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KAIST Teams Win Both International Challenges at ICRA 2026 and CVPR 2026
Two research teams from KAIST have claimed first place in international challenge competitions held at the world’s premier robotics and computer vision conferences.
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced that the ACDC-K Team and the Curaytor Team, both from the laboratory of Prof. Hyun Myung in the School of Electrical Engineering, won first place in international challenge competitions held in conjunction with the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2026) and the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR 2026), respectively.
The achievement highlights the global competitiveness of KAIST’s robotic perception and spatial intelligence technologies, with two teams from the same laboratory securing victories in leading international competitions across distinct research fields.
The ACDC-K Team won first place among more than 60 participating teams in the SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping) category of the Hilti×Trimble SLAM Challenge 2026, held during the Open Challenges in Robotics for Asset Inspection (OCRAIM) Workshop at ICRA 2026 in Vienna, Austria, from June 1 to 5.
Jointly organized by Hilti, Trimble, and the University of Oxford, the challenge evaluates robotic localization and mapping performance using sensor data collected from real construction sites. Participants were required to address practical challenges frequently encountered in construction environments, including non-overlapping front and rear fisheye camera configurations, low-texture indoor scenes, and rapid camera motion.
To tackle these challenges, the ACDC-K Team developed a robust visual-inertial SLAM system that fuses front and rear fisheye camera data with inertial measurements. By integrating feature-point and feature-line observations with adaptive constraints and correction mechanisms, the team achieved highly reliable localization and mapping performance in complex construction environments.
Meanwhile, the Curaytor Team won first place among eight participating teams in the Nothing Stands Still (NSS) Challenge 2026, held during the Computer Vision for the Built World (CV4AEC) Workshop at CVPR 2026 in Denver, Colorado, from June 3 to 7.
Jointly organized by Stanford University, ETH Zurich, and Oregon State University, the NSS Challenge evaluates 3D point cloud registration technologies for construction and industrial environments that evolve over time.
The Curaytor Team developed a novel multi-registration framework capable of aligning multiple LiDAR scans collected across different times and locations. The framework integrates feature extraction, correspondence estimation, robust global registration, registration confidence assessment, and change-aware refinement techniques. As a result, the team achieved highly accurate registration performance even in environments containing structural changes and dynamic objects.
“This achievement demonstrates the robustness of our visual-inertial SLAM and 3D LiDAR registration technologies in complex and constantly changing real-world environments,” said Prof. Hyun Myung. “It is particularly meaningful that our students secured first-place finishes in highly competitive international challenges hosted at two of the world’s most prestigious conferences in robotics and computer vision.”
Prof. Hyun Myung’s laboratory has consistently demonstrated excellence in spatial intelligence research. The laboratory previously won first place in the LiDAR track and ranked first among academic teams in the vision track of the Hilti SLAM Challenge in 2023. In addition, the Curaytor Team successfully defended its title in the NSS Challenge, securing back-to-back championships in 2025 and 2026.
2026.06.19 View 1773 -
"What if there is no one to farm? KAIST reveals a hidden risk to future food security
<(From Left) Professor Nicklas Forsell, Professor Hyungjun Kim, Ph.D candidate Hongtak Lee, Professor Haewon Chon>
The cause of future food shortages may not be a lack of farmland, but a shortage of agricultural workforce." Amid the reality of low birth rates and rural extinction, a joint international research team from KAIST has developed a new data-driven model that reflects the decline in the agricultural workforce into the analysis of future food security (the ability to stably produce and supply food required by the public). The research findings show that in the future, a shortage of agricultural workforce could act as a key constraint on farmland utilization in most regions of the world.
KAIST announced on June 12th that a research team led by Professor Hyungjun Kim from the Department of AI Future (adjunct at the Moon Soul Graduate School of Future Strategy), in joint research with Professor Haewon Chon from the KI Institute for Climate, Environment, and Energy (Graduate School of Green Growth and Sustainability), Professor Nicklas Forsell, and Professor Taikan Oki from the University of Tokyo in Japan, analyzed the impact of the agricultural workforce decline on future food production.
< Regional Farmland Supply, Demand, and Shortage Outlook for 2030 and 2100 >
Until now, food security and climate change research have mainly focused on "how much farmland can be secured." The approach was to predict the future by calculating whether the climate and soil are suitable for farming and how much food demand will increase in the future.
However, the research team asked a different question: "What if there is farmland, but no one to farm it?" In fact, as low birth rates and urban concentration manifest in many countries, the rural population is declining. As economies develop, there is also a stronger tendency for people to move from agriculture to the manufacturing or service sectors. The research team determined that these changes could have a significant impact on future food production.
The research team performed the analysis using five future scenarios that combine SSP (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways) and RCP (Representative Concentration Pathways), which are representative international scenario frameworks that predict how future society and climate change will unfold. SSP is a scenario that assumes the direction of societal changes such as population growth, economic growth, and technological development, while RCP is a scenario that shows how the future climate will change depending on greenhouse gas emissions.
The research team newly reflected the agricultural workforce variable into these future outlooks. While previous predictions were mainly based on the land available for farming and food demand, this study simultaneously considered the actual number of people who will farm. In other words, the reality that food production can be limited if the agricultural workforce is insufficient, even if farmland and climate conditions are adequate, was reflected in the model.
