King Abdullah University of Science and Technology at Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
www.kaust.edu.sa
BEACONthe ة املنـار
July - August 2014 / Ramadan- Shawwal 1435 Volume 4, Issue No. 10
CBRC INAUGURATION | Continued on p3
BILL GATES VISIT | Continued on p2QUANTUM DOT SOLAR CELLS | Continued on p4
DEVIL RAYS | Continued on p2
اللقيطة أسماك أن التعقب أجهزة أظهرت التي المحيطات أسماك بين من هي التشيلية
كبيرة ألعماق تغوص اللقيطة أسماك أن السائد سابقًا االعتقاد كان من هي )Mobula tarapacana( التشيلية الضحلة المياه التي تعيش في البحرية الكائنات جديدة دراسة كشفت ولكن فقط. والدافئة قام بها علماء من جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم بقيادة السعودية العربية المملكة في والتقنية وبعض بيرومين مايكل الدكتور األحياء عالم المخلوقات أن هذه الدوليين والزمالء الباحثين التي األسماك من ضمن الواقع في هي الكبيرة نشر وتم المحيطات. في كبيرة ألعماق تغوص Nature( مجلة في بحثية ورقة في الدراسة
1 يوليو 2014. Communications( بتاريخ المتوفرة "المعلومات بيرومين الدكتور وقال وكنا للغاية محدودة اللقيطة أسماك عن
في مجهود تعاوني يهدف إلى استكشاف طرق مبتكرة للحد من مشاكل بيل األعمال رجل قام العالم، في المياه وندرة التغذية وسوء الجوع والرئيس العالم، الخيرية في واألعمال التقنية رواد أشهر أحد غيتس، الملك جامعة بزيارة الخيرية، غيتس وميليندا بيل لمؤسسة المشارك
عبداهلل مؤخرًا.وقال الرئيس جان-لو شامو : "إنه لمن دواعي سروري أن أرحب بالسيد غيتس وأن أدعوه لاللتقاء بأعضاء هيئة تدريسنا وطلبتنا الذين يبذلون مجهودات كبيرة للتصدي للتحديات العالمية الرئيسية متسلحين بسالح االكتشافات العلمية. لقد تعرف السيد غيتس عبر هذه الزيارة على العلوم المتطورة التي تنتجها جامعتنا واالبحاث المهمة التي يقوم بها طلبتنا
الموهوبين ومرافقنا االستثنائية وثقافتنا التي تعزز االلهام والتمّيز".تتمه صفحة 2
تتمه صفحة 2تتمه صفحة 3
MAINLY thought to be surface dwellers, Chilean
devil rays (Mobula tarapacana) are most often
seen gliding through shallow, warm waters. But a
new study by KAUST scientists and international
colleagues reveals that these large and majestic
creatures are actually among the deepest-diving and
fastest-diving ocean animals.
"Very little is know about devil rays," said Michael
Berumen, a biologist at KAUST and senior author of
the paper, which was published July 1, 2014, in the
journal Nature Communications. "We suspected that
they travelled long distances horizontally, but we had
no idea that they were diving so deep or so fast. That
was truly a surprise."
The researchers utilized pop-up satellite archival
transmitting tags (PSATs) to record the movement
patterns of 15 Chilean devil rays in the central North
OMAR F. MOHAMMED, KAUST Assistant Professor of
Chemical Science and the principal investigator of the
ultrafast laser spectroscopy and four-dimensional electron
imaging laboratory at KAUST’s Solar and Photovoltaics
Engineering Research Center, and a team of researchers from
KAUST and the University of California at Berkeley recently
published a paper in the Journal of the American Chemical
Society (DOI: 10.1021/ja413254g) examining the properties
essential for quantum dot (QD) solar cells.
QD solar cells are “emerging as promising low-cost
alternatives to existing photovoltaic technologies,” the
researchers state. They are advantageous for use in
photovoltaics for several reasons, including strong above-
gap sunlight absorption, the possibility to tune the bandgap
by controlling the QD size, solution processability and the
availability of a range of device architectures.
