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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 226 -
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 489 -
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 837 -
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 517 -
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 1351 -
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 1721 -
Jaewook Myung, First Korean Selected as '40 Under 40 Recognition Program' Next Generation Environmental Engineering Leader
< Professor Jaewook Myung of KAIST Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering >
KAIST announced on December 12th that Professor Jaewook Myung of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering was selected as the first Korean recipient of the '40 Under 40 Recognition Program' for Next Generation Environmental Engineering Leaders, organized by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES).
< The '40 Under 40 Recognition Program' is an international award program selecting next-generation leaders in the field of Environmental Engineering and Science >
This award is presented annually by AAEES to select next-generation environmental engineering researchers who demonstrate innovative research achievements, social contribution, and educational leadership. Professor Myung's selection is particularly significant as he is the first Korean to be chosen since the program's inception. The award ceremony is scheduled to be held in Washington D.C. in April 2026.
AAEES is the world's highest-authority professional organization leading the global environmental engineering sector through operating the Professional Environmental Engineer (PEE) certification system, policy consultation, and international academic exchange. This award is highly regarded for greatly enhancing the international standing of domestic environmental engineering and sustainability research.
Amid the deepening problems of plastic waste increase and greenhouse gas emissions, where existing technologies are showing limitations in providing solutions, Professor Jaewook Myung has garnered significant attention from academia and industry by developing technology to convert greenhouse gases such as methane ($CH_4$) and carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) into biodegradable plastics. His research is highly praised for presenting a new industrial paradigm that fuses environmental microbiology and materials science to convert greenhouse gases into high-value bio-materials.
Professor Myung's research team secured microbial metabolic control technology to transform greenhouse gases into materials, an accelerated process that simultaneously enhances the synthesis and decomposition efficiency of plastics, and pilot process design and engineering technology applicable in industrial settings. This established a sustainable circular technology model capable of simultaneously addressing greenhouse gas reduction and plastic pollution issues.
Furthermore, the research team expanded these foundational technologies to develop various application products, such as biodegradable coating materials that naturally decompose in the ocean, biocompatible bio-based electronic materials, and industrial 3D printing filaments, realizing full-cycle innovation from basic research to application and industrialization. These achievements are recognized as world-class sustainable technology alternatives that can simultaneously overcome the problems of plastic downcycling and the economic limitations of greenhouse gas utilization technology.
Professor Myung also shows excellent performance in nurturing talent. His advised students are growing into next-generation environmental and sustainability researchers, having won major awards both domestically and internationally, including the American Chemical Society (ACS) Environmental Chemistry Graduate Student Award, the Presidential Science Scholarship, the Merck Innovation Cup Prize, and the Republic of Korea Talent Award. He is also establishing himself as a leading researcher in the commercialization of sustainable technology by expanding his research achievements into the social and industrial ecosystem through technology collaboration with industries, patents, and consultation with public institutions.
The AAEES Selection Committee evaluated Professor Jaewook Myung as "a researcher possessing technical excellence, social responsibility, and educational leadership, and an innovator who has pioneered new areas of environmental engineering." Professor Myung expressed his thoughts, saying, "This award is a result made possible by the students who researched and challenged alongside me and the collaborative research culture of KAIST," and added, "I will contribute to brightening the future of humanity and the planet through sustainable resource circulation technology."
2025.12.12 View 1354 -
KAIST Removes 99.9% of Ultrafine Dust Using Nano Water Droplet Technology
<(From Left) Ph.D candidate Sungyoon Woo, Professor Il-Doo Kim, Professor Seung S.Lee, Ph.D candiate Jihwan Chae, Researcher Jiyeon Yu, (Upper Right) Dr. Yujang Cho>
A KAIST research team has drawn attention by developing a new water-based air purification technology that combines “nano water droplets that capture dust” with a “nano sponge structure that autonomously draws up water,” enabling dust removal using nano water droplets without filters, self-supplied water operation, and long-term, quiet, and safe performance.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the December 8 that a joint research team led by Professor Il-Doo Kim of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor Seung S. Lee of the Department of Mechanical Engineering developed a new water electrospray–based air purification device that rapidly removes ultrafine dust without filters, generates no ozone, and operates with ultra-low power consumption.
