On 12 November, 2024, CUHK and CUHK(SZ) jointly organised the Symposium on Collaboration in Organ/Organoid Microphysiological Systems at CUHK(SZ). CUHK Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Rocky S. Tuan attended the symposium online. Professor Mak Wing-cheung, Professor Lu Gang, Professor Chan Hon-fai, and Professor Li Zhong from CUHK, along with Professor Li Chenzhong, Professor Jiang Cheng, Professor Zhang Duo and Professor Cui Xiaolin from CUHK(SZ) gathered at CUHK(SZ) to engage in in-depth discussions on biomedical engineering research collaboration and talent cultivation.
This forum was hosted by Professor Li Chenzhong, X.Q. Deng Presidential Chair Professor from the School of Medicine, CUHK(SZ). He opened the symposium by introducing the achievements of CUHK(SZ) over the past ten years since its establishment and his own research directions. He also offered valuable suggestions on collaboration between our two campuses, particularly in research collaboration among young faculty members.
The forum invited Professor Tuan to deliver an online lecture on “Organs-on-chips for Musculoskeletal Disease Modeling and Drug Screening.” He shared his insights into the applications of organ-on-a-chip (OoC) technology in musculoskeletal disease modeling and drug screening. He also provided a detailed introduction to OoCs in the biomedical engineering field, including the industry layout, talent development, and the current state of internationalization.
Professor Tuan mentioned in his presentation that OoCs employ human cells or tissues (same source) seeded onto microfluidic chips, which can regulate the key physiological and functional characteristics of human organs and simulate the functions of human organs through tissue engineering. In addition, He also showcased the integration of OoCs and multiple fields, including sensors for continuous monitoring and artificial intelligence. These technologies have brought unprecedented opportunities to life sciences and medical research. He said “we are full of hope for the future of OoCs. They are not just a technological innovation but an important milestone in human health engineering”. He believes that this field will experience significant breakthroughs in the next decade, injecting new vitality into medical research and biotechnology development.
Professor Li, representing CUHK(SZ), delivered a presentation titled “Current Status and Challenges in the Development of Intelligent Organ/Organoid Chip Industry.” In his presentation, he summarised the research progress and current status of this field in the Greater Bay Area and across the country. He also shared key experimental advancements made by CUHK(SZ) in the organ/organoid chip field, including the successful cultivation of organoid models simulating the blood-brain barrier and cardiac tissue functions, and the integration of intelligent biosensors and these organoids into OoCs. He pointed out that these achievements provide an innovative platform for drug testing and toxicology research, which are poised to significantly reduce the need for animal experiments and accelerate the research process. In addition, he also introduced the bottlenecks in the field of organ/organoid microphysiological systems, including the lack of national standards and insufficient participation from pharmaceutical companies.
Subsequently, Professor Cui Xiaolin, Professor Jiang Cheng, Professor Zhang Duo, Professor Mak Wing-cheung, Professor Lu Gang, Professor Chan Hon-fai, and Professor Li Zhong each presented their research on organoids and OoCs, intelligent sensing, and advanced manufacturing, sharing the outcomes of their ongoing collaborations and engaging in lively discussions. After the engaging presentation session, the symposium participants jointly issued a call for action for strengthening cooperation between the two campuses in the fields of artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering, new drug development, and precision medicine to explore these interdisciplinary research frontiers and contribute to human health and wellbeing.
The symposium was followed by campus tours and laboratory visits. The participants further exchanged their ideas on research achievements and pathways to collaboration. This forum not only deepened the understanding of each other’s research fields and projects between the research teams of the two campuses, but also facilitated a deep integration of their research efforts to form a close collaboration with mutual benefits. It also laid a foundation for establishing joint research platforms, such as the “1+1+1” project supported by the two campuses and the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology. In the future, colleagues from both campuses will further deepen their exchange and communication to elevate their collaboration to new heights.