The results of the analysis were even clearer than expected. In the future, it was shown that the farmland area that can actually be utilized will decrease due to the shortage of agricultural workforce in most regions of the world. In some regions, the lack of agricultural workforce was analyzed to act as a greater limiting factor than climate or soil.
The research team explained that the agricultural workforce problem may not be easily resolved even in a future where technological development occurs rapidly. Technological development increases the cultivable area per person. However, as industries grow, more people move to the manufacturing and service sectors, which conversely accelerates the decline of the rural population, leading to a reduced workforce and a phenomenon where farmland utilization becomes more restricted. These results suggest the importance of a sustainable development model.
In addition, it was confirmed that if international migration is restricted, developed countries will experience a shortage of agricultural workforce, while conversely, the agricultural population in some low-income countries may increase excessively. This shows that migration policies are also closely linked to food security. Professor Hyungjun Kim explained, "This study analyzed future food issues by considering not only climate and land, but also changes in people. It is a study showing that realistic social problems such as low birth rates and the avoidance of rural areas can have a significant impact on future food security and climate change responses."
This study, in which Ph.D. student Hongtak Lee from the Moon Soul Graduate School of Future Strategy participated as the first author and Professor Hyungjun Kim from the Department of AI Future conducted as the corresponding author, was published on June 1 in the international academic journal 'Nature Sustainability'. Furthermore, in recognition of its academic importance, the study was prominently highlighted in a separate commentary titled "Farming needs more hands" (News & Views; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-026-01841-8) in the same journal. The commentary evaluated this research as "a first step that shifted the conventional question of 'how much land is there' to whether there are enough people and productivity per worker to cultivate that land." ※ Title of Paper: Agricultural Workforce as a Potential Bottleneck of Future Cropland Availability, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-026-01824-9 ※ Main Authors: Hongtak Lee (KAIST, First Author), Nicklas Forsell (KAIST), Taikan Oki (University of Tokyo), Haewon Chon (KAIST), Hyungjun Kim (KAIST, Corresponding Author)
<Research Image(AI-generated)>
This research was conducted with the support of the AI-based Future Climate Technology Development Framework Program, the Brain Pool Program, and the Plus Project (Ministry of Science and ICT) through the National Research Foundation of Korea.
2026.06.15 View 921 -
Professor Hoon Sohn of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Selected as the June Winner of the 'Korea Scientist and Engineer Award'
Professor Hoon Sohn from KAIST Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has been selected as the June winner of the 'Korea Scientist and Engineer Award.'
The Korea Scientist and Engineer Award is presented monthly by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) to a researcher who has made significant contributions to the advancement of science and technology through original research achievements over the past three years. The award includes a commendation from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, along with a cash prize of 10 million KRW.
Professor Hoon Sohn was recognized for his contributions to developing an affordable, high-precision displacement sensor technology capable of detecting disaster and hazard risks in small-to-medium-sized infrastructure in real-time.
With the rapid aging of infrastructure such as bridges and buildings in recent years, the importance of technology that continuously monitors the structural safety of facilities has been growing. However, small-to-medium-sized structures—which make up the vast majority of infrastructure worldwide—exhibit very subtle movements on a millimeter scale, requiring highly precise measurement. Moreover, existing equipment is prohibitively expensive, making widespread adoption difficult.
To overcome these limitations, Professor Sohn combined millimeter-wave (mmWave) radar with Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) accelerometers and applied signal processing algorithms. Through this, he successfully developed a technology that can simultaneously measure a structure's vibration, tilt, and displacement with a single sensor.
The production cost of this sensor is under 1 million KRW, which is approximately 1/40th the cost of conventional equipment, yet it boasts a high precision of 0.026 mm. Its power consumption has also been reduced to 1/100th of existing systems. Furthermore, it incorporates energy harvesting technology that utilizes ambient wasted energy, allowing for completely wireless operation.
The reliability of this technology has been proven through field demonstrations at more than 13 domestic and international sites, including a parking garage at Stanford University (USA), a highway in San Jose (USA), a bridge in Weifang (China), and the Geumgang Pedestrian Bridge in Sejong (South Korea).
Professor Sohn stated, "The significance of this research lies in establishing a technological foundation to precisely manage small-to-medium-sized structures that have previously been excluded from continuous, routine monitoring." He added, "Moving forward, I will continue my research on AI-based digital twins to lead the automation, unmanned operation, and intelligent advancement of the safety diagnosis market, thereby contributing to public safety and disaster prevention."
2026.06.04 View 771 -
“Entrepreneurial Mutual Growth Fair 2026” to be Held... KAIST Super Star Companies Gather for AI Solopreneurship, Tech Commercialization, Investment, and Youth Job Fair
KAIST announced that it will host the ‘AI Agent-Based Solopreneurship Program Information Session’ and the ‘Entrepreneurial Mutual Growth Fair 2026’ for two days from May 18th to 19th.
In this event, KAIST’s new AI-based solopreneurship model, which utilizes AI not merely as an operational tool but as a ‘Co-founder,’ will be introduced in depth. The university will hold an information session for the ‘AI Solopreneur Support Project,’ which enables a single individual to carry out the entire entrepreneurial process—including planning, development, marketing, and fundraising—using AI agents prepared by the university.
In this program, 100 prospective entrepreneurs will be selected nationwide, and faculty from the KAIST Institute for Entrepreneurship and the KAIST Graduate School of AI will provide eight weeks of intensive training. Additionally, a network of top-tier domestic and global mentors will be established to support business optimization and linkage with overseas investments.
