Innovation@UAE Magazine, Issue 4, English, October 2021 by UAE Ministry of Education

A research periodical issued by the Ministry of Education of the United Arab Emirates Issue 04

October 2021

IDENTIFYING NEW MATERIALS F O R N E X T G E N E R AT I O N F I B E R O P T I C S EXPLORING THE BREAST CANCER-TARGETING ABILITIES OF A PLANT-BASED COMPOUND USING HIGH-POWERED LASER RESURFACING TO FABRICATE SUPERHYDROPHOBIC METALS STUDYING THE POLLUTION-FILTERING POTENTIAL OF DAMAS TREE WINDBREAKS

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Contents 02 Welcome 04 News 14 Features 30 Profiles 42 Science for Kids 48 Events Calendar

Exploring the Breast Cancertargeting Abilities of a Plantbased Compound

Identifying New Materials for Next Generation Fiber Optics

Using High-powered Laser Resurfacing to Fabricate Superhydrophobic Metals

Studying the Pollutionfiltering Potential of Damas Tree Windbreaks

Cracking the Emirati Genetic Code for Precision Healthcare -Dr. Habiba Alsafar

Advancing Food Chemistry to Support UAE Food Security -Dr. Afaf Kamal-Eldin

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WELCOME TO OUR FOURTH ISSUE Here in the UAE, there is a great focus on new STEM disciplines like artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning, and robotics. There are some basic sciences that continue to be foundational for the fields that power innovation. One such discipline is chemistry, which is the focus of issue 4 of Innovation@UAE Magazine. Chemistry is often referred to as “the central science” because it connects the physical sciences with the life sciences and applied sciences. It also informs biology, geology, astronomy, physics, medicine, engineering, materials science, and many other areas of study. We can also see the centrality of chemistry in the many important branches that spring from it like biochemistry, spectroscopy, and chemical engineering, to name just a few of the over 50 branches of chemistry. In this issue of Innovation@UAE Magazine, chemistry or one of its branches – specifically materials science, food chemistry, biochemistry, phytochemistry, surface science, pharmacology, and medicinal chemistry – appear in all four research features, both profiles, and three news stories. In some of the stories, the discipline plays an uncredited role, like the British University in Dubai research feature, where chemical analysis was used to discern

the air pollution-filtering effectiveness of Damas tree windbreaks. In others, like the research feature about a New York University Abu Dhabi led team’s exploration of a new material for fiber optics, materials science is explicitly named. This issue also includes profiles of two of the UAE’s leading scientists in their chemistry-related fields – Dr. Habiba Alsafar and Dr. Afaf Kamal-Eldin. Dr. Alsafar is a pioneering biochemist turned geneticist who led development of the Emirati reference genome, while Dr. KamalEldin is a groundbreaking food chemist working to leverage dates and camel milk for enhanced national food security. It is our hope that after reading these fascinating stories, our readers will gain a greater appreciation of the foundational role of chemistry in the scientific world and the UAE’s innovation ecosystem. Chemistry and its branches have been integral to many of humanity’s advances and will continue to help the UAE achieve its national goals for prosperity, innovation, and quality of life.

His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Al-Mualla Undersecretary for Academic Affairs Ministry of Education

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NEWS

AUS STUDENTS DESIGN IOT-BASED SMART CANE FOR PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT A team of students from the American University of Sharjah (AUS) has designed an innovative smart cane to assist people who are visually impaired as part of their graduation design project. The project features two parts: a smart phone application with a voice-alert feature that allows Google Maps to locate the user and an adjustable cane connected to a wheeled chassis. The main computing processing component, sensors, and cameras are attached to the cane. Using Internet-of-Things (IoT) smart technology, the cane’s handle has an emergency button that allows the user to send alert signals to a guardian’s mobile phone so they can locate and assist them. The system is designed to help people with a visual impairment walk to specific locations – indoors and outdoors – while

detecting and avoiding stationary obstacles along the way. Computer science and engineering students Mariam Jamal Arshi, Reem Abdullah Al-Amiri, Fatima Hussein Arab, and Sarah Mohammed Al-Mazmi aimed to demonstrate how IoT could be used to address the challenges people of determination face. “The goal was to employ modern technology to serve the community, specifically individuals with a disability. During our research, we contacted the Emirates Association of the Visually Impaired to help us better understand the most important problems facing people with visual impairment,” said team member Arab. The project was funded by Sandooq Al Watan and AUS, and the students were supervised by Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Ali, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Dr. Salam Dhou, and Computer Science and Engineering Laboratory Instructor Ahmed Al-Nabulsi.

