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ANDERNACH, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 14 January 2025 – LTS LOHMANN Therapie-Systeme AG (“LTS”), a leading pharmaceutical technology company, is proud to announces its selection as a Concept Stage winner for two projects in the #PatchForwardPrize, a $50 million challenge by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to advance microneedle patch-based RNA vaccine technologies. LTS’ proprietary dissolvable microneedle array patch technology with mRNA vaccines aims for the development of next generation vaccine technologies. Source: LTS LOHMANN Therapie-Systeme AG The Patch Forward Prize, part of the Project NextGen initiative led by BARDA, aims to accelerate next-generation vaccine technologies. By fostering partnerships between vaccine developers and delivery platform innovators, the competition drives progress from concept to clinical stages, paving the way for transformative advancements in global health. Each of the prizes announced today represents an award of US$ 2 million, that will be shared between LTS and its partners. The awarded projects bring together LTS’s proprietary dissolvable Microneedle Array Patch (MAP) technology with mRNA vaccines from two partners, BioNet, a biotech manufacturer specializing in genetically engineered vaccines and PopVax, an Indian full-stack biotechnology company developing broadly-protective mRNA vaccines using machine learning-enabled computational protein design. Both projects aim to address critical challenges in vaccine stability, delivery, and adaptability, with the potential to improve patient access and compliance. The focus will be on seasonal influenza vaccines, with the ability to pivot to pandemic strains if necessary. BioNet’s approach tackles the ongoing challenge of influenza strain variability by developing a trivalent seasonal influenza mRNA vaccine (mIV3) that targets conserved regions of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins from dominant H1N1, H3N2, and B influenza viruses. These mRNA constructs are carefully selected to elicit broad protective immune responses against seasonal influenza. PopVax is leading the effort to develop a seasonal influenza vaccine built on their novel mRNA-encoded immunogen display architecture and LNP platform. PopVax’s immunogen design and display approach boosts the elicited strain-specific antibody response by as much as 250x in mice in comparison with a leading approved influenza vaccine, leading to significantly lower dosage requirements. This approach also elicits a broader immune response, including robust antibody titer against pandemic H5N1 influenza, a rising threat in the United States, despite not encoding an H5N1-specific immunogen. LTS CEO Bas van Buijtenen commented: “As a front-runner in drug delivery, we care passionately about solutions that provide better outcomes and better patient experience. We are grateful and proud that Barda’s Patch Forward prize provides an opportunity to BioNet, PopVax and LTS to create a breakthrough in vaccine administration. We look forward to delivering on the promise of the combination of our technologies through our joint programs.” “LTS Microneedle-Array-Patch (Map)-Program is proud to have received those 2 awards together with our partners PopVax and BioNet, with their innovative mRNA technologies”, added Dr. Frank Theobald, Head of MAP Program at LTS. “The BARDA Patch Forward Price allows combination of 2 breakthrough technologies to be better prepared for the next pandemics to come. The financial support from BARDA will help to advance the MAP technology towards commercialization addressing an unmet medical need and offering the opportunity for self-administration as well as the opportunity for lowering the cold-chain requirements for mRNA.” – Picture is available at AP – Hashtag: #FEV The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About LTS We CARE. We CREATE. We DELIVER. The driving philosophy behind LTS. As a trusted technology partner for the pharmaceutical industry, we develop and manufacture innovative drug delivery systems such as Transdermal Patches (“TTS”) and Oral Thin Films (“OTF”) as well as wearable drug delivery devices (“OBDS”). LTS´ commercial offering encompasses more than 20 marketed products and a diverse pipeline of more than 40 development projects targeting multiple disease indications. LTS’s innovation pipeline contains both partner-funded as well as proprietary, LTS-funded projects. LTS maintains its leading position through the continuous refinement of its core TTS and OTF technologies and by advancing emerging drug delivery technologies, including Microneedle Array Patches (“MAP”) for the transdermal delivery of small and large molecules, biological actives and vaccines. With its SorrelTM wearable drug delivery platform LTS offers patient friendly solutions for complex drugs delivery at home. Founded in 1984, LTS operates today from four sites: in Andernach, Germany, West Caldwell, NJ, USA, St. Paul, MN, USA and Netanya, Israel. LTS has also a representative office in Shanghai, China.

