Oxygen is vital for both human and marine life’s survival. A few years ago, Dr. Chi-on Ng, a graduate of the Department of Chemistry at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), together with his team, developed a new type of photo-sensor that can effectively monitor oxygen concentration in seawater and reduce the monitoring cost. The team subsequently established a start-up company called “NerOcean”.

NerOcean’s technology was developed jointly by a team from CityUHK and The Education University of Hong Kong in 2018. Dr. Ng recalled, “I was engaged in postdoctoral research under the supervision of Professor Vincent Ko Chi-chiu at CityUHK at the time. I was exposed to different knowledge transfer projects, including cooperation with various industries, which helped me understand the importance of transforming research results into practical applications.”

The team is also collaborating with CityUHK’s State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution to launch a project called “Artificial Mussels” to monitor the content of heavy metals and radioactive substances in the ocean. They plan to test it in nearly 100 estuaries in 50 countries worldwide, contributing to the sustainable development of the “blue economy” and the planet.

Learn more about Dr. Ng, a graduate of the Department of Chemistry and his company, NerOcean, here.