Research Overview
Research at KAUST brings students, faculty, and
researchers together to push the frontiers of science through
collaborative inquiry into issues of regional and global significance.
The University focuses on energy, water, food, the environment, and
computational science and engineering - five global challenges with
great potential to advance quality of life in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf
region, and the world.
The Chemical and Life Sciences and Engineering
Division is associated with six Research Centers, the primary research
units at KAUST:
- Catalysis Research Center
– This center is dedicated to helping the chemical, petroleum, and new
energies industries become more sustainable by improving efficiency,
reducing waste, and minimizing environmental impact through “catalysis
by design.”
- Computational Bioscience Research Center
– Researchers are focusing on development of innovative computational
technologies to accelerate scientific discovery within the life
sciences and expedite new biomedical breakthroughs.
- Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Research Center
– This Center is pursuing the creation of novel technologies for
efficient and sustainable separation processes for the petrochemical
and natural gas industries, as well as the production of clean drinking
water.
- Plant Stress Genomics and Technology Research Center
– Center researchers study the molecular mechanisms underlying plant
tolerance to drought and salt water stress conditions, and create new
technologies to improve crop plant tolerance to those factors and
increase the percentage of total arable land.
- Red Sea Research Center
– This Center is developing an integrated understanding of coral reef
ecosystems, in particular those located along the Red Sea, and their
oceanographic context among the environment, anthropogenic factors, and
global climate change.
- Water Desalination and Reuse Research Center
– Researchers are addressing the need for sustainable and
energy-efficient methods of water desalination and reuse to increase
global supplies of potable water, especially in regions deprived of
sufficient fresh water supplies.
Independent Principal Investigators