In particular, outstanding teams will be provided with seed investment of up to 100 million KRW, prototype production support, and infrastructure for GPU and AI services. By fostering world-class AI utilization skills in prospective entrepreneurs with diverse domain knowledge, KAIST plans to accelerate the introduction of AI into various domestic industries while nurturing AI business models with global competitiveness.
This event is organized as a venue to introduce the KAIST-style full-cycle entrepreneurial ecosystem, encompassing artificial intelligence (AI)-based entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, industry-academic cooperation, investment linkage, and youth job creation. In particular, it will showcase the competitiveness of the deep-tech (advanced technology-based) startup ecosystem from multiple perspectives, focusing on the technological prowess and industrial application cases of KAIST startup companies.
Global big tech companies' choice of AI solution providers will also participate to reveal various technologies reflecting the AX (AI Transformation) trend across industries. Actual application cases that supported the digital transformation of major domestic corporations through factory and office automation solutions will also be announced.
In the field of robotics, Lion Robotics will introduce field-application technologies based on quadruped robots and leading R&D cases for humanoid robots. In addition, next-generation AI semiconductor startups such as Panmnesia and HyperAccel will present next-generation chip design technologies for implementing On-Device AI. These companies will showcase technologies and business models that can run Large Language Model (LLM)-based AI services faster while reducing dependence on GPUs (Graphics Processing Units). In the deep-tech bio and healthcare AI field, Barreleye will introduce an innovative solution that complements the limitations of traditional MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)-centered diagnosis through AI-based quantitative ultrasound analysis technology. In the bio and medical robot field, Roen Surgical will present next-generation medical innovation cases based on precision surgical robot technology.
On the first day of the event, May 18th, the ‘Entrepreneurial Mutual Growth Fair’ will be held in the main hall on the 1st floor of the KI Building along with the ‘AI Agent-Based Solopreneurship Program Information Session.’ Representative startup companies that have led KAIST’s technology commercialization success will participate in this session to share successful technology commercialization models that connected R&D achievements to actual market results.
Through this, they plan to present a virtuous cycle for the KAIST startup ecosystem leading from ‘Research → Startup → Investment → Growth.’ Furthermore, KAIST startup companies will operate recruitment sessions alongside technology exhibitions. Participating companies will conduct direct recruitment consultations and talent discovery on-site, providing youth with high-quality, technology-based job opportunities. Through this event, the university plans to support scientific and technological talents so they can advance into startups and industrial fields rather than staying in research, and to lead technology-based entrepreneurship and employment creation. On the second day, May 19th, an ‘Open Innovation Information Session’ will be held to connect KAIST’s research capabilities with industrial demand.
At the event, the ‘1 Lab N Startup’ model, which connects KAIST faculty’s technology with corporate R&D needs to promote joint research and commercialization, will be introduced. Industry-academic cooperation strategies that expand beyond technology transfer to joint entrepreneurship and new business creation will also be announced. Following this, in the ‘KAIST Startup Investment Linkage IR Pitching Session,’ the investment attraction program ‘Tech Plaza’ will be operated, featuring five Korean deep-tech bio companies. Companies selected based on the KAIST Startup Platform (KSTP) will present their business models and technological prowess to investors, and tangible investment results are expected through linkage with venture capital (VC) and accelerators. Bae Hyeon-min, Dean of the KAIST Institute for Entrepreneurship, said, “This Entrepreneurial Mutual Growth Fair is an integrated startup platform that connects the entire process from AI-based individual entrepreneurship to technology commercialization, industry-academic cooperation, investment, and job creation.
We expect it to serve as an opportunity to present a new direction for the domestic deep-tech startup ecosystem through the success stories of KAIST’s representative startups.” This event is open to students, the general public, corporations, and investment institutions interested in entrepreneurship, and is prepared as a place to directly confirm the innovative achievements and expansion possibilities of the KAIST startup ecosystem. Information regarding the KAIST AI Solopreneurship Program information session and participation applications can be found on the website (https://www.kaist-overedge.com/).
By accessing the website, people can watch the information session on YouTube and apply for participation.
2026.05.13 View 2580 -
KAIST, Making Pharmaceuticals with Light and Air… Solving a Long-Standing Challenge in Chemical Synthesis
<(From Left) Professor Sang Woo Han, Researcher Jin Wook Baek>
In chemical processes for producing pharmaceuticals, catalysts are the key to determine production speed and cost. However, until now, there has been a trade-off between “precise but disposable catalysts” and “reusable catalysts.” A KAIST research team has developed an eco-friendly catalytic technology that combines these two types, operating with light and air. This opens a pathway to producing pharmaceutical ingredients more cheaply and cleanly, with expected reductions in carbon emissions and environmental pollution.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 30th of March that a research team led by Professor Sang Woo Han of the Department of Chemistry has succeeded in combining two different types of catalysts into one system. One is a silver (Ag)-based catalyst that operates in a solid state, and the other is an organic photocatalyst, DDQ (a substance that triggers chemical reactions upon absorbing light), which operates in solution. By enabling these two catalysts to function together, the team made it possible to carry out previously difficult reactions more efficiently.
< Schematic diagram of the operation of a heterogeneous–homogeneous hybrid photocatalytic system >
Using this technology, the researchers successfully produced amines—key raw materials for pharmaceuticals—through an environmentally friendly process using light and air. This demonstrated that the desired substances can be synthesized without additional chemical reagents, proving the practicality of the technology.
