Professors Do-Nyun Kim and Kisuk Kang of SNU College of Engineering Recognized in the ‘2024 Top 100 National R&D Excellence Achievements’ by the Ministry of Science and ICT


▲ Professor Do-Nyun Kim (left) of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Professor Kisuk Kang (right) of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University

Seoul National University College of Engineering announced that research achievements by Professor Do-Nyun Kim of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Professor Kisuk Kang of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering have been selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT’s ‘2024 Top 100 National R&D Excellence Achievements.’ For 19 consecutive years, the Ministry of Science and ICT has highlighted the nation’s top R&D achievements to raise public awareness of science and technology and inspire pride among researchers.

On November 17 2024, the Ministry unveiled the 2024 list of Top 100 R&D Achievements. A total of 869 candidate achievements were selected and recommended by ministries, departments, and agencies, and a selection evaluation committee composed of 100 experts from industry, academia, and research evaluated the effectiveness of R&D and its economic and social impact. The final 100 outstanding achievements were then announced after public verification.

MSIT selected outstanding R&D achievements that will contribute to the future of Korea in each of the six technology categories. The six technology categories are: ▲Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, 16 ▲Life and Marine Science, 23 ▲Energy and Environment Science, 22 ▲Information and Electronic Engineering, 23 ▲Convergence Technology, 10 ▲Pure and Fundamental Science, 6. Among these, the ministry designated 12 projects—two from each field—as the top achievements in their respective categories.

Professor Do-Nyun Kim’s project, titled 'Development of DNA nanotechnology that can fold and unfold a single structure into various shapes like origami' was selected as the best achievement in the field of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. Professor Kim's team is the first in the world to develop ultra-precise nanotechnology that implements the origami mechanism at the billionths of a meter level.

The technology enables the nanostructures to be made responsive to various stimuli, including DNA, RNA, light, and pH, and to be controlled. This achievement is considered to have secured the core technology for the development of transformative nanostructures, in which a single structure can be transformed into various shapes depending on the type of external stimulus.

The DNA nanotechnology developed in this research, which was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT's National Science Challenge Initiatives Program, will be utilized in the future to develop molecular-level machines and robots with advanced functions. It is also expected to suggest new directions for advanced nanobiotechnology such as molecular diagnosis, drug delivery, gene therapy, and new drug development, and contribute to securing global competitiveness.

Professor Kim expressed his gratitude:
“I am deeply honored that our efforts and achievements have been recognized through this selection. I will strive to expand the application of origami-based mechanical engineering to the molecular level, and to use it in various fields such as nanorobots and advanced biotechnology through interdisciplinary research and technological innovation.”

Prof. Kim earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SNU’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT's Department of Biological Engineering, he has been a professor at SNU's Department of Mechanical Engineering since 2013. Since 2020, he has led the Center for Artificial Morphogenesis under the National Scientific Challenge Initiatives Program.

Professor Kisuk Kang’s research, titled “'A strategy for developing a new solid electrolyte with high stability and high ionic conductivity,” was recognized for excellence in the Energy and Environment category. His team developed a novel solid electrolyte, the key material for next-generation all-solid-state batteries, that dramatically improves electrochemical performance.

By unveiling the hidden relationship between ionic conductivity behavior and cation arrangements in trigonal halide solid electrolytes, they established and verified a design strategy for superionic conductors, expecting it to drive further development of halide superionic conductors. Additionally, it is expected to accelerate the discovery of cost-effective and stable solid electrolytes, thereby facilitating the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries.

Professor Kang commended his entire research team for their collective efforts, noting:
“The recognition as one of the Top 100 R&D Achievements was made possible by the dedication and passion of all team members. We will continue our work to develop sustainable energy technologies and strive to bridge academic discoveries with industrial applications through innovative research.”

As the director of the SNU Institute for Battery Research Innovation, Professor Kang is broadening the scope of secondary battery research through his groundbreaking achievements. He has developed outstanding novel battery materials and published extensively in leading international journals, including four papers in Science, one of most prestigious journals in the natural sciences. With over 32,000 citations in the past five years, he is recognized as one of the most influential engineers in the field of secondary batteries.


[Contact Information]
Professor Do-Nyun Kim, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University / +82-2-880-1647 / dnkim@snu.ac.kr
Professor Kisuk Kang, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University / +82-2-880-7088 / matlgen@snu.ac.kr