“Did you know that climate predictions from various models differ a lot? I think this is because of a lack of understanding of clouds. We can only prepare for the future if we accurately predict climate change. This is a challenge that cannot be avoided any longer. As such, we will research and develop the technology necessary to predict future environmental changes and to help humans adapt to these changes.” As the Korea Institute for Science and Technology (KIST) unveiled its new Climate and Environmental Research Institute in July, Dr. Seong Soo Yum began his tenure as its Director-General (R&D part) by declaring his commitment to the Institute. Dr. Yum, an expert in cloud observation and numerical modeling research, will lead the Climate and Environmental Research Institute alongside Director Jinyoung Kim. Together, they aim to set up a new research and development (R&D) enforcement strategy and promote the development of integrated, innovative technologies to respond to future climate disasters. “Clouds are at the center of climate change research,” Dr. Yum asserted, explaining that a proper understanding of clouds may help address the impacts of climate change on water resources. Therefore, he plans to carry out intensive cloud-related research at KIST, stating, “We will create artificial clouds through cloud chambers and research the regulation of precipitation to minimize the impacts of droughts and flooding due to climate change.” Although cloud research is still in the early phases, KIST is eager to take on the challenge. Scientists have long been giving warnings of the seriousness of climate change and have been conducting mitigation-related research. However, much of this research has focused on renewable energy sources, or on the reduction and capture of carbon emissions. The Climate and Environmental Research Institute, however, has a different vision. Its goal is to gain a scientific understanding of natural phenomena and develop innovative technologies to preemptively adapt to the impacts of climate change. This makes KIST the only organization to be actively pursuing R&D specifically to respond to future global environmental change. As a professor and the first to jointly working at the Climate and Environmental Research Institute, Dr. Yum commended KIST, stating, “With climate change becoming more serious, the importance of atmospheric science and cloud research is being emphasized. It is significant that KIST has quickly reacted to this global trend and risen to the challenge of conducting research that has never been done before.” He added, “I feel a responsibility to use this opportunity, because atmospheric scientists will have a lot of work to do.” Dr. Yum will oversee cloud-related research at the Institute, something KIST has never attempted before. There, his team will develop systems to understand cloud processes and eventually contribute to accurately predicting climate change, as well as artificial precipitation and cloud dissipation technologies that can bring rain to drought-stricken regions and prevent rainfall in flood-prone areas. The first step will be to develop new materials to artificially trigger or prevent rainfall. This includes condensation nuclei that can turn ordinary clouds into rain clouds and new materials that could possibly reduce precipitation. “Research on artificial rainfall is active in the U.A.E. and China, but our cloud and atmospheric conditions are different from theirs. Any development of new materials must be suited to this region,” he said, emphasizing the importance of securing independent technology. A chamber will be constructed to produce artificial clouds. While the shape and size of the chamber is still under discussion, it has been decided to use various aerosols and water vapor content to create various clouds. “We are collecting the necessary information to build the chamber, hoping to have it ready by 2024. We will bring in new experts in the field of climate change technology, and we will discover the role clouds play in climate change,” he said. The chamber will also be used to test the performance of new materials. Dr. Yum has been working on artificial rainfall simulation models for some years, and his research is expected to gain momentum. “We will be able to measure what is happening inside the cloud chamber first-hand. Given the importance of simulations, we will work to foster synergy with the computational scientists at KIST,” he said. Are there any other cloud chambers in the country? According to Dr. Yum, there are only about seven or eight cloud chambers around the world that are actively in operation. Even in the United States, a country at the forefront of scientific research, currently only one is actively used in researcher. In South Korea, Dr. Yum and the National Institute of Meteorological Sciences are working together to build a cloud chamber and Dr. Yum is participating as a consultant. According to Dr. Yum, “The National Institute of Meteorological Sciences has a chamber that expands air to create clouds, which would be different from KIST’s method.” He added, “We have been speaking with the people who lead a new cloud chamber design project in the U.S. to gather information. As climate change is an issue that all of humanity must address, research should be conducted in a collaborative manner.” If this project succeeds, KIST plans to use drones to study actual clouds. This will be accomplished through collaboration with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, which possesses significant unmanned aircraft technology. “There is no guarantee that this research will be successful,” says Dr. Yum. However, he declares, “With our firm determination, the climate change adaptation technology we need can be developed…” Every five to six years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) releases a comprehensive report that presents research results on predicted climate change scenarios from various countries. However, although the best technology from around the world is used to predict changes in the Earth’s climate and