CUHK-led international team pioneers next gen probiotics to enhance climate resilience of corals
The study employs evolutionary genomics to identify ‘next-generation probiotics’ to enhance climate resilience of corals.
An international research team led by CUHK has been awarded a grant of US$1.4 million by the G20 Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP) to develop and scale up next-generation probiotics that enhance corals’ resilience to climate change. This marks the first time a Hong Kong-led project has been recognised by CORDAP for funding.
This major international collaboration, bringing together experts from CUHK, the University of Konstanz, Germany, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, and restoration practitioners from the NGO Seachange Indonesia.
Scaling up for real-world impact
Coral reefs, among the most biodiverse and vital ecosystems on Earth, are experiencing widespread bleaching and mortality due to the escalating effects of climate change. Previous studies have shown that probiotics can improve corals’ heat tolerance and environmental adaptability, but conventional probiotics are costly and operationally complex.
The team, led by Prof. Haiwei Luo from the Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory in the School of Life Sciences, employs an evolutionary genomics-based framework to identify ‘next-generation probiotics’ capable of forming stable, long-term symbiotic relationships with their coral hosts. Preliminary studies have demonstrated that corals treated with these probiotics in a nursery setting exhibited greater resilience to extreme marine heatwaves compared to untreated corals.
Prof. Haiwei Luo (2nd right, front) is dedicated to establishing a universal coral restoration framework.
Advancing restoration efforts
CORDAP’s funding will enable the team to conduct controlled field trials in Hong Kong and a large-scale demonstration at a restoration site in Indonesia. The team aims to establish a universal coral restoration framework, making this advanced and scalable conservation tool accessible and practical for frontline communities engaged in global coral reef conservation.
The original article first appeared in the 6 October 2025 edition of CUHK in Focus.