KAUST officially inaugurated the Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), on June 8,
2014. CBRC began operating in September 2009
and since that time the center has achieved
many concrete milestones. In addition to having
published over 200 papers in peer-reviewed
journals based on research conducted at KAUST
with less than four faculty on average, the center
developed more than 40 different bioinformatics
resources and tools, as well as 10 full patent
and 13 provisional patent applications. CBRC
also graduated KAUST’s first Ph.D. student and
oversaw the graduation of over 30 master’s
students. Moreover, out of the ten inaugural
KAUST Ph.D. graduates, three were CBRC
students. “Overall, our measurable performance
has been reasonable, but we are striving to
improve it much further,” said Prof. Vladimir
Bajic, Director of the Computational Bioscience
Research Center (CBRC).
The official inauguration of the center
coincided with a two-day symposium featuring
over 30 invited international speakers and KAUST
faculty. Under the theme of “Meeting Modern
IN A COLLABORATIVE effort aimed at exploring ways to reduce
the problems of hunger, malnutrition and water scarcity, Bill Gates,
world-renowned technology pioneer, philanthropist and co-chair
of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, visited KAUST on Tuesday,
June 24, 2014.
KAUST’s long-term and sustained investments in four strategic
research areas—water, food, energy and the environment, have
attracted some of the world’s leading faculty, scientists and
researchers. As a result, KAUST’s research centers are at the
forefront of scientific efforts to address some of humanity’s
pressing challenges.
SIZE MAKES A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE IN TUNING ELECTRON INJECTION IN QUANTUM DOT SOLAR CELLS
BILL GATES VISITS KAUST ON EXPLORATORY TOUR
بيل غيتس يستكشف فرص تعاون مع جامعة امللك عبداهلل للحد من مشاكل اجلوع وسوء التغذية وندرة املياه يف العامل
INSIDE: Community 4News 1-3
Prof. Omar Mohammed and his research team work in the laser lab at KAUST’s Solar Center to align the femtosecond transient absorption setup to monitor electron injection between quantum dots (QDs) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) in real time.
حبث علمي يبني أن أمساك اللقيطة هي من أمساك األعماق.
THE COMPUTATIONAL BIOSCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER INAUGURATION
TAGS REVEAL CHILEAN DEVIL RAYS ARE AMONG OCEAN'S
DEEPEST DIVERS
News2 July - August 2014 The Beacon
The Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 10, July - August 2014. Published by The Communications Department, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia. Contact Salah Sindi [email protected], or Nicholas Demille [email protected] © King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Printed on partially recycled paper.
BILL GATES VISIT | Continued from p1 تتمة الصفحة األولى:
التدريس هيئة أعضاء مع نقاش في حلقة السيد غيتس وشارك في جامعة الملك عبداهلل لبحث طرق مبتكرة للزراعة في الظروف الجافة والقاسية والتباحث حول إمكانية تعاون بحثي مشترك بين جامعة الملك عبداهلل ومؤسسة غيتس الخيرية خصوصًا أن األخيرة الكبيرة ألهميتها نظرًا الزراعة مجال في كبيرة بأعمال تقوم وبعد النامية. الدول مجتمعات في الجوع لمشكلة التصدي في جامعة مختبرات من العديد بزيارة غيتس السيد قام المناقشة الملك عبداهلل، وتعرف عن قرب على االبحاث المتطورة التي تتم فيها خصوصًا تللك المعنية باألنظمة المستدامة والمبتكرة لإلنتاج
الغذائي وذات الكفاءة العالية في استهالك المياه.كما زار السيد غيتس مركز أبحاث تحلية وإعادة استخدام المياه في جامعة الملك عبداهلل حيث قدم أعضاء هيئة التدريس والطالب والمجاالت الصحي والصرف المياه تحلية تقنيات حول عروضا األخرى المرتبطة بها. ومن الجدير بالذكر أن مجال معالجة مياه الصرف الصحي يتصدر قائمة اهتمامات مؤسسة جيتس خصوصًا في
األماكن التي تنشط فيها مثل الهند وأفريقيا.وأعرب السيد غيتس في ختام زيارته لجامعة الملك عبداهلل عن إعجابه الكبير في الجامعة ومرافقها المتطورة وثقته الكبيرة في أبحاثها والثقافة التعاونية بين أعضاء هيئة التدريس والطلبة وزمالء ما بعد الدكتوراه في المختبرات وقال :" أنا متفائل بأن األبحاث بمستوى الرقي في عبداهلل ستساهم الملك جامعة تجريها التي
." معيشة أفقر النساء واألطفال واألسر في العالم
“It was pleasure to welcome Mr. Gates to meet
with faculty and students who are committed
to addressing major world issues through
scientific discoveries,” said President Jean-Lou
Chameau. “Mr. Gates saw first-hand the novel
science our talented people are undertaking,
empowered with exceptional facilities and a
culture that promotes excellence and impact.”
