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KAIST Uncovers the “Hidden Key” to Immunotherapy for Intractable Brain Tumors
Researchers have uncovered a clue to why immune checkpoint inhibitors—cancer therapies that release the immune “brakes” exploited by tumors to evade attack—show limited efficacy in some brain tumors. A KAIST research team found that B cell and antibody responses initiated in tumor-draining lymph nodes, rather than T cells alone, are critical to the antitumor effects of anti-CTLA-4 therapy, opening a new avenue for treating intractable brain tumors.
KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on the 19th of July that a research team led by Professor Heung Kyu Lee from the Department of Biological Sciences has identified a previously unrecognized immune mechanism through which anti-CTLA-4, a type of immune checkpoint inhibitor, promotes B-cell responses in tumor-draining lymph nodes, thereby helping the immune system attack brain tumors.
Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive malignant brain tumors, with frequent recurrence and a poor prognosis even after surgery and radiation therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, which restore the ability of immune cells to attack cancer cells, have produced substantial therapeutic benefits in various cancers. However, their effectiveness in glioblastoma has remained limited because of the highly immunosuppressive environment surrounding the tumor.
Researchers have traditionally regarded T cells—immune cells that can directly attack cancer cells—as the primary target of immune checkpoint inhibitors. B cells, meanwhile, are well known for producing antibodies following infection or vaccination, but their role in brain tumor immunotherapy has remained largely unexplored. The research team therefore investigated whether anti-CTLA-4 could influence B-cell responses as well as T-cell responses.
The findings challenged the prevailing T-cell-centered view. In mouse glioma models, anti-CTLA-4 treatment reduced tumor burden and significantly prolonged survival. However, these therapeutic effects were largely lost in mice lacking B cells, demonstrating that B cells are required for the efficacy of anti-CTLA-4 treatment in these models.
The team also identified where B cells played their key role. Rather than being prominent in the brain, where the tumor cells were located, the response increased markedly in the Deep Cervical Lymph Nodes, which are located deep in the neck and receive lymphatic drainage from the brain. In particular, germinal center B cells and T follicular helper cells, both of which are important for antibody formation, increased together in these lymph nodes. This was accompanied by an increase in immunoglobulin G, or IgG, responses. IgG is a major class of antibody that can recognize cancer cells as targets and help immune cells eliminate them.
The resulting IgG antibodies bound to the surface of glioma cells, helping macrophages—immune cells that engulf foreign substances and cancer cells—remove the tumor cells more effectively.
The research team also examined this process directly in vivo. Using a specialized dual-reporter glioma model expressing the red fluorescent protein mCherry and the green fluorescent protein EGFP, the researchers successfully visualized tumor-infiltrating phagocytes actively engulfing glioma cells following anti-CTLA-4 treatment.
The study provides the first functional evidence that B-cell immune responses—previously known mainly for their roles in infection and vaccination—can be a key factor determining the effectiveness of immunotherapy for hard-to-treat brain tumors. It also expands the conventional T-cell-centered framework of cancer immunotherapy by showing that treatment efficacy can be strongly shaped by immune responses originating not only within the tumor, but also in tumor-draining lymph nodes outside it.
Yumin Kim, a postdoctoral researcher in the KAIST Department of Biological Sciences, served as the first author of the study, with Professor Heung Kyu Lee serving as the corresponding author. Professor Ji Eun Oh from the KAIST Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering also contributed to the research. The findings were published on July 10 in Science Immunology.
Paper title: The efficacy of immunotherapy in glioma requires distal B-cell responses in tumor-draining lymph nodes
DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adz2494
Authors: Yumin Kim, In Kang, Byeong Hoon Kang, Won Hyung Park, Chae Won Kim, Hyun-Jin Kim, Jeongwoo La, Myoung Seung Kwon, Sang Hee Park, Seo Hyeon Im, Hyeon Cheol Kim, Keun Bon Ku, Minji Kim, and Ji Eun Oh from KAIST, with Heung Kyu Lee from KAIST as the corresponding author.
This research was supported by National Research Foundation of Korea grants RS-2023-NR077244 (to H.K.L.), RS-2024-00439735 (to H.K.L.), RS-2024-00411928 (to Y.K.), RS-2025-00517107 (to J.E.O.), and RS-2026-25509011 (to H.K.L.). This study was also supported by Samsung Science and Technology Foundation grants SSTF-BA1902-05 (to H.K.L.) and SSTF-BA2201-11 (to J.E.O.).
2026.07.20 View 1089 -
Crude Oil Separates Without Boiling: KAIST and Georgia Tech Develop Energy-Saving Membrane Technology
An international research team led by KAIST has developed a membrane technology that could significantly reduce the energy required for crude oil refining by replacing part of the century-old distillation process.
KAIST(President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced that a team led by Professor Dong-Yeun Koh of KAIST, in collaboration with Professor Ryan Lively's group at Georgia Tech, demonstrated a simple and inexpensive membrane capable of separating crude oil at room temperature without heating. The research was published in Nature, one of the world's leading scientific journals.
Crude oil underpins modern life by providing not only transportation fuels but also essential feedstocks for plastics, packaging materials, textiles, and countless consumer products. Because the cost of refining directly influences the price of these products, technologies that reduce refining energy consumption can generate substantial economic and environmental benefits.
Traditionally, refineries separate crude oil through distillation, a process that heats crude oil above 350 °C to vaporize it and then cools the vapor to recover different fractions. Globally, crude oil distillation consumes approximately 1,100 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy each year—equivalent to the annual output of about 130 nuclear power plants, each at gigawatt scale, operating continuously. As a result, distillation remains one of the largest sources of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the refining industry.