Conventional organic photocatalysis required additional chemicals to reuse catalysts after reactions, or suffered from reduced efficiency due to slow reaction rates when using oxygen from air.
To address this, the research team proposed a method of reusing byproducts generated during the reaction. These byproducts restore the catalyst to a reusable state, while oxygen in the air helps sustain this cycle. In other words, instead of being used once and discarded, the catalyst regenerates itself and continues operating in a “cyclic system.”
As a result, they established a “cyclic catalytic system” that continues functioning without the need for additional chemical inputs. Notably, this system operates with light and air. Light activates the catalyst to initiate the reaction, while air restores the used catalyst to its active state. In essence, the catalyst continuously “recharges” and operates repeatedly. Since air leaves only water as a byproduct in this process, the environmental burden is significantly reduced.
In addition, to solve the issue of reduced performance when different catalysts interact, the team introduced lithium salt (LiClO₄). This substance helps regulate interactions between the two catalysts, significantly improving their stability and lifespan.
< A hybrid catalyst powered by light and air as energy sources >
Professor Sang Woo Han stated, “This research is the first to successfully integrate an inorganic photochemical loop system—where a metal-based catalyst reacts under light and returns to its original state—into the field of organic synthesis,” adding, “It represents an important advancement that combines the advantages of different catalytic systems to dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the chemical industry.” He further noted, “It opens a new pathway for producing high-value compounds, such as pharmaceutical ingredients, in the most environmentally friendly way.”
This research was conducted with Jin Wook Baek of the KAIST Department of Chemistry as the first author, and the results were published on March 18 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), a leading journal in chemistry.
※ Paper title: “Merger of heterogeneous and homogeneous photocatalysis for arene C–H Amination”
※ DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c20824
This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea’s Mid-career Researcher Program.
2026.03.30 View 1303 -
World’s First AI-Managed Unmanned Factory Implemented... Construction of Physical AI KAIROS
< Integrated Operation of Heterogeneous Logistics Robot Systems >
KAIST announced on March 23rd that Professor Young Jae Jang's team from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has constructed ‘KAIROS’ (KAIST AI Robot Orchestration Systems), a physical AI testbed that integrates and controls heterogeneous robots, sensors, facilities, and digital twins into a single system.
KAIROS is a 100% unmanned factory platform based on physical AI and is the first integrated testbed of its kind in Korea, developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT). It is particularly noteworthy as a domestic integrated solution aimed at exporting "Dark Factories" in the future.
The most significant feature of KAIROS is its structure, which integrates and controls various factory equipment through a single AI agent-based Operating System (OS). While existing factory automation was operated around individual devices, KAIROS integrates Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR), humanoid robots, collaborative robots, and automation facilities into a single intelligent platform. Through this, the concept of ‘Physical AI-based factory operation’—where the entire factory is operated like a single AI system—has been realized.
The core of this testbed is the 100% domestic integration of the entire process from sensors and control to data processing. By integrating key elements of a Dark Factory—including logistics robots (AMR), OHT, 3D shuttles, humanoid robots, collaborative robots, industrial sensors and PC controllers, wireless charging systems, digital twins and simulations, and AI-based integrated control and safety management systems—using domestic technology, the project has replaced factory automation equipment and software that were heavily dependent on foreign technology and laid the foundation for a ‘K-Manufacturing Factory Export Model.’
As part of the Physical AI Pre-verification Project, the MSIT has supported the establishment of a demonstration lab within the KAIST Industrial Management Building. On March 23, Vice Minister Bae Gyeong-hoon (Minister of Science and ICT) visited KAIST to announce the National Physical AI Strategy (Draft) and unveil the KAIROS-based Dark Factory demonstration site.
At the event, the factory operating system of the KAIST demonstration lab, joint physical AI demonstration results with Chonbuk National University, and the direction of the ‘Team Korea Physical AI (TK-PAI)’ alliance—a cooperative structure of domestic companies—were discussed.
< KAIROS Operation Plan Announcement >
< KAIROS Demonstration >
< KAIROS Factory Site >
KAIST plans to further advance the next-generation factory operating system (OS), covering the design, construction, and operation of Dark Factories through KAIROS, and to develop simulation and virtual verification environments.
In addition, the university intends to utilize the platform as a testing and evaluation site where domestic robot and automation companies can pre-verify highly reliable equipment, thereby increasing industrial applicability. Furthermore, the goal is to develop physical AI-based Dark Factory solutions capable of competing with global companies such as Siemens (Germany), FANUC (Japan), and Yaskawa (Japan) to pursue entry into the global market.
Kwang Hyung Lee, President of KAIST, stated, “KAIROS is the beginning of a new industrial paradigm where AI directly operates factories. KAIST will lead manufacturing innovation based on physical AI and contribute to ensuring South Korea’s leadership in global industrial competition.”
Professor Young Jae Jang, who led the construction of KAIROS, explained, “KAIROS goes beyond individual automation technologies to implement the concept of a factory operating system (OS) that integrates diverse robots and facilities into one system. It will serve as a foundation for domestic companies to verify physical AI technologies applicable to actual industrial sites and expand into the global market.”