environment, the results vary. Dr. Yum explained that the unattainable true value represents the uncertainty of climate change prediction. “Recently, a lot of attention has been paid to cloud-related research, with many researchers citing clouds as one of the most crucial causes of uncertainty, but such research is not as easy as it seems,” he claims. “As in the saying that absurd dreamers ‘grasp at floating clouds’, clouds are above our heads, but difficult to reach and measure. The amount of water vapor held in each cloud and their aerosol distribution also change daily, which is another barrier to research.” Given the setbacks, Dr. Yum said, “There is no guarantee that this research will be successful.” He further stressed, “Unlike universities which tend to conduct research independently, this Institute is a team-based organization where many people work in synergy with one another. Through firm determination, the climate change adaptation technology we need can be developed, provided that we don’t rush, and remain focused on atmospheric science.” Finally, Dr. Yum said, “There are simulations that artificially eliminate high clouds that increase global temperatures. We call such interventions ‘geoengineering’, the large-scale manipulation of the Earth’s physical and chemical properties. Although geoengineering is currently limited to simulations, it may be our last option if the impacts of climate change become too severe. We should all do our utmost in our respective positions to avoid a situation wherein nature must be artificially manipulated. Therefore, we will ensure that KIST retains its focus on preemptively responding to climate change.”

Dr. Jae-Pyoung Ahn, the long-time Head of the Advanced Analysis Center, was recently appointed Director of the newly founded Research Resources Division, which consists of five centers: the Doping Control Center, Advanced Analysis Center, Technology Support Center, Research Animal Resources Center, and Micro Nano Fab Center. Together, they are responsible for managing KIST’s research resources and providing broad support across its 30 centers. Future Direction of KIST’s New Research Resources and Data Support Centers To synergize the centers which were combined as a result of the organizational restructuring, professionalism must first be established. The centers can synergistically function only when it is comprised of individuals who specialize in their given roles. Thus, maximizing the professionalism of the various experts within the centers should be the highest priority. Next, we must look for a model that maximizes the connectivity between the centers within the division. We will examine how each of these centers are interconnected in handling tasks, and develop successful cases into a representative model. Once professionalism and connectivity are established within and between the centers, the Research Resources and Data Support Centers should ultimately work toward providing “creative support.” The process through which a researcher requests an analysis at the centers is analogous to how photographers take pictures. If photographers are asked to simply take pictures, they may do so using expensive cameras and assistive equipment. However, if they are requested to take pictures as artists, they may constantly suggest different poses and use their talents to take more expressive pictures. Like flexible photographers, the Research Resources and Data Support centers must actively make suggestions to researchers. Similar to how clients are unfamiliar with photographic techniques and equipment, researchers, too, do not fully understand how to improve their analyses. If those in charge of analyses do not come up with creative ideas and deliver them, researchers cannot realize their ideas. Ultimately, KIST must provide tailored technical and resource support to its researchers. It has been some time now since R&D began to utilize computers, and this has led to rapid advances in simulations and AI. Now, with enough data, AI makes predictions and interpretations at speeds humans can no longer keep up with. Data-based R&D needs the following. First, a platform that can store research data produced at KIST, along with their structured metadata. Therefore, developing a system to collect data in a structured format that can be utilized by researchers within KIST will be the first step toward data-dirven R&D. We are introducing a system that can convert unstructured R&D data into structured R&D data by upgrading the already developed KiRI note. The second step is an AI model that can discover new concepts within the data. For humans, the more the available data, the longer it takes to understand the data, but this is not true for AI models. It is only a matter of time before AI replaces humans in data analysis. But to develop such models, AI and data experts, as well as researchers, must be deeply involved in designing algorithms. To KIST’s Researchers My wish for the researchers at KIST’s Research Resources and Data Support Centers is that every one should become the best in their own fields. Since our centers play a crucial role in KIST becoming a world-renowned research institute, I would like all of you to maintain the professionalism needed to achieve the best performance. I would also like you all to not forget that the Research Resources and Data Support centers boasts the best competencies and technologies within South Korea, and is internationally competitive as well. Many researchers fail to fully utilize the various resources provided by our centers because they are busy, in a hurry, or are unfamiliar with them. While I understand that research cultures are something that cannot change immediately, smoother communication between researchers and resource providers will rapidly increase research productivity. I hope that all of you can engage in greater communication and cooperation in the future. Once professionalism and connectivity are established within and between the centers, the Research Resources Division should ultimately work toward providing “creative support.”