At the same time, increasing cost pressures in global petrochemical markets have intensified the need for more energy-efficient separation technologies.
Membrane-based crude oil fractionations have attracted increasing attention as a potential alternative. However, conventional wisdom has held that molecularly precise separation requires an ultrathin selective layer coated onto the membrane surface. While effective, such coatings increase manufacturing costs and are prone to defects when scaled to large areas, limiting industrial deployment.
To overcome this challenge, the researchers took a radically different approach. Instead of relying on a specialized coating, they passed crude oil directly through a bare porous polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membrane—a chemically stable and inexpensive polymer commonly used as a support material in industrial membranes.
As crude oil permeated through the membrane, heavy hydrocarbons selectively deposited on the pore walls, gradually narrowing the pores and creating self-assembled separation channels smaller than 2 nanometers. Rather than relying on a specially engineered coating, the crude oil itself created the nanoscale pathways needed for precise molecular separation.
Through these self-formed channels, lighter fractions such as naphtha, gasoline, and kerosene permeated rapidly, while heavier components were effectively retained. In a surprising reversal, membrane fouling—normally regarded as a performance-degrading phenomenon—became the very mechanism that enabled highly selective separation.
The bare PAN membrane delivered crude oil permeation rates approximately 23 times higher than those of previously reported state-of-the-art crude oil membranes while maintaining stable performance for 28 consecutive days.
Professor Ryan Lively (Georgia Tech) commented “one of the key challenges facing membrane systems for crude oil separation was the low productivities of the membrane units – the PAN membranes with their surprising separation mechanism – dramatically increase the productivity of the membrane unit, to the point where industry should seriously consider adopting the technology.”
Importantly, the technology can be integrated into existing refinery infrastructure as a modular filtration unit, avoiding major equipment replacement and reducing barriers to industrial adoption.
Process simulations showed that using the membrane as a pretreatment step before conventional distillation could reduce energy consumption by 31.6%, carbon dioxide emissions by 37.6%, cooling water usage by 20.7%, and operating costs by 36%.
If adopted throughout Korea's refining and petrochemical sector, the technology could reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by approximately 10 million tonnes annually—equivalent to the emissions of roughly four million internal combustion vehicles.
Beyond crude oil refining, the membrane platform could be applied to a broad range of chemical separation processes, including the purification of pyrolysis oil derived from waste plastics, the recovery of solvents used in battery manufacturing, pharmaceutical purification, and biofuel production. The researchers believe the technology could serve as a versatile platform for next-generation molecular separations across multiple industries.
Professor Dong-Yeun Koh of KAIST said, “This study reveals a new scientific principle in which a membrane interacts with a complex mixture and spontaneously forms its own separation channels. Working with real crude oil supplied by HD Hyundai Oilbank allowed us to validate the technology under conditions relevant to industrial operation.”
Professor Jae W. Lee of KAIST, a co-corresponding author of the study, added, “By advancing large-area membrane modularization and long-term operational reliability, we hope to broaden the adoption of membrane-based processes throughout the refining and petrochemical industries.”
Dr. Jihoon Choi and Dr. Hyeokjun Seo of KAIST, the study’s co-first authors, said, “Our goal is to precisely control this spontaneous pore-constriction phenomenon and develop it into a membrane platform applicable to the entire refining process. We also aim to expand the technology to plastic recycling, biofuel purification, and other sustainable chemical processes that support carbon neutrality.”
The study was co-first-authored by Dr. Jihoon Choi and Dr. Hyeokjun Seo of KAIST and was published online in Nature on June 24, 2026.
Paper Title: Crude Oil Fractionation by Means of Mesoporous Polyacrylonitrile Membranes
DOI 10.1038/s41586-026-10677-3
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10677-3
This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea through the Basic Research Program for Outstanding Early-Career Researchers and the Engineering Research Center (ERC) Program.
2026.06.25 View 1721 -
KAIST Professor S. Josephine Suh Receives the 2026 Frontiers of Science Award
<Professor S. Josephine Suh>
Professor S. Josephine Suh wins the Frontiers of Science Award for the second consecutive year following last year - Honored for her paper published in November 2017, targeting research papers that have achieved significant results within the last 10 years - Recognized internationally for leading research achievements in the fields of quantum gravity and quantum field theory
KAIST announced on June 12th that a co-authored research paper by Professor S. Josephine Suh of the Department of Physics was selected as a winning paper for the '2026 Frontiers of Science Award' presented by the International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS). Professor Suh has won this award for two consecutive years, following her win in 2025.
The Frontiers of Science Award is presented to papers published within the last 10 years in the fields of mathematics, physics, and information science that have achieved outstanding academic originality and impact. The award ceremony will take place during the ICBS event to be held in Beijing, China, in August 2026.
The award-winning paper is "The soft mode in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model and its gravity dual," a joint research project between Professor Alexei Kitaev of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Professor S. Josephine Suh.
※ Paper Title: The soft mode in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model and its gravity dual, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2018)183)
The SYK (Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev) model is a quantum physics model in which a large number of Majorana fermions (special quantum particles whose particles and antiparticles have identical properties) interact randomly and strongly. Despite being a highly complex quantum many-body system (a system where many particles entangle and interact simultaneously), it allows for mathematically exact analysis. Furthermore, because its characteristics of quantum chaos (chaotic phenomena occurring in quantum systems) are remarkably similar to those of black holes, it has drawn attention as a core theory for understanding the microscopic structure (the fine quantum states that make up a black hole) of black holes.
