Prof. Fei SUN has successfully secured funding for a collaborative research project titled "Living Protein Materials for Axon Regeneration."

Professor Fei SUN has successfully secured funding for a collaborative research project titled "Living Protein Materials for Axon Regeneration." This grant, awarded by the Young Collaborative Research Grant (YCRG) 2023/24 Exercise, is a testament to Prof. SUN's research capabilities and his dedication to pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge.

The project, led by Prof. SUN from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, involves a multidisciplinary team of co-principal investigators from HKUST and CUHK , representing diverse fields such as Synthetic Biology, Soft Matter Physics, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Neuroscience. Together, they aim to develop genetically programmable living protein materials that can facilitate axon regeneration in the central nervous system.

Axon regeneration remains a significant challenge in regenerative medicine. Traditional approaches have focused on designing materials that can act as bridging scaffolds and carriers to deliver axon-growth-promoting biomolecules and/or cells. However, Prof. SUN and his team recognize that biological systems, including the central nervous system, operate far from thermodynamic equilibrium. They propose to harness the emergent properties arising from the "living" thermodynamics of their protein materials to ensure the long-distance assembly of molecules and cells in vivo.

This innovative approach holds the potential to revolutionize our understanding of axon regeneration and could lead to significant advancements in the field of regenerative medicine. We are proud to have Prof. SUN and his team representing our institution in this important research.

We congratulate Prof. SUN on this significant achievement and look forward to the impactful contributions his team will make through this funded project. Their efforts will not only advance scientific knowledge but also contribute to improving human health and well-being.