Recently, the results of the 2024 Major Academic Advances of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), hosted by the Academic Committee of the University, have been revealed. The event, launched in April 2024, follows the principles of openness, fairness, justice, and the pursuit of excellence, focusing on publicizing the University’s original and leading academic progress.
The evaluated achievements were recommended through two channels: the academic committees of various departments and the Academic Committee of HUST. The process involves successive steps, including screening by the disciplinary committees of the Academic Committee, remote peer review by all members of the Academic Committee, nomination by the Director’s Meeting, defense and review by the Plenary Meeting of the Academic Committee, and final approval by the President’s Office Meeting.
The ten selected achievements in this round reflect the University’s commitment to guiding high-quality innovation through upholding principles and embracing innovation. This aligns with the University’s educational philosophy of “Virtue, Erudition, Truth, Innovation,” embodying the spirit of scholars at the University who love the country, serve the people, transcend limitations, and aspire to be pioneers in the scientific community.
Appendix: Brief Introduction to 2024 Major Academic Advances of HUST
1. Research and Application of Novel Silk Sericin Biomaterials in Tissue and Organ Regeneration and Repair
Primary Contributors: Wang Lin, Lv Qiying, Song Yu, Wang Jian
Professor Wang Lin’s research team was the first to discover a superior biomaterial - silk sericin - derived from waste materials in the silk reeling industry, addressing the significant needs of trauma repair in China. They have successfully achieved efficient repair of the structure and function of various severe trauma tissues. This year, Professor Wang Lin made new breakthroughs in trauma repair. The research outcomes enable the conversion of silk waste into high-tech tissue engineering products, and the innovation and application of these technologies are expected to lead to the upgrade and transformation of the traditional silk industry.
2. TextMonkey: An OCR-Free Large Multimodal Model for Understanding Document
Primary Contributors: Bai Xiang, Liu Yuliang
The large model technology is driving disruptive changes in production methods. However, issues such as the difficulty in adapting domestic chips have severely limited its application in vertical industries. To address these challenges, Professor Bai Xiang’s team proposed an adaptive image pyramid segmentation technique, and validated the effectiveness and flexibility of this method through experiments. Furthermore, the team achieved efficient processing of question-answering tasks for long PDF documents. On that basis, the team significantly enhanced the model’s thinking ability for solving complex problems. These achievements, supported by Huawei’s Ascend 910B 64GB chips and the MindSpore domestic platform, have broken the technological bottleneck in large models’ multimodal applications, providing theoretical and technical support for the industrialization of large models in vertical fields.
3. The Design Theory and Application of Slotless Hydraulic-Electromagnetic Coupled Levitation Micropumps
Primary Contributors: Luo Xiaobin, Hu Run, Xing Guanying, Xue Song, Han Jiacheng
The team addressed the bottleneck issue of bearing wear in liquid cooling micropumps. They discovered the suspension principle based on the dynamic pressure fluid force generated by the rotor’s own rotation, coupled with the electromagnetic force of the motor. They invented the slotless liquid-electromagnetic coupled levitation micropump, which operates at speeds exceeding 20,000 RPM and has a service life of up to 20 years. The design allows for precise balancing of the hydraulic forces, time-varying electromagnetic forces, gravity, and unbalanced loads on the rotor, enabling the series design and transformation of the product.
4. Precise Gravity Measurement Methods and Technologies
Primary Contributors: Zhou Zebin, Hu Zhongkun, Luo Zhicai, Fan Ji, Lu Zehuang
The gravitational field is one of the most fundamental physical fields of the Earth, reflecting the distribution of Earth’s mass and its variations. Gravity measurement methods and technologies determine the ability to obtain information about the Earth’s gravitational field, which is closely related to both fundamental and applied scientific research. The Center for Gravitational Experiments (CGE) team has conducted in-depth research on gravity measurement methods and technologies, making breakthroughs in several key technologies and achieving significant advancements. These achievements have supported major infrastructure construction, significantly enhanced China’s gravity measurement technology, and promoted the development of China’s gravitational instruments and equipment.
5. Proton Exchange Membrane Carbon Dioxide Conversion System
Primary Contributors: Xia Baoyu, Fang Wensheng, Guo Wei
The development of efficient and long-lasting electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction systems is significant for achieving green and sustainable development. However, it faces challenges such as low efficiency and insufficient stability caused by differential corrosion of system components. Starting from fundamental scientific issues, Professor Xia Baoyu’s team has designed and constructed a highly efficient and corrosion-resistant catalyst and a novel proton exchange membrane carbon dioxide electrolysis system. This system has greatly advanced the practical development of carbon dioxide electrolysis technology.
6. Injectable Ultrasonic Sensor for Wireless Monitoring of Intracranial Signals
Primary Contributors: Zang Jianfeng, Tang Hanchuan, Yang Yueying, Jiang Xiaobing, Liu Zhen
In response to the clinical challenges faced by existing wireless implantable sensor technologies, Professor Zang Jianfeng’s team from the School of Integrated Circuits proposed the theory of ultra-gel acoustic frequency shift sensing. They collaborated with Professor Jiang Xiaobing’s team from the Wuhan Union Hospital for animal trials. The related findings were published in Nature, breaking the technical bottleneck of existing implantable sensors and establishing a new direction for ultrasonic sensing.
7. Creation of Novel Composite Gate Dielectric Materials
Primary Contributors: Zhai Tianyou, Liu Kailang, Li Yuan, Zhou Xing, Li Huiqiao
Two-dimensional semiconductors, with their ultrathin thickness and excellent electrical properties, are key supporting materials for manufacturing next-generation chips. However, traditional dielectric materials severely limit device performance. The team has developed a novel composite dielectric material, Sb2O3/HfO2, which exhibits outstanding dielectric properties. This achievement has laid a solid foundation for advancing the application of two-dimensional semiconductors in future integrated circuits.
8. 3D Phase-Change Memory Chip
Primary Contributors: Miao Xiangshui, Tong Hao, Cheng Xiaomin, Xu Ming, Wang Xingsheng
The team has focused on the 3D phase-change memory (PCM) chip technology for 17 years, achieving original results in phase-change mechanisms and novel materials. The team’s 93 key patents have been licensed to leading domestic companies, bringing about the successful development of China’s first 3D phase-change memory chip. This chip has been applied in domestic server memory modules, demonstrating its storage functionality. The achievement was awarded the Huawei OlympusMons Award, and the largest capacity 3D phase-change memory chip based on this research has entered mass production.
9. Invention of the Continuous Beating Ventricular Septal Myocardium Resection Technique and Key Equipment
Primary Contributors: Wei Xiang, Fang Jing, Wan Song, Liu Yani, Li Rui
Professor Wei Xiang’s team spent 6 years inventing the “apical approach heart continuous beating ventricular septal myocardium resection technique” and the “heart continuous beating myocardium resection system,” offering a complete treatment plan for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This innovation has transformed the traditional open-chest surgery into a minimally invasive procedure that requires no extracorporeal circulation while keeping the heart beating. This breakthrough has enabled China to make a leap from a follower to a pioneer in the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Written by: Li Yi
Edited by: Yu Shiyun, Chang Wen, Peng Yumeng
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