• DNA Nanotechnology
• DNA Bioelectronics and Photonics
• Aptamer Diagnostics and Biosensing

Dr. Shiu develops DNA as a programmable structural and functional material beyond its genetic role. His research designs geometrically precise DNA architectures namely da Vinci-inspired polyhedra, rotary nanomachines, and facet-based hyperstructures that self-assemble from small, equimolar sets of unmodified oligonucleotides, a design philosophy in which every strand is a load-bearing component. A central aim is to cross the micron barrier: extending sequence-defined DNA from individual nanoscale objects into micron- and millimetre-scale materials suitable for device integration. A recent example is a nested-cube "tesseract" assembled from sixteen canonical strands and acoustically patterned into electrically conductive wires spanning hundreds of micrometres (Nucleic Acids Research, 2025).

Design is coupled to molecular dynamics, and validation via microscopic techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and cryogenic electron microscopy. This approach has yielded generalizable design frameworks and theories (ChemBioChem, 27(8), e70344 (2026); Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 157, 116723 (2022); ChemBioChem, 19(18), 1900-1906 (2018)). Building on these platforms, the research develops DNA bio-interfaces that couple electrochemical and optical transduction for point-of-care and wearable sensing, and arrays aptamers, DNAzymes, and therapeutic oligonucleotides on rigid scaffolds for multiplexed diagnostics, catalysis, and targeted delivery, building on published work on aptamer-enabled DNA tweezers, nanoboxes, polyhedra, and catalytic tiles. The work is deliberately interdisciplinary, sustained through collaborations across institutions worldwide spanning biomedical sciences, chemistry, computational design, acoustics and metamaterials.

Dr. Shiu is committed to research-led education. At HKU he has lectured across the biochemistry curricula. He has mentored final-year and postgraduate research projects in Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, and the MMedSc programme, as well as HKU iGEM teams awarded Gold and Silver medals.

He contributes to the wider academic community as guest editor for special issues in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences and Bioengineering, as a reviewer for over forty journals including JACS, Nucleic Acids Research, ACS Nano, and Advanced Materials, as a grant reviewer for the Dutch Research Council (NWO), and previously as Chairperson of two postgraduate symposium organising committees. Beyond the University he has served as science advisor to several Hong Kong secondary schools, mentoring student teams to local and international awards. Through research, teaching, and public engagement he seeks to foster interdisciplinary scientific thinking and make emerging biotechnology accessible to students and the wider community.

• 2026 Feb – 2026 May
  Visiting Scholar, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
   
• 2020 Aug – 2026 Jul
  Post-doctoral Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
   
• 2022 Sept – 2023 Jun
  Lecturer, HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKU SPACE)
   
• 2021 Nov – 2022 Jan
  HKU-Pasteur Research Pole Fellow, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Institut Pasteur
   
• 2020 Feb – 2020 Jul
  Postdoctoral Associate, The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York
   
• 2015 – 2019
  Doctor of Philosophy, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 
   
• 2013 – 2014
  Master of Science in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
   
• 2012 – 2013
  Bachelor of Science (Hons) Biotechnology, University of Ulster, United Kingdom

