Chemical and Life Sciences and Engineering Division
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 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.
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