2014 December Beacon

December 2014/Safar 1436 Volume 5, Issue No. 4 ‫جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‬

‫ المملكة العربية السعودية‬،‫ثول‬

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

www.kaust.edu.sa

‫دراسة التنبؤ بالزالزل‬ Groundwater composition as a potential precursor to earthquakes Page 4

Must-See Events

#WEP2015 Page 7

KAUST and Saudi Aramco host joint Upstream Petroleum Symposium Page 6

Assembling the atomic pieces to understand the big puzzle Page 10

KAUST researchers win L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Page 8

TKS Model UN team takes part in YMGE 2014 Page 12

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In brief The KAUST student chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) was honored as the outstanding student chapter at SPE’s Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition in Amsterdam, which took place on October 27-29. Both SPE’s Saudi Arabian Section and Saudi Aramco recognized the chapter’s achievement.

The winners of the KAUST Solar & Photovoltaic Engineering Research Center Solar Future Poster Session were recognized at Al-Marsa on November 10. Elisa Collado, a student from Imperial College of London, took home the top prize while one KAUST student and one KAUST postdoc received runner-up honors.

The Mousetrap, a murder mystery by famous British crime author Dame Agatha Christie, was performed on November 23 and 24. Featuring performances by both students and staff and outstanding direction by Ph.D. students Amber Siddiqui and Daniel Binham, the production kept audience members on the edge of their seats until the denouement. The show has been in continuous production in London’s West End theater district since 1952.

The Electron Microscopy Frontiers Conference will be held December 9 to

The Beacon Volume 5, Issue 4 PUBLISHED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal, Saudi Arabia

The Beacon Staff Managing Editors: Michelle D’Antoni, Salah Sindi Editor: Nicholas Demille Designer: Hazim Alradadi Arabic Editor: Saad Al-Husainan Writers: Caitlin Clark, David Murphy, Michelle Ponto, Meres Weche Translator: Adel Alrefaie Photographers: Andrea Bachofen-Echt, Ginger Lisanti Email: thebeacon@kaust.edu.sa The Beacon is published monthly. © King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

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THE BEACON | DEC 2014

11. Some of the world’s foremost electron microscopy (EM) researchers will be on campus to discuss current trends in materials and life sciences. In honor of five years of EM activities at KAUST, a special focus session will bring together guest speakers from regional institutions to present developments in establishing this scientific area in the Middle East.

On December 10, the University Development Department and the Office of Research Services will hold the 2014 SABIC Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards.

The program will recognize 15 postdoctoral fellows whose winning research supports KAUST and SABIC research strategies. A poster exhibition and reception will be held in the lobby of the Conference Center.

Register now for the SRI UQ Annual meeting on January 6-9 entitled: Advances in Uncertainty Quantification Methods, Algorithms and Applications (UAQW 2015). The meeting will cover a range of topics, including verification and validation, experimental design and applications to problems in computational science, engineering, networks and the environment. Find registration information and more at sri-uq.kaust.edu.sa

Accolades Dr. Jean-Luc Bredas elected member of EURASC

2 Leadership appointment for WDRC Professor TorOve Leiknes has been named the new director of the Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC). He served as the Center’s interim director from June 2014, following the retirement of founding director Gary Amy. Leiknes joined KAUST in August of 2013 as a professor of Environmental Engineering in the Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering division. Prior to KAUST, Leiknes was professor of Environmental Engineering at the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Faculty Engineering Science and Technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.

As Center Director, Leiknes will help advance the Center’s mission of addressing regional and global water scarcity by focusing on the exploitation of impaired-quality water sources. In its first five years, the Center has distinguished itself as a leader in water research from the laboratory to the pilot plant, and has hosted distinguished researchers and policy leaders from around the world.

While he is recognized as one of the most highly cited chemists in the world, this honor by the European Academy of Sciences (EURASC) highlights Dr. Bredas’ status as one of the world’s preeminent scientists in the field of organic semiconductors and solar cells.

Bredas was appointed Director of the Solar & Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center in January. He has conducted groundbreaking theoretical research into new organic materials that can be exploited for novel generations of devices based on organics used as semiconductors. Such devices include light-emitting diodes for displays, field-effect transistors and organic solar cells.

The European Academy of Sciences (EURASC), based in Liège, Belgium, is a fully independent international association of distinguished scholars that aims to recognize and elect to its membership the best scientists.

As a member of the European Academy of Sciences, Bredas will contribute to the independent institution's aim of “strengthening European science and scientific cooperation and of utilizing the expertise of its members in advising other European bodies in the betterment of European research, technological application and social development.”

Dr. Takashi Gojobori receives honorary degree On November 12, Dr. Takashi Gojobori, a world-renowned expert on molecular evolution and comparative genomics, received an honorary doctoral degree from National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in southern Taiwan. The honorary degree was conferred in recognition of his contributions to evolutionary genomics and molecular evolution.

“It's a great pleasure to accept such a wonderful honorary degree from NCKU, particularly under the presence of my colleagues from KAUST,” said Gojobori.

Cover: KAUST Ph.D. candidate Wenbin Xu and KAUST postdocs Teng Wang and Ulas Avsar setting up a GPS instrument in North Iceland. By Sigurjón Jónsson

KAUST Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. James A. Calvin led a nine-member delegation to NCKU to participate in the conferring ceremony for Gojobori.

1. Mousetrap cast members lineup for a bow at the

“Dr. Gojobori is a tremendous colleague in KAUST. Not only he is a brilliant scientist, of which we are all well aware, but he's truly a gentleman and colleague who represents the essence of what it means to be a professor and a scholar,” Calvin said.

conclusion of their performance. By Caitlin Clark

2. Dr. TorOve Leiknes poses for a portrait in the Ibn

Al-Haytham West building on the KAUST campus. By Nicholas Demille

Before joining KAUST, Gojobori was a professor and Vice Director of the National Institute of Genetics in Japan.

www.kaust.edu.sa

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Groundwater composition as a potential precursor to earthquakes

By Meres J. Weche The world experiences over 13,000 earthquakes per year that reach a Richter magnitude of 4.0 or greater. But what if there was a way to predict these oft-deadly earthquakes and, through a reliable process, mitigate loss of life and damage to vital urban infrastructure?

