NEWSLETTER September 2020 No. 4 Vol. 14 National ｜ Tsing Hua ｜ University RSITY NATIONAL TSING HUA CONTENTS UNIVE 1 A Ray of Hope for Improving Dementia Treatment 2 Turning Dross into Gold 3 A Rapid Test Kit for Potential Severe Covid-19 Cases 4 NTHU Teams Up with Tri-Service General Hospital 5 Joint Research Center Established by NTHU and Zhen Ding Technology 6 Saving Taiwan's Endangered Frog Species 7 NTHU Researchers Make Major Breakthrough in Quantum Dot Technology 8 NTHU Racing Unveils Third-generation Electric Racecar a A RAY OF HOPE FOR IMPROVING DEMENTIA TREATMENT ne of the causes of neurodegenerative transport membrane protein is an important channel for diseases such as Parkinson's and transporting phosphate and sodium ions into brain cells. But Alzheimer's is the calcification of the pathological changes can block this channel, allowing calcium basalO nucleus of the brain, which blocks the phosphate to precipitate on the surface of the cell membrane, membrane protein channels on the surface of which will eventually lead to calcification of the basal nucleus, brain cells, preventing the transmission of signal thereby producing the neurodegenerative symptoms typical of molecules and nutrients to the cells. A research Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. team led by Prof. Sun Yuh-ju of the Institute of Using the light source at the National Synchrotron Radiation Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, working Research Center (NSRRC) to conduct X-ray diffraction on in conjunction with David Hsiao's laboratory at phosphate transport membrane protein crystals, Sun's research Academia Sinica's Institute of Molecular Biology, team obtained a diffraction diagram, which they used to resolve has recently solved the mystery which has the three-dimensional structure of the membrane protein, allowing long surrounded the molecular structure of the them to use the gene sequence to determine the exact location of "phosphate transport membrane protein," and the mutation in the membrane protein, revealing for the first time their findings are expected to have a significant the face of dementia on the neurological level. impact on research into the treatment of dementia. The team's research was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Science and Technology's Frontier Science Research Program, and has been published in the August issue of Science Advances. According to Sun, the proteins embedded in cell membranes are responsible for transmitting signals and supplying energy to cells, and therefore play a very important role in the Sun (left) with research partner David Hsiao of Academia Sinica's Institute of Molecular development of pharmaceuticals. Phosphate Biology. 1 ｜National Tsing Hua University ｜2020 Vol. 14 No.4 a Prof. Sun Yuh-ju of the Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology showing team member Tsai Chiayin how to grow a crystal. b Team member Tsai Chiayin was in charge of growing the membrane protein crystals. b Sun said that analyzing the phosphate transport membrane The first step in analyzing the molecular protein and locating the site of the mutation are the first and structure of membrane protein is to cultivate second steps in finding a treatment for brain calcification. the membrane protein crystal, the structure The next step is to cooperate with physicians in designing of which can be seen by using X-ray drugs based on this structure, using computer calculations diffraction. Projecting a microscope image of and simulations in conducting experiments to identify small a membrane protein crystal that is only one- chemical molecules effective in restoring the normal functioning tenth the size of a sesame grain, Sun said of membrane proteins, thereby "reopening the blocked that its angular, glittering, and translucent transmission channels, and removing the fog in the brains of form contains important information on dementia patients," as Sun puts it. molecular structure, such that it's "more precious and beautiful than a diamond." David Hsiao, who specializes in biophysics, played a key role in this innovative research. After Sun's research team analyzed the The team member in charge of growing the three-dimensional structure of the phosphate transport membrane membrane protein crystals was Tsai Chiayin, protein, Hsiao used an artificial cell membrane to determine a postdoctoral researcher at NTHU's Institute whether a mutation at the target location would prevent the of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology. membrane protein from transporting phosphate. She said that it took a year to cultivate the first phosphate transport membrane protein There are between 30,000 and 40,000 kinds of proteins in the crystal, and then it took another year to human body, amongst which membrane protein is one of the cultivate an optimized and stable crystal, most important, and one of the least understood, which is why