2026.03.23 View 4255 -
Secret to Drug Addiction Relapse Found: Brain's Addiction Circuit Identified
<(From Left) Dr. Minju Jeong,(UCSD), Prof. Byung Kook Lim (UCSD), Prof. Se-Bum Paik (KAIST)>
Drug addiction carries an extremely high risk of relapse, as cravings can be reignited by minor stimuli even long after one has stopped using. Previously, this phenomenon was attributed to a decline in the function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which regulates impulses. However, a joint international research team has recently revealed that the cause of addiction relapse is not a simple decline in brain function, but rather an imbalance in specific neural circuits.
KAIST announced on March 9th that a research team led by Prof. Se-Bum Paik from the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Prof. Byung Kook Lim from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) has identified the core principle by which specific inhibitory neurons in the prefrontal cortex regulate cocaine-seeking behavior.
In particular, the research team focused on parvalbumin-positive (PV) inhibitory neurons, which regulate the balance of neural signals by suppressing the activity of other neurons in the brain. They confirmed that these cells act as a "brake gate" that controls excitatory signals in the brain and serve as a crucial factor in determining drug-seeking behavior that emerges after withdrawal.
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) of our brain can properly perform its "braking" function to suppress impulses when excitatory and inhibitory signals are in balance. To investigate how chronic drug exposure disrupts this balance, the research team conducted cocaine administration experiments on mice. During this process, they tracked when inhibitory neurons in the PFC were activated and how they sent signals to downstream brain regions.
The experimental results showed that parvalbumin (PV) cells, which account for about 60-70% of the inhibitory neurons in the PFC, were highly active when the mice attempted to seek cocaine. However, when "extinction training"—training to stop seeking the drug—was conducted, the activity of these cells significantly decreased. This demonstrates that the activity patterns of PV cells are not permanently fixed by addiction but can be readjusted through the extinction process.
<Figure 1. Experimental design illustrating cocaine self-administration and longitudinal tracking of prefrontal cortical neural activity during cocaine-seeking behavior>
The research team confirmed that artificially suppressing PV cell activity significantly reduced cocaine-seeking behavior in mice. Conversely, activating these cells caused the drug-seeking behavior to persist even after the extinction process. This effect was specifically observed in drug-addiction behavior and did not appear with general rewards like sugar water. Furthermore, this phenomenon was not observed in somatostatin (SOM) cells—another type of inhibitory neuron—indicating that PV cells selectively regulate drug addiction behavior.
<Figure 2. Comparison of single-neuron activity, population activity patterns, and behavioral modulation of prefrontal inhibitory neurons across different stages of cocaine-seeking behavior>
The team also identified the specific brain circuit through which these PV cells operate. Signals originating from the prefrontal cortex are transmitted to the reward circuit of the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA), a key brain region related to reward. This pathway emerged as the central channel for regulating addiction behavior, determining whether or not to seek the drug again. In this process, PV neurons act as a "regulatory switch," controlling the flow of signals to influence dopamine signaling and deciding whether to maintain or suppress addictive behavior.
In short, the study revealed that addiction relapse is not due to an overall functional decline of the prefrontal cortex, but is determined by whether PV neurons regulate the neural pathway connecting the PFC to the reward circuit.
<Figure 3. Schematic illustrating the prefrontal–reward circuit mechanism that determines drug-seeking behavior>
Prof. Se-Bum Paik stated, "This research shows that drug addiction is a circuit-level problem arising from a collapse in the regulatory balance of specific neurons and downstream neural circuits. The discovery that parvalbumin (PV) cells act as a 'gate' for addictive behavior will provide a crucial lead for developing precision-targeted treatment strategies in the future."
This study was led by Dr. Minju Jeong (UCSD) as the first author, with Prof. Byung Kook Lim (UCSD) and Prof. Se-Bum Paik (KAIST) serving as co-corresponding authors. The findings were published online on February 26 in Neuron, a premier journal in the field of neuroscience.
Paper Title: Distinct Interneuronal Dynamics Selectively Gate Target-Specific Cortical Projections in Drug Seeking
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2026.01.002
Full Author List: Minju Jeong, Seungdae Baek, Qingdi Wang, Li Yao, Eun Ji Lee, Arturo Marroquin Rivera, Joann Jocelynn Lee, Hyeonseok Jang, Dhananjay Bambah-Mukku, Christine Hyun-Seung Mun, Tyler Boesen, Sumit Nanda, Cheol Ryong Ku, Hong-wei Dong, Benoit Labonté, Se-Bum Paik, and Byung Kook Lim.
This research was conducted with the support of the Basic Research Program in Science and Engineering of the National Research Foundation of Korea.
2026.03.10 View 1816 -
Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee, Senior Vice President for Research, to Lead Industry-Academic-Research Cooperation in Synthetic Biology
< Sang Yup Lee, Senior Vice President for Research at KAIST (Inaugural Chairman of the Korea Synthetic Biology Association) >
KAIST announced on February 27th that Sang Yup Lee, Distinguished Professor of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Senior Vice President for Research, has been appointed as the inaugural chairman of the Korea Synthetic Biology Association (KSBA). This appointment was officially ratified during the association's 5th regular general meeting held on the 23rd.
The KSBA is a specialized consultative body established to promote cooperation in policy, industry, and research within the field of synthetic biology. Based on a network spanning industry, academia, research institutes, and government, the association supports the creation of a synthetic biology ecosystem as a national strategic technology and strengthens industrial competitiveness. It has contributed to the expansion of the domestic synthetic biology foundation through multifaceted activities such as policy proposals, international cooperation, human resource development, and industrial vitalization.