The research team confirmed that this device overcomes the limitations of conventional air purifiers by eliminating the need for filter replacement, producing no ozone, and removing even extremely fine ultrafine dust as small as PM0.3 (diameter 0.3 μm), which is about 1/200 the thickness of a human hair, within a short time. In addition, it demonstrated high stability and durability without performance degradation even during long-term use.
This device was created by combining Professor Seung S. Lee’s “ozone-free water electrospray” technology with Professor Il-Doo Kim’s “hygroscopic nanofiber Emitter” technology.
Inside the device are a high-voltage electrode, a nanofiber absorber that autonomously draws up water, and polymer microchannels that transport water via capillary action. Thanks to this structure, a self-pumped configuration is achieved in which water is automatically supplied without a pump, enabling stable long-term water electrospray operation.
Tests conducted by the research team in a 0.1 m3 experimental chamber showed that the device removed 99.9% of various particles in the PM0.3–PM10 range within 20 minutes. In particular, it exhibited outstanding performance by removing 97% of PM0.3 ultrafine dust, which is difficult to eliminate using conventional filter-based air purifiers, within just 5 minutes.
Even after 30 consecutive tests and 50 hours of continuous operation, the device operated stably without performance degradation, and its power consumption was approximately 1.3 W, which is lower than that of a smartphone charger and only about 1/20 that of conventional HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter–based air purifiers.
In addition, because there is no filter, there is no pressure loss in airflow and almost no noise is generated.
This technology maintains high-efficiency purification performance while generating no ozone at all, presenting the potential for a next-generation eco-friendly air purification platform.
In particular, with advantages such as elimination of filter replacement costs, ultra-low power operation, and secured long-term stability, it is expected to expand into various fields including indoor environments as well as automotive, cleanroom, portable, and wearable air purification modules.
Commercialization of this technology is currently underway through A2US Co., Ltd., a university spin-off company from Professor Seung S. Lee’s laboratory.
A2US Co., Ltd. won a CES 2025 Innovation Award and plans to launch a portable air purifier product in 2026. The product is equipped not only with fine dust removal using nano water droplets but also with odor removal and pathogen sterilization functions.
<Figure1.Design and Operating Mechanism of a Miniature Air-Purification Device Based on Cone-Jet Water Electrospray Using a Self-Pumping Hygroscopic (PVA–PAA–MMT) Nanofiber Membrane (PPM-NFM) Emitter.>
<Figure 2. (a) Schematic of the Self-Pumping Hygroscopic Nanofiber Membrane (PPM-NFM) Emitter, and (b) Corresponding Photograph and Surface Scanning Microscopy Images.>
This research was conducted with Jihwan Chae (Ph.D. candidate, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST) and Yujang Cho (Ph.D., Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KAIST) as co–first authors, and with Professor Seung S. Lee (Department of Mechanical Engineering) and Professor Il-Doo Kim (Department of Materials Science and Engineering) as corresponding authors. The research results were published on November 14 in the international journal Advanced Functional Materials (AFM), published by Wiley, a world-renowned publisher in materials science and nanotechnology.
※ Paper title: “Self-Pumped Hygroscopic Nanofiber Emitter for Ozone-Free Water Electrospray-Based Air Purification,” DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202523456
This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the KAIST–MIT Future Energy Frontier Research Center (AI-robotics–based energy materials innovation) program.