Since agriculture stands as a major pillar in
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s work
in improving the lives of women, children
and communities in the developing world,
Mr. Gates took part in a roundtable discussion
with KAUST faculty on the topic of agriculture
research in arid and harsh conditions. The
group focused on ideas and opportunities
to align KAUST’s research pursuits with the
Gates Foundation. Following the discussion,
Mr. Gates had the opportunity to visit several
KAUST laboratories and observed first-hand
the innovative water-efficient and sustainable
systems of food production being developed.
Mr. Gates also met with faculty, postdocs,
researchers and students advancing science to
address global problems in water security and the
sustainability of water resources. During the visit,
faculty and students demonstrated their progress
in pursing innovative research that shares the
Gates Foundation focus on improving water
sources, especially in places like India and Africa.
Before departing, Mr. Gates shared his
confidence in KAUST’s progress stating,
“I’m optimistic that the research KAUST is
undertaking will help benefit the livelihoods of
the world’s poorest.” Mr. Gates also expressed
how impressed he was in KAUST’s unique
facilities and the culture of collaboration
among faculty, students and postdocs inside
the laboratory.
Atlantic Ocean during 2011 and 2012. The tags, which stay on the animals for
up to nine months, also measure water temperature, depth and light levels of
the waters. Once the PSATs detach or “pop off” from the tagged animal, they
float to the surface and transmit data via the ARGOs satellite system back to
computers on shore.
"Data from the tags gives us a three-dimensional view of the movements of
these animals, and a window into how they're living in their ocean habitat—
where they go when and why," said Simon Thorrold, a first author to the
paper and a biologist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)
in the United States.
TRACKING THE RAYS IN THE OCEANDevil rays, which can grow as large as four meters (13 feet) across, are
nomads who travel large areas of the ocean. Dive data from the tags show
that individuals are also routinely descending at speeds up to six meters per
second (13.4 miles per hour) and to depths of almost 2,000 meters (1.24 miles)
in water temperatures less than four degrees Celsius (39.2 degrees Fahrenheit).
The deep dives generally followed two distinct patterns. The most common
involved descent to the maximum depth followed by a slower, stepwise
return to the surface with a total dive time of 60 to 90 minutes. The tagged
rays generally only made one such dive during a 24-hour period. In the
second dive pattern, individuals descended and then remained at depths of
up to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) for as long as 11 hours.
During the day, the rays would spend time at the surface—presumably
heating up—immediately before and then again after a deep dive. This may
explain how these animals deal with the cold temperatures of the deep ocean.
A previous study from the 1970s found that several species of devil
ray possess a physiological adaptation associated with thermoregulatory
capabilities—well-developed retia mirabilia (networks of blood vessels)
around the cranial cavity.
"They are basically heat exchange systems that allow animals to become
endothermic, or in some sense warm blooded," explained Berumen. "We see
them in other deep-diving elasmobranchs, such as mako and white sharks."
Though it has been hypothesized that devil rays use this adaptation to
cool down rather than warm up, Berumen and his colleagues show that
the adaptation could facilitate dives into deep, cold waters, thus solving a
decades-old puzzle.
