The way to prevent intra-operative awareness has been paved by joint efforts of medical science and physics. Intra-operative awareness, familiarized through some thriller movies, is a unique physiological phenomenon which causes the patient under general anesthesia to recover consciousness during surgery. The patient experiencing intra-operative awareness may feel the pain or pressure of surgery, hear conversations, or feel as if he cannot breathe, but may be unable to communicate any distress because he has been given a paralytic or muscle relaxant.Professor Seunghwan Kim (Department of Physi..

POSTECH celebrated its 20th Anniversary on December 3rd, 2006.On December 3rd, 1986 established as Korea’s first research-oriented science and technology university, POSTECH began its journey to become one of the world’s leading research-oriented universities.After a short history of only 12 years, POSTECH topped the list of Asia’s leading science and technology universities by Hong Kong based Asiaweek in 1998 and the Times Higher Education Supplement ranked POSTECH 25th (3rd in Asia) in citations per faculty.The main driving force of POSTECH’s rise to the top was the f..

Professor Seung-Hoon Jhi and Ph.D. Candidate Seon-Myeong Choi, both of the Department of Physics, in their study of metal doped graphene nanoribbons, discovered that the adsorbed metal atoms form atomic chains which can be used as reagents to identify the edge atomic structures of the graphene nanoribbons and also as gate-driven spin valves to control the spin current in graphene nanoribbons. Graphene, the basic structural element of all graphitic materials including graphite, carbon nanotubes and fullerenes, is a one-atom-thick planar sheet of carbon atoms that are densely packed in a honeyco..

In the April1 issue of G&D, a Korean research team led by Dr. Kyong-Tai Kim (POSTECH) describes how melatonin production is coordinated with the body‘s natural sleep/wake cycles.Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain, which helps to regulate our bodies’ circadian rhythm (the roughly-24-hour cycle around which basic physiological processes proceed). Normally, melatonin production is inhibited by light and enhanced by darkness, usually peaking in the middle of the night. Melatonin‘s expression pattern is mimicked by a protein called AANAT, which is..

Nobel Laureate conferred first POSTECH Honorary DoctorateDr. Roderick MacKinnonPOSTECH, in celebrating 20th Anniversary on December, awarded the first honorary doctorate to Dr. Roderick MacKinnon of the Rockefeller University. Dr. MacKinnon received a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2003 for his work on the structure and operation of ion channels. He is currently the head of Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology and Biophysics which studies the structure and function of ion channels and associated regulatory proteins. International Affairs Office (IAO): First, congratulations on your honorary docto..

First drug delivery method developed for mitochondrial diseasesWhat do Huntington’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease (familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; the disease the physicist Stephen Hawking is suffering from) and Alzheimer’s disease have in common? The answer is mitochondria; these diseases are now called mitochondrial diseases.These incurable degenerative neurological or neuromuscular diseases, together with apoptosis (programmed cell death) and aging, are understood to occur largely at mitochondria sites. What then are mitochondria? Mitochondria (plural of mitochondr..

A research achievement first published in the world’s foremost chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie by a prominent Korean chemist and his coworkers has gained spotlight with additional coverage in Nature Nanotechnology, Chemistry World and other world’s leading chemistry and medical related journals.Prof. Kimoon Kim and his team at the Dept. of Chemistry have developed a novel approach to the production of polymeric nanocapsules, which has revolutionized our understanding of manufacturing nanocapsules. Furthermore, the research has generated much interest not only from chemists in t..

A research team of Department of Life Science’s Center for Biomolecular Recognition and Division of Molecular and Life Science, consisting of Professor Byung-Ha Oh, Doctor Jae-Sung Woo, and Doctor Jae-Hong Lim, has solved secrets of the ring-shaped molecular structure of the MukBEF condensin, the key mediator of chromosome condensation.In eukaryotic organisms, chromosomes are found in the nucleus of every cell. Before cell division, chromosomes are condensed, and the two replicated copies of the chromosomes are partitioned into the two daughter cells. In prokaryotic organisms, chromosome..

Practical recombinant hybrid mussel bioadhesiveWhat man-made good exists that provides us both life’s necessity and luxury? A popular seafood cuisine, mussels are enjoyed all around the world. They can be smoked, boiled, or steamed to be served alone or as an ingredient of a larger dish. It can also produce beautiful pearls and jewelry. Now scientists have discovered another use for this nature’s gift. Professor Hyung Joon Cha and his team at the Department of Chemical Engineering have developed a novel type of practical recombinant hybrid bioadhesive material that originates from ..

Honorable founding Chairman Tae-Joon Park, fellow Postechians, guests, ladies and gentlemen!We are gathered here today to commemorate the significant occasion of POSTECH’s 20th Anniversary.I would like to extend my deepest respects to the founding Chairman Tae-Joon Park for his dedication and resolution to establish a world-class research-oriented university despite overwhelming criticism and opposition 20 years ago and to POSTECH Foundation and POSCO for their absolute confidence and wholehearted support. Also, warm welcome is due to the many dedicated people who have contributed to mak..