ANDERNACH, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 14 January 2025 – LTS LOHMANN Therapie-Systeme AG (“LTS”), a leading pharmaceutical technology company, is proud to announces its selection as a Concept Stage winner for two projects in the #PatchForwardPrize, a $50 million challenge by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to advance microneedle patch-based RNA vaccine technologies. LTS’ proprietary dissolvable microneedle array patch technology with mRNA vaccines aims for the development of next generation vaccine technologies. Source: LTS LOHMANN Therapie-Systeme AG The Patch Forward Prize, part of the Project NextGen initiative led by BARDA, aims to accelerate next-generation vaccine technologies. By fostering partnerships between vaccine developers and delivery platform innovators, the competition drives progress from concept to clinical stages, paving the way for transformative advancements in global health. Each of the prizes announced today represents an award of US$ 2 million, that will be shared between LTS and its partners. The awarded projects bring together LTS’s proprietary dissolvable Microneedle Array Patch (MAP) technology with mRNA vaccines from two partners, BioNet, a biotech manufacturer specializing in genetically engineered vaccines and PopVax, an Indian full-stack biotechnology company developing broadly-protective mRNA vaccines using machine learning-enabled computational protein design. Both projects aim to address critical challenges in vaccine stability, delivery, and adaptability, with the potential to improve patient access and compliance. The focus will be on seasonal influenza vaccines, with the ability to pivot to pandemic strains if necessary. BioNet’s approach tackles the ongoing challenge of influenza strain variability by developing a trivalent seasonal influenza mRNA vaccine (mIV3) that targets conserved regions of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins from dominant H1N1, H3N2, and B influenza viruses. These mRNA constructs are carefully selected to elicit broad protective immune responses against seasonal influenza. PopVax is leading the effort to develop a seasonal influenza vaccine built on their novel mRNA-encoded immunogen display architecture and LNP platform. PopVax’s immunogen design and display approach boosts the elicited strain-specific antibody response by as much as 250x in mice in comparison with a leading approved influenza vaccine, leading to significantly lower dosage requirements. This approach also elicits a broader immune response, including robust antibody titer against pandemic H5N1 influenza, a rising threat in the United States, despite not encoding an H5N1-specific immunogen. LTS CEO Bas van Buijtenen commented: “As a front-runner in drug delivery, we care passionately about solutions that provide better outcomes and better patient experience. We are grateful and proud that Barda’s Patch Forward prize provides an opportunity to BioNet, PopVax and LTS to create a breakthrough in vaccine administration. We look forward to delivering on the promise of the combination of our technologies through our joint programs.” “LTS Microneedle-Array-Patch (Map)-Program is proud to have received those 2 awards together with our partners PopVax and BioNet, with their innovative mRNA technologies”, added Dr. Frank Theobald, Head of MAP Program at LTS. “The BARDA Patch Forward Price allows combination of 2 breakthrough technologies to be better prepared for the next pandemics to come. The financial support from BARDA will help to advance the MAP technology towards commercialization addressing an unmet medical need and offering the opportunity for self-administration as well as the opportunity for lowering the cold-chain requirements for mRNA.” – Picture is available at AP – Hashtag: #FEV The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About LTS We CARE. We CREATE. We DELIVER. The driving philosophy behind LTS. As a trusted technology partner for the pharmaceutical industry, we develop and manufacture innovative drug delivery systems such as Transdermal Patches (“TTS”) and Oral Thin Films (“OTF”) as well as wearable drug delivery devices (“OBDS”). LTS´ commercial offering encompasses more than 20 marketed products and a diverse pipeline of more than 40 development projects targeting multiple disease indications. LTS’s innovation pipeline contains both partner-funded as well as proprietary, LTS-funded projects. LTS maintains its leading position through the continuous refinement of its core TTS and OTF technologies and by advancing emerging drug delivery technologies, including Microneedle Array Patches (“MAP”) for the transdermal delivery of small and large molecules, biological actives and vaccines. With its SorrelTM wearable drug delivery platform LTS offers patient friendly solutions for complex drugs delivery at home. Founded in 1984, LTS operates today from four sites: in Andernach, Germany, West Caldwell, NJ, USA, St. Paul, MN, USA and Netanya, Israel. LTS has also a representative office in Shanghai, China.

