Faculty of Science – Innovation Academy

AMPed

Antimicrobial resistance is a global phenomenon arising from the indiscriminate use of antibiotics. To combat this problem, the Antimicrobial Peptide Cecropin B (CecB), a highly-effective, broad-spectrum antibiotic alternative is expressed in transgenic Chlorella autotrophica, a well-studied and highly-productive protein expressing microalgal chassis. It is expressed with a secretion signal peptide for extraction; and SUMO-tag for in-vitro cleavage using SUMO-protease. To validate efficacy, the isolated CecB is tested against common aquatic pathogens. The in-vitro cleavage system, barring the signal peptide, is also expressed using a bacterial chassis. This is to test the design and quantify the differences between microalgal and bacterial synthetic capabilities. To modify the system for industrial use, the signal peptide is removed and the SUMO-protease is additionally inserted, under a nitrogen-starvation inducible promoter, to cleave SUMO in-vivo and generate active AMPs. The microalgae are then freeze-dried, preserving active AMPs internally, which can then be used as supplemental feed.

Megahealthy; Megasports

Faculty of Science, UG Pitching 2022 / By kit

“With the rising demand of the sports facilities and the fact that HK people care more about doing sports after Tokyo Olympics, the apps Megahealthy; Megasports is designed to offer more options of sport facilities and more opportunities for people to do sports in the pandemic.

Smart rentals: After the private sports venues/ facilities providers release the venue and the available time on the app, the users can rent the facilities and select their favourable time slots, and the app will import statistical algorithms according to the user’s sports preferences /past record of no-show and calculates the probability of users’ no-show on that day. Once the no-show probability exceeds 70%, the waitlist will be opened for other users to rent.

Smart Exercise Stations: Users can choose the level of difficulty according to their own techniques and backgrounds of doing the sports. The users can imitate the elements on the photo, take a photo of themselves and upload it to the apps. AI algorithms will automatically calculate the similarity rate of the same photo posture and the athlete’ posture, and then give the users points. Their achievements can be shared in social media platforms.

AI Coach: The users first answer questions about their sports background and techniques according to the system instructions, and then can upload photos of their skills. AI will automatically generate technical suggestions and practice goals which are suitable for the user’s level. “

PET Plastics Degradation

Cross-faculty project, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Science, The 5th Engineering Inno Show / By kit

Our team is developing a self-sustaining system that digests PET plastic using the symbiotic relationship between the bacteria Escherichia coli and the cyanobacteria Synechococcus elongatus. We engineer E. coli to express PETase and MHETase enzymes and to absorb sucrose secreted by S. elongatus, which E. coli uses as its energy source. The PETase and MHETase enzymes facilitate the degradation of PET into its monomers – terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG), which can then be repurposed in the creation of new bioplastics to maintain a circular and greener supply chain.

Vera – An AI Speech Therapist

Computer Science, Cross-faculty project, Faculty of Science, The 5th Engineering Inno Show / By kit

Vera overcomes temporal, spatial, and financial barriers faced by children with speech disorders in Hong Kong, and tackles the problems faced by speech therapists. Vera is an AI-powered mobile application making use of deep learning and big data to provide accurate and immediate diagnosis and personalized treatment of speech sound disorders for children. Vera also provides speech therapists with resources that help children practice pronunciation, and progress reports that allow tracking of patients’ progress. The interactive diagnosis process is facilitated by a conversing chatbot. After diagnosis, Vera provides personalized and gamified pronunciation exercises to encourage children to receive treatment actively.

InnoChat

Faculty of Science, UG Pitching 2021 / By kit

InnoChat is an AI-powered application that makes use of Natural Language Processing (NLP), Deep Learning and Big Data to provide accurate and immediate diagnosis and fun treatment for children suffering from speech sound disorders wherein patients have difficulties in articulation and phonology.

In the first phase, our app will do a diagnosis test with the child with the help of AI and a pronunciation database, which is the phase that we would like to focus on right now. The next step is to provide personalised and interactive speech therapy through gamification.

We hope children with speech sound disorders, especially underprivileged ones, can benefit from the easy, accessible and affordable speech diagnosis and therapy services provided by InnoChat. We believe InnoChat is the solution to assist speech therapists in delivering more efficient services, and to ensure that every child who struggles with pronunciation can get the timely diagnosis and effective therapy that they need.