- KIST Developed Game-Changing Super Fiber-Carbon Nanotubes Added to "Golden Fiber" Aramid to Create Conductive "Black Fiber" Aramid fiber is known as "super fiber" or "golden silk" because even though its weight is equivalent to only 20% of the weight of steel, it is more than five times as strong and does not burn, even at 500 °C. Aramid fiber is an essential material used in various applications such as body armor, fire-resistant clothing, fiber optic cable reinforcement, high-performance tires, and aerospace materials. The late Dr. Han-Sik Yun began researching aramid fiber at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in 1979 and secured independent source technology in 1984. Dr. Dae-Yoon Kim and his research team at the Functional Composite Materials Research Center within the KIST Jeonbuk Institute of Advanced Composite Materials announced that they have applied carbon nanotubes to aramid fibers to develop a new kind of composite fiber. In addition to being lightweight, strong, and fire-resistant, the fiber also has electrical conductivity, which is a first for conventional aramid fibers. The newly developed fiber is black in color due to the presence of carbon nanotubes. Inspired by the characteristics of a silkworm cocoon, the KIST research team succeeded in combining aramid, which has extremely low dispersibility, with carbon nanotubes. By utilizing the liquid crystal phase, silkworms produce high-strength fiber using high-concentration protein. Possessing both liquid-like fluidity and crystal-like order, the liquid crystal minimizes the coagulation of aramid and carbon nanotubes as well as improves the alignment. Utilizing these characteristics, the research team created a new type of composite fiber with high level of specific strength similar to that of existing commercial aramid fibers, as well as a specific electrical conductivity level of approximately 90% of that of copper wires. Despite these electrical characteristics, this next-generation aramid fiber does not use any metals, resulting in flexibility, non-corrosiveness, and a lightweight profile (approximately 30% of the weight of copper wires). It is expected to be used as a next-generation wire in various applications, such as smart military, medical robots, eco-friendly mobility, and aerospace technologies. Dr. Dae-Yoon Kim added, "This technology will have a significant impact on the super fiber market." ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ This research was supported by KIST's K-Lab program and NRF's Excellent Young Research Program and was published in Advanced Fiber Materials (IF: 12.924, JCR 1.923%), a prestigious international academic journal in the field of fiber. Journal : Advanced Fiber Materials Title : Boost Up the Mechanical and Electrical Property of CNT Fibers by Governing Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Mesophases with Aramid Polymers for Robust Lightweight Wiring Applications Publication Date : 13-Dec-2022 DIO : https://doi.org/10.1007/s42765-022-00246-4

- A new process and principle for one-pot room-temperature synthesis of solid electrolytes - A breakthrough to reduce the manufacturing cost of all-solid-state batteries and solve interface problems. The all-solid-state battery is a secondary battery with a solid electrolyte between the anode and cathode. It is considered a representative of next-generation battery technology due to its high energy density and significantly lower risk of fire and explosion than conventional lithium-ion batteries. In recent years, materials research in the field of all-solid-state batteries has been focused on strategies to maximize material crystallinity to achieve ionic conductivity similar to that of liquid electrolytes (ionic conductivity of 10 mS/cm or more). However, this approach requires a high-temperature crystallization step (above 500 °C) of up to several days after material mixing or reaction. It resulted in high process costs and battery interface contact issues due to reduced mechanical deformability. Dr. Hyoungchul Kim's research team at the Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon), announced that they have successfully synthesized a solid electrolyte with superionic conductivity and high elastic deformability in a one-pot process at room temperature and normal pressure. This research has garnered attention because it can maximize the productivity of all-solid-state battery materials and solve the inherent interface problem by improving elastic deformation. Dr. Kim's research team focused on the crystallographic features of the argyrodite sulfides to synthesize a highly deformable and ionically conductive solid-state electrolyte material under normal temperature and pressure conditions. Theoretically, ionic conductivity can be maximized by maximizing the halogen substitution rate at the 4a and 4c sites in the argyrodite crystal, but the material has never been practically synthesized due to its thermodynamic instability. In addition, typical crystalline argyrodite superconductors require high-temperature