ANDERNACH, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 14 January 2025 – LTS LOHMANN Therapie-Systeme AG (“LTS”), a leading pharmaceutical technology company, is proud to announces its selection as a Concept Stage winner for two projects in the #PatchForwardPrize, a $50 million challenge by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to advance microneedle patch-based RNA vaccine technologies. LTS’ proprietary dissolvable microneedle array patch technology with mRNA vaccines aims for the development of next generation vaccine technologies. Source: LTS LOHMANN Therapie-Systeme AG The Patch Forward Prize, part of the Project NextGen initiative led by BARDA, aims to accelerate next-generation vaccine technologies. By fostering partnerships between vaccine developers and delivery platform innovators, the competition drives progress from concept to clinical stages, paving the way for transformative advancements in global health. Each of the prizes announced today represents an award of US$ 2 million, that will be shared between LTS and its partners. The awarded projects bring together LTS’s proprietary dissolvable Microneedle Array Patch (MAP) technology with mRNA vaccines from two partners, BioNet, a biotech manufacturer specializing in genetically engineered vaccines and PopVax, an Indian full-stack biotechnology company developing broadly-protective mRNA vaccines using machine learning-enabled computational protein design. Both projects aim to address critical challenges in vaccine stability, delivery, and adaptability, with the potential to improve patient access and compliance. The focus will be on seasonal influenza vaccines, with the ability to pivot to pandemic strains if necessary. BioNet’s approach tackles the ongoing challenge of influenza strain variability by developing a trivalent seasonal influenza mRNA vaccine (mIV3) that targets conserved regions of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins from dominant H1N1, H3N2, and B influenza viruses. These mRNA constructs are carefully selected to elicit broad protective immune responses against seasonal influenza. PopVax is leading the effort to develop a seasonal influenza vaccine built on their novel mRNA-encoded immunogen display architecture and LNP platform. PopVax’s immunogen design and display approach boosts the elicited strain-specific antibody response by as much as 250x in mice in comparison with a leading approved influenza vaccine, leading to significantly lower dosage requirements. This approach also elicits a broader immune response, including robust antibody titer against pandemic H5N1 influenza, a rising threat in the United States, despite not encoding an H5N1-specific immunogen. LTS CEO Bas van Buijtenen commented: “As a front-runner in drug delivery, we care passionately about solutions that provide better outcomes and better patient experience. We are grateful and proud that Barda’s Patch Forward prize provides an opportunity to BioNet, PopVax and LTS to create a breakthrough in vaccine administration. We look forward to delivering on the promise of the combination of our technologies through our joint programs.” “LTS Microneedle-Array-Patch (Map)-Program is proud to have received those 2 awards together with our partners PopVax and BioNet, with their innovative mRNA technologies”, added Dr. Frank Theobald, Head of MAP Program at LTS. “The BARDA Patch Forward Price allows combination of 2 breakthrough technologies to be better prepared for the next pandemics to come. The financial support from BARDA will help to advance the MAP technology towards commercialization addressing an unmet medical need and offering the opportunity for self-administration as well as the opportunity for lowering the cold-chain requirements for mRNA.” – Picture is available at AP – Hashtag: #FEV The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About LTS We CARE. We CREATE. We DELIVER. The driving philosophy behind LTS. As a trusted technology partner for the pharmaceutical industry, we develop and manufacture innovative drug delivery systems such as Transdermal Patches (“TTS”) and Oral Thin Films (“OTF”) as well as wearable drug delivery devices (“OBDS”). LTS´ commercial offering encompasses more than 20 marketed products and a diverse pipeline of more than 40 development projects targeting multiple disease indications. LTS’s innovation pipeline contains both partner-funded as well as proprietary, LTS-funded projects. LTS maintains its leading position through the continuous refinement of its core TTS and OTF technologies and by advancing emerging drug delivery technologies, including Microneedle Array Patches (“MAP”) for the transdermal delivery of small and large molecules, biological actives and vaccines. With its SorrelTM wearable drug delivery platform LTS offers patient friendly solutions for complex drugs delivery at home. Founded in 1984, LTS operates today from four sites: in Andernach, Germany, West Caldwell, NJ, USA, St. Paul, MN, USA and Netanya, Israel. LTS has also a representative office in Shanghai, China.