Earthquake prediction is the “holy grail” of geophysics, said KAUST’s Dr. Sigurjón Jónsson, associate professor of Earth Science and Engineering and principal investigator of the Crustal Deformation and InSAR Group. But after some initial optimism among scientists in the 1970s about the reality of predicting earthquakes, several failed predictions have moved the pendulum towards skepticism.

In a study recently published in Nature Geoscience by a group of Icelandic and Swedish researchers, including Jónsson, an interesting correlation was established between two earthquakes greater than magnitude 5 in North Iceland in 2012 and 2013, and the observed changing chemical composition of area groundwater prior to these tectonic events.

The changes included variations in dissolved element concentrations and fluctuations in the proportion of stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen.

The Message from the earth’s cracking crust Iceland was an ideal location to conduct the collaborative study undertaken by scientists from Akureyri University, the University of Iceland, Landsvirkjun, the National Power Company of Iceland, the University of Stockholm, University of Gothenburg, Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and KAUST.

It’s similar to when you take a piece of wood and you start to bend it. At some point before it snaps it starts to crack a little. Something similar might be happening in the earth.” Sigurjón Jónsson

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compounds in the wells; and then possibly associate significant changes to tectonic or major events,” Jónsson added.

Over the five-year data collection period, they were able to detect perceptible changes in the aquifer system as much as four to six months prior to the two recorded earthquakes—one magnitude 5.6 in October 2012 and a second magnitude 5.5 in April 2013.

The proportion of young local precipitation water in the geothermal water increased in proportion to water that fell as rain thousands of years ago. Aquifer systems are typically a mix of the two. At the same time, alterations were evident in the dissolved chemicals like sodium, calcium and silicon during that precursor period. Interestingly, these proportions returned to their previous states about three months after each of the quakes.

The team is cautious about stating the possible implications of their findings. However, the observations are promising and worthy of further investigation that includes more exhaustive monitoring in multiple locations. But, statistically speaking, it would be very difficult to disassociate these changes in the groundwater chemical composition from the two earthquakes.

A change in the ratio of old and new water in the aquifer system is important because it points to the development of small fractures in the rocks before an earthquake. Presumably the new rainwater seeps through the newly formed fractures in the rocky soil.

“It’s a good testing ground because, geologically speaking, it’s very active,” said Jónsson. “It has erupting volcanoes and it has large earthquakes also happening relatively often compared to many other places. And these areas that are active are relatively accessible.”

“It’s similar to when you take a piece of wood and you start to bend it. At some point before it snaps it starts to crack a little; and then poof it snaps. Something similar might be happening in the earth. Meaning that just before an earthquake happens, if you start to have a lot of micro-fracturing you will have water having an easier time to move around in the rocks,” said Jónsson.

The team monitored the chemistry, temperature and pressure in a few water wells in north Iceland for a period of five years more or less continuously. “They have been doing this to form an understanding of the variability of these chemical

The team will be presenting their findings at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in San Francisco in December 2014. “It will be interesting to see the reaction there,” said Jónsson.

THE BEACON | DEC 2014

‫‪1‬‬ ‫‪1. Major earthquakes have occurred in the past on the Húsavík‬‬‫‪Flatey fault in Northern Iceland, a fault line that extends along this‬‬ ‫‪lake, to the town of Húsavik and then offshore. By J. Harrington‬‬ ‫‪2. KAUST postdoc Ulas Avsar and KAUST Ph.D. student Jon‬‬

‫‪Harrington look for evidence of pre-historic earthquakes in soil‬‬ ‫‪layers in North Iceland. By Yann Klinger‬‬

‫‪3. Overlooking Húsavík town and Skjálfandi bay, Northern‬‬ ‫‪Iceland. The word “Skjálfandi” means “shaking” in Icelandic, which‬‬ ‫‪probably comes from the frequent seismic activity there, rather‬‬ ‫‪than the trembling cold winters. By Sigurjón Jónsson‬‬

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‫دراسة التنبؤ بالزالزل‬ ‫يواجه العالم ما يزيد عن ثالثة عشر ألف هزة أرضية "زلزال" سنويا تصل‬ ‫قوتها إلى ‪ 4.0‬درجة أو ما يزيد على مقياس ريختر‪ .‬ولكن ماذا لو كانت‬ ‫هناك طريقة موثوق بها للتنبؤ بهذه الزالزل التي غالبا ما تكون مدمرة‪،‬‬ ‫فقد نتمكن من الحد من الخسائر في األرواح واألضرار التي تلحق بالبنية‬ ‫التحتية الحضرية األساسية‪.‬‬ ‫يقول " د‪ .‬سيجورجون جونسون االستاذ المشارك بقسم علوم وهندسة‬ ‫األرض بجامعة الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم والتقنية والباحث الرئيسي بفريق‬ ‫تشوهات األرض" ‪ :‬أن التنبؤ بالزالزل هو "الغاية األسمى" للجيوفيزياء‪.‬‬ ‫ولكن بعد التفاؤل األولي للعلماء في عام ‪1970‬م عن حقيقة التنبؤ‬ ‫بالزالزل‪ ،‬والذي صاحب التوقع الناجح لحدوث زلزال كبير بالصين عام‬ ‫‪1975‬م قبل حودثه بساعات‪ ،‬إال أن فشل العديد من التوقعات فيما بعد‬ ‫ً‬ ‫اعتبارا من عام‬ ‫أدى إلى تغير االتجاه نحو التشكك في القدرة على التنبؤ‬ ‫‪1990‬م فصاعدا‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫مؤخرا في مجلة ‪ Nature Geoscience‬من قبل‬ ‫وفي دراسة نشرت‬ ‫مجموعة من الباحثين السويديين واأليسلنديين وبينهم د‪ .‬سيجورجون‬ ‫جونسون‪ ،‬تم مالحظة ارتباط مثير لالهتمام بين اثنين من الزالزل التي‬ ‫حدثت في أيسلندا في عامي ‪2012‬م و ‪2013‬م و التي فاقت قوتها ‪5‬‬ ‫درجات بمقياس ريختر وبين التغيرات الكيميائية في تركيبة المياه الجوفية‬ ‫بالمنطقة والتي تم مالحظتها قبل وقوع هذه األحداث التكتونية‬ ‫"الزالزل"‪ .‬وتضمنت هذه التغيرات االختالفات في تركيزات العناصر الذائبة‬ ‫وتقلبات في نسبة النظائر المستقرة لألكسجين والهيدروجين‪.‬‬