1. Vilcapoma, J., Aliyeva, A., Hayden, A., Chandrasekaran, A.R., Zhou, L., Punnoose, J.A., Yang, D., Hansen, C., Shiu, S.C.C., Russell, A., St. George, K., Wong, W. & Halvorsen, K. Non-Enzymatic Detection of SARS-CoV2 RNA using DNA Nanoswitches. ACS Nano Medicine. 6c00053 (2026)
2. Shiu, S.C.C., Deluca, M., Chui, W.H., Zhang, P., Mo, X., Siu, R. H. P., Dong, E., Qu, S., Cheung, C.C.L., Kinghorn, A.B., Whitehouse, W.L., Cui, J., He, W., Wang, X.Y., Li, J., Khan, A.G., von Torklus, S.H., Yu, T.F., Al-Jamal, K.T., Tse, E.C.M., Arya, G., Fang, N.X., Zhou, K. & Tanner, J.A. Acoustically Seeded Fabrication of a DNA Tesseract into a Conductive Wire. Nucleic Acids Research, 53, gkaf1409 (2025) Featured image for HKU SBMS Structural, Chemical & Synthetic Biology research interest
3. Wang, X.Y., Heng, Y., Tanner, J.A. & Shiu, S.C.C. * Assembly–Energetics–Control (AEC) Design Framework for Rotary DNA Nanomachines. ChemBioChem, 27, e70344 (2026) * Corresponding Author
4. Xu, P., Cui, J., Cheng, Z., Shiu, S.C.C., Cui, J., Li, Y., Liu, Y., Wang, L., Siu, R.H.P., Tanner, J.A. & Yu, C. Nanoplasmonic Optical Fiber Sensing of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein Using an Aptamer-DNA Tetrahedron Interface. Journal of Nanobiotechnology. 24(1), 393 (2026)
5. Kinghorn, A.B., Guo, W., Wang, L., Tang, M.Y.H., Wang, F., Shiu, S.C.C., Lau, K.K., Jinata, C., Poonam, A.D., Shum, H.C., Tanner, J.A. Evolution Driven Microscale Combinatorial Chemistry in Intracellular Mimicking Droplets to Engineer Thermostable RNA for Cellular Imaging. Small. 2409911 (2025)
6. Shiu, S.C.C., Kinghorn, A.B. & Tanner, J.A. Topical DNA aptamer therapeutics for the skin. Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids. 23;35(3):102299 (2024)
7. Whitehouse, W.L., Lo, L.H.Y., Kinghorn, A.B., Shiu, S.C.C. & Tanner, J.A. Structure-Switching Electrochemical Aptasensor for Rapid, Reagentless, and Single-Step Nanomolar Detection of C-Reactive Protein. ACS Applied Bio Materials, (2024)
8. Shiu, S.C.C., Whitehouse, W.L. & Tanner, J.A. Designing Aptamer-Enabled DNA Polyhedra Using Paper Origami. Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 157, 116723 (2022) 
9. Wang, L., Cui, J., Tanner, J.A. & Shiu, S.C.C.* Self-Assembly of DNA tiles with G-quadruplex DNAzyme catalytic activity for sensing applications. ACS Applied Bio Materials, 5(8), 3788–3794 (2022) * Corresponding Author
10. Fraser, L.A., Cheung, Y.W., Kinghorn, A.B., Guo, W., Shiu, S.C.C., Jinata, C., Liu, M., Bhuyan, S., Lang, N., Shum, H.C. & Tanner, J.A. Microfluidic technology for nucleic acid aptamer evolution and application. Advanced Biosystems, 1900012 (2019)
11. Shiu, S.C.C., Kinghorn, A.B., Sakai, Y., Cheung, Y.W., Heddle, J.G. & Tanner, J.A. The Three S’s for Aptamer-Mediated Control of DNA Nanostructure Dynamics: Shape, Self-Complementarity and Spatial Flexibility. ChemBioChem, 19(18), 1900-1906 (2018)
12. Shiu, S.C.C.‡, Fraser, L.A.‡, Ding, Y. & Tanner, J.A. Aptamer Display on Diverse DNA Polyhedron Supports. Molecules, 23(7), 1695 (2018) ‡ Co-first Author * Article chosen from 338 papers for journal cover image
13. Fraser, L.A., Kinghorn, A.B., Dirkzwager, R.M., Liang, S.L., Cheung, Y.W., Lim, B., Shiu, S.C.C., Tang, M.S.L., Andrew, D., Manitta, J., Richards, J.S. & Tanner, J.A. A portable microfluidic aptamer-tethered enzyme Capture (APTEC) biosensor for malaria diagnosis. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 100, 591-596 (2018)
14. Figueroa-Miranda, G., Feng, L., Shiu, S.C.C., Dirkzwager, R.M., Cheung, Y.W., Tanner, J.A., Schöning, M.J., Offenhäusser, A., & Mayer, D. Aptamer-Based Electrochemical Biosensor for Highly Sensitive and Selective Malaria Detection with Adjustable Dynamic Response Range and Reusability. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 255, 235-243 (2018)
15. Tang, M.S.L.‡, Shiu, S.C.C.‡, Godonoga, M., Cheung, Y.W., Liang, S.L., Dirkzwager, R.M., Kinghorn, A.B., Fraser, L.A., Heddle, J.G. & Tanner, J.A. An aptamer-enabled DNA nanobox for protein sensing.Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, 14(4), 1161-1168 (2018) ‡ Co-first Author
16. Shiu, S.C.C., Cheung, Y.W., Dirkzwager, R.M., Liang, S.L., Kinghorn, A.B., Fraser, L.A., Tang, M.S.L. & Tanner, J.A. Aptamer-mediated protein molecular recognition driving a DNA tweezer nanomachine. Advanced Biosystems, 1, 1600006 (2017) * Article chosen for journal cover image of inaugural issue
17. Kinghorn, A.B., Dirkzwager, R.M., Liang, S., Cheung, Y.W., Fraser, L.A., Shiu, S.C.C., Tang, M.S.L. & Tanner, J.A. Aptamer affinity maturation by resampling and microarray selection. Analytical Chemistry, 88(14), 6981-6985 (2016)

