Future Tech

Trim-TAC technology for precision target degradation

Trim-TAC is a novel biological type of target protein degradation technology that comprises a target-recognition domain (TRD) and a target degradation signal (TDS). We have developed 11 distinct TDS types, enabling various degradation mechanisms for target proteins, whether alone or in large complexes, with no cell type or receptor restrictions. Trim-TAC can also degrade large protein complexes, illuminating a new biological drug with broad biomedical applications.

Future Tech　|　Biotechnology ＆ Medical care

Novel Autopilot Jet-Based Electrospinning for Fabricating Functional 3D Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Applications

Tissue engineering (TE) and regenerative medicine aim to improve the quality of human life via fabricating functional scaffolds with tissue-specific physiology and anatomical resemblance that are able to replace, repair, or regenerate damaged tissues/organs, thereby restoring their essential functions. Conventional electrospinning technique (ES) can constructs ECM-mimicking nano/microfibrous scaffolds via electrical jet bending instabilities-driven random motion. Nevertheless, it hardly achieves 3D topographic scaffolds construction due to the complex jet-field interactions until our recent report on a novel "autopilot single jet (AJ)" phenomenon that gradually expands the fiber deposition area and thickness across given stationed-3D collectors conformally, resembling silkworm cocoon construction, as a result of the combination of rapid jet self-switching between two distinctive modes, namely microcantilever-like armed jet and whipping jet, and its exceptional 360⁰ self-3D field searching feature, which unprecedentedly produced functional organ-scale free-standing 3D topographic polycaprolactone (FDA-approved biocompatible and biodegradable PCL polymer) scaffolds, notably human face, female breast/nipple, and vascular graft shapes, with excellent shape memory, high porosity and stretchability. Conformal fiber deposition by AJ across the templates with higher level of complex geometries successfully achieved via manipulation of collector orientation to the writing tip, thus breaking similar electrostatic-affinity of AJ towards field-equivalent geometries, which, in turn, avoiding undue jet oscillations. The AJ process is also reproducible in horizontal setup, i.e., horizontal placement of writing tip and template, unaffected by gravity, which manifests its robustness. Thus, AJ-based "3D electrospinninde"monstrates striking potential to serve in broad spectrum of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications promised with high societal impact.

Future Tech　|　Biotechnology ＆ Medical care

High Performance Electrochemical CO2 Converter

Presently, finding effective ways to reutilize these space-occupying, stored CO2 has become an urgent priority. High performance electrochemical CO2 converter is found to be an auspicious resolution for transforming CO2 into valuable chemicals (formic acid, CO, C2H4, ethanol, etc.), providing numerous benefits, including high conversion efficiency, low energy consumption, and also the potential for integration with renewable energy sources, enabling the realization carbon-negative goals.

Future Tech　|　Green Energy ＆ Environment

Ultrafast responsive non-volatile flash photomemory and its application on artificial neural network

Photodetectors are essential components in the Internet of Things (IoT); however, most conventional photodetectors generate only transient photocurrents, requiring additional processors for data storage. Professor Jung-Yao Chen’s team has developed an innovative non-volatile flash photomemory, achieving a programming time of 0.7 ms and a photoresponsivity of 1.91×10^4 mA W^-1. Furthermore, the integration of a hydrogen-sensitive gasochromic film with the photomemory enables hydrogen leakage detection.

Future Tech　|　Materials ＆ Chemical Engineering ＆ Nanotech

Tango Partner：Green Ammonia Plus, Carbon Emissions Minus

This technology targets affordable molecular single-atom catalysts by controlling their coordination environments and charge densities. It has produced a unique geometric configuration, showing promise in converting nitrogen-containing wastewater to green ammonia. Testing confirms its efficiency, surpassing world records. This cost-effective, high-performance module could pave the way for early-stage industrialization of electrochemical ammonia production.