USING IOT SMART TECHNOLOGY, THE CANE’S HANDLE HAS AN EMERGENCY BUTTON THAT ALLOWS THE USER TO SEND ALERT SIGNALS TO A GUARDIAN’S MOBILE PHONE Source: https://www.aus.edu/media/news/aus-students-design-an-iot-based-smart-cane-for-people-with-visual-impairment

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KU RESEARCHERS HARNESS CAPILLARY ACTION TO IMPROVE EVAPORATION FOR COOLING AND WATER PRODUCTION

USING WICKS TO SUPPLY LIQUID TO THE EVAPORATING SURFACE VIA A PROCESS CALLED CAPILLARITY MAY BE THE SOLUTION TO PROVIDING A CONSTANT, STABLE LIQUID FILM FOR THINFILM EVAPORATION

A Khalifa University (KU) research team has identified a way to optimize capillary action – a process that moves liquid passively – in thin-film evaporators used to generate steam and purify water. Researchers and engineers are continually exploring ways to improve the performance of passive liquid propagation, solar energy-driven evaporation, and water distillation. One way to do this is to leverage the process that plants use to carry water up from their roots to their leaves. This is known as capillary action. Capillary-fed wicks are energy efficient because they do not rely on an external power supply or a mechanical pump to deliver the fluid to the evaporator. “Using wicks to supply liquid to the evaporating surface via a process called capillarity may be the solution to providing a constant, stable liquid film for thin-film evaporation,” explained KU Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dr. TieJun Zhang.

He led the research team that investigated how efficiently liquid travels up through a wick – known as wickability – and, in turn, how to improve the performance of thinfilm evaporation. The researchers recently published a paper on their work in the journal Advanced Engineering Materials. The team developed a wick with excellent capillary pumping ability by building nanostructures made of copper on a hydrophilic copper surface. This created a large, porous surface area for thin-film evaporation. As an additional benefit, in solar-driven applications where the wicking porous material also acts as a solar absorber, these nanostructures can help harvest the sunlight more efficiently. The technology offers outstanding solardriven evaporation capability, owing to its high liquid propagation rate and excellent light absorption. The proposed scalable nanostructured porous surfaces show great potential for a broad range of energy and sustainability applications.

Source: KU Science Writer Jade Sterling, https://www.ku.ac.ae/harnessing-capillary-action-and-solar-energy-to-improveevaporation-and-produce-clean-water

NEWS

NYUAD’s Research Scientist Dr. Farah Benyettou and Program Head of Chemistry Dr. Ali Trabolsi.

NYUAD RESEARCHERS DEVELOP ORAL DELIVERY MATERIALS THAT COULD REPLACE DIABETES INJECTIONS

THESE INSULIN-DOSED NANOPARTICLES ARE ABLE TO WITHSTAND STOMACH ACID AND SAFELY MODULATE THE BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS OF USERS

Research from New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) could enhance diabetic patient adherence to treatment by replacing insulin injections with an easier and less invasive oral form of delivery. In diabetic patients, insulin therapy is critical to controlling and regulating blood glucose levels, and the primary mechanism for this is subcutaneous injection. However, fear of needles, pain, skin irritation, and other changes caused by insulin injections can deter diabetic patients from maintaining their treatment. Oral insulin intake would be an obvious solution to this, but work still needs to be done on the stability of these pills in the gastrointestinal tract. In response to this challenge, a team of researchers led by NYUAD Research Scientist Dr. Farah Benyettou and NYUAD Chemistry Program Head Dr. Ali Trabolsi has developed

nanoparticles from nanosheets with insulin loaded between the layers. These insulindosed nanoparticles are able to withstand stomach acid and safely modulate the blood sugar levels of users. A paper on the team’s work was recently published in the reputed journal Chemical Science, and a patent application has been filed. “Our work overcomes insulin oral delivery barriers by using insulin-loaded nanoscale imine-linked covalent organic framework nanoparticles, which exhibit insulin protection in the stomach as well as a glucose-responsive release. This technology responds quickly to an elevation in blood sugar, but would promptly shut off to prevent insulin overdose and will dramatically improve the wellbeing of diabetic patients across the UAE and worldwide,” Dr. Benyettou explained.