‫المؤشرات المستوحاة من تصدع قشرة األرض‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫مثاليا إلجراء الدراسة المشتركة التي قام بها‬ ‫موقعا‬ ‫تعد أيسلندا‬ ‫العلماء من جامعة أكوريري‪ ،‬جامعة أيسلندا‪ ،‬الندسفيركجين (شركة‬ ‫أيسلندا الوطنية للطاقة)‪ ،‬جامعة ستوكهولم‪ ،‬جامعة غوتنبرغ ومعهد‬ ‫كارولينسكا في ستوكهولم‪ ،‬وجامعة الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم والتقنية‪.‬‬ ‫ويقول د‪ .‬جونسون " إن أيسلندا موقع جيد لالختبار ألنها من الناحية‬ ‫الجيولوجية‪ ،‬منطقة نشطة ً‬ ‫جدا‪ .‬فإنها تشهد انفجارات البراكين كما تشهد‬ ‫حدوث زالزل كبيرة بمعدالت أكثر نسبيا مقارنة بأماكن كثيرة أخرى‪ .‬كما‬ ‫أن هذه المناطق النشطة يمكن الوصول اليها بسهولة نسبيا‪".‬‬ ‫وقام فريق من الباحثين برصد التركيب الكيميائي‪ ،‬درجة الحرارة‪ ،‬والضغط‬ ‫في عدد قليل من آبار المياه في شمال أيسلندا لمدة خمس سنوات‬ ‫بشكل شبه مستمر‪ .‬ويضيف د‪ .‬جونسون "لقد كانوا يقومون بذلك‬

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‫‪www.kaust.edu.sa‬‬

‫لتكوين فهم عن تنوع هذه المركبات الكيميائية لآلبار‪ ،‬ومن ثم فقد‬ ‫يمكن ربط التغيرات الهامة باألحداث التكتونية أو األحداث الكبرى‪.‬‬ ‫وتمكن فريق البحث خالل فترة جمع البيانات التي بدأت في عام‬ ‫‪2008‬م وامتدت لمدة خمس سنوات من رصد التغيرات الملحوظة في‬ ‫طبقة المياه الجوفية قبل أربعة إلى ستة أشهر من الزلزالين الذين تم‬ ‫تسجيلهم‪ ،‬والذي وقع أحدهما في أكتوبر ‪2012‬م بقوة ‪ 5.6‬درجة‬ ‫بمقياس ريختر‪ ،‬والزلزال االخر الذي وقع في ابريل ‪2013‬م بقوة ‪5.5‬‬ ‫درجة بمقياس ريختر‪ .‬وكانت المالحظة الرئيسية هي ارتفاع نسبة المياه‬ ‫الحديثة التي ترسبت في المياه الجوفية – إلى نسبة المياه المترسبة‬ ‫من األمطار على مدار االف األعوام السابقة (عادة ما تكون المياه‬ ‫الجوفية مزيجا من االثنين)‪ .‬وفي الوقت نفسه‪ ،‬كانت التغيرات واضحة‬ ‫في المواد الكيميائية المذابة مثل الصوديوم والكالسيوم والسيليكون‬ ‫خالل الفترة التي سبقت حدوث الزالزل‪ .‬ومن المثير لالهتمام‪ ،‬هو عودة‬ ‫النسبة إلى ما كانت عليه سابقا بعد مرور ما يقرب من حوالي ثالثة‬ ‫أشهر بعد حدوث الزالزل‪.‬‬ ‫وبينما يحذر العلماء من أن هذا ليس تأكيدا على امكانية التنبؤ بالزلزال‬ ‫اآلن‪ ،‬ولكن تبقي المالحظات واعدة وجديرة بالمضي في المزيد من‬ ‫التجارب التي تنطوي على رصد أكثر شموال في مواقع إضافية أخرى‪.‬‬ ‫ولكن‪ ،‬من الناحية االحصائية‪ ،‬سيكون من الصعب فصل هذه التغيرات‬ ‫الكيميائية في تكوين المياه الجوفية عن حدوث الزلزالين‪.‬‬ ‫وتعود أهمية التغير في نسبة المياه المترسبة حديثا لنسبة المياة‬ ‫القديمة في طبقة المياه الجوفية ألنه يشير إلى تطور كسور قشرة‬ ‫األرض الدقيقة الناتجة عن تراكم الضغط على الصخور قبل وقوع الزلزال‪.‬‬ ‫وبالتالي فإن مياه األمطار الحديثة تتسرب من خالل الشقوق أو الكسور‬ ‫الدقيقة التي تكونت حديثا في التربة الصخرية‪ .‬ويوضح د‪ .‬سيجورجون‬ ‫جونسون ذلك قائال‪:‬‬ ‫" إن األمر يشبه التقاط قطعة خشبية والبدء في ثنيها‪ ،‬فإنها في مرحلة‬ ‫ما تقوم بالتصدع قليال قبل ان تنكسر‪ ،‬ثم تنكسر بشكل كامل‪ .‬وقد‬ ‫تتعرض األرض لحدوث أمر مماثل‪ ،‬فهذا يعني أن حدوث الزلزال يسبقه‬ ‫الكثير من الكسور الدقيقة بالقشرة األرضية تمنح المياه وقتا كافيا‬ ‫للتنقل بين الصخور‪".‬‬ ‫وسيقوم الفريق بتقديم نتائج أبحاثهم في اجتماع االتحاد الجيوفيزيائي‬ ‫األمريكي (‪ )AGU‬الذي سيعقد في ديسمبر ‪2014‬م بسان‬ ‫فرانسيسكو‪ .‬وقال د‪ .‬جونسون " سيكون من المثير لالهتمام أن نرى‬ ‫رد الفعل هناك"‪.‬‬