heat treatment above 500 °C. Therefore, the halogen substitution rate cannot be maximized, and the elastic modulus decreases with increasing crystallinity, leading to rapid degradation of cell performance. In contrast, without high-temperature heat treatment, a low elastic modulus similar to that of glass can be obtained; however, the ionic conductivity remains around 3 mS/cm, limiting its applicability as a solid-state electrolyte. The research team came up with a new strategy to obtain a thermodynamically unstable structure (i.e., fully halogenated argyrodite) that takes advantage of both crystalline and glassy properties. They developed a composition control method to lower the crystallization temperature of argyrodite as well as a new two-step mechanochemical milling process suitable for the lower crystallization temperature. This facilitated the synthesis of a fully halogen-substituted (~90.67% substitution) argyrodite with a superionic conductivity of ~13.23 mS/cm without a long high-temperature annealing. The synthesized material also possesses an elastic modulus of about 12.51 GPa, which is one of the lowest reported values for superionic-conductive solid electrolytes, and this is also advantageous for improving the interfacial performance of all-solid-state batteries. Moreover, the new one-pot process at room temperature and normal pressure can be completed in less than 15 h, which is the highest productivity for any solid electrolyte with superionic conductivity. This is a unique achievement, with material productivity that is approximately 2-6 times higher than those of conventional processes for synthesizing superconductive solid electrolytes. "We have succeeded in developing a new solid electrolyte material with high deformability and ionic conductivity through a new process at normal temperature and pressure," said Dr. Kim of KIST, who led the research. He also expressed his expectation, saying, "The new material will serve as a trigger for the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries suitable for electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS) because it has maximized material productivity by eliminating the high-temperature heat treatment and simultaneously possesses high deformability and superionic conductivity suitable for solving the problem of the electrode interface of all-solid-state batteries." ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ This research was supported by the KIST Institutional Program and the Mid-Career Researcher Support Project funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-Ho Lee), and by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister Chang-Yang Lee) for the development of lithium-based next-generation secondary battery performance enhancement and manufacturing technology. The results were published in Advanced Functional Materials (IF: 19.924, top 4.658% in JCR) recently. Journal : Advanced Functional Materials Title : Annealing-Free Thioantimonate Argyrodites with High Li-Ion Conductivity and Low Elastic Modulus Publication Date : 22-Dec-2022 DOI : https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202211185

- Carbon fiber paper is used instead of copper thin film to achieve long-term stability and high energy density for lithium metal batteries Owing to the worldwide trend of utilizing electric vehicles, there has been a rise in demand for next-generation secondary batteries with higher capacity and faster charging than the lithium-ion batteries currently in use. Lithium metal batteries have been recognized as promising rechargeable batteries because lithium metal anode exhibits theoretical capacity 10 times higher than commercial graphite anode. During charging-discharging processes, however, lithium dendrites grow on the anode, leading to poor battery performance and short-circuit. Dr. Sungho Lee, Head of the Carbon Composite Materials Research Center of the KIST Jeonbuk Institute of Advanced Composition Materials (President Dr. Seok-Jin Yoon, Director General Jin-Sang Kim) and Professor KwangSup Eom, the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST, Acting President Rae-Gil Park), have developed a technology to improve the durability using carbon fiber paper as the anode material for lithium metal batteries. The KIST-GIST joint research team replaced the lithium metal-coated copper thin film with a thin carbon fiber paper containing lithium metal. The developed carbon fiber paper possessed hierarchical structure on the carbon monofilament composed of amorphous carbon and inorganic nanoparticles, resulting in enhancing the lithium affinity and preventing the growth of lithium dendrite. Although copper thin film anode short-circuits after approximately 100 cycles, the developed carbon fiber paper anode exhibits excellent cycling stability for 300 cycles. Furthermore, lithium metal battery using developed carbon fiber paper shows a high energy density of 428 Wh/kg, which is approximately 1.8 times higher than that using copper thin film (240 Wh/kg). From a process point of view, another