"Rays were always seen in very warm water up at the surface, so why
would they need an adaptation for cold water? Once we looked at the dive
data from the tags, of course it made perfect sense that the rays have these
systems. Sometimes they’re down diving for two or three hours in very
cold water —two to three degrees Celsius (35.6 to 37.4 degrees Fahrenheit),"
Thorrold said.
QUESTIONS ABOUT RAYS CONTINUEWhile it's not certain what the rays are doing at these depths, the dive
profiles suggest that they're foraging on large numbers of fish that live in
deeper waters. Earlier this year, a KAUST-led team of scientists described this
fish abundance in a report also published in Nature Communications.
"There’s an enormous amount of biomass in the deep ocean that we’re only
starting to understand the significance of," said Camrin Braun, a coauthor and
a graduate from KAUST’s Marine Science program. "This paper suggests that
devil rays are aware of and regularly exploit this resource, which demonstrates
an unexpected new link between the surface and deep ocean." Braun is
currently a PhD student in the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography.
"Ultimately, answering whether these animals depend on the deep layers
of the ocean for their feeding and survival could have major implications
for their management and that of oceanic habitats," added Pedro Afonso,
a coauthor of the paper and researcher at the Institute of Marine Research
(IMAR) at the University of the Azores and the Laboratory of Robotics and
Systems in Engineering and Science (LARSyS).
Devil rays are under increasing pressure from fishing, particularly in the
Indian and Pacific Oceans. Manta gill rakers are targeted for use in Chinese
medicine and their cartilage is used as filler in shark fin soup.
Little is known about the life span of devil rays or at what age they
reproduce. Like other large rays, devil rays are thought to birth just one pup
per about every two years.
"With such low reproductive rates, any increase in natural mortality rates
will have a big impact on the species," Berumen said. "We don’t know enough
about devil rays to even know if we should be worried about their status. There
is evidence to suggest we should be worried, or at least that we should be
trying to learn more about the basic biology and ecology of these rays.
Movement ecology studies can be challenging, but the results are crucial
to inform conservation efforts. The more species we tag, the more we
learn about their remarkable behaviors. Without such knowledge, it’s hard
to know even where to begin to protect a species."
Researchers from Massachusetts Marine Fisheries in the United States
also contributed to the study. Funding for this research came from the
National Science Foundation, The Harrison Foundation, Rodney and
Elizabeth Berens, KAUST, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and
Technology/ Ministry of Education and Science, the LARSyS Strategic
Project and WHOI.
DEVIL RAYS | Continued from p1 تتمة الصفحة األولى:ولكننا أفقيًا، طويلة مسافات تقطع أنها في نشتبه تغوص التي البحرية الكائنات من أنها أيضًا تفاجأنا
وبسرعة". األعماق في استخدم الباحثون أجهزة تعقب باألقمار الصناعية قابلة )PSATs( وتسمى السمكة جسم على تثبت للفصل لتسجيل أنماط حركة 15 من أسماك اللقيطة التشيلية في وسط وشمال المحيط األطلسي خالل عامي 2011 و 2012. وتبقى أجهزة التعقب مثبتة على جسم السمكة لمدة تصل إلى 9 أشهر، وتقوم خالل هذه الفترة برصد وبمجرد فصل هذه العمق. ومستوى الماء درجة حرارة تبدأ و السطح على تطفو السمكة جسم من األجهزة على موجودة كمبيوتر أجهزة إلى البيانات بإرسال الشاطىء عبر نظام أرغوس )ARGOs( لألقمار الصناعية. ويضيف الكاتب األول للورقة سايمون ثورولد،عالم أحياء الواليات في المحيطات لعلوم هول وودز معهد من المتحدة: "نستطيع بواسطة هذه البيانات عرض تحركات هذه الحيوانات على خريطة ثالثية األبعاد، ويمكننا أيضًا أين – المحيط بيئتها في التعرف على نمط حياتها في تذهب ومتى ولماذا". وفي حين أننا ال نعرف ماذا تفعله الغوص بيانات أن إال األعماق، هذه في األسماك هذه تشير إلى أنها تقتات على أعداد كبيرة من األسماك التي
تعيش في المياه العميقة.وساهم الباحثون من مصائد األسماك البحرية في والية هذه في أيضًا المتحدة الواليات في ماساتشوستس الدراسة. وجاء تمويل هذا البحث من المؤسسة الوطنية بيرينز، وإليزابيث رودني هاريسون، ومؤسسة للعلوم، للعلوم البرتغالية والمؤسسة عبداهلل، الملك جامعة والمشروع والعلوم، والتعليم التربية وزارة / والتقنية
.ومعهد وودز هول ،LARSyS االستراتيجي
Chilean Devil Ray
ON JUNE 21, the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
named “Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah,” a
World Heritage Site. It’s a designation that took
several decades to achieve, in part, because
capturing and communicating the significance
of Jeddah’s unique historical landmarks proved
a daunting task.