The award-winning paper demonstrated that the physical properties displayed by the SYK model in a low-energy state precisely connect with two-dimensional gravity theory (a gravity model simplified by leaving only one dimension each for space and time). This research has since become a core theoretical foundation for black hole and quantum gravity research, establishing itself as one of the most widely cited representative papers in the relevant field.
In addition, the SYK model is utilized as a representative theoretical model to explain how information is stored and disappears inside a black hole, drawing attention as a key research topic for solving conundrums in modern physics.
The 'Frontiers of Science Award' is an international academic award that the International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS) has been presenting since 2023. The Global Committee makes the final selection of winning works through recommendations and evaluations from experts worldwide.
In its official notification of selection, the ICBS stated, "Professor Suh's research has made an outstanding contribution to the field of Formal Quantum Field Theory*," adding, "The researcher's dedication to expanding the boundaries of human knowledge provides great inspiration to the scientific community."
*Formal Quantum Field Theory: A field of theoretical physics that explores the mathematical principles and structures of quantum field theory, which explains the fundamental particles and forces of the universe.
Professor S. Josephine Suh said, "The research in this paper was a work showing how a specific quantum many-body system and gravity theory correspond at a microscopic level," and added, "The research currently underway seeks to obtain a physical understanding of how spacetime is generated from a quantum many-body system based on this correspondence."
The total prize money for this award is $25,000 (approximately 33 million KRW), which is shared jointly among the authors of the winning paper.
Reference: Official website of the Frontiers of Science Award: https://www.icbs.cn
2026.06.15 View 2156 -
KAIST holds Global Science and Technology Cooperation Forum… Discusses sustainable international cooperation measures
KAIST announced on June 11th that the Global Center for Development and Strategy (G-CODEs) hosted the "Forum on Global Cooperation in Science and Technology: Beyond Crisis, Toward Sustainable Cooperation" at the KAIST Academic Cultural Complex on June 10th.
This forum was organized to review South Korea's international cooperation strategies and execution capabilities under a rapidly changing environment for international cooperation in science and technology, driven by intensifying competition for technological hegemony, restructuring of global supply chains, and rising uncertainty in energy security.
In particular, this forum was organized as a follow-up event to the 'Global Science and Technology Cooperation Forum: Reflection and Outlook' held last year. While last year's forum discussed South Korea's response strategies amid the restructuring of the global science and technology order, this year's forum continued the discussion with a focus on more specific cooperation tasks, such as execution capabilities and institutional foundations for international cooperation, fostering professional talent, international joint research, and research security.
Beginning with opening remarks by Sang-wook Kang, Director General for Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Science and ICT, the forum proceeded with a total of three sessions.
In the first session, 'Restructuring Science and Technology International Cooperation in the Era of Techno-Geopolitics,' So Young Kim, Vice President of International Office at KAIST, served as the chair to discuss the direction of international cooperation in science and technology according to changes in the economic security and techno-geopolitical environment. Wonho Yeon, Director at Hyundai Motor Group Global Policy Office, presented global cooperation strategies in the era of economic security; Eunkyo Cho, Head of Team at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade (KIET), presented the potential for Korea-China cooperation in the era of physical AI; and Inkyoung Sun, Research Fellow at the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), presented the importance of research security for international joint research. Subsequently, Damian Bank, Professor at the Global Center for Development and Strategy (G-CODEs) at KAIST, and Chaegwon Lim, Professor at the School of Electrical Engineering at KAIST, participated in the panel discussion.
In the second session, 'International Joint Research: Issues and Challenges,' Jae-Yong Choung, Professor at the Graduate School of Science and Technology Policy at KAIST, served as the chair to address practical experiences and institutional challenges of international joint research. Eunseong Kim, Professor at the Department of Physics and the Graduate School of Quantum Science and Technology at KAIST, shared the experiences of the KAIST-MIT global partnership, and Dr. Hae-Jung Lee from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States presented South Korea's collaborative capabilities and areas for improvement from the perspective of an overseas partner.
Seokkyun Woo, Professor at the Graduate School of Science and Technology Policy at KAIST, analyzed the current status and characteristics of international cooperation research by government-funded research institutes currently being conducted by the G-CODEs research center, and discussed directions for improving the international cooperation support system. Ju Young Kim, Policy Officer at the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Korea, and Hyerin Park, Center Head at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), participated in the panel discussion.
In the third session, 'Fostering Talent for Science and Technology International Cooperation,' Sukyung Park, Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST, served as the chair to discuss fostering professional talent and institutional foundations for international cooperation. EunJu Jun, Director at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Mi-Jung Um, Center Head at the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), Jonghoon Moon, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Science and ICT, Jinyeob Na, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Eun Jung Koh, Head of Division at the Korea Institute of Human Resources Development in Science and Technology (KIRD), participated as panelists to discuss ways to foster convergence talent, capabilities and training required for practical personnel in international cooperation, career development, and establishing support systems.
Kyung Ryul Park, Director of the Global Center for Development and Strategy (G-CODEs) at KAIST, said, "This forum was a venue to examine the changes and challenges surrounding international cooperation in science and technology and to seek sustainable cooperation measures. Reflecting its recently surging importance, students and participants showed high interest in nurturing future convergence talent for international cooperation in science and technology."