advantage is to simplify the electrode manufacturing process because the molten lithium is quickly infused into the carbon fiber paper. Regarding the significance of this research, Dr. Sung-Ho Lee, Head of the Center at KIST, who led the research, said, "Considering the five times lower density and lower cost of carbon fiber compared to copper, our proposed anode material is an important achievement that can accelerate the commercialization of durable and lightweight lithium metal batteries." ### KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ This research was carried out as a KIST Institutional Program and a nanomaterial technology development project under the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho). The results were published in the January issue of the international journal Advanced Energy Materials (IF=29.698, JCR top 2.464%). Journal : Advanced Energy Materials Title : Construction of Hierarchical Surface on Carbon Fiber Paper for Lithium Metal Batteries with Superior Stability Publication Date : 15-Jan-2023 DOI : https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202203770

- Achievement of a new breakthrough in assessing toxicity of chemicals - Development of a reliable in vitro cellular assessment tool for thyroid disruption evaluation As chemicals are widely used in human activities, there is a growing need for fast, inexpensive, and reliable toxicity assessment tools which can minimize the risks to the environment and human health. However, the use of traditional animal testing methods for evaluating chemical toxicity is becoming increasingly restricted due to ethical concerns over animal welfare. This has led to a rise in interest for alternative approaches – such as in vitro models – which are able to effectively evaluate chemical toxicity without the need for animal testing. Such approaches offer significant advantages in terms of cost, time, and ethical considerations, and can also provide more reliable data for assessing the potential risks of chemical exposure to both humans and the environment. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Europe (KIST Europe) has announced a new breakthrough in the field of environmental risk assessment with the development of a reliable in vitro cellular assessment tool for thyroid disruption evaluation. Dr. Youngjun Kim's research team from the Environmental Safety Group at KIST Europe has developed a three-dimensional (3D) cell aggregate model that can effectively evaluate the toxic effects of chemicals on thyroid function. While two-dimensional (2D) in-vitro systems have conventionally been employed as screening tools, the 3D cell culture model is expected to provide a more reliable and efficient alternative. Figure 1 Schematic of the method for formatting 3D cell model. Representative cytoskeletal structural images of monolayer and 3D-based culture models (F-actin, red; cell nucleus, blue). The study was conducted using thyroid-friendly soft (TS) microspheres on thyroid cell aggregates to evaluate their potential as a reliable toxicity assessment tool. Dr. Kim's team at KIST Europe (First author: senior researcher Dr. Indong Jun) demonstrated that the TS-microsphere-integrated thyroid cell aggregates exhibit improved thyroid function. This breakthrough provides a promising alternative to conventional animal testing and is expected to have a significant impact on the development of advanced in vitro assessment tools based on human cells that can be applied at various points to the human thyroid system. Dr. Jun was quoted as saying, "This is an exciting breakthrough in the field of toxicology. Our 3D cell culture model has the potential to revolutionize the way chemicals are tested for toxicity. We are excited to see how this model can be used in different industries to ensure the safety of the chemicals we use in our daily lives." With thyroid hormone (TH) disorders and endocrine-related diseases being increasingly attributed to chemical exposure, this new 3D model is expected to have a significant impact on the field. This approach can be used to control cellular function in any direction desired, enabling a more thorough assessment of thyroid function. The proposed TS microsphere integrated cell aggregates are expected to provide fundamental new insights that will advance in vitro cell-based research. In conclusion, this new breakthrough offers a promising solution to the challenges posed by conducting traditional animal testing to evaluate chemical toxicity. With the growing need for fast, inexpensive, and reliable toxicity assessment tools, this new tool for assessing thyroid disruption is expected to have a significant impact on the development of advanced in vitro assessment tools based on human cells that can be used at various stages of the thyroid system. This research was conducted as part of KIST Europe’s major research program. The research results were published online in the latest issue of SMALL, a world-renowned journal in the field of materials science (IF: 15.153; top 7.101% in JCR field).