Source: https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/news/latest-news/science-and-technology/2021/april/new-insulin-medication.html

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UOBD RESEARCHER CO-AUTHORS ASME AWARD-WINNING PAPER A University of Birmingham Dubai (UoBD) researcher was among three co-authors whose work received the Best Paper Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Control, Diagnostics, and Instrumentation Committee. UoBD Head of Research Dr. Elias Tsoutsanis co-authored the paper with University of Birmingham Research Fellow in Mechatronic Systems, Dr. Moussa Hamadache, and Professor of Control Systems Engineering and Director of Research at the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, Prof. Roger Dixon. The paper was titled “Real-Time Diagnostic Method of Gas Turbines Operating Under Transient Conditions in Hybrid Power Plants.” It details the application of a novel method for conducting real-time diagnostics on gas turbines that operate in a hybrid power plant arrangement.

The primary objective of the research was to optimize the performance of a gas turbine that works in conjunction with a wind farm. The intermittent nature of renewable energies poses several operational challenges to the gas turbines, especially when they are tasked with filling the energy gaps caused by wind energy fluctuation. This pressure shor tens the useful life of gas turbine components, compared to gas turbines operating at base load conditions. Enabling fast and accurate diagnosis of the degrading gas turbine components can improve and optimize the integration of gas turbines and wind turbines in a hybrid power plant. The paper was presented at the virtual ASME Turbo-Expo 2020 Turbomachinery Technical Conference & Exposition in September 2020.

THE INTERMITTENT NATURE OF RENEWABLE ENERGIES POSES SEVERAL OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES TO GAS TURBINES

Source: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/dubai/news/latest/2021/birmingham-researchers-win-best-paper-award.aspx

NEWS

UAEU RESEARCHERS ACHIEVE BREAKTHROUGH IN CAMEL MILK ANTIDIABETIC PROPERTIES

CAMEL MILK CAN REDUCE BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS, IMPROVE BLOOD LIPID PROFILES, AND EVEN REDUCE INSULIN RESISTANCE

A research project funded by the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) has identified and explained a bioactive antidiabetic agent in camel milk protein, which helps explain why camel milk improves the health metrics of diabetic consumers. Camel milk has long been known to have antidiabetic effects. It can reduce blood sugar levels, improve blood lipid profiles, and even reduce insulin resistance, which is when the muscle, fat, and liver cells in a person’s body do not respond appropriately to insulin, preventing the body from extracting energy from glucose. The mechanisms by which camel milk does this, however, is not yet clear. A paper entitled “Molecular basis of the anti-diabetic properties of camel milk through profiling of its bioactive peptides on dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) and insulin receptor activity” was published in the Journal of Dairy Science.

The paper clarified how bioactive peptides extracted from camel milk affect human insulin receptors and glucose transport in cells. It also revealed for the first time the profiling and pharmacological actions of camel whey proteins and their derived peptide fractions on the human insulin receptor and their pathways involved in glucose homeostasis. The project was co-supervised by UAEU Associate Professor in the Department of Biology, Dr. Mohammed Ayoub and UAEU Professor in the Department of Food Science, Dr. Sajid Maqsood. The project included graduate researcher Arshida Ashraf, instructor Priti Mudgil, research assistant Abdulrasheed Palakkott, Professor of Biology Dr. Rabah Iratni, and Associate Professor Dr. Chee-Yuen Gan from the Analytical Biochemistry Research Center at the Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Source: https://www.uaeu.ac.ae/en/news/2021/may/researchers-from-the-uaeu-accomplish-a-breakthrough-on-the-beneficialeffects-of-camel-milk-on-diabetes.shtml