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KAUST and Saudi Aramco host joint Upstream Petroleum Symposium 1

By Caitlin Clark In collaboration with Saudi Aramco, KAUST hosted an Upstream Petroleum Symposium on November 13-14. The symposium highlighted recent developments in the understanding of fluid flow and recovery in conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon systems, and helped to identify unique challenges and opportunities for fundamental and solution-driven collaborative research in the field.

Over 30 upstream specialists, including academics from KAUST and other international universities and industry, joined Saudi Aramco’s upstream petroleum experts to present on critical issues in this important field.

“Working with the best across the world is part of our University’s culture,” said KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau in his opening remarks at the event. “In our collaborative work with Saudi Aramco, we expect to aim high and try to solve important questions and problems in the upstream petroleum field.”

Dr. Ding Zhu, Professor of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University and a speaker at the event, noted she was “excited to attend the conference to help create international collaborations between research units around the world, and work as teams to develop new technologies.”

“Saudi Arabia is a key component in the world energy equation, and KAUST is a preeminent institution in the region,” said Dr. William Fleckenstein, professor of petroleum engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and speaker at the symposium. “I was honored to attend the event for these reasons.”

Amin H. Nasser, senior vice president of Upstream Operations at Saudi Aramco, noted in his opening remarks that advances in upstream research are extremely important for Saudi Aramco.

Dr. Hossein Kazemi, Chesebro’ distinguished chair in petroleum engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and a speaker at the event, said he hoped the symposium would promote international collaboration. “I believe KAUST can partner with other institutions to advance outstanding ideas for the good of mankind,” he said.

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THE BEACON | DEC 2014

2 Working with the best across the world is part of our University’s culture.” Jean-Lou Chameau 1. Dr. Teofilo Abrajano, director of the Office of

Competitive Research funds, speaks at the joint Upstream Petroleum Symposium. By Ginger Lisanti

2. KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau, speaks at the Joint Upstream Petroleum Symposium. By Ginger Lisanti

Must-See Events

#WEP2015

By Michelle Ponto

for the ART LOVER

for the ADVENTURER

WEP 2015 Film Festival, January 11 launch

Creative use of light in photography, January 11 to 14

A film festival featuring a wide array of classic and contemporary movies. A complete list of the movies will be released closer to the event.

Enjoy a workshop by guest photographer Billy Currie that will show why post processing is required and how it changes your photography.

Modern Saudi art exhibit, January 11

King Solomon's gold: the mines of Saudi Arabia, January 15

Enjoy a special exhibition of modern Saudi art curated by Arabian Wings, an independent Saudi arts company.

A lecture that explores gold exploration and mining practices in present-day Saudi Arabia.

Tingatinga: East Africa’s exciting exotic painting style, January 18

Desert Adventure: Fascination of Ice, January 22

This lecture by Pascal Bogaert focuses on the historical, social aspects and cultural meaning of Tingatinga painting—East Africa’s most popular contemporary painting style.

Join Michael Martin as he explores two extremes in this keynote lecture: the deserts and polar regions of our planet. His journeys include riding his motorbike across the Sahara, the Namib and the Atacama; traveling with camels through the Takla Makan; traversing the ice of Greenland and Spitsbergen by dog sledge; flying by helicopter to the South Pole and the pristine expanses of Antarctica; and reaching the North Pole on skis.

Bella Gaia: WEP 2015 closing gala, January 22 An awe-inspiring live multimedia performance fusing stunning NASA visualizations of earth from space with live music and dance from around the world.

for the ENTREPRENEUR Entrepreneurship Series: ICE in the Desert, January 15 to 20 ICE in the Desert is a five-day program that offers up to 80 participants a range of modules designed to be a flexible and practitioner-led approach to teaching the broad aspects of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship Series: LEAN, January 18 to 20 The Intensive Lean Startup program follows on concepts from ICE In the Desert, a general entrepreneurial development program that runs during the first week of WEP 2015. This event is limited to 35 participants and is of particular interest to anyone contemplating starting a new venture.

for the WHOLE FAMILY Farmers market, January 15 to 17 This three-day market offers the KAUST community and visitors to experience produce from local farmers in Saudi Arabia, including certified organic farms.

for the SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ENTHUSIAST A Neanderthal perspective on human origins: January 13 In this keynote lecture, Svante Pääbo, director of Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, will take us through the study of the genomes of Neanderthal man and how this work is informing our understanding of the development of humanity.

From razor clams to robots: the mathematics behind biologically inspired design, January 20 Witness the latest innovations in the field of biologically inspired design in this keynote lecture by Anette Hosoi, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. The Red Sea robotic exploratorium, January 22 KAUST and Stanford, together with Meka Robotics, have been collaborating for past three years on an ambitious project to design and build a radical new underwater robotic platform to serve as a robotic avatar diver.

