Pukyong National University

Two Pukyong National University Research Teams Selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Basic Research Laboratory Support Program

― Teams Led by Professors Wan-Young Chung and Hyun-Ho Shin to Pioneer Future Marine Technology and Climate Change Research

― Each Team to Receive KRW 1.5 Billion and Conduct Research Projects over Three Years

Two research teams from Pukyong National University (President Sang-Hoon Bae) have been selected for the Basic Research Laboratory Support Program (BRL), administered by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea. The teams will conduct research on future technologies in the fields of advanced marine technology and climate change response.

The Basic Research Laboratory Support Program is a national research and development initiative designed to foster research groups with world-class capabilities in fundamental research. At Pukyong National University, the research team led by Professor Wan-Young Chung of the Major of Electronic Engineering was selected in the Advanced Research category, while the team led by Professor Hyun-Ho Shin of the Major of Aquaculture and Applied Life Sciences was selected in the Pioneering Research category. Each team will receive KRW 1.5 billion in research funding and carry out its project for three years, from July through June 2029.

Professor Wan-Young Chung achieved the distinction of being selected for the program for the second time as principal investigator, following his team’s previous selection in 2020. His research team will undertake the project titled “Development of an AI-Based Underwater Environment-Adaptive Optical Communication Receiver Module with Ultra-High-Sensitivity and High-Speed Dual-Receiver Modes.” The team will develop core next-generation underwater optical communication technologies capable of transmitting data reliably over long distances and at ultra-high speeds, even beneath the ocean surface. Professors Kang-Joon Baek of the Major of Next-Generation Semiconductor Engineering and Sang-Won Hwang of the School of Computer and Artificial Intelligence Engineering at Pukyong National University, along with Professor Myung-Gil Kim of the School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, will participate in the research.

Conventional underwater communication systems have faced significant performance degradation caused by turbidity and changing underwater conditions. To overcome these limitations, the team plans to develop an intelligent receiver module that uses AI to analyze the surrounding environment in real time and automatically optimize the reception method.

To achieve this goal, the team will develop a large-area sensor array integrating blue-light-sensitive optical sensors, ultra-high-speed photodiodes, and high-performance CMOS circuitry. It will also implement dual-mode technology that selectively operates in either ultra-high-sensitivity or ultra-high-speed mode depending on environmental conditions. In addition, the researchers plan to build an adaptive receiver system that maintains stable communication despite changes in the underwater environment by applying AI-based non-mechanical beam tracking and precision pointing technologies.

Ultimately, the team aims to secure world-class foundational technology by developing an underwater optical communication receiver module with a data transmission speed of approximately 1 Gbps and a communication range exceeding 100 meters. The research outcomes are expected to support real-time, high-speed underwater communication across a wide range of applications, including autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), marine observation, underwater structure management, marine robotics, submarines, and underwater leisure activities.

Meanwhile, Professor Hyun-Ho Shin’s research team will conduct a project titled “Impacts of Atmospheric and Rainfall-Borne Microorganisms Entering the Ocean on Coastal Ecosystems in the Era of Climate Change.” The team will investigate how microorganisms transported through the atmosphere enter the ocean via rainfall and affect coastal ecosystems and food webs. It also plans to establish essential baseline data for predicting ecosystem changes driven by climate change. Professors Beom-Soo Park of the Department of Life Science at Hanyang University and Jin-Ho Kim of the Department of Earth and Marine Sciences at Jeju National University will participate in the joint research.

As climate change alters precipitation patterns and atmospheric circulation, the movement of microorganisms through rainfall has recently gained increasing attention. However, its effects on marine ecosystems have yet to be fully understood.

The research team plans to analyze the diversity of microorganisms and microalgae in rainwater and use molecular biological and ecological techniques to determine their effects on biodiversity and food-web structures in coastal ecosystems. In particular, the study is expected to identify atmospheric transport pathways and rainfall-driven microbial dispersal mechanisms in Northeast Asia, including Korea, thereby establishing essential baseline data for predicting ecosystem changes caused by climate change.

New microalgal resources obtained during the research will be systematically preserved and managed through the Korea Marine Microalgae Culture Center (KMCC), located within the College of Fisheries Sciences at Pukyong National University. These resources will serve as essential research materials for studies on biodiversity, climate change response, and the marine bioindustry. <Pukyong Today>