Jin Sang Kim, the new Director-General of the Jeonbuk Institute of Advanced Composite Materials a panoraic view of KIST Jeonbuk Institute In August 2020, Dr. Kim was appointed as the KIST's new head, the Jeonbuk Institute of Advanced Composite Materials. Dr. Kim has devoted himself to the research of electronic materials for over 30 years and led to new semiconductor materials and devices. This is why he was selected as the right person in the Jeonbuk branch established to achieve the cornerstone of economic development through the development of carbon-related composite material technology. As soon as he arrived, he had one-on-one interviews with all employees and heard the research site's voice. He listened to the concerns accumulated over the years, from requests for replacement of outdated facilities to improve the research environment and difficulties in research. After the interviews, he went through, again and again, the voices of the researchers compressed in A4 sheets. He had a feeling of confidence following these conversations and thought, “I can do it together with these people”. He said, “I had a lot of worries about how to run the research institute, but I felt reassured that the talented researchers were working hard for the future in our KIST Jeonbuk.” He showed his confidence in managing the institute by adding, “Above all, I gained the trust that these people can do it.” Two joint projects with the Jeonbuk Institute remain as excellent practice cases “I built a relationship with KIST Jeonbuk Institute by doing two joint projects. I wanted to immerse myself in research in a quiet place, and I arrived here. I think it was meant to be.” <span lang="EN-US" sabon="" lt="" std";="" color:="" rgb(33,="" 29,="" 30);"="" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: initial; padding: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 9.5pt; font-weight: initial; vertical-align: baseline; letter-spacing: 0pt;">Director-General Kim conducted joint research with the Jeonbuk Institute while serving as the head of the Moon Exploration Research Project Promotion Team and head of the R&D project team customized for the security site. The Jeonbuk Institute, where research on combining the strengths of two or more materials to create a more synergistic effect is being conducted, was a partner he wanted to work together. Lightweight materials for space travel were researched jointly, and together they also developed an ultra-lightweight foldable shield to protect police officers. Police officers are using these shields and are considered an excellent case among the research team's projects. They were also recently donated to Nigeria. The Jeonbuk Institute has developed a technology that can recover more than 95% of carbon fiber by treating carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) at an eco-friendly and low-cost level. This was transferred to a company. Further, a technology for synthesizing boron nitride was developed, a two-dimensional substance composed of two elements (nitrogen and boron) into a single crystal, and was published in the famous international journal, Science. The “waste plastic into carbon by upcycling technology” he mentioned is expected to be used in high-value-added carbon resource conversion technology from waste plastics, which are increasing due to Covid-19. “As the time spend at home increased due to Covid-19, the consumption of food delivery and the use of disposables increased. We have confirmed that graphite and carbon can be extracted from plastics and used as electrode materials, so we will improve them with low-cost process technology to help solve social problems that may arise from non-face-to-face activities.” Lastly, there is something he wants to achieve while in office. It is a research institute where researchers can settle down and work hard. He said, “Because the Jeonbuk Institute office is located in an area far from the metropolitan area, there is indeed high researcher turnover. There are many young researchers, but I will try to operate the institution so that they can become leader-level researchers.” He added, “I always dream of a future where we can develop carbon-based composite materials to make electric wires, automobile cables, power transmission lines, and so on, and commercialize them. I will create a good research environment where researchers can achieve success.”

