The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has been awarded a total of HK$15.94 million to carry out research projects in two distinctive areas to tackle global societal and environmental challenges, from the 2025/26 Research Impact Fund (RIF) by the Research Grants Council (RGC).
The project “Development of an in-situ sensing platform for deep-sea exploration”, coordinated by Professor Ren Wei from the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, who is also Assistant Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Engineering, will develop high-sensitivity deep-sea detection technologies, overcoming scientific and technical bottlenecks in ocean exploration. It has been awarded HK$7.14 million.
“Development of an in-situ sensing platform for deep-sea exploration”
Exploring the deep sea, Earth’s last frontier, is vital for understanding the origins of early life, sustainable resource development and ecosystem dynamics. Dissolved gases such as CO₂, CH₄, and H₂S, along with their isotopes, reveal hidden chemical and biological processes. However, conventional methods relying on discrete seawater sampling fail to capture fine-scale spatial and temporal variations. The research team will develop a novel sensing platform by integrating fibre-enhanced photothermal gas sensors with manned submersibles. These miniature sensors, based on hollow-core fibres and fibre-tip cavities, enable high-sensitivity detection with microlitre-scale samples. Encased in titanium-alloy vessels, the system will undergo rigorous laboratory and simulated deep-sea testing. Field deployment will target cold seeps and hydrothermal zones, including a trial at the Haima cold seep (1,400 m) and expeditions to hadal trenches (up to 10,000 m). The platform will provide unprecedented insights into dissolved gas distributions, biogeochemical cycles, and global climate processes. Led by CUHK, the collaborative research team involves the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai), Leibniz University Hannover, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and LaSense Technology Limited.
The funding results of the Research Impact Fund 2025/26 are available at:
https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/rif/funded%20research/rif2526.html
Professor Ren Wei
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