“In an area like Al-Balad, some of the
buildings may not be safe to enter for
surveyors,” said Neil Smith, a KAUST researcher.
“And at the rate these buildings are decaying,
traditional methods of survey are infeasible. A
building was lost to fire only two weeks before
we arrived. That’s historical information that is
simply gone.”
Smith and his partner Luca Passone are part of a
small team of researchers from KAUST that helped
make the argument for a UNESCO cultural heritage
site in Jeddah. Their contribution was to map
Al-Balad, Jeddah’s iconic, old city.
Using a remote control helicopter, the team
rapidly surveyed large areas using a high-definition
camera from about 50 meters above street level.
Even in areas such as Al-Balad, several passes
over each city block were enough to create a rich,
interactive model.
“We can create three-dimensional renderings
of complicated urban environments accurate up
to several centimeters. And we can create them
quickly, which allows us to show planners how
buildings are shifting, what improvements have
been made and where potential problems are
developing,” said Passone.
A team of surveyors on the ground can collect
a few, highly accurate data points, but this takes
a long time. Lidar scanners can
be used to generate a lot more
data, but they do not work well in
urban environments where they’re
constantly interrupted.
“A helicopter gives us the ability
to cover huge areas in a short time,
generating a lot of useful data,”
said Passone. “We think this will be helpful to
project managers whose only option is probably an
outdated Google map.”
Passone pilots the helicopters using goggles
that enable him to sit inside a virtual cockpit. It’s
a hobby that he cultivated as a diversion from the
demands of academic life. He’s currently finishing
a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences focused on earthquake
simulation. His background is in high-performance
computing, which is what brought him to KAUST as
a master’s student.
“I’ve been able to move around and work on
projects that I’m passionate about,” said Passone. “I
never envisioned myself flying model helicopters
over important historical sites as a business
enterprise, but here I am.”
Smith has a Ph.D. in Archeaology. His
research focuses on the study and
preservation of archaeological sites
in the Gulf region such as Petra in
Jordan, or Mada’in Saleh in Saudi
Arabia.
The two make an unlikely duo.
But in the few, short years they’ve
worked together, they’ve designed
and built a line of remote control
helicopters, outfitted them with
high-resolution cameras, written
and debugged custom imaging software and
pitched their services to a range of high-profile
clients.
With seed funding from KAUST, Smith and
Passone run a small startup called FalconViz.
It’s an apt name choice. The FalconViz team can
give architects and planners access to a birds-
eye perspective they’ve never had before.
“Imagine the construction site of the future,”
said Smith. “Autonomous helicopters, similar to
our prototypes, will buzz around capturing realtime
data that can be used to check the accuracy of
construction. That data will be overlayed with
information from the original plans, data from
surveyors and more. Everyone has a much more
accurate look, much earlier in the process, to make
sure things are being built they way they should.”
In the case of areas like Al-Balad, surveying the
space using traditional methods is prohibitively
expensive, hot and even dangerous work given
the state of some of the structures. The FalconViz
team offers the ability to capture an entire area in
a day or two and prepare a range of printed plans,
video flyovers, interactive three-dimensional
models and more
News 3July - August 2014www.kaust.edu.sa
Life Science Challenges Through Computational
Bioscience,” the topics covered by the distinguished
speakers included methods in bioinformatics,
genomics, bioengineering, microbial cell factories
and big data management.
