PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research

PAIR通訊．第18期．2026年6月號現已出版

當面對人類社會最複雜且棘手的挑戰時，大自然能帶來哪些啟示？在《PAIR 通訊》第18期中，我們以仿生學（Biomimicry）為主題，探索科研如何從自然萬物汲取靈感，轉化為創新思維，以應對健康、可持續發展及人類福祉等全球重大挑戰。

本期內容涵蓋一系列突破性科研成果，包括以海膽刺結構為靈感的下一代仿生感測器，以及具備臨床推理能力、支援臨床決策的AI協作平台。此外，我們亦分享多個故事，展現PAIR在可持續發展與深空探索領域的成果，並介紹如何透過提升活動能力、人本體驗與心理健康，持續改善人類生活質素。

本期亦聚焦兩位材料科學專家的前瞻觀點，從不同角度探討如何打造具韌性且面向未來的社會。PAIR高級院士Nemkumar BANTHIA教授闡述如何結合碳中和材料、智能監測及預測式設計，加強城市基建的整體韌性；而PAIR國際顧問委員會（IAC）成員Alexandar HARTMAIER教授則從多尺度材料科學的角度出發，說明涵蓋原子層級至宏觀結構的研究，如何推動工業材料邁向低碳、高效能，並符合倫理及可持續發展的方向。

今年春季，來自中國內地、新加坡、英國、德國及美國的IAC成員齊聚PAIR第五屆年度國際顧問委員會會議，匯聚國際專家智慧，為本院的長遠發展提供關鍵建議。我們亦宣布推出與英國劍橋大學神經科技創新發展計劃Cambridge NeuroWorks合作的聯合研討會系列，以及面向頂尖大學的合作研究種子基金計劃，同時持續推動轄下研究單位開展多項跨學科、跨界別的合作項目。

Flipbook 版本: https://lnkd.in/gCUEhDrH
PDF 版本: https://polyu.hk/eFkMB

PAIR Newsletter · Issue 18 · June 2026 is now available!

What can nature teach us about solving humanity’s most complex challenges? In Issue 18 of the PAIR Newsletter, biomimicry takes centre stage, revealing how insights from living systems can spark innovation and help address pressing global challenges in health, sustainability, and human wellbeing.

Discover how sea urchin spines inspire next‑generation biomimetic sensors, and how an AI co‑pilot system is advancing clinical‑grade decision‑making. You will also find stories that reflect PAIR’s commitment to sustainability, deep‑space exploration and improving people’s wellbeing through innovations in mobility, comfort, and mental health.

We also spotlight two complementary perspectives on building a resilient, future‑ready society, shared by leading materials science experts. PAIR Senior Fellow Prof. Nemkumar BANTHIA highlights how carbon‑neutral materials, smart monitoring, and predictive design can strengthen urban resilience, while PAIR International Advisory Committee (IAC) Member Prof. Alexander HARTMAIER explores how multiscale materials science—from atoms to full‑scale structures—enables low‑carbon, high‑performance, and ethically sourced materials for industry.

This spring, PAIR welcomed IAC members from the Chinese Mainland, Singapore, the UK, Germany, and the US to its 5th annual IAC Meeting, an important forum for gathering expert advice to guide PAIR’s future development. We also marked the launch of the “Cambridge NeuroWorks and PolyU PAIR Joint Seminar Series” and the “PAIR Seed Funding Scheme for Joint Research Projects with Leading Universities”, alongside many other cross‑disciplinary and cross‑sectoral partnerships across PAIR research units.

Flipbook version: https://lnkd.in/gCUEhDrH
PDF version: https://polyu.hk/eFkMB

香港理工大學高等研究院誠邀您參加於2026年6月8日（星期一）在校園舉行的「永續植物蛋白與功能性主食」講座，講者為新加坡國立大學食品科學與工程系副主任、貝佐斯永續蛋白質研究中心首席研究員黄德建教授。

聯合國於2015年提出永續發展目標（SDGs），涵蓋17項全球議題，旨在於2030年前消除貧窮、保護地球並促進全人類共享繁榮。作為食品科學家，我們在推動實現「零飢餓」及「良好健康與福祉」等目標方面，能夠發揮重要作用。在本次講座中，黃教授將介紹如何將食品加工過程中的副產物——植物蛋白（如醇溶蛋白、綠豆蛋白、南瓜籽蛋白）進行「升級轉化」，並應用於多個下游產業，包括培植肉、純素鮑魚及純素海參等創新食品開發。