Meet KIST Dr. Seo Minah. During the week, she is a physicist devoted to her research in ultrafast optics and nanoscience. Her current research is on developing a sensing platform for quick diagnosis using light to examine protein structural change or virus. On weekends? Don’t be surprised to see her as an artist holding a paintbrush. Optics play an important role in paintings. It has long given inspiration to artists. Georges Seurat, a famous French painter, studied chromatics and optical theory and developed pointillism, drawing paintings that display division of pure color and color contrast. Claude Monet drew haystacks, which look different by seasons. Monet expressed how haystacks, with their porous yet large surface area, are viewed differently under varied sunlight. Many well-known painters, in their attempt to express objects onto the canvas, experimented with light whether they were aware of it or not. The Lycurgus Cup is a 4th century Roman glass cup ornamented with a sculpted mythical King. Normally a green hue, the cup turns red when light passes from the inside. This effect is caused because the scattering of light changes depending on the size and shape of metal nanoparticles. The skill to grind gold and silver into nanoparticles became the underlying technology of stained glass, which spread across Europe after the 12th century. Color change using metal particles is used in various areas in science and technology including biosensors. Dr. Seo’s book published early this year, “A Physicist in the Art Museum”, reveals the world of physics found in art. “Artists are the true experimenters and scientists,” says Dr. Seo. As the title implies, the book is an artbook written from a physicist’s point of view. With each turning page readers are met by artwork after artwork, with atomic model, photo of the sun’s black spot, and sound wave graph in between. Dr. Seo, who makes sure to visit art museums whenever she travels abroad for research or a conference, realized that artists’ inspirational muse turned out to be physics, especially since 17th century. With this book, she hoped to unravel how that science converges with art. Take the two paintings of La Grenouill？？re, for example. Comparing the same scenery drawn by Renoir and Monet during the same period, you can understand how surface tension and gravity creates waves on water surface, and the book explains how waves are made and the movement of medium when wave travels, and why this happens. Ren？？ Magritte’s ‘The Treachery of Images’ unfolds the wonders of quantum mechanics, a main pillar of modern physics, while Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Agostina Segatori Sitting in the Caf？？ du Tambourin’ shows us another image hidden in the background, investigated by various wavelength of light. Dr. Seo draws cover images for her research paper whenever possible. In graduate school she was well known for her image-producing skills. Even now Dr. Seo continues to paint. She sends drawings for her friends’ wedding invitations, published a children’s picture book, and submits artwork for her art club’s group exhibitions. She also drew the image for the cover paper published in Advanced Optical Materials last February. These have led to her writing a book introducing core concepts and principles of physics in art masterpieces. Dr. Seo said, “The experiment data we see every day is boring numbers, not images. Through drawing, I developed a skill of giving form to numbers inside my head. It is important to visualize your research to help people understand it. I hope this book will be helpful in adding a stroke of thoughtfulness when visualizing study findings to exchange ideas with experts in other fields.” Even as she continues to paint, Dr. Seo plans to focus more on her career as a researcher. “I recently had success with KIST Virus Research Team on virus measurement and cell observation research using THz light. Bio research is a completely new field for a physicist like myself, but I want to use this experience as a chance to develop medical equipment that is useful in our daily lives in the near future,” says Dr. Seo.

These are just several of the comments expressed by foreign students conducting research at KIST where there are currently about 200 international students acquiring R&D skills in science and technology by participating in national joint research projects. The students have come to Korea to join KIST School, which was established jointly by KIST and UST (University of Science and Technology) in 2017. KIST School has approximately 500 alumni around the world (as of 2018). Graduates continue their research careers at prestigious universities and government-funded institutions equipped with real research experience and strong adaptability. “My dream is to become a researcher of many talents” Meet Laura Bilbao Broch. A member of the KIST Center for Functional Connectomics, she has an unusual background by having lived in six countries over the past seven years. “I wanted to experience life in Asia. That is one of the reasons why I thought of working and living in Korea” she explains. She is currently working at KIST on developing GEVIs(Genetically Encoded Voltage Indicators). Bilbao Broch explains a GEVI is a protein that can sense membrane potential in a cell and relates the change in voltage to a fluorescent output. is a protein that can sense membrane potential in a cell and is involved in the change in voltage to a fluorescent output. Using GEVIs, you can report neuronal voltage from dozens of neurons in a single field of view. She says, “GEVI is a new research field that I encountered for the first time at KIST. As I came with hopes of acquiring new knowledge, I am enjoying participating in the project.” It’s been several months since she came to Korea. “I feel comfortable living here now, as you can see from how I use chopsticks