“We are going to focus on covering domains
pertaining to the center’s research activities
as much as possible,” said Bajic prior to the
inauguration. Speaking about the center’s
research thrusts over the next few years, Prof.
Takashi Gojobori, Distinguished Professor of
Bioscience and Associate Director of CBRC, said:
“ We understand that in life science, so-called
big data is coming out prominently. Whether
it’s in genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics,
metabolomics or proteomics, big data approaches
are essential to analyze databases and establish
experimental procedures.”
Combining diverse fields such as computer
science, mathematics, biology and chemistry,
CBRC concentrates on computational biology
and bioinformatics as catalysts for life science
discoveries and technology development. The aim
is to integrate several disciplines to design novel
high-performance computational biology and
bioinformatics methods, tools and models that will
lead to and speed up development of applications
in synthetic biology and biotechnology – as well
as validating these applications in engineered
cells. This process also helps to understand
data and practical problems related to data
storage, processing, database construction and
experimental activities.
As Bajic further explained: “Our center
combined bioinformatics research with
experimental biology.” CBRC will develop the
new hybrid pipeline where the process starts
with collecting samples,
processing them, and through
various steps of experimental
and computational analyses
finally arrive at the suitably
engineered microbial cells.
In this process computational
analysis has a critical role
in suggesting optimized
solutions that could minimize
required experimental effort.
“ In part icular, we are
focused on the Red Sea,”
Gojobori confirms. The Red
Sea represents a very rich
source of microbiological and
microorganismic diversity. “If
we can find out what kind of
microorganisms exist in the
Red Sea, such as bacteria, algae or sometimes
maybe even marine viruses, we can be in a very
good position to identify genes which may be
useful for technological innovation,” he delineates.
The Red Sea is a unique and still largely
unexplored marine environment. By combining
bioinformatics with experimental procedures,
particularly metagenomics and single cell genomics,
the CBRC scientists aim to further explore the
microbial diversity of the Red Sea.
From its inception, the Computational Bioscience
Research Center's aim has been to develop
bioinformatics methods that will enable easier
biological discoveries, subsequent technology
development and potential industrial use.
Considering the broader context of Saudi Arabia’s
new commitment to introducing an algal biomass
production industry in the Kingdom, coupled with
KAUST’s direct access to the Red Sea’s rich source
of understudied microorganisms, Bajic explained
that “we decided that the most rational way for
us to go was to embark on something related to
the utilization of microbes for the production of
useful chemicals.” This could be either though the
intermediate form of producing biomass, which
would then be converted into chemicals, or directly
producing the chemicals of interest.
This hybrid approach, involving several
disciplines, is reflected in the diversity of the KAUST
faculty working in and around CBRC. Currently, the
center has seven faculty members; but there are an
additional six from different KAUST divisions and
centers who are affiliated with CBRC.
The center has defined its flagship project for the
next six years, which relates to the development
of hybrid platforms for design of efficient
microbial cell factories. CBRC will receive a large
new computing cluster, which is expected to be
functional in September of this year. This resource
is primarily aimed at supporting CBRC research.
However, Bajic states that CBRC has strong intention
for establishing large-scale collaborative projects
that will expand the existing collaboration with
other life-science groups in KAUST. This resource
will enable large-scale studies that were previously
infeasible. In this way, they will be beneficial to the
broader KAUST life science research community.
Through the leadership of Professors Bajic
and Gojobori, with the aid of Professors Victor
Solovyev, Mikhail Moshkov, Stefan Arold, Xin
Gao and Dr. John Archer, the Computational
Bioscience Research Center is well positioned
to ensure successful developments in the
coming years.
3D MAPPING
CBRC INAUGURATION | Continued from p1
YOU SEE THEM at night pounding the pavement.
