HKU Bulletin October 2004 (Vol. 6 No. 1)

1 NEWS ROUND-UP Lion’s Share of Competitive Research Funding T he University has increased its share of grants under the Competitive Earmarked Research Grants (CERG) scheme and come well ahead of other universities. The 2004-05 grants for all eight local universities totalled $403.5 million and the University received $125.491 million, representing 31 per cent of the total. Last year’s figure was 27.6 per cent. The University also received funding for the highest number of projects, 193. “The above statistics are particularly significant as we are facing increasingly high standards of expectation and growing budgetary constraints on the CERG front,” the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, said in a message to staff. CERG funding was decreased by 12.7 per cent this year, from $462.3 million in 2003-04. Our researchers were particularly successful in securing grants in the physical sciences, biology and medicine, and the humanities. Professor Tsui said the focus for the future should be on sustaining success, by reviewing strategy and research planning and pursuing opportunities for cross-disciplinary investigative studies and shared facilities. Cutting-edge Technology Used in SARS Cure Search C utting-edge technology has been employed in the latest search for a cure for the deadly SARS virus. Using a novel approach known as chemical genetics, researchers in the Depar tment of Microbiology have identified small chemical compounds that wi l l prevent the coronav i rus infect ing cells in mammals. Working in col laborat ion wi th scient i sts at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Centre in New York, the team said the approach could also help develop drugs for other viruses including bird flu and herpes But the team, which included researchers from the Departments of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Chemistry, are a long way from finding a cure for SARS. Dr Richard Kao Yi Tsun, Research Assistant Professor of the Department of Microbiology, referred to the findings as ‘a conceptual breakthrough’ as the compounds have yet to be tested on animals or undergo clinical trials. “After that we will decide whether to develop the drugs,” he said. “It will depend on whether SARS returns and also on the commercial partners who might be prepared to test them.” This is the first time that chemical genetics, developed by Harvard Medical School, has been applied to virology. It greatly speeds up the rate of testing novel drugs to target a particular disease. “When we have a new virus we can quickly screen more than 50,000 molecules and see which one of them can stop the virus from killing cells,” said Kao. In the past researchers have been forced to test compounds one at a time, which can take years. Using the new platform the team was able to identify 104 compounds in a few months. CONTENTS Editor The Registrar Editorial Board Sheila Stimpson, Dora Yue Writers Kathy Griffin, Allison Jones Photography Richard Jones, sinopix photo agency Eric Lee, La Vie de Boheme Graphic Designer trinity & co. Printer G & P Production & Printing Co. Items for Publication Items for publication in The University of Hong Kong Bulletin or suggestions for subjects which might be included should be addressed to the editorial board, Knowles Building, telephone number: 2859 2229, fax nu mber: 2559 9459 or e-mail: bulletin@hku.hk . Items should include the author’s name and University contact details. If you have any comments or suggestions to make regarding the content or format of The University of Hong Kong Bulletin , please direct them to the editor for consideration by the editorial board. Printed on recycled paper. NEWS ROUND-UP 1 u Lion’s Share of Competitive Research Funding u Cutting-edge Technology Used in SARS Cure Search 2 u Silent Night 3 u Success of Learning a Language SPORTS 4 u Going for Gold and Couch Potatoes 6 u Hard Slog for Windsurfing Medallist RESEARCH 7 u Pinpointing Dyslexia in the Brain 8 u The Shaw Prize Lectures 11 u Hong Kong Coastline Gasps for Air 12 u Unearthly Discovery in Thailand 13 u Seeking a Cure for Spinal Cord Injuries PEOPLE 14 u New Deputy Vice-Chancellor Plugs in 15 u Washbasins, Clocks, Lamps and Toys 16 u Dental Research Benefits Hong Kong People 17 u Get out of the Laboratory! 18 u Renaissance Woman STUDENTS 19 u Hong Kong’s Newest Tourist Attraction 20 u Students Go Robotic ARTS 21 u Concepts in Wood