Kwang Hyung Lee, President of KAIST, stated, "International cooperation in science and technology is an important foundation for national competitiveness and future growth. I hope this forum serves as an opportunity to seek sustainable methods for international cooperation in science and technology amid a rapidly changing global environment." (End)
※ Forum Presentation Materials: Global Center for Development and Strategy Website (https://global.kaist.ac.kr/)
<Forum on Global Cooperation in Science and Technology>
2026.06.11 View 1725 -
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 1307 -
AI, Humanoid Robots, and Space Rovers to Gather: Experience Future Technologies at the Science Festival
<(From left) Photos of the KAIST Science Festival exhibition hall and booths from the previous year>
KAIST announced on April 10th that KAIST will participate in the ‘2026 Korea Science and Technology Festival,’ the largest science festival in the country, to mark Science Month in April. KAIST will operate ‘KAIST Play World,’ an interactive exhibition hall showcasing the pinnacle of AI and robotics. This year’s festival will be held in two parts: ‘2026 Korea Science Festival in Daejeon (April 17–19)’ and ‘2026 Korea Science Festival in Gyeonggi (April 24–26).’ KAIST will host consecutive exhibitions at the Daejeon DCC (Second Exhibition Hall) and KINTEX in Ilsan. Under the ‘Play World’ concept, KAIST plans to offer differentiated interactive content tailored to various generations. In particular, on-site events and souvenirs featuring the KAIST character ‘Nupjuk-i’ will be provided to enhance visitor engagement.
□ [Daejeon] From Humanoid Robots to Space Rovers and AI Semiconductor Friend ‘BROCA’ The exhibition at Daejeon DCC from April 17 to 19 will feature ‘Future Tech Experience Content’ centered on advanced robotics, space technology, and AI semiconductor technology, allowing visitors to experience KAIST's core research achievements firsthand. First, a humanoid robot equipped with control technology developed by Eurobotics Co., Ltd., a startup from Professor Myung Hyun’s research team in the School of Electrical Engineering, will be unveiled on the 17th. This robot is gaining attention as a next-generation platform capable of natural walking in both industrial and urban environments. Additionally, on the 19th, a humanoid robot from Professor Park Hae-won’s team in the Department of Mechanical Engineering will demonstrate high-difficulty human movements such as the duck walk and moonwalk, showcasing its potential for practical industrial use. Professor Lee Dae-young’s team in the Department of Aerospace Engineering will present the world’s first deployable lunar rover wheel based on origami technology. Visitors can touch the transformable wheel model and observe space rover demonstrations and displays by the co-developer, Unmanned Exploration Laboratory (UEL). Educational sessions for folding various space systems using origami will also be available. Along with this, visitors can experience advanced human-machine interaction through ‘BROCA,’ a mobile social AI agent that builds relationships with users beyond simple Q&A, and the voice-capable guide robot ‘On-Newro,’ developed by Professor Yoo Hoi-jun’s team at the AI Semiconductor Graduate School. The student startup ‘Liar Games’ will operate a trial zone for ‘Dual Focus,’ an abstract strategy board game where players compete 1:1 against AI. Similar to the deep strategic play of chess or Go, the rules are intuitive enough to learn in 5 minutes, which is expected to stimulate the challenge-seeking spirit of visitors.
< (Top row from left) Professor Park Hae-won’s humanoid robot, Professor Yoo Hoi-jun’s BROCA, (Bottom row from left) Eurobotics’ humanoid walking technology capable of overcoming any terrain based on a mobile kit, Professor Lee Dae-young’s storable and deployable rover for lunar exploration >
□ [Gyeonggi] ‘Raibo’ the Rough-Terrain Robot and AI-Based Future Experiences The Gyeonggi exhibition at KINTEX from April 24 to 26 will focus on ‘Life-Oriented Experience Content’ centered on AI and everyday technology. ‘Raibo,’ a quadrupedal robot developed by Professor Hwangbo Jemin’s team in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is capable of high-speed movement on complex terrains such as sand, stairs, and debris, and is expected to be utilized for disaster relief and search missions. Visitors can experience Raibo’s driving technology directly at the site. The ‘Future Memories Studio’ from Professor Nam Tek-jin’s team in the Department of Industrial Design will provide a new experience where visitors can meet and talk to their future selves 10 years later, recreated using AI-generated visuals and voices. Participants will receive a four-cut photo capturing a moment that is the future for their current self but a memory for their future self. Professor Yun Yun-jin’s team at the KAIST Urban AI Research Center will present technology that analyzes the impact of climate change on small business sales through ‘AI-based Sight and Sound for Heatwave Consumption Index.’ They will showcase time-series AI-based sales prediction technology and generative AI technology that expresses this visually and audibly. Furthermore, Professor Yun’s lecture, “City Walk of Artificial Intelligence: Urban AI and the Future of Cities,” will be held on April 24 (Fri) at 15:00 in KINTEX Meeting Room 206. In addition, Professor Yoo Hoi-jun’s team from the AI Semiconductor Graduate School will continue from the Daejeon exhibition to operate an experience zone for various mobile AI agents based on AI semiconductors. Also, the student startup Rabbithole Company will introduce a new type of game where AI NPCs (Non-Player Characters) converse and cooperate to solve given problems. Visitors can participate by observing the process where AI characters create their own stories by being presented with situations or goals instead of being directly controlled.