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UOWD, UAEU, ICBA, AND DUBAI MUNICIPALITY JOIN FORCES TO ADVANCE FOOD SYSTEM RESILIENCE IN UAE The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), the UAE University, the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), and the Food Safety Department of Dubai Municipality have partnered to develop a suite of innovative tools to bolster food resilience in the UAE, as part of the ‘Resilient Agrifood Dynamism Through EvidenceBased Policies’ (READY) project. Led by Dr. Ioannis Manikas, Associate Professor at UOWD, the READY project seeks to examine global drivers of change, assess their impact on the UAE food system, and from this examination produce several targeted tools – including an early warning system, a vulnerability assessment framework, and policies – to enable the UAE food system to demonstrate ‘resilient dynamism’. The partnership includes the development of a big data platform for evidence-based policy making, as well as a system for assessing vulnerabilities and responding to risks to food security. The project will also formulate policies and directives to help make the country’s

food system more resilient to supply shocks and disruptions. A dedicated knowledge portal and database will also be designed, along with a set of scenarios and models. Being a recipient of one of the four Ministry of Education Collaborative Research Program Grants awarded in 2020, READY will help develop the skills of budding researchers through its inclusion of five PhD students and four postdoctoral researchers. The READY project deliverables will make the UAE food system ‘resiliently dynamic’, meaning it will be able to adapt to changing contexts and withstand and recover from sudden shocks, while continuing to ensure the country’s security, self-sufficiency, and wellbeing. READY directly addresses the vision outlined in the UAE National Food Strategy 2051 for the nation to become a ‘worldleading hub in innovation-driven food security’ and will assist the UAE in reaching the top 10 countries – and ultimately number one – in the Global Food Security Index.

Source: https://www.uowdubai.ac.ae/news/uowd-faculty-awarded-major-research-grant-uae-ministry-education

NEWS

Demonstration of virtual patient learning system

GMU VIRTUAL PATIENT LEARNING APPLICATION WINS GOLD AT QS MAPLE 2021 EDUCATION AWARD

THE VIRTUAL PATIENT USES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO CREATE AN AUTHENTIC PATIENT SIMULATION THROUGH WHICH STUDENTS INTERACT WITH PATIENTS

A Gulf Medical University (GMU) project titled “Using AI and Highfidelity Simulation in Health Professions Education” was named the QS MAPLE 2021 Middle East Gold winner, beating out more than 1,400 entries from 72 countries. GMU’s winning project was an artificial intelligence (AI) enabled “virtual patient learning” application that simulates around 60 types of patient problems, which medical students can use to practice questioning and diagnosing patients. “The virtual patient uses artificial intelligence to create an authentic patient simulation through which students interact with patients, which guides their learning, develops their reasoning, and boosts their communication skills,” explained Professor Hossam Hamdy, Chancellor of GMU and the application’s developer.

The application aims to hone critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and communication skills among students by giving them authentic medical problems presented by virtual patients. The virtual patients’ data includes the entire barrage of information – patient history, clinical examinations, investigations, lab results, vital signs, X-rays, etc. – which doctors need to correctly diagnose medical conditions and prescribe treatments. The QS MAPLE 2021 conference is organized by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a leading provider of education analytics, and Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University. This year’s event focused on the next 10 years of innovations in the Arab and African regions and how they can grow sustainably.

Source: https://gmu.ac.ae/gulf-medical-universitys-virtual-patient-secures-gold-at-qs-maple-2021-education-awards/

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HCT AND FEDERAL CUSTOMS AUTHORITY DEMONSTRATE DOGS’ ABILITY TO DETECT COVID-19 A research team led by the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and the Federal Customs Authority (FCA) has demonstrated that dogs trained to detect COVID-19 are more accurate than commonly used screening tests. This research received the UAE Innovations Award 2021 from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation. The project began with retraining the FCA’s K9 unit, which had previously been employed to detect explosives. The dogs were taught to recognize and detect the smell of coronavirus in sweat samples collected from the armpits of people who visited a COVID-19 screening center. They were given two seconds per person to screen 3,134 sweat samples. The K9 unit successfully identified 98.2% of the negative samples, missing only 1.8% of the samples that were free from COVID-19. The researchers compared the dogs’

COVID-19 detection accuracy with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for COVID-19 screening and found that the K9 unit had higher negative predictive value than the RT-PCR test. The K9 unit’s results demonstrated a slightly higher accuracy than that of the PCRs, with a similar specificity. A paper on the project was recently published in the high-impact journal Communications Biology. “We concluded that the diagnostic performance of the detection dogs (K9) test lends itself as a quick routine screening test of COVID-19. It poses as a preferable candidate for its merits such as very low cost, less required facilities and resources, in addition to low risk of COVID-19 transmission, in comparison to PCR tests during sample collection,” the researchers stated in their paper.