- Electro-photonic tweezer captures and detects trace amount of nanoplastics through surface-enhanced Raman scattering - Application in safe water resource management technology Nanoplastics are plastics that have been discarded from our daily lives and that enter ecosystems in the size scale below 1 micro-metter after their physical and chemical disintegration. Recent research has shown that the concentration of microplastics in the major rivers in South Korea is the highest worldwide; it is not unusual to find news reports about the detection of microplastics in simple tea bags or drinking water and nanoplastic is the worse. The impact of micro/nanoplastics on human health and the environment in general is considered to be significant. However, the detection of nanoplastic is limited because their concentration is low and their size is extremely small. In addition, the detection process requires a few hours to days, and incurs significant costs during the pre-processing step of concentrating the plastic sample. The research team of Dr. Yong-sang Ryu at the Brain Research Institute of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) used an electro-photonic tweezer along with metal nanoparticles to concentrate ultrafine nanoplastics within a short period, and they reported the development of a real-time detection system using light. The research team supplied electricity to a large-area vertically-aligned metals sandwiched by nanofilm insulator. They conducted Raman spectroscopy, which analyzes the energy difference between the incident and scattered light according to the frequency of the molecule. By combination of two technique: electrical nanoparticle capture together with real-time Raman spectroscoy, the research team achive in-situ the detection of a 30-nm 10 μg L-1 polystyrene particle with the help of gold nanoplarticles via Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the research team easily separated the particle from the sample through the dielectrophoresis phenomenon. Thus, the entire process including the collection, separation, and analysis for nanoplastics analysis, , which previously required at least one day, was drastically reduced to several seconds by employing an original technology that separates and detects plastics using one platform. Researchers Euitae Jeong and Dr. Eui-Sang Yu (common lead author) at KIST, who performed this research, reported that "the findings of this research are meaningful in that ultrahigh-sensitivity detection of microplastics in real-time has become possible, and the proposed approach can be extended to the measurement of the microplastic concentration in various water resources and applied as a water resource securement technology.“ This research was carried out as a major project of KIST with the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jongho Lee); the results have been reported as a cover paper in the latest international journal 「ACS Nano」 (IF: 18.027). Journal: ACS Nano Title: Real-time Underwater Nanoplastic Detection Beyond Diffusion Limit and Low Raman Scattering Cross-section via Electro-photonic Tweezers Publication Date: 27-Dec-2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c07933 ACS Nano front cover selection Raman-spectroscopy-based nanoplastic detection using the electric-optical tweezer and via surface-enhanced Raman scattering and the subsequent amplification of optical signals as well as the reduction of the accumulation time. Top right: Mimetic diagram of subsequent accumulation time reduction (blue: existing, red: current research) Bottom right: Mimetic diagram of subsequent amplification of optical signal accordingly (blue: existing, red: current research)

- KIST (CollaBot) received the ICSR 2022 best award in the "hardware, design, and interface" category. - A robotic library system that understands context and situations is proposed to provide comprehensive services. After competing in the finals with the University College London, which presented Bubble Worlds, the research team led by Dr. Sona Kwak from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST; President Seok Jin Yoon) presented "CollaBot" and received the best award in the "hardware, design, and interface" category at the Robot Design Competition hosted by the International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR) 2022, which was held at the Chamber of Commerce in Florence, Italy (December 13-16, 2022). Previous studies on social robots were primarily based on humanoid robots that understand the context of situations and provide a range of situation-specific services. However, the commercialization of humanoid robots that were expected to perform tasks similar to, if not above, the capabilities of an actual human, was inhibited because the humanoid robot did not function as well as expected. In addition, because robotic products focus solely on a specific function, they are limited in terms of providing a wide range of assistance adapted to a consumer's environment and situation. To address these limitations, the research team led by Dr. Kwak (KIST) developed a robotic library system (CollaBot) that understands situational context by integrating data collected by various robotic products, and offers context-customized assistance. This system comprising tables, chairs, bookshelves, and lights, provides a human-robot interaction based on the collaborations between different robotic products. The system