2025.12.08 View 1991 -
The World's Smallest Fully Wireless Neural Implant Achieved
< (From left) Sunwoo Lee, KAIST Joint Professor, Alyosha Molnar, Cornell University Professor >
The human brain contains about 100 billion brain cells, and the chemical and electrical signals they exchange create most mental functions. Neural implant technology for precisely reading these signals is essential for the research and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. A research team from KAIST and international collaborators has successfully implemented a fully wireless, ultra-small implant, which was previously only a theoretical possibility, going beyond simple miniaturization and weight reduction of neural implants.
KAIST announced on the November 27th that a joint research team led by Professor Sunwoo Lee (Joint Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST and from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, NTU) and Professor Alyosha Molnar's team from Cornell University in the US has developed 'MOTE (Micro-Scale Opto-Electronic Tetherless Electrode)', an ultra-small wireless neural implant less than 100 micrometers (µm) — smaller than a grain of salt. The team successfully implanted this device into the brains of laboratory mice and stably measured brain waves for one year.
In the brain, invisible, minute electrical signals constantly move, creating our various mental activities such as memory, judgment, and emotion. The technology to directly measure these signals outside the body without connecting wires has been highlighted as key for brain research and the treatment of neurological disorders like dementia and Parkinson's disease.
However, existing implants have limitations: their thick wired structure causes movement in the brain, leading to inflammation and signal degradation over time, and their size and heat generation restrict long-term use.
To overcome these limitations, the research team created an ultra-small circuit based on the existing semiconductor process (CMOS) and combined it with their self-developed ultra-fine Micro-LEDs (µLEDs) to drastically miniaturize the device. They also applied a special surface coating to significantly enhance durability, allowing it to withstand the biological environment for a long time.
The resulting MOTE is less than 100 µm thick and has a volume of less than 1 nanoliter, making it thinner than a human hair and smaller than a grain of salt, the world's smallest level among currently reported wireless neural implants.
Another key feature of MOTE is that it is a fully wireless system that requires no battery. The device is structured to receive external light to generate power, detect brain waves, and then transmit the information back outside embedded in the light signal using Pulse Position Modulation (PPM).
This method drastically reduces energy consumption, minimizes the risk of heat generation, and eliminates the need for battery replacement, enabling long-term use.
The research team conducted a one-year long-term experiment by implanting the ultra-small MOTE into the brains of mice. The results showed normal brain wave measurement over the extended period, with almost no inflammation observed around the implant and no degradation in device performance.
This is considered the first clear demonstration that an ultra-small wireless implant can maintain normal function for a prolonged time inside a living body.
< MOTE neural implant on a salt crystal (left), MOTE neural implants after 296 days of implantation in a laboratory mouse (right) >
Professor Sunwoo Lee stated, "The greatest significance of the newly developed neural implant lies in its actual implementation of a fully wireless, ultra-small implant that was previously only anticipated as a possibility, going beyond simple miniaturization and weight reduction." He added, "This proves the technological possibility of resolving not only the known unknowns raised during the development and use of wireless neural implants, but also the unknown unknowns that newly emerge during the actual development process."
He further added, "This technology will be broadly applicable not only to brain science research but also to nervous system disease monitoring and the development of long-term recording-based treatment technologies."
The research results were published online in the prestigious journal Nature Electronics on November 3rd. ※ Paper Title: A subnanolitre tetherless optoelectronic microsystem for chronic neural recording in awake mice, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-025-01484-1
This research was supported by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), the Singapore National Research Foundation, the Singapore Ministry of Education, and the ASPIRE League Partnership Seed Fund 2024. The specialized fabrication processes were conducted at the Cornell NanoScale Facility (part of the US National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure, NNCI) and NTU's Nanyang NanoFabrication Centre.
2025.11.27 View 1763 -
Reborn as an Artificial Enzyme to Protect the Environment and Health
<(From left) Dr. Neetu Singh, Ph.D candidate Haneul Im, Dr. Seongyeon Kwon (IBS) (Back) Professor YunJung Baek>
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), which we consume, acts as an important coenzyme that helps food convert into energy within the body. Korean researchers have successfully created a new artificial enzyme for the first time in the world by combining this riboflavin (flavin) with metal, adding the metal's reaction-controlling ability to riboflavin's electron-transfer function. This technology is expected to operate more precisely and stably than natural enzymes, demonstrating potential for use in various fields such as energy production, environmental purification, and new drug development.
