhesive or shape-morphing properties. In experiments with a rat model of epilepsy, the SMCA sensor successfully recorded brain activity during tFUS without interference, enabling the real-time monitoring necessary for effective treatment. Using this innovative sensor, the researchers implemented a closed-loop seizure control system. This system uses the SMCA sensor to detect early signs of a seizure and automatically adjusts the tFUS treatment in response. The system successfully suppressed seizures in real-time, demonstrating the potential for personalized, adaptive epilepsy treatment. Professor SON Donghee stated, “Through our study on the brain-adhesive soft bioelectronics platform, we have overcome a major challenge in the field of brain interfaces by achieving high-quality electrocorticography coupled with focused ultrasound stimulation without artifact interference.” He explained the significance of this research and outlined future plans by adding, “We expect our technology to become a cornerstone of a next-generation biomedical platform that enables precise diagnosis and personalized therapy for intractable neurological disorders. Following this study, we will advance the SMCA sensor platform by improving the shape-morphing and cortex-adhesive functionalities, developing highly integrated microelectrodes, and implementing a high-order closed-loop operational algorithm.”. Dr. Hyungmin KIM stated, “We achieved early detection of seizure activity via ECoG, enabling the prevention of seizures. Additionally, we implemented real-time feedback on the effects of ultrasound stimulation, which allowed for the application of personalized stimulation protocols. Looking ahead, we anticipate that the development of electrodes with more channels, as well as multi-channel ultrasound transducers, will facilitate precise mapping of seizure sources and targeted intervention, ultimately enhancing the efficacy and safety of this approach in clinical applications.” This research was conducted in collaboration with colleagues from Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). The findings were published in Nature Electronics on Month Day, 2024. Figure 1. Overview and operation principle of a shape-morphing cortex-adhesive (SMCA) sensor A schematic illustration for exploded view of a SMCA sensor. B. A schematic illustration for a SMCA sensor mounted conformally on a rodent’s brain tissue. (Inset) a photoimage illustrating robust tissue adhesion of a SMCA sensor on a rat’s cortex under shear strain. C. Schematic illustrations of sequential brain-interfacing steps of the SMCA sensor for explaining the tissue-adhesive shape-morphing mechanism. Figure 2. Brain interfacing functionalities of SMCA soft patches Comparison of the tissue-adhesive strength between Alg and Alg–CA according to stretching direction. Both hydrogel materials were coupled with the SHP substrate. b. Plot of relative storage modulus of thermoset PDMS (red) and thermoplastic SHP (blue) films as a function of temperature. (Inset) showing the magnified view of the plot ranging from room temperature (25℃) to body temperature (37℃). C. Strain‒stress curves of PDMS (red) and SHP (blue) films. D. Comparative photoimages illustrating tissue-adhesion performances of Alg/SHP (top), Alg–CA/PDMS (middle), SMCA (bottom) films on bovine brain while shear strain was applied. E. Comparative sequential images of Alg–CA/PDMS (top) and SMCA (bottom) mounted on bovine brain tissue with curved surface morphology illustrating behaviour of soft films over time. The surface temperature of the brain tissue was set at 37 °C. Figure 3. SMCA sensor allows for artefact-free neural recording Schematic image of the in vivo test for neural recording performance. M, motor; S, somatosensory; C, cingulate; R, retrosplenial; P, posterior parietal; V, visual; B, bregma; Ref, reference; Gnd, ground; b-e. Top-view images and corresponding timetrace plots of cortical activity from a representative trial of brain-mounted soft ECoG devices combined with 4 different materials, including PDMS (b). SHP (c). Alg (interface)/SHP (substrate) (d). and SMCA (SMCA sensor) (e). Magnified data plots of three consecutive channels, including a channel located on the visual cortex of the left hemisphere (Ch.15) directly stimulated by tFUS of each material platform. Figure 4. Closed-loop seizure control system capable of apposite tFUS modulation utilizing neurosignal feedbaa. An illustration of the customized headstage system incorating with the SMCA sensor and a tFUS transducer for closed-loop neural recording and feedback neurostimulation. (Inset) A corresponding image shows the portable closed-loop therapeutic system applied to an awake freely moving rat. b. Schematics and corresponding conceptual plots of neural signals from the soft ECoG devices (top, the conventional device without tissue adhesion and conformability; bottom, the SMCA sensor) as a function of time under tFUS stimulation. c. Schematic illustrations of conceptual ECoG plot recorded from the SMCA sensor during closed-loop tFUS seizure suppression in an awake rodent model. d. Timetrace plot of 16-channel ECoG signals recorded from the SMCA sensor for a case of closed-loop seizure control based on 3-level tFUS protocol modulation, applied to the awake epileptic rodent model. e. Detailed ECoG trace from single-channel in the SMCA sensor during closed-loop seizure control. Magnified plots show 5-sec cropped neural activities corresponding to major phase of seizure epoch during closed-loop tFUS neurostimulation.