environment is detailed as follows: the user's smartphone, door, robotic bookshelf, and robotic chair are all connected; hence, the user can search for and select a book of interest on their smartphone, and the selected book will automatically be brought out from the bookshelf. The chair functions as a ladder by moving near to the user and letting the user step on it or a cart by transporting several books. In other words, in addition to executing its original function, each system component also adapts its function depending on the environment to offer user-friendly assistance. Dr. Dahyun Kang of KIST, who designed the interaction of CollaBot said that "the proposed robotic system based on the collaboration between various robotic products provides physical assistance by applying robotics technology to the existing Internet of things to create a hyper-connected society. We expect that this type of system that offers practical assistance in our daily lives can pioneer a novel robotics market." This year's Robot Design Competition at the 13th ICSR was led by the award chair, Amit Kumar Pandey, who participated in the development of key social robots such as Sophia, Nao, and Pepper. This research was conducted via the KIST Institutional Program and KIST Technology Support Center Program. KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/ CollaBot: robotic library A chair that alters its functions depending on the situation and context Model demonstrations of robotic library

- A novel membrane using a combination of a water filteration membrane and conductive polymer - Water quality improvement and continuous electricity generation using a simple operation method The purification of various water resources, such as rain, seawater, groundwater, river water, sewage, and wastewater, into potable or usable water is a high-energy process. So, what if electricity could be generated during the water purification process? In the spotlight, a domestic research team has developed a multifunctional membrane that can simultaneously generate electricity while purifying wastewater into drinking water. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) has announced that Dr. Ji-Soo Jang's team from the Electronic Materials Research Center and Prof. Tae-Gwang Yoon's team from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Myongji University (President Byeong-Jin Yoo) have jointly developed an advanced membrane that can simultaneously provide drinking water and generate continuous electricity from various water resources, such as sewage/wastewater, seawater, and groundwater. The developed "sandwich-like" membrane is composed of a porous membrane that filters water at the bottom and a conductive polymer that generates electricity at the top. The membrane is designed to purify wastewater by controlling the direction of the water flow. Water flowing perpendicularly to the membrane generates direct current by the movement of ions along the horizontal direction. The membrane can reject more than 95% of the contaminants of sizes less than 10 nm (one hundred-millionth of a meter). Hence, microplastics and heavy metal particles in wastewater can be removed, and continuous electricity can be generated for more than 3 h with only 10 µl (microliter) of water. Since the membrane can be manufactured using a simple printing process without size restrictions, it has a high potential to be commercialized due to low manufacturing costs and processing time. The research team is currently conducting follow-up research to generate electricity while improving the water quality of wastewater to the level of drinking water by developing the membrane for an actual factory. Dr. Ji-Soo Jang from KIST expressed his opinion on the research saying that, "As a novel technology that can solve water shortage problem and produce ecofriendly energy simultaneously, it also has great potential applications in the water quality management system and emergency power system." This research was conducted as a major project of KIST with the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-Ho Lee). These research findings were published in the latest issue of 'Advanced Materials', an international journal of materials (IF: 32.086, top 2.17% in the JCR field), and were selected to be on the front cover of the issue. Journal: Advanced Materials Title: Bidirectional water-stream behavior on multifunctional membrane for simultaneous energy generation and water purification Publication Date: 9-Dec-2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202209076 Electricity generation and water purification membrane developed by the KIST-Myongji University joint research team Schematic illustration for the operation of the electricity generation and water purification membrane developed by KIST-Myongji University joint research team

