KOREAN NET

On the left is the lunar lander Nova-C and on the right is the Lunar Space Environment Monitor, which has sensor and electronics sections connected by wires. (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute)

By Koh Hyunjeong

This year's top 100 accomplishments in national research and development in six major fields of science and technology have been announced, including nanotechnology that can fold and unfold structures like paper and know-how that can correct genes.

The Ministry of Science and ICT on Dec. 17 released the list.

Launched in 2006, the annual honor had 12 winners this year, namely two from each of the six categories.

Leading the machinery and materials category were an online platform for mass production of metalenses via a combination of photolithography and nanoimprint lithography and DNA nanotechnology that can fold structures into shapes like paper.

The life and marine section honored an artificial intelligence model to predict the efficiency of a next-generation prime editor of gene scissors and the world's first identification of the Dicer enzyme, which is essential for controlling genes that cause cancer via RNA interference. The discovery of Dicer, which regulates gene manifestation, is expected to contribute to the treatment of rare cancers.

For the energy and environment category, the winners were "ultra-pure" domestic technology for semiconductor manufacturing and development and industrialization of cathode source materials, which were dubbed a "game changer" in the secondary battery market.

The information and electronics section picked electronic skin that can recognize finger gestures and an embedded logic controller for signal processing, as well as stronger response capacity against enemy ballistic missiles and the nation's first development and launch of a joint system for wartime operational control with the U.S.

In convergence, the winners were nano-magnetic bubbles to precisely detect hardening of biological tissue via ultrasound and the world's first DNA and drone platform based on fifth-generation mobile communication for precise searches in real-time disasters or accidents.

The fundamental science and infrastructure section honored an atomic-scale cubit as a new type of quantum computing cornerstone and the Lunar Space Environment Monitor to be installed on lunar landers for the NASA programs Artemis and Commercial Lunar Payload Services.

"These are the most important national assets in the era of competition for global technological hegemony," said Vice Minister Ryu Kwang Jun, who heads the ministry's Science, Technology and Innovation Bureau. "We will continue cooperation with relevant ministries to create an ecosystem that can be expanded to industry."

hjkoh@korea.kr