In this keynote lecture, the audience will be able to interact with the robot in simulation and participate in transcontinental operations initiated from KAUST on the actual robot diving at Stanford.

5K fun run, January 16 This five kilometer fun run/walk starts and finishes at the Harbor Sports Club and everyone in the community can take part by either running for fun, walking with friends or even racing to win.

Science fair, January 19 The science fair offers a chance for our scientific community to come together and inspire each other through demonstrations and experiments, as well as for the KAUST community to learn from and interact with KAUST graduate students, postdocs, research scientists and faculty.

Register at http://wep.acadox.com

www.kaust.edu.sa

7

KAUST researchers win L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science

By Caitlin Clark Two members of KAUST’s research community, Jasmeen Merzaban, assistant professor of bioscience, and doctoral student Nouf Alshareef, have been honored by the L’Oréal Foundation, receiving the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science fellowships at a ceremony in Dubai on November 17.

Merzaban was recognized for her research in the field of immunology, where she focuses on stem cells and cell migration, and Alshareef for her work in identifying genes that may be potential contributors to salinity tolerance in plants.

L’Oréal and UNESCO began their partnership in 1998, and since then have awarded the prestigious fellowships to more than 1,900 female scientists worldwide. The four fellowships awarded this year to women from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region underscore L’Oréal and UNESCO’s commitment to the principle that “the world needs science and science needs women.”

Supporting women to develop careers in science is essential, and the L’Oréal initiative is to be applauded.” Mark Tester In recognizing Arab women scientists’ outstanding commitment and contributions to science, the awards also acknowledge the importance of their work in the development of the region.

Sara Ravella, L’Oréal’s executive vice-president of communication, sustainability and public affairs, noted the awards “celebrate great women scientists...[and] demonstrate the vital role women play in driving science and research.”

Alshareef, who is supervised by KAUST Professor of Bioscience Mark Tester in the University’s Center for Desert Agriculture, said the award is the first she has received and is “very important, as it will open many new future opportunities for me to apply for other prizes and grants.”

She added that the award “is not only important for me, but also for my lab, my research center and KAUST, as they have all given me much, and now is a time to reward them as well.”

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THE BEACON | DEC 2014

“Supporting women to develop careers in science is essential, and the L’Oréal initiative is to be applauded,” said Tester. “Two young women from biosciences in KAUST winning awards in this highly prestigious initiative is a great honor for them, and is also an excellent indication that KAUST is heading in the right direction in establishing high-quality research to contribute to the development of the region.”

Professor Pierre Magistretti, dean of the Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering division, added that the entire KAUST community is “proud of this recognition of two remarkable women scientists at different stages in their careers. This recognition should be of great encouragement for all female students enrolled at KAUST, and in particular those who have an interest in engaging in a scientific academic career.”

‫باحثتان من جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫تحصالن على منحة برنامج لوريال ـ‬ ‫اليونسكو للنساء في مجال العلوم‬ ‫‪1‬‬ ‫نالت كل من الدكتورة ياسمين مرزبان األستاذ المساعد في العلوم‬ ‫البيولوجية‪ ،‬وطالبة الدكتوارة نوف الشريف من جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫للعلوم والتقنية منحة برنامج لوريال – اليونسكو للنساء في مجال‬ ‫العلوم لهذا العام‪ ،‬وذلك خالل الحفل الذي أقيم بهذه المناسبة في‬ ‫ً‬ ‫تقديرا إلسهاماتهما‬ ‫‪ 17‬من شهر نوفمبر الماضي في مدينة دبي‬ ‫المتميزة في مجال البحث العلمي‪.‬‬

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‫وقد سجلت جامعة الملك عبداهلل في هذه المناسبة حضورا مميزا‬ ‫حيث تم تكريم الدكتورة ياسمين مرزبان ألبحاثها الرائدة في مجال‬ ‫ً‬ ‫خصوصا في مجال الخاليا الجذعية وهجرة الخاليا‪ ،‬فيما‬ ‫علم المناعة‬ ‫تم تكريم الطالبة نوف الشريف مقابل أبحاثها في تحديد الجينات‬ ‫المحتملة والمسؤولة عن تحمل الملوحة في النباتات بإشراف استاذ‬ ‫العلوم البيولوجية البروفيسور مارك تستر من مركز الزراعة الصحراوية‪.‬‬ ‫وأكدت نائبة الرئيس التنفيذي لقسم االتصاالت واالستدامة‬ ‫والشؤون العامة في مؤسسة لوريال ساره رافيال‪ ،‬أن الجائزة تحتفي‬ ‫بإنجازات الباحثات في مجاالت العلوم وقوة إلتزامهن وتأثيرهن في‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أيضا إثبات على الدور الفاعل للنساء في دفع عجلة‬ ‫المجتمع ‪ ،‬وهي‬ ‫العلوم والمعرفة‪.‬‬ ‫وعبرت طالبة الدكتوراه نوف الشريف عن سعادتها الكبيرة بحصولها‬ ‫على جائزة برنامج لوريال ـ اليونسكو كونها الجائزة األولى لها والتي‬ ‫أكدت بأن أهميتها تكمن في تشجيعها ودعمها لمواصلة إسهاماتها‬ ‫في األبحاث العلمية للحصول على العديد من الجوائز والمنح االخرى‬ ‫ً‬ ‫تكريما لمختبرات ومراكز أبحاث جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫تعد‬ ‫وأن الجائزة ّ‬ ‫التي كان لها دور كبير في مساعدتها في مسيرتها العلمية المتميزة‪.‬‬ ‫من جهته قال البروفيسور تستر‪" :‬دعم استحداث وظائف للنساء‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أساسيا‪ ،‬ومبادرة جديرة بالثناء لمؤسسة‬ ‫أمرا‬ ‫في مجال العلوم يعد‬ ‫لوريال ‪ ،‬كما أنه شرف عظيم لنا أن تحصل باحثتان من قسم العلوم‬ ‫البيولوجية في جامعة الملك عبداهلل على هذه الجائزة العالمية‬ ‫المرموقة‪ ،‬وهو أيضا مؤشر ممتاز إلى أن جامعة الملك عبداهلل تسير‬ ‫في االتجاه الصحيح في دعمها لألبحاث عالية الجودة وذات التأثير‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫وعالميا"‪.‬‬ ‫محليا‬ ‫الكبير‬ ‫بدوره أوضح البروفسور بيير ماجيستريتي‪ ،‬عميد قسم العلوم‬ ‫والهندسة البيولوجية والبيئية في جامعة الملك عبداهلل ‪ " :‬إن جميع‬ ‫منسوبي مجتمع الجامعة يشعرون بالفخر لهذا التكريم الكبير والذي‬ ‫ً‬ ‫تشجيعا لجميع الطالبات الملتحقات في جامعة‬ ‫ينبغي أن يكون‬ ‫ً‬ ‫خصوصا الالتي يرغبن في التخصص في المجاالت‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل‪،‬‬ ‫األكاديمية العلمية"‪.‬‬