- Revealed the principle that gaseous materials cause densification of proton ceramic electrolytes - One step closer to commercializing protonic ceramic electrolysis cells for green hydrogen production Green hydrogen production technology is absolutely necessary to finally realize the hydrogen economy because unlike gray hydrogen, green hydrogen does not generate large amounts of carbon dioxide in the production process. Green hydrogen production technology based on solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC), which produce hydrogen from water using renewable energy, has recently attracted attention because it does not generate pollutants. Among these technologies, high-temperature SOECs have the advantage of excellent efficiency and production speed. The protonic ceramic cell is a high-temperature SOEC technology that utilizes a proton ceramic electrolyte to transfer hydrogen ions within material. These cells also use a technology that can reduce operating temperatures from 700 ℃ or more to 500 ℃ or less, thereby reducing system size and price and improving long-term operation reliability by delaying deterioration. However, it has been difficult to enter the commercialization stage because the key mechanism responsible for sintering protonic ceramic electrolytes at relatively low temperatures during the cell manufacturing process has not been specifically identified. Dr. Ho-Il Ji, Dr. Jong-Ho Lee, and Dr. Hyungmook Kang's research team at the Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Yoon Seok Jin), announced that they have increased the possibility of commercialization by identifying this electrolyte sintering mechanism: a next-generation high-efficiency ceramic cell that had not previously been identified. The research team designed and conducted various model experiments based on the fact that the transient phase generated on the electrode during the electrolyte-electrode sintering process affects the densification of the electrolyte. They discovered for the first time that supplying the electrolyte with a small amount of gaseous sintering aid material from the transient phase promotes sintering of the electrolyte. Gaseous sintering aids are extremely rare and technically difficult to observe; therefore, the hypothesis that the densification of the electrolyte in proton ceramic cells is caused by vaporized sintering aids has never been proposed. The research team verified the gaseous sintering aid using computational science and confirmed that the reaction did not impair the unique electrical properties of the electrolyte. Thus, the design of the core manufacturing process of proton ceramic cells is expected to be possible. Dr. Ji of KIST said, "Through this research, we have come one step closer to developing the core manufacturing process for protonic ceramic cells. We plan to conduct research on the manufacturing process of large-area, high-efficiency proton ceramic cells in the future." He also mentioned that, "If large-area technology is successfully developed, it will be possible to produce pink hydrogen in connection with next-generation nuclear technology as well as green hydrogen in connection with renewable energy, which will lead to the commercialization of ceramic cells and accelerate the realization of the hydrogen economy." This research was conducted under major KIST projects, the New Renewable Energy Technology Development Project by the National Research Foundation of Korea, supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee), and the New Renewable Energy Technology Development Project by the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning, which is supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (Minister Chang-yang Lee). The research results were published in the latest issue of ACS Energy Letters (IF: 23.991, top 3.211% in the JCR field), an international journal in the field of energy. Journal: ACS Energy Letters Title: An Unprecedented Vapor-Phase Sintering Activator for Highly Refractory Proton-Conducting Oxides Publication Date: 21-Oct-2022 DIO: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.2c02059 The principle of accelerating electrolyte densification in the proton ceramic cell manufacturing process

- Development of ultrafast PCR technology using materials that generate heat when exposed to light - Expected for rapid diagnosis in pharmacies and clinics due to miniaturized device use PCR technology is a molecular diagnostics technology that detects target nucleic acids by amplifying the DNA amount. It has brought marked progress in the life sciences field since its development in 1984. This technology has recently become familiar to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic, since PCR can detect nucleic acids that identify the COVID-19 virus. However, due to the technical nature of the PCR test, results cannot be immediately delivered. It takes at least 1 to 2 hours for the test as it requires repeated temperature cycles (60~95℃). Dr. Sang Kyung Kim (Director) and Dr. Seungwon Jung’s research team at the Center for Augmented Safety System with Intelligence, Sensing of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President: Seok Jin Yoon) announced that they had developed an ultrafast PCR technology. By using photothermal nanomaterials, the ultrafast PCR shortens the test time by 10-fold, compared with the time taken for the existing test. The new method is completed in 5 minutes, with diagnostic performance equal to that of the existing test method. Photothermal nanomaterials generate heat immediately upon light irradiation. As such, photothermal nanomaterials rapidly increase in temperature, but it is difficult to maintain performance due to their low stability. The KIST research team has developed a polymer composite that physically holds photothermal nanomaterials and can overcome their instability. By applying it to a PCR system, they have successfully developed a compact PCR system without a heat plate. In addition, they implemented a multiplex diagnostic technology that detects several