< (Top row from left) Professor Hwangbo Jemin’s Raibo, Professor Nam Tek-jin’s team: Met My Future Self 10 Years Later, (Bottom row from left) Professor Yun Yun-jin’s Seeing and Hearing Heatwave Consumption Index through AI, Game image from CEO Kim Na-hoon’s Rabbithole Company >
Through the exhibitions in both regions, KAIST plans to operate various participatory programs to make science and technology easy and fun to approach, vividly conveying how technology from the laboratory transforms our lives. KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung remarked, “This year’s science festival is a large-scale event connecting Daejeon and Gyeonggi, allowing more citizens to experience KAIST’s innovative research achievements firsthand.” He added, “I hope this will be a precious time for people to experience the future created by robots and AI, fostering their dreams and curiosity about science.”
2026.04.13 View 3488 -
Longevity mediated by suppressing age-associated circRNA
< (Back row from left) Prof. Yoon Ki Kim, Prof. Seung-Jae V. Lee, and Gwangrog Lee; (Front row from left) Dr. Sung Ho Boo, Sieun S. Kim, Seokjin Ham, and (top) Donghun Lee >
Cells in our bodies produce RNA based on genetic information stored in DNA, and RNA serves as a blueprint for making proteins. Researchers at our university have discovered a new phenomenon: removing 'circular RNA' that accumulates in cells as we age can slow down aging and extend lifespan. This study provides crucial clues for uncovering the principles of aging and developing treatment strategies for related diseases.
Professor Seung-Jae V. Lee’s research team (RNA-Mediated Healthspan and Longevity Research Center) from the Department of Biological Sciences, in collaboration with research teams led by Professors Yoon Ki Kim and Gwangrog Lee, announced on the 18th that they discovered the RNASEK protein—an enzyme that degrades circular RNA—plays a vital role in slowing aging and extending lifespan.
Until now, circular RNA has been regarded mainly as an aging marker because of its stability, which allows it to accumulate over time. However, the molecular mechanism for removing this RNA and its direct link to aging had not been clearly identified. The research team conducted this study to determine how the accumulation of circular RNA affects aging and whether an intracellular management system exists to regulate it.
Using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), a short-lived roundworm widely used in aging research, the team first confirmed that the circular RNA-degrading enzyme RNASEK is essential for longevity. They also discovered that as aging progresses, the amount of RNASEK decreases, resulting in an abnormal accumulation of circular RNA within cells.
Conversely, artificially increasing the levels of RNASEK (overexpression) extended the lifespan and allowed the organisms to survive longer in a healthy state. This implies that the process of appropriately removing cellular circular RNA is critical for maintaining health and longevity.
The research team also found that RNASEK prevents the toxic aggregation of circular RNAs in aged organisms. . When RNASEK is deficient and circular RNA accumulates, "stress granules" form abnormally inside the cell, which can impair cellular functions and accelerate aging.
RNASEK works alongside the chaperone protein HSP90 (which helps proteins avoid misfolding or clumping) to inhibit the formation of these stress granules and help cells maintain a normal state. Notably, this phenomenon was observed not only in C. elegans but also in human cells. In mammals, RNASEK also functions to directly degrade circular RNA; a deficiency of RNASEK in human cells and mouse models led to premature aging.
< Diagram showing progress toward longevity or aging depending on circular RNA and the removal enzyme RNASEK >
The researchers explained that this study is significant as it identifies a mechanism for regulating aging at the RNA level. They suggested that research using RNASEK to control circular RNA could lead to the development of treatment strategies for human aging and degenerative diseases.
Professor Seung-Jae V. Lee of KAIST, who led the study, explained, "Until now, circular RNA was merely regarded as a marker of aging that accumulates over time due to its stability. This study proves that circular RNA accumulated during aging actually induces aging, and that RNASEK, which removes it, is a key regulator that slows aging and induces healthy longevity."
< (AI-generated image) Longevity induced by the circular RNA-removing enzyme RNASEK >
Drs. Sieun S. Kim, Seokjin Ham, Sung Ho Boo, and Donghun Lee from the KAIST Department of Biological Sciences participated as joint first authors. The research results were published on February 24 in the world-renowned scientific journal Molecular Cell.
Paper Title: Ribonuclease $\kappa$ promotes longevity by preventing age-associated accumulation of circular RNA in stress granules
DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2026.01.031
This research was conducted with support from the Leader Researcher Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea.
2026.03.18 View 3302 -
KAIST Develops Brain-Like AI… Thinks One More Time Even When Predictions Are Wrong
<(From left) Professor Sang Wan Lee, Myoung Hoon Ha, and Dr. Yoondo Sung>
Artificial intelligence now plays Go, paints pictures, and even converses like a human. However, there remains a decisive difference: AI requires far more electricity than the human brain to operate. Scientists have long asked the question, “How can the brain learn so intelligently using so little energy?” KAIST researchers have moved one step closer to the answer.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 29th that a research team led by Distinguished Professor Sang Wan Lee of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences has developed a new technology that applies the learning principles of the human brain to deep learning, enabling stable training even in deep artificial intelligence models.
Our brain does not passively receive the world. Instead of merely perceiving what is happening in the present, it first predicts what will happen next and, when reality differs from that prediction, adjusts itself to reduce the difference (i.e., prediction error). This is similar to anticipating an opponent’s next move in Go and changing strategy if the prediction turns out to be wrong. This mode of information processing is known as “Predictive Coding.”
< Predictive Coding (PC) Module >
Scientists have attempted to apply this principle to AI, but encountered difficulties. As neural networks become deeper, errors tend to concentrate in specific layers or vanish altogether, repeatedly leading to performance degradation.