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‫وبدأت الشراكة بين مؤسسة لوريال واليونسكو في عام ‪،1998‬‬ ‫ومنذ ذلك الحين تم تقديم منحة لوريال ـ اليونسكو إلى أكثر من‬ ‫بناء على إنجازاتهن في البحوث العلمية‬ ‫‪ 1900‬باحثة علمية مرموقة ً‬ ‫في جميع أنحاء العالم‪ .‬وتميز حفل هذه السنة على وجه الخصوص‬ ‫بحصول أربع سيدات من دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي (‪ )GCC‬على‬ ‫منحة البرنامج األمر الذي تؤكد لوريال واليونسكو من خالله على‬ ‫دعمها للباحثات العربيات الالتي يمثلن مستقبل العلوم واالعتراف‬ ‫بأهمية عملهن في تنمية وتطوير المنطقة‪.‬‬

‫‪1. KAUST's Nouf Alshareef (third from left) poses with event‬‬ ‫‪participants.‬‬ ‫‪2. One of the event organizers speaks during the L’Oréal‬‬ ‫‪Foundation event For Women in Science.‬‬ ‫‪3. Nouf Alshareef (third from left) poses with event participants.‬‬

Assembling the atomic pieces to understand the big puzzle

By Michelle Ponto

Associate Professor Stefan Arold has been with KAUST for a little over a year. In that time he’s been busy building KAUST’s first structural biology lab specializing in the atomic 3D structure of proteins and other biological macromolecules.

"It is very exciting and a great opportunity to be able to custom-build your own structural biology lab from scratch,” said Arold. “Choosing the big instruments such as the x-ray diffractometer or high-end biophysical tools was fun and rather easy. It’s assembling the myriad of small things you need that is difficult. Often if you miss something small, then you won’t be able to use those big machines.”

The Protein world inside us Arold’s specialty is structural biology and molecular biophysics. He uses physical methods to study biological systems at a molecular level. More precisely, he uses an integrated ‘hybrid’ approach to analyze 3D structure and function of proteins.

Proteins are fascinating. They are life’s molecular workhorses.”

Stefan Arold “Proteins are fascinating. They are life’s molecular workhorses,” Arold said. “In our body, they form nanoscale factories, railway systems, molecular portals and communication systems. It’s their interactions with other proteins or other types of biomolecules that are at the heart of all biological functions.”

“This nanoscale world that proteins and other biomolecules create is truly miraculous,” said Arold. “We want to understand how proteins function to support life—and for this studying their 3D structure and interactions is essential.”

Going deep into research Arold believes that his team has the capacity to understand how life works and functions at the atomic level. But he wants to take this in-depth understanding a step further and use it as an inspiration for engineering beneficial improvements on certain systems.

“Our collaboration with Dr. Heribert Hirt from the Center for Desert Agriculture may allow us to describe on a molecu-

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THE BEACON | DEC 2014

lar level how plants sense and communicate a stress like drought or high salinity; this understanding could then inspire ways for improving their resistance,” Arold said.

“Similarly, our work with the Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC) is expected to contribute to understanding and engineering microbes for microbial cell factories.”

Collaborating for greater understanding The research Arold’s lab conducts is highly collaborative by nature. “We are assembling the atomic pieces to understand the big puzzle,” Arold said.

Examples include work with Dr. Mark Tester's team in KAUST's Salt Lab, where they have focused on constructing a salt sensor. He also works with the groups of Dr. Vladimir Bajic and Dr. Xin Gao from the CBRC, where structural biology is brought together with the latest machine learning algorithms to enable large-scale functional annotation of proteins.

“The principles of how structure, dynamics and interactions of proteins support biological function are of course the same in all life,” Arold explained. “But our work can add a deeper level of understanding, a greater resolution, if you wish, to almost all of bioscience. Together with the supportive structure and competence of my colleagues at KAUST, this creates great opportunities for innovative collaborations.”