此外，黃教授亦將說明如何從農業副產物，例如啤酒糟（大麥渣）、花生粕、葵花籽粕及番薯副產物中回收蛋白質與膳食纖維，並進一步加工製成麵條、米食及烘焙食品等主食產品。相較於傳統高碳水化合物的主食，這些新型主食具備高蛋白、高膳食纖維及低碳水化合物的特點，且品質優良，並具有低升糖指數（如GI值約為 38）。此類主食不僅有助於對抗高血糖，亦能推動「零廢加工」理念，從而有效減少食物浪費。如能將這些具規模化潛力的技術推展至全球應用，將有助於減少食品加工副產物，並為2050年約100億人口帶來可持續的糧食保障。

📆 : 2026年6月8日（星期一）
⏰ : 下午2時30分至4時（香港時間）
📍 : 香港理工大學何鴻燊樓三樓演講廳 （HJ302室）
📢 : 英語
🌐 : https://polyu.hk/zfzNq

You are cordially invited to join the upcoming PAIR Seminar titled “Sustainable Plant Proteins and Functional Staple Foods” by Prof. HUANG Dejian, Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Food Science and Technology, and Principal Investigator at the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at the National University of Singapore (NUS), on 8 June 2026 (Monday)!

The United Nations announced the Sustainable Development Goals with 17 global objectives adopted in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030. As food scientists, we have a lot to contribute to achieve these objectives that include zero hunger and good health & well-being. In this talk, Prof. Huang will illustrate our work on upvaluing the plant proteins, (such as prolamins, mung bean proteins, pumpkin seed proteins) from coproducts of food manufacturing plants for down-stream applications including cell-based meat cultivation, vegan abalone, and vegan sea cucumber.

Furthermore, Prof. Huang will demonstrate, how proteins and dietary fibers can be reclaimed from spent crops (such as spent barley grains, peanut meal, sunflower seed meal, sweet potato coproducts) in the form of staple foods such as noodle, rice, and bakeries. Unlike conventional staple foods that are loaded with carbohydrates, these staple foods feature high protein and dietary fiber, low but good quality carbohydrates with low glycemic index (e.g. 38). Such staple foods not only can help to fight against high blood glucose but also minimize food wastes by achieving zero waste processing target. Our scalable approach, if adopted globally, would help reduce food processing co-products and help feeding the projected 10 billion people by 2050.

📆 : 8 June 2026 (Monday)
⏰ : 2:30 - 4:00 pm (Hong Kong time)
📍 : Lecture Theatre HJ302, 3/F, Stanley Ho Building, PolyU
📢 : English
🌐 : https://polyu.hk/zfzNq

請於明天上午10:30透過我們的 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝑻𝒖𝒃𝒆頻道，觀看由英國皇家學會院士、英國皇家工程院院士、英國曼徹斯特大學國家石墨烯研究院與物料系高分子科學與技術Emeritus教授Robert Joseph Young教授主講的「石墨烯及石墨烯基納米複合材料之力學」傑出學人講座直播！https://youtube.com/live/2g20g6VyJIs?feature=share

Please join the live-stream service on our 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝑻𝒖𝒃𝒆 channel for the PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “The Mechanics of Graphene and Graphene-Based Nanocomposites” by Prof. Robert Joseph YOUNG, Fellow of the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering, UK; Emeritus Professor of Polymer Science and Technology, National Graphene Institute and Department of Materials of The University of Manchester, UK, from 10:30 am tomorrow!
https://youtube.com/live/2g20g6VyJIs?feature=share

請於明天上午10:30透過我們的 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝑻𝒖𝒃𝒆頻道，觀看由中國科學院外籍院士、美國國家工程院院士、美國國家科學院院士、美國哈佛大學Allen E. and Marilyn M. Puckett力學與材料學教授鎖志剛教授主講的「軟材料與生物組織的黏合」傑出學人講座直播！
https://www.youtube.com/live/580FVAvDpKY

Please join the live-stream service on our 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝑻𝒖𝒃𝒆 channel for the PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “Adhesion between Soft Materials and Tissues” by Prof. SUO Zhigang, Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Member of both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences in the USA, and the Allen E. and Marilyn M. Puckett Professor of Mechanics and Materials of Harvard University, from 10:30 am tomorrow!
https://www.youtube.com/live/580FVAvDpKY