The research team mathematically identified the cause of this problem and proposed a new solution. The key idea is simple: instead of predicting only the final outcome, the AI is designed to also predict how its prediction errors will change in the future. The team refers to this as “Meta Prediction.” In simple terms, it is an AI that “thinks once more about its mistakes.” When this method was applied, learning proceeded stably in deep neural networks without halting.
<Analysis of Instability in Predictive Coding Model Errors>
The experimental results were also impressive. In 29 out of 30 experiments, the proposed method achieved higher accuracy than the current standard AI training method, backpropagation. Backpropagation is the representative learning method in which AI “goes backward by the amount of error and corrects it.”
Conventional AI training methods (backpropagation) require tightly interconnected layers, meaning the entire network must be computed and updated simultaneously. In contrast, this new approach demonstrates that, like the brain, large AI models can be effectively trained even when learning occurs in a distributed and partially independent manner.
<Performance Comparison of Predictive Coding Models>
This technology is expected to expand into various fields where power efficiency is critical, including neuromorphic computing, robot AI that must adapt to changing environments, and edge AI operating within devices.
Distinguished Professor Sang Wan Lee stated, “The key to this research is not simply imitating the structure of the brain, but enabling AI to follow the brain’s learning principles themselves,” adding, “We have opened the possibility of artificial intelligence that learns efficiently like the brain.”
This study was conducted with Dr. Myoung Hoon Ha as the first author and Professor Sang Wan Lee as the corresponding author. The paper was accepted to the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR 2026) and was published online on January 26.
※ Paper title: “Stable and Scalable Deep Predictive Coding Networks with Meta Prediction Errors”Original paper: https://openreview.net/forum?id=kE5jJUHl9i¬eId=e6T5T9cYqO
This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) through the Digital Global Research Support Program (joint research with Microsoft Research), the Samsung Electronics SAIT NPRC Program, and the SW Star Lab Program.
2026.03.06 View 3157 -
Designing the Heart of Hydrogen Cars with AI... Development of Next-Generation Super Catalyst
<(From left) KAIST Ph.D. Candidate HyunWoo Chang, Professor EunAe Cho. (Top, from left) Seoul National University Professor Won Bo Lee, Dr. Jae Hyun Ryu.>
In the era of climate crisis, hydrogen vehicles are emerging as an alternative for eco-friendly mobility. However, the fuel cell, known as the ‘heart of the hydrogen car,’ still faces limitations of high cost and short lifespan. The core cause is the platinum catalyst. While it is a decisive material for generating electricity, the reaction is slow, performance degrades over time, and manufacturing costs are high. Korean researchers have presented a clue to solving this difficult problem.
KAIST announced on February 26th that the research team led by Professor EunAe Cho of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, together with the team of Professor Won Bo Lee of the School of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Seoul National University, has developed a technology that predicts the ‘atomic arrangement’ tendency of catalysts using artificial intelligence (AI).
This technology is akin to calculating beforehand which combination is advantageous for completing a puzzle before putting it together. By having AI calculate the arrangement speed of metal atoms first, it has become possible to efficiently design catalysts with better performance. The core of this research is that ‘AI revealed the fact that zinc plays a decisive role in the platinum-cobalt atomic arrangement.’
<Schematic diagram of AI-based atomic alignment prediction>
Despite the high performance of existing platinum-cobalt (Pt-Co) alloy catalysts, very high-temperature heat treatment was required to create the ‘intermetallic (L1₀)’ structure, where atoms are regularly arranged. In this process, particles would clump together, or the structure would become unstable, posing limitations for actual fuel cell application.
To solve this problem, the research team introduced machine learning-based quantum chemistry simulations. Through AI, they precisely predicted how atoms move and arrange themselves inside the catalyst.
As a result, they discovered that zinc (Zn) acts as a mediating element that promotes atomic arrangement. The principle is that when zinc is introduced, atoms find their places more easily, forming a more sophisticated and stable structure. In other words, AI has found the ‘optimal path for atomic arrangement creation’ in advance.
< Synthesis process of Zinc-introduced Platinum-Cobalt catalyst>
The zinc-platinum-cobalt catalyst, synthesized based on AI predictions, secured both higher activity and superior long-term durability compared to commercial platinum catalysts. This is a case proving that the ‘virtual blueprint’ calculated by artificial intelligence can be implemented as a high-performance catalyst in an actual laboratory.
In particular, this technology is expected to contribute to extending catalyst lifespan and reducing manufacturing costs across core carbon-neutral industries, such as hydrogen passenger cars, hydrogen trucks requiring long-distance operation, hydrogen ships, and energy storage systems (ESS).
< Conceptual diagram of AI-based catalyst development (AI-generated image) >
Professor EunAe Cho stated, “This research is a case of utilizing machine learning to predict the atomic arrangement tendency of catalysts in advance and implementing this through actual synthesis,” and added, “AI-based material design will become a new paradigm for the development of next-generation fuel cell catalysts.”
Ph.D. Candidate HyunWoo Chang from KAIST’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Dr. Jae Hyun Ryu from Seoul National University’s School of Chemical and Biological Engineering participated as co-first authors in this research. The research results were published on January 15, 2026, in ‘Advanced Energy Materials,’ a world-renowned academic journal in the energy materials field. ※ Paper Title: Machine Learning-Guided Design of L1₀-PtCo Intermetallic Catalysts: Zn-Mediated Atomic Ordering, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202505211
This research was conducted with the support of the National Research Foundation of Korea’s Nano & Material Technology Development Program and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning’s Energy Innovation Research Center for Fuel Cell Technology.
