May 26, 2026
BBTech is thrilled to announce the outstanding achievements of our undergraduate students at the Hitachi Trophy 2026 hosted by the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University.
The Hitachi Trophy is one of Sci Chula’s premier annual research platforms, bringing together top final-year talent to pitch innovative Senior Projects evaluated by academic and industry experts. This year, BBTech students brought home top honors across both Biological Science and Technological Science tracks, demonstrating the high-impact, real-world potential of their research.
Join us in celebrating our award winners!
First Place (Biological Science Track)
Student: Nutnicha Mungkung
Advisor: Prof. Dr. Tanapat Palaga
Project: Engineering Macrophages for Fructose Utilization Through GLUT5 Expression for Cancer Immunotherapy
Nutnicha Mungkung secured 1st Place in the Biological Science track for her cutting-edge work at the intersection of metabolic engineering and cancer immunotherapy. Her research focuses on engineering immune cells (macrophages) to utilize fructose via GLUT5 expression, unlocking new ways to reprogram cellular metabolism within tumor microenvironments to fight cancer.
First Runner-Up (Biological Science Track)
Students: Nattanit Saimala and Supitcha Chinphatthana
Advisor: Associate Professor Inthawoot Suppavorasatit, Ph.D.
Project: Enzymatic Treatment of Cacao Pulp and Its Impact on Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Concentrated Cacao Pulp Syrup
Taking home 1st Runner-Up honors in Biological Science, Nattanit and Supitcha tackled sustainable food science innovation. Their project investigates how targeted enzymatic treatments enhance the nutritional value, antioxidant profile, and physical properties of upcycled cacao pulp syrup—bridging biotechnology with practical industrial applications.
First Place (Technological Science Track)
Student: Pradchapon Dechakorn
Advisors: Assoc. Prof. Thanyada Rungrotmongkol and Assoc. Prof. Phornphimon Maitarad
Project T14: Machine Learning-Driven QSAR Modeling of Quinazolinone Derivatives Associated with Dual ROR1/Aurora Kinase Targeting in Neuroblastoma
Pradchapon earned 1st Place in the Technological Science track by combining computational biology, artificial intelligence, and targeted therapeutics. His research leverages machine learning driven Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) modeling to accelerate drug discovery for neuroblastoma treatment.
These awards reflect the dedication of our students, the world-class mentorship of our faculty advisors, and the core mission of the BBTech program: pushing scientific boundaries to deliver meaningful social and technological solutions.
Congratulations to Nutnicha, Nattanit, Supitcha, and Pradchapon on your extraordinary achievements! You make the entire BBTech community immensely proud.