Through this appointment of the inaugural chairman, the association has established a unified leadership system and is set to formalize the operational foundation in line with the enforcement of the "Synthetic Biology Promotion Act."
At the general meeting, the 2025 business performance report was presented, and agendas for the ratification of the next chairman and the appointment of executives were resolved. Officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT also attended, expressing expectations for the association’s political role and future direction.
During the meeting, the ratification of Chairman Sang Yup Lee, who was elected by the Board of Directors in accordance with the articles of incorporation, was finally approved. Chairman Sang Yup Lee is a world-leading researcher who has pioneered the fields of synthetic biology and biotechnology. As the Senior Vice President for Research at KAIST, Head of the Metabolic Engineering National Research Laboratory, and Director of both the BioProcess Engineering Research Center and the Center for Synthetic Biology, he has led research innovation and the expansion of global cooperation. With this ratification, the KSBA has officially launched an integrated leadership system encompassing the establishment of mid-to-long-term strategies, strengthening industry-research links, and expanding global networks.
< Group photo of the Korea Synthetic Biology Association General Meeting (Chairman Sang Yup Lee, 5th from the bottom left) >
Chairman Sang Yup Lee stated, "Synthetic biology is a key strategic technology that will determine national competitiveness. We will ensure close cooperation between industry, academia, research, and government so that the purpose of laws and systems can lead to practical innovation in research and industrial fields."
Furthermore, the Board of Directors approved the appointment of directors and external auditors to enhance the accountability and transparency of organizational management, including Steering Committee Secretary Lee Seung-koo (Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology), as well as Park Han-oh (Bioneer), Kim장성 (Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology), Kim Dong-myung (Chungnam National University), Oh Min-kyu (Korea University), Cho Byung-kwan (KAIST), Yoon Hye-sun (Hanyang University), and Lee Do-heon (KAIST).
At this general meeting, the major contents of the "Synthetic Biology Promotion Act," scheduled for enforcement on April 23, and the corresponding legislative notice of the enforcement decree were shared. Prior to the enforcement of the law, the Ministry of Science and ICT prepared an enforcement decree specifying delegated matters and has been conducting a legislative notice for 40 days starting February 23. The enforcement decree includes: ▲Clarification of procedures for establishing the Basic Plan for Synthetic Biology Promotion and annual implementation plans ▲Establishment of standards for designating and operating research hubs and biofoundries ▲Materialization of safety management systems and inspection procedures.
The KSBA plans to actively pursue implementation strategies for each division so that the legislative intent of the enforcement decree can be practically realized in industrial and research fields.
The Policy and System Division will strengthen its policy advisory function to ensure that field opinions are reflected in the process of establishing basic and annual implementation plans. It will also continue to present directions for synthetic biology development and social infrastructure construction strategies through the ‘KSBA Policy Insight 2026’ report.
The Convergence Division aims to advance research systems based on data, AI, and automation to simultaneously secure research reliability and efficiency. It will also support the strengthening of technology standardization and safety management capabilities through the publication of convergence technology trend reports and the operation of workshops.
The Technology and Industry Division plans to specify industry-research linkage models that meet the standards for designating and operating research infrastructure such as biofoundries. It will also expand corporate cooperation networks to ensure that the implementation of the system leads to technology commercialization and manufacturing innovation.
The Education and Network Division will prepare a competition (IDEA-B) to discover next-generation talent and strengthen safety and ethics education to increase the accountability and expertise of synthetic biology research. Additionally, it plans to expand international cooperation to ensure that domestic systems harmonize with global norms.
The KSBA plans to further enhance the stability of organizational operations through this general meeting and expand its role as a hub institution connecting policy, industry, and research. In particular, under the unified leadership centered on Chairman Sang Yup Lee, it intends to serve as a bridge for private-public cooperation so that the intent of the "Synthetic Biology Promotion Act" can be practically implemented in the field.
< KSBA Policy Insight 2026 Report of the Korea Synthetic Biology Association >
2026.02.27 View 2348 -
Formosa Group Chairman Ruey-Yu Wang Awarded Honorary Doctorate
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced that it conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration upon Ruey-Yu Wang, Executive Management Committee Member of Formosa Group and Chairman of Formosa Biomedical Technology Corporation, at its 2026 Commencement Ceremony held on February 20th.
As the recipient of the honorary degree, Chairman Wang has carried forward the management philosophy of the late Formosa Group founder Yung-Ching Wang, placing corporate sustainability and social responsibility at the core of her leadership while guiding the group’s strategic transformation and growth. Moving beyond its traditional petrochemical manufacturing base, she has expanded the group’s business portfolio into future-oriented industries such as biotechnology, clean energy, energy storage systems (ESS), and resource recycling, practicing long-term, forward-looking management.
KAIST stated, “Chairman Wang has presented a sustainable corporate growth model in which science and technology, industry, and talent cultivation are organically integrated, based on the belief that industrial growth and social responsibility cannot be separated.” KAIST added, “In particular, we are honored to recognize her contributions toward establishing a mid-to-long-term foundation for collaboration centered on biomedical research through strategic partnerships with KAIST, as well as toward expanding research infrastructure in life science and technology and fostering international joint research platforms.”
As part of this collaboration, Chairman Wang played a key role in building a joint research framework between major medical institutions and universities affiliated with Formosa Group and KAIST’s College of Life Science and Bioengineering. The resulting “KAIST–Formosa Biomedical Research Center” serves as a hub for multidisciplinary and international collaborative research, supporting mid- to long-term biomedical research initiatives and enhancing KAIST’s research competitiveness and global standing.