ANDERNACH, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 14 January 2025 – LTS LOHMANN Therapie-Systeme AG (“LTS”), a leading pharmaceutical technology company, is proud to announces its selection as a Concept Stage winner for two projects in the #PatchForwardPrize, a $50 million challenge by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to advance microneedle patch-based RNA vaccine technologies. LTS’ proprietary dissolvable microneedle array patch technology with mRNA vaccines aims for the development of next generation vaccine technologies. Source: LTS LOHMANN Therapie-Systeme AG The Patch Forward Prize, part of the Project NextGen initiative led by BARDA, aims to accelerate next-generation vaccine technologies. By fostering partnerships between vaccine developers and delivery platform innovators, the competition drives progress from concept to clinical stages, paving the way for transformative advancements in global health. Each of the prizes announced today represents an award of US$ 2 million, that will be shared between LTS and its partners. The awarded projects bring together LTS’s proprietary dissolvable Microneedle Array Patch (MAP) technology with mRNA vaccines from two partners, BioNet, a biotech manufacturer specializing in genetically engineered vaccines and PopVax, an Indian full-stack biotechnology company developing broadly-protective mRNA vaccines using machine learning-enabled computational protein design. Both projects aim to address critical challenges in vaccine stability, delivery, and adaptability, with the potential to improve patient access and compliance. The focus will be on seasonal influenza vaccines, with the ability to pivot to pandemic strains if necessary. BioNet’s approach tackles the ongoing challenge of influenza strain variability by developing a trivalent seasonal influenza mRNA vaccine (mIV3) that targets conserved regions of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins from dominant H1N1, H3N2, and B influenza viruses. These mRNA constructs are carefully selected to elicit broad protective immune responses against seasonal influenza. PopVax is leading the effort to develop a seasonal influenza vaccine built on their novel mRNA-encoded immunogen display architecture and LNP platform. PopVax’s immunogen design and display approach boosts the elicited strain-specific antibody response by as much as 250x in mice in comparison with a leading approved influenza vaccine, leading to significantly lower dosage requirements. This approach also elicits a broader immune response, including robust antibody titer against pandemic H5N1 influenza, a rising threat in the United States, despite not encoding an H5N1-specific immunogen. LTS CEO Bas van Buijtenen commented: “As a front-runner in drug delivery, we care passionately about solutions that provide better outcomes and better patient experience. We are grateful and proud that Barda’s Patch Forward prize provides an opportunity to BioNet, PopVax and LTS to create a breakthrough in vaccine administration. We look forward to delivering on the promise of the combination of our technologies through our joint programs.” “LTS Microneedle-Array-Patch (Map)-Program is proud to have received those 2 awards together with our partners PopVax and BioNet, with their innovative mRNA technologies”, added Dr. Frank Theobald, Head of MAP Program at LTS. “The BARDA Patch Forward Price allows combination of 2 breakthrough technologies to be better prepared for the next pandemics to come. The financial support from BARDA will help to advance the MAP technology towards commercialization addressing an unmet medical need and offering the opportunity for self-administration as well as the opportunity for lowering the cold-chain requirements for mRNA.” – Picture is available at AP – Hashtag: #FEV The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About LTS We CARE. We CREATE. We DELIVER. The driving philosophy behind LTS. As a trusted technology partner for the pharmaceutical industry, we develop and manufacture innovative drug delivery systems such as Transdermal Patches (“TTS”) and Oral Thin Films (“OTF”) as well as wearable drug delivery devices (“OBDS”). LTS´ commercial offering encompasses more than 20 marketed products and a diverse pipeline of more than 40 development projects targeting multiple disease indications. LTS’s innovation pipeline contains both partner-funded as well as proprietary, LTS-funded projects. LTS maintains its leading position through the continuous refinement of its core TTS and OTF technologies and by advancing emerging drug delivery technologies, including Microneedle Array Patches (“MAP”) for the transdermal delivery of small and large molecules, biological actives and vaccines. With its SorrelTM wearable drug delivery platform LTS offers patient friendly solutions for complex drugs delivery at home. Founded in 1984, LTS operates today from four sites: in Andernach, Germany, West Caldwell, NJ, USA, St. Paul, MN, USA and Netanya, Israel. LTS has also a representative office in Shanghai, China.