with ease,” she jokes. “KIST has a full array of research facilities and equipment necessary for projects, and researchers here are top experts in their fields,” she adds, factors which contribute to her satisfaction with life at KIST. With a goal to become an “well-rounded scientist,” she believes, “It’s natural to become an expert if you spend most of your time in one area. But I am interested in learning theories and skills from a wide range of fields.” She adds, “I would like to become an well-rounded scientist by participating in diverse projects.” “I wanted to live as a researcher in the country of Taekwondo” Cininta Savitri from Indonesia is a student researcher at KIST’s Center for Biomaterials. She is studying ways to develop biomaterials by synthesizing naturally-obtained CDMs into artificial material such as polymer. “I fell in love with Korea while taking Taekwondo classes as a child,” Savitri says. She found out about the KIST School program when she was considering a doctoral degree. She applied in order to grab the opportunity to experience “living in the country of Taekwondo.” As she explains, “The programs supported by KIST School were very interesting. They are research-centered and give you the chance to actually conduct research and become an author of a paper.” She adds, “High pay and a full scholarship are benefits that came to me and that you can’t find anywhere else in the world.” “KIST encourages and leads researchers to come up with creative ideas through programs such as the Idea Contest,” Savitri states. “From facilities to experiments and so forth, KIST has a well-provided environment.” She adds, “Although I am doing research in Korea, I am able to expand to the global stage through collaborative studies with researchers in various institutions around the world, which I am happy about. Our lab is conducting joint research with labs in China and the U.S. It’s a great advantage to have the opportunity to work with talents and resources there.” “Through R&D, I wish to provide a solution to my country’s energy problem” Tran Huyen Dang is a student researcher from Vietnam. Taking a doctoral program as a member of the Clean Energy Research Center, she is working on metal catalyst research, conducting experiments on the oxidation of methane and optimizing all conditions for reaction in order to find industrial applications for renewable energy. Her interest in renewable energy comes from her desire to make a positive impact on Vietnam’s environmental and energy issues. This is also why she chose Korea for doing research. Korea’s history of development played a role in her decision. “Korea quickly advanced its science and technology and achieved exceptional growth. Coming to KIST has given me so much training in creative research. Living and studying in Korea is a huge opportunity for me.” After graduating from KIST School, she plans to join a postdoctoral program to gain additional research knowledge and skills and study research trends. ？“Korea’s R&D policy to solve global issues impressed me” Denis, a student researcher at the Clean Energy Research Center, is now in his second year living in Korea. He is working on research related to the conversion of CO2 to formic acid, which is known to be a more stable and adequate material for hydrogen storage and transport compared to hydrogen, gas, or liquids. Having come to Korea through a program administered jointly by Belarus Science Academy and KIST, Denis says, “I was curious about meeting new people and their research culture. I applied without hesitation and started my internship.” He thoroughly concurs that KIST is an excellent place for R&D. Talking about the Korean government’s S&T support, he explains, “Korea has S&T policies to solve global issues. These aren’t easy issues for countries to try to solve, so I was impressed by Korea’s long-term investment.” He hopes to continue his research career in the field of chemical catalysts and engineering. As he explains, “I plan to keep taking on new challenges, keep growing, and obtain various knowledge.” To researchers abroad who wish to come to Korea he gives the following advice, “It is difficult to stop what you are doing and come. But you need to learn to let go if you want to adjust to a new environment. There is fascination in getting to know a new world and learning unpredictable things. In these aspects, Korea can be the best starting point.” “Faced with the ever-increasing incidence of cancer, I wish to study the topic of prognosis” At KIST’s Molecular Recognition Research Center, you will find student researcher Eda Ates working on field studies necessary to develop a new biomarker. Ates found out about KIST School by chance on the internet. She applied with hopes of conducting a wide range of research with talented colleagues and world-class facilities and says she is happy with her life at KIST. Above all, she is attracted by joint global research projects where you can collaborate with many talented researchers. She says, “KIST has highly educated students from around the world. Because they come from such a diverse cultural background, the school provides an environment where you can understand and learn from different cultures.” She adds, “I am particularly satisfied with the facilities where you can effectively conduct experiments and the fact that you can exchange opinions about science topics and strengthen creativity.” Her future challenge is to do R&D on biomarkers related to cancer. Reflecting on her future, Ates muses, “I don’t have any specific plans about the future yet. But I am interested in acquiring various knowledge in biology and finding a new biomarker for cancer.” She continues by saying, “Many suffer from cancer, which is increasing each year. I will start an experiment under the topic of finding biomarkers necessary in the process of cancer prognosis and treatment.”