香港理工大學高等研究院誠邀您參加於2026年6月3日（星期三）在校園舉行的「石墨烯及石墨烯基納米複合材料之力學」傑出學人講座，講者為英國皇家學會院士、英國皇家工程院院士、英國曼徹斯特大學國家石墨烯研究院與物料系高分子科學與技術Emeritus教授Robert Joseph Young教授。

自2004年曼徹斯特大學首次成功分離石墨烯以來，該領域研究迅速發展；而Novoselov 與Geim亦憑此重大突破榮獲2010年諾貝爾物理學獎，進一步將相關研究推向高峰。本講座將回顧當前科研界對石墨烯及石墨烯基納米複合材料力學性能的最新理解與研究進展。

我們的科研團隊深入探討單原子層厚、經機械剝離製備的石墨烯（one-atom-thick mechanically exfoliated graphene）的變形與斷裂行為，並成功製備不同尺寸與形狀的單層石墨烯薄片，將其沉積於聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯（PMMA）構件上。透過在不同應變（strain）條件下進行原位拉曼成像（in-situ Raman mapping），研究人員根據石墨烯拉曼2D頻帶的位移，得以解析石墨烯薄片上的應變分佈。研究結果顯示，大尺寸石墨烯薄片的強度降至約10 GPa以下，遠低於文獻報導的130 GPa，推測主要與材料中缺陷的存在有關。

此外，研究亦利用拉曼光譜作為應變感測工具，對機械剝離單層石墨烯單晶（exfoliated monolayer graphene single crystals）中的裂紋演化、擴展及其相關應力場（stress fields）進行成像分析。結果顯示，這類應力場可延伸至數微米尺度；進一步分析指出，石墨烯的斷裂行為可透過「線彈性斷裂力學」（linear elastic fracture mechanics）得以詮釋。其中，當臨界應力強度因子Kc達4.0 MPa m1/2時，沿鋸齒方向的裂紋開始發生擴展，這項觀察正正與理論預測的相符。

碳基填料增強的聚合物納米複合材料因其卓越性能，在多個應用領域中備受關注。本講座將概述石墨烯增強複合材料力學性能的最新研究進展，並闡明影響最終材料性能的關鍵參數，包括石墨烯增強體（graphene reinforcement）的有效長度、厚度、取向及模量。此外，亦將說明如何運用拉曼光譜技術，以深入理解基體（matrix）與增強體（reinforcement）之間的應力傳遞效率。重要的是，本講座將進一步展示，原先為連續複合材料所發展的「連續介質微觀力學」（continuum micromechanics）理論，在石墨烯的納米尺度下依然適用。

📆 : 2026年6月3日（星期二）
⏰ : 上午10時30分至中午12時（香港時間）
📍 : 香港理工大學陳大河樓三樓和富慈善基金演講廳 （FJ303室）
📢 : 英語
🌐 : https://polyu.hk/iKzTp

You are cordially invited to join the upcoming PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “The Mechanics of Graphene and Graphene-Based Nanocomposites” by Prof. Robert Joseph Young, Fellow of the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering, UK; Emeritus Professor of Polymer Science and Technology, National Graphene Institute and Department of Materials, The University of Manchester, UK on 3 June 2026 (Wednesday)!

Since the first report of the isolation of graphene in Manchester in 2004 there has been a rapid upsurge in research activity upon the material that culminated in the award of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics to Novoselov and Geim. The presentation will be concerned with a review of the current state of understanding of the mechanical properties of graphene and graphene-based nanocomposites.

The deformation and fracture behaviour of one-atom-thick mechanically exfoliated graphene has been studied in detail. Monolayer graphene flakes with different lengths, widths and shapes were successfully prepared by mechanical exfoliation and deposited onto poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) beams. Through in-situ Raman mapping at different strain levels, the distributions of strain over the graphene flakes were determined from the shift of the graphene Raman 2D band. The strength dropped to less than 10 GPa for large flakes, much lower than the reported value of 130 GPa, thought to be due to the presence of defects. The evolution and propagation of cracks in exfoliated monolayer graphene single crystals and their associated stress fields have also been mapped using Raman spectroscopy as a strain sensor. Such stress fields are found to extend over several microns, and their analysis leads to the fracture behavior of graphene being interpreted using linear elastic fracture mechanics. It is shown that propagation of a sharp crack along the zigzag direction occurs at a critical stress intensity factor Kc ~4.0 MPa m1/2, similar to the findings of theoretical simulations.