2026.02.27 View 2806 -
KAIST Breaks Ground on 'Innovative Digital Institute of Medical Science' to Cultivate Physician-Scientists and Medical Engineers
<Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Innovative Digital Institute of Medical Science>
The success of the AI and bio-health industries depends on how many convergence-oriented talents, who understand both medicine and science/technology simultaneously, can be secured. While major global universities are accelerating the establishment of medical schools and convergence education, our university has officially commenced the construction of core infrastructure that will determine South Korea's bio-health competitiveness.
KAIST announced on February 19th that the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering held a groundbreaking ceremony for the ‘Innovative Digital Institute of Medical Science,’ a key infrastructure that will lead the future of the Korean bio-health industry, and has begun full-scale construction.
The Innovative Digital Institute of Medical Science, to be built at the KAIST Munji Campus, is a project designed to support the national development goal of ‘Realizing a Powerhouse in Medical AI, Pharmaceuticals, and Bio-health’ by fostering key talent and establishing an innovative startup infrastructure. A total project cost of 42.232 billion KRW will be invested through cooperation between the government, Daejeon City, and KAIST. It is being constructed with a total floor area of approximately 10,000 square meters (3,025 pyeong) and is scheduled for completion in November 2027.
Through the establishment of this institute, our university expects to create a foundation to expand the scale of physician-scientist training from the current level of about 20 per year to 50–70 per year, which accounts for approximately 50% of the national demand. Through this, we plan to establish a full-cycle support system so that convergence-type talents, who possess medical and clinical experience as well as science, technology, and AI capabilities, can grow into leading figures in the development of innovative new drugs, vaccines, and medical devices.
This talent cultivation strategy is also in line with global trends. Convergence models of science/engineering and medicine are spreading around global science and technology universities, such as the approval for the new medical school at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (November 2025), the merger between Tokyo Institute of Technology and Tokyo Medical and Dental University (October 2024), and the establishment and operation of the medical school at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. This demonstrates the strategic importance of cultivating physician-scientists and medical engineers who will lead the future bio-health industry.
In contrast, the proportion of medical school graduates in Korea entering the fields of physician-scientists or medical engineers remains below 1%, leading to concerns about a decline in future bio-health competitiveness due to a shortage of manpower.
The Innovative Digital Institute of Medical Science will feature advanced research and support facilities, including an AI Precision Medicine Platform Research Center, a Data-driven Convergence Healthcare R&D Center, an Advanced Biomedical Data Analysis Center, a Digital Medical-Bio Open Lab, and open networking halls and seminar rooms.
In particular, the 6th floor, the top floor, will host the Daejeon Bio-Medical Venture Cluster. Similar to ‘LabCentral’ in Boston, USA, this is planned to be operated as an open innovation space where high-cost research equipment can be shared not only by KAIST researchers but also by researchers from government-funded research institutes in the Daedeok Innopolis and bio-medical startups, allowing them to share research results and technologies and collaborate freely.
The Innovative Digital Institute of Medical Science is expected to serve as an innovation hub that supplements the structural limitations of the Daejeon Bio Cluster, moving beyond being a simple education and research facility. Leading domestic bio companies such as Alteogen, LigaChem Bio, and Peptron are concentrated nearby, and the site is adjacent to the ‘Wonchon-dong Advanced Bio-Medical Innovation District’ being promoted by Daejeon City, providing an ecosystem where industry, academia, research, and hospitals are organically connected.
KAIST plans to use this to vitalize translational research that connects clinical demands from hospitals with basic research from the university, and to promote the development of medical AI and digital data-based technologies to continuously create success stories of physician-scientist startups such as Sovagen and Enocras.
Kwang Hyung Lee, President of KAIST, stated, “The KAIST Innovative Digital Institute of Medical Science will become a core base for the future AI digital health industry, growing science and engineering talents into physician-scientists and medical engineers. Through translational research and startups based on industry-academia-research-hospital cooperation, we will enhance national bio-health industrial competitiveness and contribute to the promotion of human health.”
<Bird’s-Eye View of the Innovative Digital Medical Science Institute>
2026.02.19 View 3090 -
Discovery of a Switch to Halt Adipocyte Generation
< (From left) Dr. Ju-Gyeong Kang, Ph.D candidate TaeJun Seol, Professor Dae-Sik Lim >
Metabolic diseases such as obesity, fatty liver, and insulin resistance are rapidly increasing worldwide, but fundamental methods to regulate the process of fat formation remain limited. In particular, once adipocytes (fat cells) are formed, they are difficult to reduce, making treatment challenging. Amidst this, a research team from our university has discovered the existence of a ‘switch’ that prevents fat formation. This discovery elucidates how an ‘epigenetic switch’—which regulates gene activity without altering the DNA sequence itself—functions during the process of adipogenesis, presenting new possibilities for the precise control of obesity and metabolic diseases in the future.
The research team, led by Professor Dae-Sik Lim and Professor Ju-Gyeong Kang from KAIST’s Department of Biological Sciences, announced on January 25th that they have identified ‘YAP/TAZ,’ key regulators of the Hippo signaling pathway*, as playing the role of an ‘epigenetic differentiation inhibition switch’ during the process of adipocyte differentiation**. The team proposed a new mechanism in which YAP/TAZ extensively inhibits the activation of genes responsible for adipocyte formation through its downstream target, ‘VGLL3.’ *Hippo signaling pathway: A cellular control system that regulates when cells grow, stop dividing, and differentiate. **Adipocyte differentiation: The process by which preadipocytes (or stem cells) transform into mature adipocytes.