THE K9 UNIT SUCCESSFULLY IDENTIFIED 98.2% OF THE NEGATIVE SAMPLES, MISSING ONLY 1.8% OF THE SAMPLES THAT WERE FREE FROM COVID-19

Source: https://hct.ac.ae/en/news/uaes-federal-customs-authority-hct-use-canines-in-world-first-coronavirus-detection-study/

NEWS

MBRU CENTER FOR GENOMIC DISCOVERY TO ADVANCE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF RARE GENETIC CONDITIONS

THE RESEARCH SERVES TO DEEPEN THE KNOWLEDGE OF MOLECULAR FUNCTION IN THE HOPE OF FINDING A POTENTIAL CURE FOR DEBILITATING BRAIN DISORDERS

The Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) has announced the launch of its Center for Genomic Discovery to help diagnose and treat patients with genetic disorders, enhance local genomic research, and train the country’s next generation of scientists. The center’s establishment is the outcome of an innovative, scientific, and clinical interdisciplinary ecosystem, which has been developed by MBRU and Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital (AJCH) through their partnership in the Al Jalila Genomics Center. The center will work with undiagnosed pediatric patients with suspected hereditary disorders whose clinical genomic testing at AJCH failed to identify any definitive genetic causes for their conditions. Researchers will then analyze the patients’ negative genetic data for any possible novel findings. “Ultimately, the center’s main goal is to make novel genetic discoveries in the

pediatric patient population in the UAE and the region and leverage those discoveries to develop new diagnostic tools and uncover personalized pathways to restore ‘normal’ phenotypes in affected patients,” explained Dr. Ahmad Abou Tayoun, Director of the Al Jalila Children’s Genomics Center and Associate Professor of Genetics at MBRU. The launch of the center coincides with the formation of the Board of Emirati Genome Program, headed by His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, to oversee and guide the implementation of the Emirati Genome Program in the country’s healthcare system. Dr. Amer Sharif, Vice Chancellor of MBRU and member of the Board of the Emirati Genome Program, said: “The establishment of the Center for Genomic Discovery through an integrated academic health system will allow us to innovate in genomics application and gene discovery. This will also enable us to realize our vision of advancing health through cuttingedge academic research and nurturing future scientists serving individuals and communities in the UAE and the region.”

Left: Dr. Amer Sharif, Vice Chancellor of MBRU, Member of the Board of the Emirati Genome Program Right: Dr. Ahmad Abou Tayoun, Director of the Al Jalila Children’s Genomics Center, Associate Professor of Genetics at MBRU Source: https://www.mbru.ac.ae/news/uae-advances-study-of-genetic-diseases-with-the-launch-of-first-of-its-kind-center-forgenomic-discovery/

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ZU PARTNERS WITH IBM, MICROSOFT, AND SAP TO LAUNCH INNOVATION WORKSPACE The NextGen Center, a state-of-theart innovation workspace, was recently inaugurated at Zayed University’s (ZU) Dubai campus, with support from IBM, Microsoft, and SAP University Alliances. The NextGen Center, which aims to provide students the opportunity to connect and co-innovate with industry and government in the pursuit of answers to real-world problems, was inaugurated by Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture and Youth and President of ZU. “The newly launched center is a beacon of inspiration that connects the young minds of our academic community with industry leaders and unlocks future possibilities for them. Zayed University acknowledges the need to continuously evolve and embrace the ever-changing conditions of

a fast-paced and challenging world,” said Her Excellency Al Kaabi. The NextGen Center will be fully operated by the ZU College of Technological Innovation (CTI). Industry partners including IBM, Microsoft, SAP University Alliances, and others will train ZU students on the latest technologies and skills to prepare them to devise solutions for identified challenges. The industry partners will also provide ZU with insight on the tools and knowledge graduates need to enter the job market. Students will be able to receive professional certification through training programs at the NextGen Center. In addition, ZU faculty will supervise students’ senior and research projects to leverage the experiences and programs that will be delivered at the new center.

Source: https://www.zu.ac.ae/main/en/news/2021/April/nexgen.aspx

FEATURES

EXPLORING THE BREAST CANCER-TARGETING ABILITIES OF A PLANTBASED COMPOUND Catechol, a natural chemical compound found in plants, has been analyzed for its potential to target the signaling mechanisms within breast cancer cells without harming healthy cells.