To solve social problems that are becoming increasingly diverse and complex, researchers are voluntarily teaming up to conduct convergence research. Convergence research isn’t easy - working in different labs makes it challenging to schedule meetings, and researchers are already working long hours on other major projects. But the benefits of taking a lead research role and working on such significant issues make convergence research appealing. Idea Born During Basketball Match Scores Big "An idea that came up during a game with KIST basketball club members was the start of it all. Our joking comments took shape. Because we were in charge of everything from ideas to experiments, the process was fun - and that’s why I think we produced good results.” (Dr. Wook Seong LEE) Dr. Lee and Dr. Choi led a team that last year succeeded in developing an adhesive material that can efficiently remove toxic Cr6+, a heavy metal which is often discharged in high concentrations in industrial wastewater. Researchers first came together for this interdisciplinary convergence project back in 2015. Researcher Young Jin KO, a member of the KIST basketball club, started talking about a research topic he was interested in while taking a break after a game. Ko said, “Polypyrrole is frequently used to deliver electric signals in artificial muscles. When I was doing research on polypyrrole, I was told that it is also used to remove heavy metal in water.” Ko and Dr. Lee went on to create an adhesive material using polypyrrole, which is widely used as a conductive polymer, and Dr. Choi’s team then used the material to experiment with heavy metal adhesion. The KIST Computational Science Research Center also joined in and analyzed the adhesion change of Cr6+ according to certain parameters and contributed to schematizing the experiments. As a result, the combined team was able to quantitatively define the adhesion mechanism of Cr6+ in aquatic conditions through its oxidation and deoxidation reaction according to different pH conditions, using a certain nitrogen-carbon structure within polypyrrole. Researchers really enjoyed conducting research which they planned on their own, but it wouldn’t have been possible to achieve the results without input from experts in various fields. As Dr. Lee explained, “There was a lot of research similar to ours starting in the early 2000s, but none of it quite reached the level of in-depth analysis of related mechanisms. We approached from various fields - material, physics, and chemistry, which made the difference. I also think doing research with a good frame of mind led to good results.” Convergence Research? It’s What We Do Everyday “ Convergence research is an everyday activity. You ask an expert if you have questions about an unfamiliar field. Doing research based on the idea created in that process is how I see convergence research.” (Dr. Ki Hoon KIM) Dr. Ki Hoon KIM and Dr. Hyo Jin LEE recently succeeded in developing a biosensor that diagnoses precocious puberty using urine. 1 mL of urine is enough to detect trace amounts of sex hormone, making this biosensor the most sensitive in the world. This research was not the first convergence project for the two researchers. While postdoctoral researchers at the same university, they already had experience working？ together on confirming the denaturation of biomaterial using mass spectrometry, so it was easy to join forces once again. It made sense to Dr. Lee, “We had to analyze a specific sample - urine - for hormones. Because this is a specialized area of the KIST Doping Control Center, I suggested to Dr. Kim that we work together on this project.” To develop the biosensor, Dr. Lee assumed the role of design and synthesis while Dr. Kim worked on signal testing and analysis. A major research challenge was an insufficient amount of sex hormones in urine. To address this issue, researchers assigned a specific barcode to urine sex hormones. First, they made a biosensor composed of a magnet and gold nanoparticles, and then attached an antibody that draws sex hormones to the magnet, while the gold nanoparticles were tied with aptamer and 7 million chemical substances capable of combining with certain sex hormones. When sex hormones inside urine bind to the gold particles, the biosensor sends a strong signal, just like a barcode, to signal the existence of sex hormones. Dr. Lee said, “I believe that asking an expert about something you don’t know and accepting the challenge to move from a new idea to a result is what convergence research is about. Interacting and having casual conversations with other researchers made this project possible.”