    • No. 310
    • 2025-05-30
    • 789
  • 이태훈 교수 연구

    Develops High-Performance Membranes for Energy-efficient Crude Oil Fractionation towards Carbon Neutrality

    Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU, President: Ji-Beom Yoo) announced that Professor Tae Hoon Lee’s research team from the Department of Future Energy Engineering, in collaboration with researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has developed a high-performance ultramicroporous membrane* capable of replacing conventional crude oil refining processes. The study was published in the May 23 issue of the international journal Science. *Membrane: A membrane is a functional material that selectively allows or blocks the passage of specific molecules based on size, shape, or chemical properties. Membrane-based separations require neither heat energy nor phase changes, offering a promising alternative to conventional, energy-intensive separation methods such as distillation. Currently, crude oil refining primarily relies on thermal distillation, which accounts for approximately 1% of global energy consumption and 6% of CO2 emissions, making it highly energy-intensive. Although polymer membranes based on Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs)** have been explored as an alternative, their commercialization has been hindered by high costs, low selectivity, and susceptibility to swelling and plasticization when exposed to organic solvents. **Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs): These novel materials feature rigid and contorted molecular structures that prevent dense packing of polymer chains, creating abundant free volume and sub-nanometer pores (<2 nm in size, BET surface area >100 m²/g). To overcome these challenges, the research team replaced the conventional amide bonds found in commercial reverse osmosis membranes with imine bonds***, which offer superior resistance to swelling and lower polarity, thereby achieving both structural rigidity and ultramicroporosity. Furthermore, the incorporation of triptycene and spirobifluorene units enhanced the membrane’s resistance to swelling and plasticization, as well as its molecular selectivity. Notably, the membranes were fabricated using interfacial polymerization, an industrially validated process suitable for large-scale manufacturing. ***Imine bond: Formed via a condensation reaction between an amine (-NH2) and an aldehyde (-CHO), the imine (C=N) bond is less polar and structurally more rigid than amide bonds. Experimental results demonstrated that the new membranes can selectively separate fuel components based on molecular size, potentially reducing energy consumption by tens of percent compared to traditional distillation—a feature unattainable with existing commercial membranes. Professor Tae Hoon Lee, the study’s first author, stated, “The ultramicroporous imine-based membranes we developed show groundbreaking potential to replace conventional thermal separation processes, potentially reducing the energy required for crude oil fractionation by up to several tens of percent. By leveraging an interfacial polymerization method compatible with industrial manufacturing, this technology not only promises scalability but also contributes to decarbonizing the petrochemical industry and could transform the future paradigm of eco-friendly fuel production and refining.” This research was supported by the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and was published in the May 23 issue of Science. ※ Paper Title: Microporous polyimine membranes for efficient separation of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures ※ Journal: Science ※ Authors: Corresponding Author: Zachary P. Smith; First Author: Tae Hoon Lee; Co-authors: Zain Ali, Taigyu Joo, Matthew P. Rivera, Ingo Pinnau ※ DOI: 10.1126/science.adv6886 (forthcoming) ▲Schematic Diagram of the Fabrication and Applications of Ultra-Microporous Separation Membranes via Acid-Catalyzed Interfacial Polymerization

    • No. 309
    • 2025-05-26
    • 918
  • 구종민 교수

    Multifunctional MXene-CNT Janus Film Enables Durable EMI and Infrared Shielding/Detection in Extreme Environments

    Professor Chong Min Koo's research team from the School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, in collaboration with Professor Youngjin Jeong at Soongsil University, has developed a flexible, lightweight, and robust Janus film composed of MXene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). This advanced hybrid materials demonstrates exceptional electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and infrared (IR) shielding/detection capabilities, even under extreme conditions ranging from cryogenic to high temperatures. The study, led by first author Dr. Tufail Hassan, was published in the prestigious journal Nano-Micro Letters (Impact Factor: 31.6). Modern defense, aerospace, and electronic applications demand ultrathin, flexible, and multifunctional materials capable of operating under harsh environmental stressors. Traditional EMI shielding materials like copper, while effective, suffer from drawbacks including high weight, corrosion susceptibility, and limited processability. MXenes—2D materials known for high electrical conductivity and low IR emissivity—present a promising alternative, but their application is hindered by oxidation sensitivity and mechanical fragility. To address the limitations of conventional MXene materials, the team synthesized highly crystalline, oxidation-resistant Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene and integrated it with a mechanically robust carbon nanotube (CNT) film through hydrogen bonding to create a Janus architecture. The resulting 15 µm-thick Janus film demonstrated exceptional multifunctionality, including an EMI shielding effectiveness of 72 dB in the X-band, ultralow IR emissivity of 0.09, and high IR detection sensitivity, evidenced by a 44% increase in resistance under 250 W IR exposure. Importantly, the film maintained its structural and functional integrity after 300 bending cycles and 30 thermal shock cycles across a 396 °C temperature range, significantly outperforming conventional MXene- or polymer-based materials in durability, electrical performance, and thermal camouflage. Fabricated via a scalable vacuum-assisted filtration method, the Janus film is well-suited for industrial-scale production. Its asymmetric design enables dual-mode operation: the MXene side provides efficient IR reflection for stealth functionality, while the CNT side enables high-sensitivity IR detection—making it highly suitable for next-generation military, aerospace, and wearable sensing technologies. This work establishes a new benchmark for multifunctional shielding materials and paves the way for resilient, adaptive systems capable of withstanding extreme environmental conditions. This study was financially supported by grants from the Basic Science Research Program (2021M3H4A1A03047327 and 2022R1A2C3006227) through the National Research Foundation of Korea, funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning, Republic of Korea; and the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST), funded by the Korean Government (MSIT) (CRC22031-000). Paper title: Multifunctional MXene/Carbon Nanotube Janus Film for Electromagnetic Shielding and Infrared Shielding/Detection in Harsh Environments Journal: Nano-Micro Letters DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-024-01431-3 Figure 1: A schematic illustration highlights the film’s excellent mechanical strength, electromagnetic interference shielding, infrared shielding/detection capabilities, and remarkable retention of performance even after repeated bending cycles and thermal shock with a temperature difference of 396 °C.

    • No. 308
    • 2025-05-21
    • 1017

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