TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE 49 48 HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2022 HKU researchers are addressing major global problems such as COVID-19 and environmental degradation by working with industry and developing start-ups based on their innovations and research. INDUSTRIAL IMPACT COVID-19 VACCINES ENTER CLINICAL TRIALS 3D PRINTING TO RESTORE CORAL REEFS HKU scientists have developed three different COVID-19 vaccine candidates that each offers unique benefits and have all proceeded to the clinical trial stage. In all cases, they are drawing on HKUMed’s long-standing expertise as a global leader in emerging infectious diseases and working closely with industry partners. Professor Chen Honglin and Professor Yuen Kwok Yung, Henry Fok Professor in Infectious Diseases, have developed a nasal spray vaccine based on their previously established flu-based DelNS1 Live Attenuated influenza virus platform. This has strong potential as a booster vaccine for people who previously received SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, particularly as it is cheap and easy to ArchiREEF, a new start-up founded by Dr David Baker and PhD candidate Vriko Yu in the School of Biological Sciences, is combining marine biology with the latest 3D printing technologies to provide a one-step solution for bringing back corals and restoring degraded marine ecosystems. The company has developed the world’s first artificial reef structure that is 3D printed using terracotta, making it ocean-friendly, scalable and adaptive to any coral species, landscapes and ecosystems. The structure also has biomimicry elements to enhance coral survivorship and growth. It was first successfully adopted by the Hong Kong government’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department at the Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park. deploy; it could also be developed into a dual vaccine against both flu and COVID-19. HKU has collaborated on the vaccine with Xiamen University and Wantai BioPharm, a Chinese pharmaceutical company. A Phase 3 clinical trial has been completed and Wantai has applied for emergency use approval of this flu-based intranasal spray COVID-19 vaccine. Professor Chen Zhiwei has developed an injectable COVID-19 DNA vaccine based on a DNA vaccine platform he developed for an AIDS vaccine. The latter has been going through the conventional vaccine testing and approval process for several years, so it was simply a matter of swapping the HIV gene for the COVID-19 virus. The vaccine offers strong protection while being cheap and easy to manufacture, and it is undergoing a Phase 1 trial in partnership with Immuno Cure Biotech Ltd in Hong Kong. Professor Ivan Hung, Ru Chien & Helen Lieh Professor in Health Sciences Pedagogy, of the Department of Medicine has led the development of an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine targeting the Omicron variant as a nextgeneration vaccine and booster. HKU’s Department of Microbiology was the first research team in Asia to isolate the variant and shared it with other research institutions and vaccine manufacturers. China National Biotec Group (Sinopharm) subsequently decided to initiate a clinical trial in Hong Kong through the HKU Clinical Trials Centre. The trial began in early summer involving about 1,800 adult volunteers who had already received two or three doses of inactivated or mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. “Our product has to be able to withstand extreme environments, such as unstable sea waves and corrosion, and at the same time successfully grow the coral without harming the ocean,” said Ms Yu. “At first, we tried to do this with minimal intervention and low-tech methods. We planted corals directly on the natural substrates. However, we found the natural substrates are not ideal for corals to grow on. Hence, we used the power of 3D printing technology to kick-start ecosystem recovery and assist corals.” ArchiREEF has received a number of honours to date, including being named one of the companies on Forbes Asia 100 to Watch 2022 list; a Gold Award in the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva 2022; Champion of the Elevator Pitch Competition 2021 organised by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation; and a Grand Award of HK$1 million in the 2021–22 TSSSU@HKU Awards that support promising start-ups at the University. The three different COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed by HKU scientists have proceeded to clinical trials. The 3D-printed reef tiles were first adopted by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) of the Hong Kong government as an active management tool to aid coral restoration in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park. Courtesy of AFCD Learn more about ArchiREEF
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