The Hong Kong Alliance of Technology and Innovation (HKATI) continues to promote the spirit of scientific innovation among Hong Kong youth through its "A+ STEM Promotion Programme," contributing to nurturing local tech talent. Today (June 26), the Alliance collaborated with Professor Wong Siu-lun, recipient of the 2023 BOC Hong Kong Technology Innovation Award in Life and Health Sciences, Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong's School of Biomedical Sciences, and Principal Investigator of the Functional Genomics Programme at the Centre for Oncology and Immunology (COI) of InnoHK. Together, they visited Tai Po Old Market Public School to initiate a journey exploring "Gene Editing – Rewriting the Blueprint of Life" for fifth-grade students.
Through this lecture, the primary school students not only learned how diseases can be cured by altering DNA sequences but also gained preliminary understanding of the fundamental qualities and exploratory spirit required for scientific research.
Professor Wong, who has frequently participated in popular science activities for diverse groups including secondary students, adults, and seniors, delivered a lecture on complex gene-editing technology to primary school students for the first time. Ms. Cheung Lai-chu, Principal of Tai Po Old Market Public School, expressed special gratitude to HKATI and the BOC Hong Kong Technology Innovation Award for their focus on primary students. She highly commended Professor Wong for conveying profound and cutting-edge scientific knowledge in accessible language to young learners.
During the presentation, Professor Wong introduced the novel concept of CRISPR to students, using videos, images, and other multimedia tools to demonstrate gene-editing technology and compare CRISPR applications.
The lecture buzzed with energy as students engaged attentively, pondered actively, and posed thought-provoking questions to Professor Wong—such as whether blood types can be altered—demonstrating their keen interest.