adding with a smile, "growing crystals is Sun has made it the focus of her research. Eight years ago she a lot like raising children; it requires lots of led the first research team in Taiwan to analyze the molecular patience and attention." structure of membrane protein, and it took another 5 years to analyze the molecular structure of the phosphate transport membrane protein. c Phosphate transport membrane protein is an important channel for transporting phosphate and sodium ions into brain cells. d It took the team years to finally grow an optimized and stable crystal. c d 2020 Vol. 14 No.4 ｜National Tsing Hua University｜ 2 a b TURNING DROSS INTO GOLD research team led by Prof. Wu Jyh- This new type of quartz composite piezoelectric material can ming of the Department of Materials also cope with the difficult-to-treat dyes present in the waste Science and Engineering has recently water produced by textile factories. Prof. Wu demonstrated this Adeveloped two composite piezoelectric by pouring some quartz powder into a beaker of water colored materials extracted from common waste with various dyes, mixing it in by gently agitating the beaker; products. One is a new type of catalyst within a few minutes, the water is clear and transparent. extracted from discarded rice husks, and is Wu explained that what makes this new material so effective is capable of treating industrial wastewater 90 the addition of molybdenum and sulfur during the production times faster than the photocatalysts now in process, such that pieces of molybdenum disulfide grow on the use. The other is a material extracted from quartz rod, which takes on the appearance of a mace, thereby discarded squid bones, and has been used increasing the contact area between the material and the to produce a self-sanitizing transparent film sewage, and making the treatment more efficient. suitable for use as a cover on mobile phone screens, elevator buttons, door handles, etc. Wu emphasized that in addition to wastewater treatment, this material can also be used to produce hydrogen, which can be Organic industrial wastewater is typically collected and used to produce energy; in addition, piezoelectric treated by using photocatalysts; but materials are reusable and biodegradable, providing a type of conventional photocatalysts require sufficient wastewater treatment which is cheap, convenient, effective, and light, and wastewater is usually not very environmentally friendly. transparent, so the efficiency tends to be rather low. With this problem in mind, Wu's The research team's work has recently been featured in the research team extracted silicon dioxide top international journals Advanced Materials and Advanced from rice husks, then added molybdenum Functional Materials, and their quartz composite material has and sulfur. The result is a quartz composite already received patents in Taiwan and the United States. material which can be injected into a Wu was born in a farming village of Fangyuan in Changhua factory's wastewater pipeline, wherein the County, where he grew up assisting his father in the rice fields. pressure generated by the water flow purifies The rice husks were fed to the chickens or pressed into panels, the pollution without needing any light. but Wu always wondered if they might somehow be put to better use. After becoming a researcher in materials science, he began 3 ｜National Tsing Hua University ｜2020 Vol. 14 No.4 c d e Wu's research team has also succeeded a A research team led by Prof. Wu Jyh-ming of the Department of Materials Science in extracting chitin from squid bones, and Engineering has recently developed two composite piezoelectric materials and using it to produce a new composite extracted from common waste products. The research team (left to right): Ho Pinyi, Wu Jyh-ming, and Lai Sinian. piezoelectric material which can be made into b Ho holding up a mobile phone with a self-sanitizing cover produced from a material a transparent film that can self-sterilization made by extracting chitin from squid bones. whenever it's touched, making it highly c Wu in the lab scooping up some rice husks. suitable as a screen cover for various items d Wu (right) with his father in the paddy fields. e Wu in the lab with a handful of the rice husks. in public places, such as automated ticketing machines. She said that the chitin used to make this using large quantities of rice husks in his experiments, and one new piezoelectric material can also be day, realizing that 200-300 grams of silica can be extracted extracted from shrimp shells, crab shells, from each kilogram of rice husks, he wondered if they could be and cuttlefish bones, and that it can also be used to make a new type of piezoelectric material. Wu's latest manufactured using bionic technology. This discovery was especially welcome to Wu's 82-year-old father, transparent film is well suited for screens that who still works in the rice fields on a daily basis.