Polymer nanocomposites reinforced with carbon-based fillers are gaining increasing interest for a number of applications due to their excellent properties. This presentation will summarize the current literature status on the mechanical properties of composites reinforced with graphene- and identify the parameters that clearly affect the mechanical properties of the final materials such as the effective length, thickness, orientation and modulus of the graphene reinforcement. It will also be shown how Raman spectroscopy can be utilized for the understanding of the stress transfer efficiency from the matrix to the reinforcement. Importantly, it will be demonstrated clearly that continuum micromechanics that was initially developed for continuous composites is still applicable at the nanoscale for graphene.

📆 : 3 June 2026 (Wednesday)
⏰ : 10:30 am - 12:00 noon (Hong Kong time)
📍 : Wofoo Foundation Lecture Theatre (FJ303), 3/F, Chan Tai Ho Building, PolyU
📢 : English
🌐 : https://polyu.hk/iKzTp

請於今天下午2:30透過我們的 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝑻𝒖𝒃𝒆頻道，觀看由澳洲新南威爾斯大學肌肉骨骼健康教授 Manuela Ferreira 教授主講的「高影響力研究與大數據分析」講座直播！
https://youtube.com/live/BsoRgJ-djGw?feature=share

Please join the live-stream service on our 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝑻𝒖𝒃𝒆 channel for the PAIR Seminar titled “High-Impact Research & Big Data Analysis” by Prof. Manuela Ferreira, Professor of Musculoskeletal Health at UNSW Sydney, Australia, from 2:30 pm today!
https://youtube.com/live/BsoRgJ-djGw?feature=share

Please join the live-stream service on our 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝑻𝒖𝒃𝒆 channel for the 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐔 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 titled “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡” by 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐄𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆 , of the University of California San Francisco, tonight at 9:00-10:30pm (Hong Kong time)!
https://youtube.com/live/koQYO-_RXp4?feature=share

香港理工大學高等研究院誠邀您參加於2026年6月2日（星期二）在校園舉行的「軟材料與生物組織的黏合」傑出學人講座，講者為中國科學院外籍院士、美國國家工程院院士、美國國家科學院院士美國哈佛大學Allen E. and Marilyn M. Puckett力學與材料學教授鎖志剛教授。

生物體內許多組織皆屬於軟性材料，合成的水凝膠與彈性體亦不例外。將不同種類的軟性材料加以黏合，可帶來多種功能。例如，水凝膠與疏水性彈性體的相互結合，可使柔性器件模擬神經肌肉及神經感知系統，從而實現致動、感測與訊號傳導等功能。其他應用實例還包括傷口敷料、藥物傳輸及外科手術等。本講座將從力學、化學與拓樸設計的角度，介紹如何實現不同軟性材料之間的高強度黏合。

📆 : 2026年6月2日（星期二）
⏰ : 上午10時30分至中午12時（香港時間）
📍 : 香港理工大學李嘉誠樓十六樓教務會議室 （M1603室）
📢 : 英語
🌐 : https://polyu.hk/Rlapa

You are cordially invited to join the upcoming PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “Adhesion between Soft Materials and Tissues” by Prof. SUO Zhigang, Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Member of both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences in the USA, and the Allen E. and Marilyn M. Puckett Professor of Mechanics and Materials at Harvard University on 2 June 2026 (Tuesday)!

Many living tissues are soft materials; so are synthetic hydrogels and elastomers. Adhering dissimilar soft materials creates functions. For example, soft devices can mimic neuromuscular and neurosensory systems—actuating, sensing, signaling—by integrating hydrogels and hydrophobic elastomers. Other examples include wound dressing, drug delivery, and surgery. This talk describes approaches to achieve strong adhesion between soft materials through mechanics, chemistry, and topology.

📆 : 2 June 2026 (Tuesday)
⏰ : 10:30 am - 12:00 noon (Hong Kong time)
📍 : Senate Room (M1603), 16/F, Li Ka Shing Tower, PolyU
📢 : English
🌐 : https://polyu.hk/Rlapa

請於明天上午10:30透過我們的 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝑻𝒖𝒃𝒆頻道，觀看由中國工程院院士、中國建材集團有限公司首席科學家彭壽教授主講的「玻璃——重塑未来的『透明革命』」傑出學人講座直播！
https://youtube.com/live/JodSVnYTKIk?feature=share

Please join the live-stream service on our 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝑻𝒖𝒃𝒆 channel for the PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “The Transparent Revolution that is Remoulding the Future” by Prof. PENG Shou, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chief Scientist of China National Building Material Group Co., Ltd., from 10:30 am tomorrow!
https://youtube.com/live/JodSVnYTKIk?feature=share