They swim past diligently as you lounge at the
beach. They’re up at 5 a.m. turning the pedals
over in the pursuit of something that, for many
of us, is hard to understand: why do endurance
athletes do what they do?
“At some point I always ask myself: why am
I doing this?” said Michelle Houborg of her
triathlon experiences. “I do it because I can, and
that keeps me moving forward.”
Running, swimming and biking are
popular pursuits among residents at KAUST.
But for a select few, combining all three into
one epic test of strength and determination
has become a passion.
KAUST is home to a number of triathletes,
three of which sat down with The Beacon
to talk about a race they all share; the Abu
Dhabi triathlon.
Vibeke Svensson, Mazen Akhdar, and Michelle
Houborg all know each other. They give an
occasional wave as they pass on training runs.
They meet for coffee occasionally, but being on
the move is clearly what all three of them share.
Svensson and Houborg both have four children.
Akhdar has three. All three have spouses. All
three have careers. And yet all three of them
dedicate several hours each day to training,
preparing healthy food and reading up on all of
the knowledge required of triathletes.
“The mix of disciplines makes it more
challenging and more fun” said Svensson about
switching from cyclist to triathlete. “You’d be
surprised at how technical racing is. If you miss
one detail, it can ruin the whole race.”
Svensson actually cites the Global Corporate
Challenge or GCC as having started her triathlon
aspirations. “After doing the biking, swimming
and running required as a participant in the 2013
GCC, I was physically ready to do a triathlon.”
Akhdar placed sixth in the 2013 Abu Dhabi
triathlon in the short distance. It’s something he
takes on almost as though it were a second job. He
attended the 2013 race as a sponsored participant,
thanks to the Abu Dhabi Tourism Association.
Most recently he took third place in a Jeddah
triathlon, for which he took home a medal and a
shiny, new Galaxy S4.
Community4 The Beacon
IMRAN SHAFIQUE ANSARIIN HIS time at KAUST, Ph.D. candidate
Imran Shafique Ansari has flourished both
personally and in his academic pursuits.
Already the first author of 11 publications,
Imran has found the research support of
KAUST to be impressive. “KAUST has been
amazing in achieving my objectives in terms of research for
my Ph.D. I have been blessed with an amazing supervisor, who
guides, teaches and shares knowledge beyond what is required.
Additionally, the lab equipment at KAUST is very powerful for
computational areas, and so are other research resources,” he says.
According to Imran, though, it is not only the top-tier academics
and facilities that make KAUST unique: “Most importantly, the work
style is quite dynamic here, and as a student, one works according
to the rhythm of his or her supervisor.”
Though hailing from Budaun, India, Imran spent his
formative years in Saudi Arabia. Upon completing his
bachelor’s degree at King Fahd University of Petroleum and
Minerals, Imran was recruited to join the founding class at
KAUST. The decision to accept was an easy one. “KAUST
provides resources similar to the world’s best universities
in terms of faculty, research facilities and a competitive
research environment,” he says. “This environment leads to
the advancement and gaining of top-level knowledge.”
Imran earned his master of science in Electrical
Engineering from KAUST in December 2010, and is now
fully invested in his Ph.D. research. Studying under Dr.
Mohamed-Slim Alouini, Imran is tackling issues regarding
how to best adapt and apply the fixed and limited resources
of wireless communications to the ever-expanding base of
users and their growing needs.
When not bat t l ing wi th the i s sues of g lobal
communications, Imran takes full advantage of all that
KAUST has to offer. His friends hail from all corners of the
globe, and he appreciates how the international dynamic
drives the social scene, stating, “KAUST has a very diverse
environment and a very multi-cultural social life. Saudis
have an excellent reputation for hospitality, and being part
of the KAUST family makes this hospitality even better.”
His full and active schedule is made all the more enjoyable
by his surroundings. “KAUST’s panoramic view speaks for
itself in terms of its rare beauty and for the innumerable
recreational opportunities,” he says.
From global communications to global friendships, Imran
seems to have the perfect perspective on what KAUST is:
“KAUST seems to be situated at the center of the globe,
making every place on the map easily accessible.”
