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The META Lab members stepped outside for a day of great food, great views, and great company — starting with delicious sushi, followed by a stroll through the beautiful cherry blossoms at Naju Hansuje. We wrapped up the day with a productive lab meeting, making it a perfect blend of rest and research. When’s the next flower trip? 🌸

In celebration of April Fools’ Day, we’ve pulled off a fun little surprise — our homepage logo has been temporarily replaced with a special edition design, live for just 24 hours. A huge thank you goes out to Jinuk, who generously shared an amazing piece of artwork (a) to make this moment possible. Your creativity and spirit made this April Fools’ celebration all the more special! We hope this small touch of humor brings a smile to your day. Happy April Fools’ Day, everyone! 🎉

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Jinsu has joined the Meta Lab as a postdoctoral researcher. Dr. Jinsu’s research sits at the intersection of computational chemistry and artificial intelligence. His work leverages machine learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs) to run and tune advanced sampling methods such as metadynamics, as well as to train and refine atomistic models — pushing the boundaries of what simulation-driven materials research can achieve. With his deep expertise and hands-on experience across this demanding stack, Dr. Jinsu is expected to make outstanding contributions to the Meta Lab. We warmly welcome him to the team!

A momentous milestone for the Meta Lab! We are proud to celebrate our very first graduates, Youngtak and Yong Joo! This is a historic moment for our group, and we could not be more proud of everything they have accomplished during their time here. Youngtak will continue his journey with us as a researcher at the Meta Lab, and we are excited to keep working alongside him. To both Youngtak and Yong Joo — thank you for being the pioneers of this lab’s story. We sincerely congratulate you on this achievement and cheer you on in all that lies ahead. Congratulations!

We are thrilled to congratulate Jonghak and Jiwoo on their graduation from KENTECH — and even more excited to welcome them back as graduate students! Having demonstrated remarkable dedication and talent during their time as undergraduate researchers in our lab, it comes as no surprise that they have chosen to continue their academic journey at the graduate level. We have no doubt that the best is yet to come. Congratulations, and welcome to the next chapter!

We are delighted to welcome Mingi to the Meta Lab! Mingi has a strong interest in computational chemistry and AI-driven multiscale simulation, spanning methods from quantum mechanics to molecular dynamics and beyond. His enthusiasm for leveraging diverse simulation techniques to understand and design materials aligns closely with our group’s mission. We look forward to the impactful research Mingi will carry out at the intersection of computation and materials science. Welcome, Mingi!

We are excited to welcome Jiyun and Chaemin to the Meta Lab as undergraduate researchers! Both have joined us to build and explore our automated research laboratory - a cutting-edge platform that integrates robotics, software, and scientific workflows to accelerate materials discovery. Autonomous laboratory research is rapidly emerging as one of the most transformative directions in modern science, and we are thrilled to have Jiyun and Chaemin at the forefront of this exciting frontier. We look forward to seeing the innovative contributions they will bring to the team. Welcome aboard!

Dr. Juhwan Kim has been honored with the Outstanding Presentation Award at the 2025 Fall Meeting of the Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (KSIEC). This award recognizes his exceptional research achievements and the clarity and impact of his presentation during the conference. His work continues to contribute significantly to the advancement of AI for chemistry, further strengthening the research excellence of our group. Congratulations to Dr. Kim on this well-deserved accomplishment!

The Meta Lab recently enjoyed a memorable MT (Membership Training) trip to Wonju, filled with both fun and relaxation. During the trip, team members engaged in a variety of activities and games, as well as meaningful time to rest and recharge. More importantly, it was a great opportunity to strengthen communication and camaraderie among lab members outside of the research environment. We believe this time spent together will contribute to stronger collaboration and a more supportive atmosphere for our future research endeavors.

Jeongsu, Jinwook, and Sowon attended the Computational Chemistry Summer School hosted by the Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers! There, they had an enriching experience learning both theory and hands-on skills — from the fundamentals of DFT to machine learning potentials (MLPs) using AI. We hope this serves as a great booster for their future research!