genes at once, enabling it to distinguish several types of COVID-19 variants in a single reaction. Director Sang Kyung Kim states, “through additional research, we plan to miniaturize the developed ultrafast PCR technology this year, to develop a device that can be utilized anywhere. While maintaining the strength of PCR as an accurate diagnostic method, we will increase its convenience, field applicability, and promptness, by which we expect that it will become a precision diagnostic device that can be used at primary local clinics, pharmacies, and even at home. In addition, PCR technology is a universal molecular diagnostic technology that can be applied to various diseases other than infectious diseases, so it will become more applicable.” This research was carried out by the Practical Convergence Research Center, sponsored by the National Research Council of Science and Technology (Chairperson Bok Chul Kim), and published in the latest online issue of 'ACS Nano' (IF: 18.027, top 5.652% in the JCR field), an authoritative journal in the field of nanomaterials. Journal: ACS Nano Title: Ultrafast Real-Time PCR in Photothermal Microparticles Publication Date: 2022. 12. 6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c07017 Schematic diagram of PCR temperature cycle using the photothermal effect in polymeric microparticles Changes in fluorescence signals during a real-time PCR of polymeric microparticles

- Compact 'Energy Harvesting' technology equipped with an autonomous resonance-tuning mechanism - Realization of stable power supply for small electronic devices (IOT sensors) through demonstration The Internet of Things (IoT) requires the installation free of time and space, therefore, needs independent power sources that are not restricted by batteries or power lines. Energy harvesting technology harvests wasted energy such as vibration, heat, light, and electromagnetic waves from everyday settings, such as automobiles, buildings, and home appliances, and converts it into electrical energy. Energy harvesters can generate sufficient electricity to run small electronic devices by harvesting ambient energy sources without an external power supply. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Seok Jin Yoon) announced that Dr. Hyun-Cheol Song's research team at the Electronic Materials Research Center developed an autonomous resonance tuning (ART) piezoelectric energy harvester that autonomously adjusts its resonance according to the surrounding environment. The developed energy harvester can tune its own resonance over a broad bandwidth of more than 30 Hz, and convert the absorbed vibration energy into electrical energy. The energy harvesting process that converts vibration into electrical energy inevitably causes a mechanical energy loss, which leads to low energy conversion efficiency. This problem can be solved by using the resonance phenomenon in which the vibration amplifies when the natural frequency of an object and the frequency of the vibration match. However, while the natural frequency of the energy harvester is fixed, the various vibrations we experience in our everyday settings have different ranges of frequency. For this reason, the natural frequency of the harvester must be adjusted to the usage environment every time in order to induce resonance, making it difficult to put into practical use. Accordingly, the KIST research team developed a specially designed energy harvester that can tune itself to the surrounding frequency without a separate electrical device. When the energy harvester senses the vibration of the surroundings, an adaptive clamping system (tuning system) attached to the harvester modulates its frequency to the same frequency as the external vibration, thus enabling resonance. As a result, it was possible to quickly achieve resonant frequency tuning within 2 seconds, continuously generating electricity in a broad bandwidth of more than 30Hz. For the real-world validation of the ART function, this energy harvester equipped with a tuning system was mounted on a driving vehicle. Unlike piezoelectric energy harvesters that have been introduced in preceding studies, it successfully drove a wireless positioning device without a battery in an environment where the vibration frequency continuously changed. Dr. Song (KIST), who led this study, said, "This result suggests that energy harvesters using vibrations can be applied to our real life soon. It is expected to be applicable as an independent power source for wireless sensors, including the IOT, in the future." This research was carried out as a KIST major project supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-ho Lee), and as an energy technology development project of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister Chang-yang Lee). The results of this study were published as a front cover in the issue of Advanced Science, an international journal in the energy field. Journal: Advanced Science Title: Autonomous Resonance-Tuning Mechanism for Environmental Adaptive Energy Harvesting Publication Date: 28-Nov-2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202205179 Schematics for energy harvester structure and adaptive clamping system (above) Graphs showing the characteristics of an ART energy harvester Diagrams showing the potential for practical use of an ART energy harvester that successfully drives a positioning device by utilizing the vibration energy of an automobile engine.