The research team led by Professor Yunjung Baek of KAIST Department of Chemistry, in collaboration with Dr. Seongyeon Kwon of the Institute for Basic Science, announced on the 11th of November that they have succeeded in synthesizing a new molecular system that allows flavin to bind with metal ions.
Until now, scientists have long been unable to realize "flavin combined with metal" because flavin has a structural limitation—a complex ring structure entangled with nitrogen and oxygen—which makes it difficult for a metal to selectively bind.
To overcome this limitation, the research team designed a binding site for the metal within the flavin at the molecular level and applied a metallochemical approach that precisely arranges the ligand structure that traps the metal.
Through this, they successfully and stably synthesized the flavin-metal complex by delicately controlling the electronic and spatial interactions around the metal.
This achievement is the first case that integrates flavin's inherent properties and metal's reactivity into a single system, opening up the possibility for the development of 'metal-based artificial enzymes' that finely tune chemical reactions.
Professor Yunjung Baek stated, "We have moved beyond the limitations of naturally occurring flavin and expanded a biomolecule into a new component of metallochemistry. This research suggests a new direction for the design of next-generation catalysts and energy conversion materials based on biomolecules."
This achievement, in which Dr. Neetu Singh and Ph.D candidate Haneul Im of KAIST Department of Chemistry participated as co-first authors, was published in the international journal Inorganic Chemistry, issued by the American Chemical Society (ACS), on November 5th. It was recognized for its creativity and completeness and was selected as the cover article. Furthermore, it was chosen as an ACS Editors’ Choice—a representative paper selected once a day from all 90+ journals published by ACS—acknowledging the importance of the research.
Article Title: Tautomerizable Flavin Ligands for Constructing Primary and Secondary Coordination Spheres, DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5c03941
Author Information: Total 5 authors including Neetu Singh (KAIST, Co-first Author), Haneul Im (KAIST, Co-first Author), Seongyeon Kwon (IBS, Co-second Author), Dongwook Kim (IBS, Co-third Author), and Yunjung Baek (KAIST, Corresponding Author).
<Cover Article Selection Photo for Inorganic Chemistry, an International Academic Journal Published by the American Chemical Society>
This research was supported by the 'Excellent New Researcher' project of the Basic Research Program for Individuals funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the 'Materials and Components Development Program' supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
2025.11.11 View 1251 -
KAIST Uncovers the Mechanism Behind Overactive Immune Cells
<(From Right) Professor Eui-Cheol Shin, Ph.D candidate So-Young Kim, Professor Su-Hyung Park, Professor Hyuk Soo Eun, Dr. Hoyoung Lee>
“Why do immune cells that are supposed to eliminate viruses suddenly turn against our own body?”
There are instances where killer T cells—which are meant to precisely remove virus-infected cells—malfunction like overheated engines, attacking even healthy cells and damaging tissues. A KAIST research team has now identified the key mechanism that regulates this excessive activation of killer T cells, offering new insights into controlling immune overreactions and developing therapies for immune-related diseases.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on November 5 that a research team led by Professors Eui-Cheol Shin and Su-Hyung Park from the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, in collaboration with Professor Hyuk Soo Eun from Chungnam National University College of Medicine, has uncovered the molecular basis of nonspecific activation in killer T cells and proposed a new therapeutic strategy to control it.
Killer T cells (CD8⁺ T cells) selectively eliminate infected cells to prevent viral spread. However, when excessively activated, they can attack uninfected cells, causing inflammation and tissue damage. Such overactive immune responses can lead to severe viral infections and autoimmune diseases.
In 2018, Professor Shin’s team was the first in the world to discover that killer T cells can be nonspecifically activated by cytokines and randomly attack host cells—a phenomenon they termed “bystander activation of T cells”. The current study builds on that discovery by revealing the molecular mechanism driving this abnormal process.