‫‪1. Dr. Stefan Arold in his lab in the Computational Bioscience‬‬ ‫‪Research Center. By Michelle Ponto‬‬ ‫‪Illustration: One of the proteins being studied by Dr. Stefan Arold.‬‬

‫الذرة‬ ‫تجميع أجزاء ّ‬ ‫لحل اللغز الكبير‬ ‫انضم الدكتور ستيفان أرولد لجامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية كأستاذ‬ ‫مشارك منذ أكثر من عام حيث كان يعمل على بناء مختبره الذي يعتبر أول‬ ‫مختبر للبيولوجيا التركيبية في الجامعة يتخصص في دراسة البنية الذرية‬ ‫ثالثية األبعاد للبروتينات وغيرها من الجزيئات البيولوجية األخرى‪.‬‬

‫على فهم كيفية تطور الحياة ووظائفها على‬ ‫المستوى الذري‪ .‬كما يسعى إلى لحصول على‬ ‫فهم أعمق للبنية الذرية واستخدامه كوسيلة‬ ‫إللهام التطوير الهندسي المفيد لبعض النظم‪.‬‬ ‫ويوضح ذلك بمثال التعاون القائم مع د‪ .‬هيربرت‬ ‫هيرت من مركز أبحاث الزراعة الصحراوية حيث‬ ‫ساعد في وصف كيف تستشعر النباتات وتتواصل‬ ‫مع بعض عوامل اإلجهاد مثل الجفاف أو الملوحة‬ ‫العالية وذلك على المستوى الجزيئي‪ .‬مما‬ ‫يسهم في اكتشاف طرق جديدة لتطوير مقاومة‬ ‫النباتات لهذه العوامل‪.‬‬

‫ويضيف أرولد ‪ " :‬لقد كان تحديا آخر أن نواصل تحقيق نتائج علمية أثناء‬ ‫إعداد المختبر الذي استغرق مدة تتراوح بين أربعة إلى خمسة أشهر حتى‬ ‫تم التشغيل وخالل تلك المدة‪ ،‬كان لدينا القدرة على مواصلة أبحاثنا‬ ‫وذلك بفضل مختبر العلوم الحيوية األساسي بالجامعة الذي يضم كافة‬ ‫التجهيزات واألدوات والمرافق الضرورية التي نحتاجها إلجراء أبحاثنا‪.‬‬ ‫وأنا ممتن ً‬ ‫جدا لكل الدعم والترحيب الذي تلقيته من زمالئي في مختبر‬ ‫العلوم الحيوية األساسي "‪.‬‬

‫التعاون إلثراء المعرفة‬

‫وتحدث أرولد عن بناء هذا المختبر البحثي المتطور قائال‪ " :‬لقد كانت‬ ‫فرصة كبيرة أن أتمكن من إنشاء مختبر للبيولوجيا التركيبة في الجامعة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫كبيرا‪ ،‬ففي البداية كان علينا اختيار‬ ‫كما أنه هذا األمر كان يمثل تحديا‬ ‫وتجميع األدوات والمواد في أسرع وقت ممكن‪ .‬ولم نكن نواجه‬ ‫مشاكل كبيرة في اختيار األجهزة األساسية الضخمة ‪ ،‬اال أن تجميع‬ ‫األدوات الصغيرة الالزمة هو األمر الصعب مثل الموازين وأنابيب االختبار‬ ‫والفالتر والقوارير وغيرها‪ .‬ففي كثير من األحيان‪ ،‬عدم توفر األدوات‬ ‫الصغيرة يجعلك غير قادر على استخدام اآلالت الكبيرة"‪.‬‬

‫البروتين داخل جسم االنسان‬ ‫تخصص بحث د‪ .‬أرولد في علم األحياء التركيبي والفيزياء الحيوية‬ ‫الجزيئية‪ ،‬لذا يستخدم الطرق الفيزيائية لدراسة النظم البيولوجية على‬ ‫المستوى الجزيئي‪ .‬ويقوم باتباع منهج متكامل إلجراء تحليل ثالثي‬ ‫األبعاد لبنية البروتينات ووظائفها‪ .‬ويقول أرولد‪ " :‬البروتينات هي‬ ‫الحقول الحياتية المنتجة للجزيئيات‪ ،‬حيث تقوم بتشكيل مصانع نانوية‪،‬‬ ‫وأنظمة نقل‪ ،‬وبوابات للجزيئيات ونظم لالتصاالت داخل أجسامنا‪ .‬ويمثل‬ ‫تفاعل البروتينات مع األنواع األخرى من البروتينات أو الجزيئات الحيوية‬ ‫محور جميع الوظائف البيولوجية‪ .‬فهي أساس عملية الهضم‪ ،‬التفكير‪،‬‬ ‫الدفاع المناعي‪ ،‬فالبروتينات في الحقيقة هي أساس كل شيء‪ ،‬فهي‬ ‫ضرورية أيضا لمواجهة أمراض مثل السرطان‪ ،‬الزهايمر‪ ،‬السكري وغيرها‪.‬‬ ‫لذا نريد أن نفهم كيف تعمل البروتينات لدعم الحياة‪ ،‬ولذا تعد دراسة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أمرا ضروريا"‪.‬‬ ‫البنية ثالثية األبعاد للبروتينات وتفاعالتها‬

‫التعمق في البحث‬ ‫ويلفت البروفيسور أرولد اإلنتباه إلى أن ما يجعل بحثه مختلفا عن‬ ‫معظم األبحاث األخرى في العلوم البيولوجية هو قدرة فريقه‬

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‫ويوضح أرولد " إن المبادئ الخاصة بكيفية دعم‬ ‫بنية البروتينات وتفاعالتها للوظائف البيولوجية‬ ‫ً‬ ‫شامال حياة‬ ‫تتشابه في جميع أشكال الحياة‬ ‫االنسان والنبات والبكتيريا‪ .‬وتساهم جهودنا في‬ ‫ً‬ ‫حلوال‬ ‫تعميق الفهم واثراء المعرفة في هذا المجال بحيث تضيف‬ ‫أعظم لجميع مجاالت العلوم البيولوجية وتوفر فرص التعاون االبتكارية‬ ‫مدعومة ببيئة جامعة الملك عبداهلل الفريدة وهيئة تدريس وطلبة على‬ ‫أعلى المستويات‪ .‬ومن أمثلة هذا التعاون بحث فريق الدكتور مارك‬ ‫تستر بمختبر الملح الذي يهدف حاليا إلى انتاج جهاز الستشعار الملح‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫وأيضا التعاون بين فريقنا وفريق الدكتور فالديمير باجيك والدكتور‬ ‫أكسين غاو ومركز أبحاث العلوم البيولوجية الحاسوبية للجمع بين‬ ‫علم البيولوجيا التركيبية وبين أحدث الخوارزميات الحسابية في دراسة‬ ‫البروتينات بصورة موسعة"‪.‬‬