MICHAEL GILMERHUMAN RESOURCES’ Senior Recruitment
Specialist Michael Gilmer works hard at
his job but likes to keep things light,
noting, “I’m a member of The Hair Club
for Men.” Seeing that Mike (as he prefers)
is as bald as a marble floor, it’s clear he
doesn’t mind having a laugh at his own expense.
Born and raised in the friendly city of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania (U.S.), Mike still maintains his roots, despite
now calling Orlando, Florida his U.S. home. “I still love my
city and my Pittsburgh sports teams: the Steelers, the Pirates, and
the Penguins,” he says. Mike earned two bachelor’s degrees
from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, and previously
worked for noted companies Xerox Corporation, Sony
Electronics and Delta Airlines, among others. “You need to be
personable, social and a people person in my field,” says Mike.
“My job at KAUST is to locate and to hire the most qualified and
most dynamic candidates that best fit our career openings and
our community.”
Mike doesn’t have difficulty selling KAUST to potential
candidates, stating, “One of the things I truly believe is
that KAUST is a great place for families. We have a young,
vibrant, growing community, and I get to work with and
break bread with some of the most talented people in their
respective professions.” KAUST’s dreamscape scenery is
not lost on him either. “Before I came to KAUST, I thought
the photos on the website were amazing. But now that I’ve
seen KAUST in person, the photos pale in comparison to the
reality,” he adds.
In his time away from the office, Mike likes to stay fit
by taking in the full range of recreational opportunities at
KAUST. “I like to go to the gym, and you can often see me out
cycling,” he says.
Being that he’s a recruiter, it might be easy to forget that
Mike himself was recruited to join KAUST. On that point,
he notes, “I came to KAUST because I wanted to do something
different. I wanted to live and to work overseas. KAUST was
hands down the best opportunity to do that.”
MY UNIVERSITY
July - August 2014
In solar cells, the efficient generation of current requires charge
transfer (CT) at a donor-acceptor interface, but this must take place on
a timescale much shorter than the lifetime of the excited state of the
absorber. It has recently been shown that smaller-sized QDs, or QDs
with increased bandgap energies, may promote, suppress, or rectify
electron transfer to the accepting layer in the solar-cell. QD size is also
important in optimizing both charge transfer and separation at QD/
oxide interfaces, which allows for the use of QDs instead of dyes in
producing QD-sensitized solar cells.
In their work, the team used QDs and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl
ester (PCBM) as a unique model system to examine the interfacial
charge transfer and separation in real time using a combination of
femtosecond (fs) broadband transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy
and steady-state photoluminescence quenching measurements.
“We added a piece to the puzzle into how we can tune
electron injection at the interface between QDs and PCBM,
which is a material commonly used in solar cells,” says
Mohammed. “The steady-state and femtosecond time-
resolved data clearly demonstrate that the charge transfer
process at the QDs-PCBM interface can be tuned from zero to
very efficient and ultrafast injection by controlling the size
of the QDs.”
The researchers investigated charge separation and ultrafast
electron injection at the QD/PCBM interfaces for four different
sizes of QDs, and also as a function of PCBM concentration.
They claim that the energy band alignment is one of the key
elements for efficient electron injection and charge separation
processes. “More specifically,” the researchers state, “the
steady-state and time-resolved data demonstrate that only
small-sized QDs with a bandgap larger than one electron volt
can transfer electrons to PCBM upon light absorption.”
“For QD solar cells, size makes all the difference,”
Mohammed says. “Our results have clearly demonstrated
for the first time the possibility of modulating the electron
transfer rate between QDs and PCBM by tailoring the size
distribution of QDs via quantum confinement effects.”
Mohammed hopes the team’s work will advance the
understanding and design of QD interfaces for solar energy
conversion. “We hope our work enables other researchers
to understand that the size of QDs can make a dramatic
difference, and that it should be taken into consideration
before the fabrication of QD solar cell devices,” he says.
QUANTUM DOT SOLAR CELLS | Continued from p1
KAUST TRIATHLETES TAKE ON ABU DHABI
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