1. Tanner, J.A., Shiu, S.C.C. & Fang, N.X. Facet-Based Nucleic Acid Platonic, Kepler-Poinsot Polyhedra and Four-Dimensional Tesseract for Therapeutic, Diagnostic and Analytical Applications. US Provisional Patent Application No. 63/638,955 (26 April 2024)
2. Tanner, J.A. & Shiu, S.C.C. Nucleic Acid Mazzocchio and Methods of Making and Use Thereof. US20220168429A1 (2022), CH114072505 (2023), EP3953475 (21 January 2026)

1. Symmetrical DNA Nanostructures for Structural Resolution of Challenging Targets by Cryo-EM (2025; Co-PI) - HKU Seed Fund for Basic Research
2. Oligonucleotide nanostructures to improve the antimicrobial activity of peptides (2022; Co-PI) - HKU Seed Fund for Basic Research
3. Structural Enhancement of Facet-Based DNA Nanostructures through Golden Ratio Geometries (2021; Co-PI) - HKU Seed Fund for Basic Research
4. Digital Diagnostics Using CRISPR-Enabled Nucleic Acid Probe Platform (2021; Co-PI) - HKU Seed Fund for Translational and Applied Research
5. Postgraduate Students Conference Grant for Hong Kong Inter-University Postgraduate Symposium in Biochemical Sciences (2017; Chairperson, Organizing Committee) - Research Grant Council
6. Postgraduate Students Conference Grant for 21st Research Postgraduate Symposium, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (2016; Chairperson, Organizing Committee) - Research Grant Council

1. Nominated Young Scientist for 71st Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (2022) – The Croucher Foundation
2. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (2021) – European Commission
3. Make Our Planet Great Again (MOPGA) laureate (2021) – French Ministry of Research
4. HKU-Pasteur Research Pole Fellowship (2021) - Pasteur Foundation Asia and Consulat Général de France
5. Top 10% PhD thesis (2019) – The University of Hong Kong
6. Li Po Chun Charitable Trust Fund Postgraduate Scholarship (2019) – Li Po Chun Charitable Trust Fund
7. YS and Christabel Lung Postgraduate Scholarship (2019) – Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
8. Nominated Young Scientist for Global Young Scientists Summit (2018) – Nomination by Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine & Graduate School, The University of Hong Kong; Presentation selected by National Research Foundation, Singapore
9. Travel award for World Life Science Conference (2018) - China Union of Life Science Societies
10. Li Po Chun Charitable Trust Fund Postgraduate Scholarship (2018) – Li Po Chun Charitable Trust Fund
11. YS and Christabel Lung Postgraduate Scholarship (2018) – Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
12. Pilot Scheme on International Experience for RPg Students (2017) - Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
13. Travel Grant for Aptamers at University of Oxford (2017) - NeoVentures Biotechnology Inc., Canada
14. Outstanding Poster Prize (2016) – Hong Kong Inter-University Postgraduate Symposium in Biochemical Sciences

1. Interview, Sharing experience in cross-disciplinary collaboration in creative work at Vitruvian Bridge: Arts x Science Minds (In Chinese) “專訪科學家邵志遷：創意交匯搭建科藝之橋 靈思綻放啟迪創新人生”, Orange News, 16 May, 2024; 27 others related media reports
2. Interview, Publishing special on the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (In German) 
   “Verlagsspezial zur Nobelpreisträgertagung Lindau”, Süddeutsche Zeitung, 30 June, 2022
3. Liberal Studies×STEM﹕Understanding Problem Through Liberal Studies, Finding Solution Through Scientific Research (In Chinese) “通識×STEM: 通識發掘問題 科研找答案”, Ming Pao Education, June 2018 
4. Cover Feature: Research on DNA Nanotechnology for High School Students (In Chinese) 
   “中學生研究DNA納米科技”, eKids STEM, Plug Media Services Limited, April 2018
5. Discovering Innovative Diagnostic Strategy in DNA Nanotechnology, Newsletter, The Graduate School, The University of Hong Kong, April 2017 
6. Proteins Feel the Pinch with DNA Nanotweezers, Advanced Science News, Wiley, December 2016

We are actively recruiting creative and motivated students to join our lab for final year projects or postgraduate degrees including Master of Philosophy and Master of Science. Please email Dr. Shiu directly for potential projects.