The team focused on a cytokine called interleukin-15 (IL-15). Experiments showed that IL-15 can abnormally excite killer T cells by a bystander activation mechanism, causing them to attack uninfected host cells. However, when there is a concurrent antigen-specific stimulation, IL-15-induced bystander activation is suppressed.
The researchers further identified that this suppression occurs through an intracellular signaling process. When the concentration of calcium ions (Ca²⁺) changes, a protein called calcineurin activates, which in turn triggers a regulatory protein known as NFAT, suppressing IL-15-induced bystander activation of killer T cells. In other words, the calcineurin–NFAT pathway activated by antigen stimulation acts as a brake on overactivation by a bystander mechanism.
The team also discovered that some immunosuppressants, which are known to block the calcineurin pathway, may not always suppress immune responses—in certain contexts, they can instead promote IL-15-induced bystander activation of killer T cells. This finding underscores that not all immunosuppressants work the same way and that treatments must be carefully tailored to each patient’s immune response.
Through gene expression analysis, the researchers identified a gene set that increase only in abnormally activated killer T cells induced by IL-15 as markers. They further confirmed that these same markers were elevated in bystander killer T cells from patients with acute hepatitis A, suggesting that the markers could be used for disease diagnosis.
<In a normal immune response, killer T cells are activated by antigen stimulation and selectively eliminate only virus-infected cells, thereby controlling viral replication and promoting the patient’s rapid recovery. However, when killer T cells are nonspecifically overactivated by interleukin-15, they may randomly attack normal cells as well, causing excessive tissue damage and leading to severe disease. Future research may identify diseases in which such nonspecific hyperimmune responses occur, making it possible to develop new drugs to control them>
This study provides crucial clues for understanding the pathogenesis of various immune-related diseases, including severe viral infections, chronic inflammatory disorders, autoimmune diseases, and organ transplant rejection. It also paves the way for developing novel immunoregulatory therapies targeting IL-15 signaling.
Professor Eui-Cheol Shin explained that, “this study shows that killer T cells are not merely defenders—they can transform into ‘nonspecific attackers’ depending on the inflammatory environment. By precisely regulating this abnormal activation, we may be able to develop new treatments for intractable immune diseases.”
This research was published in the journal Immunity on October 31, with Dr. Hoyoung Lee and Ph.D. candidate So-Young Kim as co–first authors.
Title: “TCR signaling via NFATc1 constrains IL-15-induced bystander activation of human memory CD8⁺ T cells”, DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2025.10.002
The study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), and the Institute for Basic Science (IBS).
2025.11.06 View 2187 -
AI Finds Urban Commercial Districts Resilient to Climate Risk
< (From left) Integrated M.S.-Ph.D candidate Keonhee Jang, Postdoctoral Researcher Namwoo Kim, Professor Yoonjin Yoon, Researcher Seok-woo Yoon, Postdoctoral Researcher Young-jun Park, (Top) M.S candidate Juneyoung Ro >
KAIST announced on October 29th that its Urban AI Research Institute (Director, Distinguished Professor Yoonjin Yoon of Civil and Environmental Engineering conducted joint research in the field of 'Urban AI' with MIT's Senseable City Lab (Director, Professor Carlo Ratti) and disclosed the results at the 'Smart Life Week 2025' exhibition held at COEX, Seoul, in late September.
KAIST and MIT have been pursuing the 'Urban AI Joint Research Program' to interpret major urban problems using artificial intelligence. At this exhibition, the research results were presented in a form that citizens could directly experience, focusing on three themes: ▲Urban Climate Change, ▲Green Environment, and ▲Data Inclusivity.
Through this collaboration, the two institutions demonstrated that AI technology can expand beyond a tool for calculating urban problems to a new intelligence that promotes social understanding and empathy. They carried out three projects: ▲Urban Heat and Sales, ▲Nature That Heals, Seoul, and ▲Data Sonification.
