New Biosensor Technology Makes Coronavirus Testing Quick and Easy
New diagnostic technique could help contain the spread of COVID-19 and other viral outbreaks. A new rapid coronavirus test developed by KAUST scientists can deliver…
KAUST News
Evolving Periodicity: Starlight, Star Bright…As Explained by Math
The evolving periodicity of the brightness of certain types of stars can now be described mathematically. Not all stars shine brightly all the time. Some…
Machine Learning at Speed: Optimization Code Increases Performance by 5x
Optimizing network communication accelerates training in large-scale machine-learning models. Inserting lightweight optimization code in high-speed network devices has enabled a KAUST-led collaboration to increase the…
Algorithm for Algal Rhythms: Red Sea Atlas of Algal Blooms Reveals the Need for More Sustainable Fish Farming
An atlas of harmful algal blooms across the Red Sea reveals their link with industrial aquaculture and how these blooms have changed in recent decades….
Simulating Evolution to Understand a Hidden Genetic Switch
Some organisms evolve an internal switch that can remain hidden for generations until stress flicks it on. Computer simulations of cells evolving over tens of…
Soft, Stretchy and Strong Electronic Skin Mimics Natural Functions of Human Skin
Soft, stretchy, slimline, and strong electronics could accelerate the arrival of artificial skin. A material that mimics human skin in strength, stretchability, and sensitivity could…
Laser Writing Breathes Life Into High-Performance Sensing Platforms
A simple method developed at KAUST uses laser beams to create graphene electrodes that have better performance than those produced through older methods. Electrodes consisting…
Time for a New Contender in Energy Conversion and Storage
Combining distinctive properties of two-dimensional materials inspires research to reveal a new frontrunner. Evolutionary search has helped scientists predict the lowest energy structure of a…
Microscope Lens Inspired by Lighthouses Makes It Easier to Observe Molecular-Level Details of Biological Processes
Custom-fabricated lenses make it easy to attach high-tech microscopes directly to cell incubators. An optical device that resembles a miniaturized lighthouse lens can make it…
Greenhouses of the Future Offer Desert Growth Opportunities
Efficient greenhouse complexes that will grow crops using the resources available on desert coasts could improve food security for millions. Emerging technologies can be harnessed…
Genetic Comparison of 24 Coronaviruses – Including SARS-CoV-2 Viruses From the U.S. and China – Yields Clues to COVID-19 Treatments
Understanding any similarities between SARS and COVID-19 inflammation could help in a clinical setting. A protein in the viruses causing COVID-19 and SARS is almost…
Aqua-Fi: Underwater WiFi With Aquatic Internet That Sends Data Through Beams of Light
Aquatic internet that sends data through light beams could enable divers to instantly transmit footage from under the sea to the surface. The internet is…
Patterned Optical Chips That Emit Chaotic Light Waves Keep Secrets Perfectly Safe
Chaos could help put cyberhackers out of business with a patterned silicon chip that will be uncrackable even in the future. Confidential data—including credit card…
Iron Nanorobots Go Undercover to Track Living Cells Inside the Body
Customizable magnetic iron nanowires pinpoint and track the movements of target cells. Living cells inside the body could be placed under surveillance—their location and migration…
New Efficiency Record Set by Novel Multi-Material Solar Cells
Researchers create highly efficient and stable tandem solar cell, one of the best-performing reported to date. Researchers from the University of Toronto Engineering and King…
Capturing Extra Energy From the Sun: Harnessing Hot Carriers for High Efficiency Solar Cells
Materials that can slow the cooling of highly energetic hot carriers could capture extra energy from the Sun. Two-dimensional solar materials may offer a way…
Stretchable High Efficiency Solar Cells for Wearable Electronics or Flexible Robot Skin
Combining silicon with a highly elastic polymer backing produces solar cells that have record-breaking stretchability and high efficiency. Crystalline silicon solar panels could be just…
Turning Waste Plastic Into Filtration Membranes
Discarded PET bottles could find a new life in the chemical industry. In a world that seems to be drowning in plastic bottles, recycling this…