The Hong Kong University (HKU) announced Tuesday the formal operation of two State Key Laboratories approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Central Government.

According to a press release issued by HKU, the two laboratories, the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, are the first and only in their respective fields that are located outside the Mainland.

The State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases embodies the P3 laboratory and the virus, cell and molecular biology laboratory.

Research will be conducted on emerging viruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and avian flu, bacteria, fungi and anti-microbial resistance.

For the State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, it is a research center that adopts an interdisciplinary approach across the fields of linguistics, anatomy, psychology, diagnostic radiology and genome.

The laboratory will work towards improving human health, enhancing quality of education and communication, and discovering the neuro-physiological basis of learning and perception.

(Xinhua News Agency October 5, 2005)