She also institutionalized mechanisms to reinvest corporate achievements into society and has made sustained, long-term investments in research and talent development, thereby fostering a virtuous cycle in which scientific and technological achievements translate into industrial and societal impact. These efforts have been widely recognized as exemplary contributions that go beyond the traditional scope of corporate management, advancing human welfare and promoting a sustainable society through science and technology.
Chairman Wang remarked, “I am deeply honored to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from KAIST. I strongly resonate with KAIST’s values and philosophy of contributing to humanity and building a sustainable future through science, technology, and research.”
She added, “I hope that the young talents at KAIST will lead sustainable development for humanity through science and technology. I will continue to support research and talent development over the long term to help create a virtuous cycle in which scientific and technological innovations are translated into industry and society.”
President Kwang Hyung Lee stated, “Chairman Wang has exemplified socially responsible leadership through industry strategies centered on science and technology. We deeply appreciate her substantive support for expanding research infrastructure and strengthening international collaboration through a strategic partnership with KAIST, and we are honored to welcome her as a member of the KAIST family.”
2026.02.21 View 2183 -
KAIST Extends Its Deepest Condolences on the Passing of the Late Chairman Chang Sun Jung, Founder of Jungheung Group
KAIST extends its deepest condolences on the passing of the late Chairman Chang Sun Jung, founder of Jungheung Group.
Chairman Jung made significant contributions to the development of Korea’s construction industry and regional economy, and was a visionary leader who deeply recognized and actively supported the importance of nurturing science and technology talent. In particular, through his generous contribution to the KAIST Development Fund, he left a meaningful legacy in fostering future scientific talent and advancing research environments that will shape the nation’s future.
KAIST honors Chairman Jung’s noble spirit of giving and dedication, and will continue to strive to ensure that his vision lives on through the advancement of science and technology in Korea.
We extend our sincere condolences to the bereaved family and to the executives and employees of Jungheung Group, and pray for the eternal rest of the deceased.
2026.02.03 View 1379 -
KAIST-UEL Team Develops Origami Airless Wheel to Explore Lunar Caves
<(From Upper Left) Ph.D candidate Seong-Bin Lee, CEO Namsuk Cho, Researcher Geonho Lee, Researcher Seungju Lee, M.S candidate Junseo Kim,
Principal Researcher Jong Tai Jang, Professor Se Kwon Kim, Professor Taewon Seo, Center Director Chae Kyung Sim, Professor Dae-Young Lee>
<(From Left) Principal Researcher Jong Tai Jang, CEO Namsuk Cho, Ph.D candidate Seong-Bin Lee, Professor Dae-Young Lee,Center Director Chae Kyung Sim>
New variable-diameter wheel overcomes steep terrain and harsh lunar conditions, paving the way for subsurface lunar exploration.
A joint research team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Unmanned Exploration Laboratory (UEL) has developed a transformative wheel capable of navigating the Moon’s most extreme terrains, including steep lunar pits and lava tubes.
The study presents a novel "origami-inspired" deployable airless wheel that can significantly expand its diameter to traverse obstacles that would trap traditional rovers. The research was published in the December issue of Science Robotics.
The Challenge: Small Rovers vs. Big Obstacles Lunar lava tubes and pits are prime candidates for future human habitats due to their natural shielding from cosmic radiation and extreme temperature fluctuations, but accessing them is perilous. Deploying a swarm of small, independent rovers can be an effective strategy to mitigate the risks associated with a single large rover. This strategy ensures mission continuity through redundancy; even if some units fail, the remaining rovers can complete the exploration.
However, small rovers face an inherent physical limitation: their compact wheel size severely restricts their ability to traverse steep, rugged terrains like lunar pit entrances. While variable-diameter wheels could theoretically solve this by offering high traversability on demand, creating such a system for the Moon has been a formidable challenge. Designing a lightweight transformable wheel that can withstand the harsh lunar environment—specifically the abrasive dust and the vacuum that causes metal parts to fuse ("cold welding")—has remained a significant engineering hurdle.
A Transformable Wheel for Extreme Environments To conquer these obstacles, a research team, led by Professor Dae-Young Lee from KAIST’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, developed a new type of compliant wheel that eliminates complex mechanical joints. By applying the structural principles of the “Da Vinci bridge” combined with origami design, the team created a wheel that uses the flexibility of its materials to transform.
Capable of expanding from a compact 230 mm to 500 mm in diameter, the wheel allows compact rovers to maintain a low profile during transport, yet scale significant obstacles once deployed. Crucially, by utilizing a specialized elastic metal frame and fabric tensioners instead of traditional hinges, the design ensures reliable operation in the harsh lunar environment, effectively resisting the risks of cold welding and mechanical failure caused by fine dust.
The team rigorously tested the wheel’s capabilities using artificial lunar soil (simulants). The wheel demonstrated superior traction on loose slopes and proved its structural integrity by withstanding a drop impact equivalent to a 100-meter fall in lunar gravity.
< Driving performance field tests conducted in various environments such as artificial lunar soil, extreme temperatures, mud, and rocky terrain >
Scientific and Engineering Significance The project brought together experts from major Korean space institutes to validate the technology's potential. Prof. Lee highlighted the wheel as a practical and reliable solution for navigating the Moon's most difficult terrains, expressing optimism that this unique technology would position the team as leaders in future lunar missions despite remaining challenges involving communication and power.