‫بداية االكتشافات الجديدة‬ ‫يضم مختبر الدكتور أرولد حاليا ثمانية باحثين من مختلف الجنسيات‪،‬‬ ‫بينهم ثالثة من طلبه الدكتوراه‪ ،‬وثالثة من زمالء ما بعد الدكتوراه‬ ‫وعالم أبحاث ومدير المختبر‪ .‬وقد أسفرت جهود الدكتور أرولد خالل هذا‬ ‫الوقت القصير منذ انضمامه لجامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‬ ‫بمجموعة من االبحاث التعاونية بين فريقه البحثي وبين الزمالء‬ ‫بقسمي العلوم والهندسة البيولوجية والبيئية و مركز أبحاث العلوم‬ ‫البيولوجية الحاسوبية‪ .‬وقد تم بالفعل نشر بحثين منها‪ ،‬وآخرين تم‬ ‫تقديمهما في انتظار النشر باإلضافة إلى مطبوعتين يتم حاليا إجراء‬ ‫التعديالت النهائية عليهما لتقديمها للنشر‪ .‬ونتوقع المزيد مع بداية‬ ‫تشغيل المختبر الجديد‪.‬‬

My University Bo Tang Bo Tang is a doctoral student majoring in Environmental Science and Engineering. Born in Chengdu, Szechuan, China, Tang moved to KAUST from Minnesota, where he studied at the University of Minnesota. He graduated from Twin Cities with a master’s degree in biosystem and bioproducts engineering and management.

Under the tutelage of Dr. Peng Weng, principle investigator of the Environmental Nanotechnology Lab,Tang sees no limits in his personal growth at KAUST. “I am still a new student here, but I cherish having the accessibility to some of the best machines and resources to help aid me in my goal of one day becoming one of the world’s top scientists,” he said.

His research interest is environmental nanotechnology, specifically biosensors that can "smell" even the tiniest of particles in the environment. Tang has a deep respect and admiration for KAUST. “The freedom here is totally different than I imagined. People are so friendly and they're passionate about what they can achieve here.

This university has gathered some of the major leaders in science and technology from around the globe.” Tang enjoys badminton and table tennis in his spare time.

Jasmin Smajić Before moving to the shores of the Red Sea in August of this year, Jasmin Smajić was living in his hometown of Rijeka, Croatia, on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. After finishing his undergraduate studies at the University of Rijeka, where he received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Smajić felt the need for a new challenge.

“I wanted to join a university outside of Croatia. While looking at potential universities it was hard not to notice KAUST as a unique example of multiculturalism and a place built with students in mind. It offers everything needed for a student to develop as a complete package, not only academically,” he said.

Smajić is currently enrolled in a master’s degree program in materials science and engineering. His main interest lies in the field of energy, in understanding and developing new materials. “KAUST is a melting pot for engineers, physicists and chemists who are driven by the quest to create materials that are more energy efficient, lighter and tougher,” he said.

1 TKS Model UN team takes part in YMGE 2014

By Nicholas Demille Seventeen students from the The KAUST School (TKS) Model United Nations team participated in a three-day conference in Budapest, Hungary at the end of November called the Yale Government Model Europe. The conference, which was run by members of the Yale International Relations Association, drew hundreds of high school students from around the world with the aim "of raising awareness and fostering debate about international policy and global affairs in the European context," according to the organization's website.

"This is more than a chance to travel: with YMGE our kids get to participate in a unique learning experience," said Frederick Olson, TKS MUN Director.

TKS junior Acacia D’Antoni represented the house of justice in home affairs at the event. Her focus during the debate sessions was the rights of people involved in the work of the United Nations. “It’s fun to meet new people,” D’Antoni said. “And it’s amazing to get the chance to argue these topics in a mock crisis scenario.”

To prepare for the conference, the Model United Nations team at TKS hosted a mock-debate with delegates from the British International School of Jeddah (BISJ). The teams came together to debate the current energy crisis facing Europe as a result of the conflict in the Crimean Peninsula.

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“Curiosity is one of the principal reasons I changed my major from mechanical engineering to materials science and engineering," he noted. "I wasn’t satisfied with only knowing how things work, I also had to know why things work in a certain way.”

In his spare time Smajić enjoys swimming and martial arts, along with his passion for reading. "I prefer history or biography books," he said. "I am not a big fan of modern fiction, so I read books from the Realism period by authors like Dostoevsky and Tolstoy."

He also enjoys the other side of life here. "The environment and social life are the areas that make this place unique," he said. "I think I speak for a lot of new students when I say that I really like KAUST's location coupled with its social life."

1. From left to right: Nadya Ibrahim, Halistya Zahra, Viktor NunesPeinemann, Quentin Gravaillac, Hyegyo Cha, Myah Doxen, Mohid Rehman, Billie Sedgwick, Nathan Herrington, Acacia D'Antoni, Colin Herrington, Ahmad Asha, Courtney Clawson, Sami Aluariachi, Preksha Shah, Jad ElRez, Siraj AbuAlnaja and TKS MUN Director Kim Halverson.

Not pictured, TKS MUN Director Frederick Olson. By Frederick Olson

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THE BEACON | DEC 2014

2. The Hungarian Parliament Building, the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, one of Europe's oldest legislative buildings. By Colin Herrington