Cell differentiation is not a simple matter of a single gene turning on or off; it is a complex, organic process involving multiple genes and DNA regulatory regions. The research team tracked the entire process of preadipocytes* differentiating into adipocytes using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), which allows for the simultaneous analysis of gene expression changes and epigenetic modifications. *Preadipocyte: A developing intermediate-stage cell whose direction as to which cell it will become has already been determined.
As a result, they confirmed that under conditions where YAP/TAZ is activated, the genetic program that establishes adipocyte identity fails to operate, and the overall adipocyte differentiation network—centered around PPARγ*—is suppressed. *PPARγ: The ‘metabolic master switch’ regulator that controls energy storage and utilization in the body.
Specifically, through single-cell analysis of adipose tissue, the research team identified VGLL3 as a novel target gene of YAP/TAZ. While it was previously known that YAP/TAZ directly binds to and inhibits PPARγ, this study revealed that VGLL3 indirectly controls the entire adipocyte differentiation program by suppressing ‘enhancers,’ which are the DNA regulatory regions of adipocyte genes. This signifies that the Hippo signaling pathway plays a crucial role in regulating the core timing that determines when and how robustly fat cells are created.
Dysfunction of adipose tissue is deeply linked to various metabolic diseases such as obesity, insulin resistance, and fatty liver. The research team expects that further studies on how the YAP/TAZ–VGLL3–PPARγ axis regulatory principle involves adipocyte formation and functional abnormalities will provide new clues for regulating or treating metabolic diseases.
< Schematic Diagram of Adipocyte Gene Regulation >
Professor Dae-Sik Lim stated, “This study is the first to establish that adipocyte differentiation is precisely controlled at the epigenetic level, beyond simple gene regulation. It has laid an important foundation for a more sophisticated understanding of the mechanisms behind adipocyte identity changes and, in the long term, for developing personalized treatment strategies for patients with metabolic diseases.”
This research, with Ph.D. student TaeJun Seol and Dr. Ju-Gyeong Kang as co-first authors, was published on January 14th in the world-renowned international academic journal, Science Advances. ※ Paper Title: YAP/TAZ-VGLL3 governs adipocyte fate via epigenetic reprogramming of PPARγ and its target enhancers, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aea7235
Meanwhile, this research was conducted with support from the Leader Researcher Support Program and the Overseas Excellent Scientist Recruitment Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea, funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT.
2026.01.26 View 2757 -
KAIST detects ‘hidden defects’ that degrade semiconductor performance with 1,000× higher sensitivity
<(From Left) Professor Byungha Shin, Ph.D candidate Chaeyoun Kim, Dr. Oki Gunawan>
Semiconductors are used in devices such as memory chips and solar cells, and within them may exist invisible defects that interfere with electrical flow. A joint research team has developed a new analysis method that can detect these “hidden defects” (electronic traps) with approximately 1,000 times higher sensitivity than existing techniques. The technology is expected to improve semiconductor performance and lifetime, while significantly reducing development time and costs by enabling precise identification of defect sources.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on January 8th that a joint research team led by Professor Byungha Shin of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST and Dr. Oki Gunawan of the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center has developed a new measurement technique that can simultaneously analyze defects that hinder electrical transport (electronic traps) and charge carrier transport properties inside semiconductors.
Within semiconductors, electronic traps can exist that capture electrons and hinder their movement. When electrons are trapped, electrical current cannot flow smoothly, leading to leakage currents and degraded device performance. Therefore, accurately evaluating semiconductor performance requires determining how many electronic traps are present and how strongly they capture electrons.
The research team focused on Hall measurements, a technique that has long been used in semiconductor analysis. Hall measurements analyze electron motion using electric and magnetic fields. By adding controlled light illumination and temperature variation to this method, the team succeeded in extracting information that was difficult to obtain using conventional approaches.
Under weak illumination, newly generated electrons are first captured by electronic traps. As the light intensity is gradually increased, the traps become filled, and subsequently generated electrons begin to move freely. By analyzing this transition process, the researchers were able to precisely calculate the density and characteristics of electronic traps.
The greatest advantage of this method is that multiple types of information can be obtained simultaneously from a single measurement. It allows not only the evaluation of how fast electrons move, how long they survive, and how far they travel, but also the properties of traps that interfere with electron transport.
The team first validated the accuracy of the technique using silicon semiconductors and then applied it to perovskites, which are attracting attention as next-generation solar cell materials. As a result, they successfully detected extremely small quantities of electronic traps that were difficult to identify using existing methods—demonstrating a sensitivity approximately 1,000 times higher than that of conventional techniques.
< Conceptual Diagram of the Evolution of Hall Characterization (Analysis) Techniques >
Professor Byungha Shin stated, “This study presents a new method that enables simultaneous analysis of electrical transport and the factors that hinder it within semiconductors using a single measurement,” adding that “it will serve as an important tool for improving the performance and reliability of various semiconductor devices, including memory semiconductors and solar cells.”
The results of this research were published on January 1 in Science Advances, an international academic journal, with Chaeyoun Kim, a doctoral student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, as the first author.
※ Paper title: “Electronic trap detection with carrier-resolved photo-Hall effect,” DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adz0460
This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
< Conceptual Diagram of Charge Transport and Trap Characterization Using Photo-Hall Measurements (AI-generated image) >
2026.01.08 View 3154