From a scientific perspective, Dr. Chae Kyung Sim, Head of the Planetary Science Group at KASI (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute), emphasized the value of lunar pits as "natural geological heritages," noting that this research significantly lowers the technical barriers to accessing these sites and brings actual exploration missions closer to reality. Furthermore, Dr. Jongtae Jang, Principal Researcher at KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute), underscored the engineering rigor behind the design, explaining that the wheel was meticulously optimized and validated using mathematical thermal models to endure the Moon’s extreme 300-degree temperature fluctuations.
About KAIST KAIST is the first and top science and technology university in Korea. KAIST has been the gateway to advanced science and technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and our graduates have been key ingredients behind Korea’s innovations.
About UEL(Unmanned Exploration Laboratory), inc. has cutting edge technology about planetary exploration mobility robotics in the Republic of Korea. UEL provides unmanned exploration systems from design and manufacturing the mobility platforms to perform the rover missions on Earth, the Moon, and beyond.
Journal Reference Science Robotics
DOI 10.1126/scirobotics.adx2549
2025.12.18 View 2392 -
AI-Engineered "Nasal Spray Antiviral Platform" Developed to Block Flu and COVID-19
<(From Left) Professor Hyun Jung Chung, Professor Ho Min Kim, Professor Ji Eun Oh>
<(From Left) Dr. Seungju Yang, Dr. Jeongwon Yun, Ph.D candidate Jae Hyuk Kwon>
Respiratory viruses that have diverse strains and mutate rapidly, such as influenza and COVID-19, are difficult to block perfectly with vaccines alone. To solve this problem, KAIST's research team has successfully developed a nasal (intranasal) antiviral platform using AI technology to overcome the existing limitations of interferon-lambda treatments—namely, being "weak against heat and disappearing quickly from the nasal mucosa."
KAIST announced on December 15th that a joint research team—consisting of Professor Ho Min Ktim and Professor Hyun Jung Chung from the Department of Biological Sciences, and Professor Ji Eun Oh from the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering used AI to stably redesign the interferon-lambda protein and combined it with a delivery technology that ensures effective diffusion and long-term retention in the nasal mucosa, thereby implementing a universal prevention technology for various respiratory viruses.
Interferon-lambda is an innate immune protein produced by the body to block viral infections, playing a crucial role in stopping respiratory viruses like the common cold, flu, and COVID-19. However, when formulated as a treatment for nasal administration, its actual efficacy was limited by its vulnerability to heat, degrading enzymes, mucus, and ciliary motion.
The research team used AI protein design technology to precisely reinforce the structural weaknesses of interferon-lambda.
First, they significantly increased stability by changing the loose "loop" structures of the protein—which were prone to instability—into rigid "helix" structures that lock in place like a firm spring.
Additionally, to prevent "aggregation" (proteins sticking together to form lumps), they applied "surface engineering" to make the surface more water-compatible. They also introduced "glycoengineering," adding sugar chain (glycan) structures to the protein surface to make it even more robust and stable.
As a result, the newly produced interferon-lambda showed a massive improvement in stability, surviving for two weeks 50℃ and demonstrated the ability to diffuse rapidly even through thick nasal mucus.
The research team further protected the protein by encapsulating it in microscopic "nanoliposomes" and coated the surface with "low-molecular-weight chitosan." This significantly enhanced "mucoadhesion," allowing the treatment to stick to the nasal lining for an extended period.
When this delivery platform was applied to animal models infected with influenza, a powerful inhibitory effect was confirmed, with the virus level in the nasal cavity decreasing by more than 85%.
This technology is a mucosal immune platform that can block viral infections in their early stages simply by spraying it into the nose. It is expected to be a new therapeutic strategy that can respond quickly not only to seasonal flu but also to unexpected new or mutant viruses.
Professor Ho Min Kim stated, "Through AI-based protein design and mucosal delivery technology, we have simultaneously overcome the stability and retention time limitations of existing interferon-lambda treatments. This platform, which is stable at high temperatures and stays in the mucosa for a long time, is an innovative technology that can be used even in developing countries lacking strict cold-chain infrastructure. It also has great scalability for developing various treatments and vaccines." He added, "This is a meaningful achievement resulting from multidisciplinary convergence research, covering everything from AI protein design to drug delivery optimization and immune evaluation through infection models."
This research involved Dr. Jeongwon Yun from the KAIST InnoCORE (AI-Co-Research & Eudcation for innovative Drug Institute, AI-CRED Institute) Dr. Seungju Yang from the Department of Biological Sciences, and PhD student Jae Hyuk Kwon from the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering as co-first authors. The results were published consecutively in the renowned international journals Advanced Science (Nov 20) and Biomaterials Research (Nov 21).
Paper 1: Computational Design and Glycoengineering of Interferon-Lambda for Nasal Prophylaxis against Respiratory Viruses, Advanced Science, DOI: 10.1002/advs.202506764
Paper 2: Intranasal Nanoliposomes Delivering Interferon Lambda with Enhanced Mucosal Retention as an Antiviral, Biomaterials Research, DOI: 10.34133/bmr.0287
This research was conducted with support from the KAIST InnoCORE Program, Mid-Career Researcher Support Program and the Bio-Medical Technology Development Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), Healthcare Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), the KAIST Convergence Research Institute Operation Program, and the Institute for Basic Science (IBS).
2025.12.15 View 3000