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 January 2025 – Water droplets under freezing conditions do not spontaneously detach from surfaces as they do at room temperature due to stronger droplet-surface interaction and lack of an energy transformation pathway. Since accumulated droplets or ice have to be removed manually or with mechanical equipment, which is costly and inefficient, preventing droplet accretion on surfaces is both scientifically intriguing and practically important. Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have invented a ground-breaking self-powered mechanism of freezing droplet ejection that allows droplets to shoot themselves away, paving the way for cost-efficient and promising technological applications. A research team led by Prof. Zuankai Wang, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation), Kuok Group Professor in Nature-Inspired Engineering and Chair Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering (front row, left), and Prof. Haimin Yao, Associate Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering (front row, right), has invented a self-powered mechanism of freezing droplet ejection that allows droplets to shoot themselves away. Research team members include Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Huanhuan Zhang (back row, 1st from left), PhD student Mr Wei Zhang (back row, 2nd from left), Research Assistant Professor Dr Yuankai Jin (back row, 2nd from right), and PhD student Mr Chenyang Wu (back row, 1st from right). Published in Nature Chemical Engineering as the cover feature for its last December issue, the research project “Freezing droplet ejection by spring-like elastic pillars” is led by Prof. Zuankai WANG, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation), Kuok Group Professor in Nature-Inspired Engineering and Chair Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Prof. Haimin YAO, Associate Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering. First co-authors include Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Huanhuan ZHANG, PhD student Mr Wei ZHANG, Research Assistant Professor Dr Yuankai JIN, and PhD student Mr Chenyang WU. The discovery of the self-ejection phenomenon in freezing droplets was inspired by a fungus capable of shooting its spores away through osmosis-induced volume expansion. Noting that a similar volume expansion occurs when water droplet is freezing, the research team has replicated the self-shooting mechanism found in the fungi and developed a structured elastic surface (SES) with spring-like pillars and wetting contrast that allows for the spontaneous ejection of freezing water droplets. The SES structure is designed to accelerate the ejection velocity and enlarge the kinetic energy transformation of freezing droplets. When the freezing droplet undergoes volume expansion, it compresses the pillar of SES. The volume expansion work is first converted to and stored as elastic energy in the pillar within tens of seconds, and then to be transformed into the droplet’s kinetic energy rapidly within milliseconds. This thousandfold reduction in timescales leads to sufficient kinetic energy to drive freezing droplet ejection. The simple SES structure, after parameter design, is effective in ejecting freezing droplets without external energy input and even against the forces of wind and gravity. It can be applied to aircraft, wind blades or cable lines to prevent hazards caused by ice accretion. Dr Huanhuan Zhang said, “It is exciting that we, for the first time, introduce a self-powered ice removal concept that will offer a wide range of innovative solutions. We will continuously improve the design of SES, allowing it to be manufactured at various scales and at a low cost to meet societal needs.” Furthermore, the theoretical model developed in the research elucidates the factors determining the successful onset of the freezing droplet ejection phenomenon, with scalable design exhibiting potential practicability in various fields. Prof. Wang envisions, “This nature-inspired research paved the way for numerous impactful applications. We believe that the freezing droplet ejection, as a prototype, could stimulate the development of self-powered concepts and methods for a wide range of purposes such as de-icing, energy harvesting and soft robotic applications.” Specifically, droplet ejection induced by volume expansion enhances understanding of multi-phase freezing dynamics for anti-icing applications. Prof. Yao remarked, “Our research demonstrates a strategy to efficiently harness and utilise the volume expansion work of freezing droplets to generate ballistic motion. This could subsequently expand the application of energy conversion phenomena, and inspire the development of droplet-based energy generators and soft robotic catapults.” Hashtag: #PolyU #Nature-inspiredResearch #De-icing #SoftRobotics #香港理工大学 #仿生研究 #除冰 #飞机积冰 #软件机器人 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 January 2025 – Water droplets under freezing conditions do not spontaneously detach from surfaces as they do at room temperature due to stronger droplet-surface interaction and lack of an energy transformation pathway. Since accumulated droplets or ice have to be removed manually or with mechanical equipment, which is costly and inefficient, preventing droplet accretion on surfaces is both scientifically intriguing and practically important. Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have invented a ground-breaking self-powered mechanism of freezing droplet ejection that allows droplets to shoot themselves away, paving the way for cost-efficient and promising technological applications. A research team led by Prof. Zuankai Wang, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation), Kuok Group Professor in Nature-Inspired Engineering and Chair Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering (front row, left), and Prof. Haimin Yao, Associate Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering (front row, right), has invented a self-powered mechanism of freezing droplet ejection that allows droplets to shoot themselves away. Research team members include Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Huanhuan Zhang (back row, 1st from left), PhD student Mr Wei Zhang (back row, 2nd from left), Research Assistant Professor Dr Yuankai Jin (back row, 2nd from right), and PhD student Mr Chenyang Wu (back row, 1st from right). Published in Nature Chemical Engineering as the cover feature for its last December issue, the research project “Freezing droplet ejection by spring-like elastic pillars” is led by Prof. Zuankai WANG, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation), Kuok Group Professor in Nature-Inspired Engineering and Chair Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Prof. Haimin YAO, Associate Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering. First co-authors include Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Huanhuan ZHANG, PhD student Mr Wei ZHANG, Research Assistant Professor Dr Yuankai JIN, and PhD student Mr Chenyang WU. The discovery of the self-ejection phenomenon in freezing droplets was inspired by a fungus capable of shooting its spores away through osmosis-induced volume expansion. Noting that a similar volume expansion occurs when water droplet is freezing, the research team has replicated the self-shooting mechanism found in the fungi and developed a structured elastic surface (SES) with spring-like pillars and wetting contrast that allows for the spontaneous ejection of freezing water droplets. The SES structure is designed to accelerate the ejection velocity and enlarge the kinetic energy transformation of freezing droplets. When the freezing droplet undergoes volume expansion, it compresses the pillar of SES. The volume expansion work is first converted to and stored as elastic energy in the pillar within tens of seconds, and then to be transformed into the droplet’s kinetic energy rapidly within milliseconds. This thousandfold reduction in timescales leads to sufficient kinetic energy to drive freezing droplet ejection. The simple SES structure, after parameter design, is effective in ejecting freezing droplets without external energy input and even against the forces of wind and gravity. It can be applied to aircraft, wind blades or cable lines to prevent hazards caused by ice accretion. Dr Huanhuan Zhang said, “It is exciting that we, for the first time, introduce a self-powered ice removal concept that will offer a wide range of innovative solutions. We will continuously improve the design of SES, allowing it to be manufactured at various scales and at a low cost to meet societal needs.” Furthermore, the theoretical model developed in the research elucidates the factors determining the successful onset of the freezing droplet ejection phenomenon, with scalable design exhibiting potential practicability in various fields. Prof. Wang envisions, “This nature-inspired research paved the way for numerous impactful applications. We believe that the freezing droplet ejection, as a prototype, could stimulate the development of self-powered concepts and methods for a wide range of purposes such as de-icing, energy harvesting and soft robotic applications.” Specifically, droplet ejection induced by volume expansion enhances understanding of multi-phase freezing dynamics for anti-icing applications. Prof. Yao remarked, “Our research demonstrates a strategy to efficiently harness and utilise the volume expansion work of freezing droplets to generate ballistic motion. This could subsequently expand the application of energy conversion phenomena, and inspire the development of droplet-based energy generators and soft robotic catapults.” Hashtag: #PolyU #Nature-inspiredResearch #De-icing #SoftRobotics #香港理工大学 #仿生研究 #除冰 #飞机积冰 #软件机器人 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 January 2025 – Water droplets under freezing conditions do not spontaneously detach from surfaces as they do at room temperature due to stronger droplet-surface interaction and lack of an energy transformation pathway. Since accumulated droplets or ice have to be removed manually or with mechanical equipment, which is costly and inefficient, preventing droplet accretion on surfaces is both scientifically intriguing and practically important. Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have invented a ground-breaking self-powered mechanism of freezing droplet ejection that allows droplets to shoot themselves away, paving the way for cost-efficient and promising technological applications. A research team led by Prof. Zuankai Wang, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation), Kuok Group Professor in Nature-Inspired Engineering and Chair Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering (front row, left), and Prof. Haimin Yao, Associate Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering (front row, right), has invented a self-powered mechanism of freezing droplet ejection that allows droplets to shoot themselves away. Research team members include Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Huanhuan Zhang (back row, 1st from left), PhD student Mr Wei Zhang (back row, 2nd from left), Research Assistant Professor Dr Yuankai Jin (back row, 2nd from right), and PhD student Mr Chenyang Wu (back row, 1st from right). Published in Nature Chemical Engineering as the cover feature for its last December issue, the research project “Freezing droplet ejection by spring-like elastic pillars” is led by Prof. Zuankai WANG, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation), Kuok Group Professor in Nature-Inspired Engineering and Chair Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Prof. Haimin YAO, Associate Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering. First co-authors include Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Huanhuan ZHANG, PhD student Mr Wei ZHANG, Research Assistant Professor Dr Yuankai JIN, and PhD student Mr Chenyang WU. The discovery of the self-ejection phenomenon in freezing droplets was inspired by a fungus capable of shooting its spores away through osmosis-induced volume expansion. Noting that a similar volume expansion occurs when water droplet is freezing, the research team has replicated the self-shooting mechanism found in the fungi and developed a structured elastic surface (SES) with spring-like pillars and wetting contrast that allows for the spontaneous ejection of freezing water droplets. The SES structure is designed to accelerate the ejection velocity and enlarge the kinetic energy transformation of freezing droplets. When the freezing droplet undergoes volume expansion, it compresses the pillar of SES. The volume expansion work is first converted to and stored as elastic energy in the pillar within tens of seconds, and then to be transformed into the droplet’s kinetic energy rapidly within milliseconds. This thousandfold reduction in timescales leads to sufficient kinetic energy to drive freezing droplet ejection. The simple SES structure, after parameter design, is effective in ejecting freezing droplets without external energy input and even against the forces of wind and gravity. It can be applied to aircraft, wind blades or cable lines to prevent hazards caused by ice accretion. Dr Huanhuan Zhang said, “It is exciting that we, for the first time, introduce a self-powered ice removal concept that will offer a wide range of innovative solutions. We will continuously improve the design of SES, allowing it to be manufactured at various scales and at a low cost to meet societal needs.” Furthermore, the theoretical model developed in the research elucidates the factors determining the successful onset of the freezing droplet ejection phenomenon, with scalable design exhibiting potential practicability in various fields. Prof. Wang envisions, “This nature-inspired research paved the way for numerous impactful applications. We believe that the freezing droplet ejection, as a prototype, could stimulate the development of self-powered concepts and methods for a wide range of purposes such as de-icing, energy harvesting and soft robotic applications.” Specifically, droplet ejection induced by volume expansion enhances understanding of multi-phase freezing dynamics for anti-icing applications. Prof. Yao remarked, “Our research demonstrates a strategy to efficiently harness and utilise the volume expansion work of freezing droplets to generate ballistic motion. This could subsequently expand the application of energy conversion phenomena, and inspire the development of droplet-based energy generators and soft robotic catapults.” Hashtag: #PolyU #Nature-inspiredResearch #De-icing #SoftRobotics #香港理工大学 #仿生研究 #除冰 #飞机积冰 #软件机器人 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 January 2025 – Water droplets under freezing conditions do not spontaneously detach from surfaces as they do at room temperature due to stronger droplet-surface interaction and lack of an energy transformation pathway. Since accumulated droplets or ice have to be removed manually or with mechanical equipment, which is costly and inefficient, preventing droplet accretion on surfaces is both scientifically intriguing and practically important. Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have invented a ground-breaking self-powered mechanism of freezing droplet ejection that allows droplets to shoot themselves away, paving the way for cost-efficient and promising technological applications. A research team led by Prof. Zuankai Wang, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation), Kuok Group Professor in Nature-Inspired Engineering and Chair Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering (front row, left), and Prof. Haimin Yao, Associate Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering (front row, right), has invented a self-powered mechanism of freezing droplet ejection that allows droplets to shoot themselves away. Research team members include Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Huanhuan Zhang (back row, 1st from left), PhD student Mr Wei Zhang (back row, 2nd from left), Research Assistant Professor Dr Yuankai Jin (back row, 2nd from right), and PhD student Mr Chenyang Wu (back row, 1st from right). Published in Nature Chemical Engineering as the cover feature for its last December issue, the research project “Freezing droplet ejection by spring-like elastic pillars” is led by Prof. Zuankai WANG, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation), Kuok Group Professor in Nature-Inspired Engineering and Chair Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Prof. Haimin YAO, Associate Professor of the PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering. First co-authors include Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Huanhuan ZHANG, PhD student Mr Wei ZHANG, Research Assistant Professor Dr Yuankai JIN, and PhD student Mr Chenyang WU. The discovery of the self-ejection phenomenon in freezing droplets was inspired by a fungus capable of shooting its spores away through osmosis-induced volume expansion. Noting that a similar volume expansion occurs when water droplet is freezing, the research team has replicated the self-shooting mechanism found in the fungi and developed a structured elastic surface (SES) with spring-like pillars and wetting contrast that allows for the spontaneous ejection of freezing water droplets. The SES structure is designed to accelerate the ejection velocity and enlarge the kinetic energy transformation of freezing droplets. When the freezing droplet undergoes volume expansion, it compresses the pillar of SES. The volume expansion work is first converted to and stored as elastic energy in the pillar within tens of seconds, and then to be transformed into the droplet’s kinetic energy rapidly within milliseconds. This thousandfold reduction in timescales leads to sufficient kinetic energy to drive freezing droplet ejection. The simple SES structure, after parameter design, is effective in ejecting freezing droplets without external energy input and even against the forces of wind and gravity. It can be applied to aircraft, wind blades or cable lines to prevent hazards caused by ice accretion. Dr Huanhuan Zhang said, “It is exciting that we, for the first time, introduce a self-powered ice removal concept that will offer a wide range of innovative solutions. We will continuously improve the design of SES, allowing it to be manufactured at various scales and at a low cost to meet societal needs.” Furthermore, the theoretical model developed in the research elucidates the factors determining the successful onset of the freezing droplet ejection phenomenon, with scalable design exhibiting potential practicability in various fields. Prof. Wang envisions, “This nature-inspired research paved the way for numerous impactful applications. We believe that the freezing droplet ejection, as a prototype, could stimulate the development of self-powered concepts and methods for a wide range of purposes such as de-icing, energy harvesting and soft robotic applications.” Specifically, droplet ejection induced by volume expansion enhances understanding of multi-phase freezing dynamics for anti-icing applications. Prof. Yao remarked, “Our research demonstrates a strategy to efficiently harness and utilise the volume expansion work of freezing droplets to generate ballistic motion. This could subsequently expand the application of energy conversion phenomena, and inspire the development of droplet-based energy generators and soft robotic catapults.” Hashtag: #PolyU #Nature-inspiredResearch #De-icing #SoftRobotics #香港理工大学 #仿生研究 #除冰 #飞机积冰 #软件机器人 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.