The first project, 'Urban Heat and Sales,' is a study that analyzes the impact of climate change on urban commercial areas and the small business ecosystem using AI. An AI model was trained on over 300 million data points, including sales and weather for 96 business categories across 426 administrative dong (neighborhoods) in Seoul, to quantify the effect of climatic factors, such as temperature and humidity, on sales by industry type.
The results were visualized into 40,896 'Urban Heat Resilience' indicators, which score how well each region and business category can adapt to and recover from climate change. This allows the level of commercial area resilience to climate risk to be grasped at a glance, showing which areas are strong against temperature risks.
According to the study, for the convenience store sector, 64.7% of the total 426 dong were analyzed as 'climate-neutral areas,' which are relatively stable against climate change, while the remaining 35.3% belong to 'climate-sensitive areas,' which are significantly affected by climate change. This suggests that the operating environment for convenience stores varies significantly by region in terms of climate impact, and the data can be utilized for future location strategy planning from an urban resilience perspective.
< '3D Mesh Structure' that visually represents sales data for 426 regions in Seoul. The height and color of each region indicate the scale of sales. The left shows the distribution of sales in Seoul under actual temperature conditions, and the right shows the sales change predicted by AI when the temperature rises by 5 degrees. >
Visitors to the exhibition could select a region and business type on a real Seoul map and experience a system where the AI predicted sales changes in real-time based on future temperature rise scenarios.
This prediction model is a proprietary technology developed by KAIST, and plans are underway to expand cooperation with other major global cities, such as Boston and London. This research is expected to propose a new direction for establishing opening strategies for small business owners and developing urban climate risk response policies.
< Numerous visitors listening to explanations and experiencing the KAIST-MIT exhibition space >
The second project, 'Nature That Heals, Seoul,' is an extension of MIT's global project 'Feeling Nature' to Seoul. It combines urban environment data (Street View, maps, satellite images, etc.) with citizen survey data to train an AI to estimate the 'psychological green'—the actual psychological experience of green spaces felt by Seoul citizens.
This approach goes beyond simply calculating the area of trees or parks, offering new urban design directions that reflect citizens' emotional resilience and well-being. This research is expected to provide scientific evidence for future Seoul green space policies and locally tailored urban design.
The final project, 'Data Sonification,' is the world's first AI technology that translates over 300 million data points into sounds, like music, to be 'heard.' The AI uses data such as temperature, humidity, and sales to represent information through sound: for example, the pitch rises when the temperature goes up, and the sound lowers when sales decrease. This provides a new sensory experience of 'listening' to urban data through sound instead of sight.
This technology is a prime example of 'Barrier-Free AI' (AI for All), an inclusive AI technology that helps people with visual impairments or children—who may have difficulty accessing visual information—to intuitively understand data.
< A visitor experiencing Data Sonification, the world's first AI technology that converts data into sound >
Man-ki Kim, Chairman of the Seoul AI Hub (Seoul AI Foundation), which sponsored this research, stated, "We have achieved meaningful results by analyzing the urban environment and citizens' lives with artificial intelligence through collaboration with world-class research institutions like KAIST and MIT," adding, "This research has laid the groundwork for understanding urban change from the perspective of citizens and connecting it to policy and daily life."
Director Yoonjin Yoon remarked, "This exhibition demonstrated that artificial intelligence can evolve beyond a technology that merely calculates the city to an intelligence that understands and empathizes with people and the city," and concluded, "We will create data and experiences together with citizens, and collaborate with various cities worldwide to open a more inclusive and sustainable urban future."
This achievement is a global collaborative research project in the AI sector involving the KAIST Urban AI Research Institute and the MIT Senseable City Lab, and was conducted with sponsorship from the Seoul AI Hub.
※Research Results Images/Videos: https://05970c0c.slw-6vy.pages.dev/
2025.10.29 View 2122