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Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer in the world and a particular challenge in the UAE. The World Health Organization reported that 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, and 685,000 died from the disease. In the UAE, cancer is the third leading cause of death after heart disease and road accidents. While breast cancer is common, it remains a particularly challenging type of cancer to eradicate, necessitating ongoing research to develop better treatments. What makes breast cancer treatment especially problematic is the fact that breast cancer is one of the more heterogeneous cancers. This means that not only do breast cancer patients have varied disease profiles – with cancer originating in different types of cells and spreading and growing in different ways – but even within a single patient, the breast cancer can contain many different cell populations with their own growth rates, dispersal, and susceptibility to treatment. This often causes breast cancers to resist the available chemotherapies, requiring the development of new treatments able to target various vulnerabilities. Given the ubiquity of breast cancer locally and worldwide, and the challenge of treating it, a team of researchers led by Dr. Cijo George Vazhappilly, Assistant Professor of Biotechnology at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), investigated the breast cancer fighting potential of a chemical compound called catechol. Catechol is a naturally occurring compound found in fruits and vegetables such as onions, apples, and olive oil. Previous research has found catechol can kill or damage some brain and lung cancers, suggesting it may have breast cancer treatment potential. “Catechol has recently shown significant chemotherapeutic effects in various cancer models. It appears to be able to induce the killing effect on cancer cells

while having less effect on the normal cells, making it a special candidate in the drug discovery process. As breast cancer is one of the leading cancers worldwide, we intended to investigate catechol’s efficacy and mode of mechanism to combat breast cancer progression,” Dr. Vazhappilly explained. His collaborators from AURAK included Assistant Professor of Medical Biotechnology Dr. Rawad Hodeify, Assistant Professor of Biotechnology Dr. Shoib Sarwar Siddiqui, Biotechnology Department Chair and Associate Professor of Biotechnology Dr. Rachel Matar, Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Maxime Merheb, Instructor John Marton, and Laboratory Technician Hussain Abdel Karim Al Zouabi. External collaborators included Professor of Pharmacology Dr. Raafat ElAwady, PhD student Amina Jamal Laham, and research assistant Varsha Menon from the University of Sharjah, and Professor of Pharmacology Dr. Rajan Radhakrishnan from the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences. They recently published a paper on their project in the journal Phytotherapy Research. The team sought to test the chemotherapeutic efficacy of catechol, examining its effect on DNA damage, cell cycle progression, and the cell death process in breast cancer cells. All cells go through the cell cycle, which is a sequence of cell growth, DNA replication, and then cell division. Throughout the cell cycle, there are many points at which the body checks the cell for damage. If any damage is found, the cell attempts to repair itself. If it cannot be repaired or is too old, then it receives a signal to initiate programmed cell death through self-destruction. Cancer occurs when this automatic process breaks down. The cancer cells may evade quality checks, enabling them to proliferate despite having errors or mutations, and even ignore the automatic signal to initiate cell death.

FEATURES

THE TEAM SOUGHT TO TEST THE CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF CATECHOL, EXAMINING ITS EFFECT ON DNA DAMAGE, CELL CYCLE PROGRESSION, AND THE CELL DEATH PROCESS IN BREAST CANCER CELLS

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Inducing DNA damage in a cancer cell is one strategy for combating cancer, as it can trigger permanent cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Hindering cell cycle progression is another way of halting the production of cancer cells, as it can artificially halt a cell’s progression through the cell cycle. Being able to trigger cell death in cancer cells is another strategy to eradicate cancer. To test catechol’s effect on cells, the team grew two human breast cancer cell lines and two normal human cell lines (one from human fibroblast and one from human kidneys) for comparison. They then tested how DNA damage, cell cycle progress, and programmed cell death were impacted in all four cell lines when exposed to varied doses of catechol over a 48 hour period. A second set of cells were also exposed

to doxorubicin, a standard chemotherapy drug, to see how catechol’s effects compared to an available treatment. “Analyzing a dose-responsive cytotoxic effect is crucial prior to investigating the molecular mechanisms for any chemotherapeutic agent. Even though the effect of higher catechol concentrations has been previously described in different cell lines, it is essential to understand its side effects on normal cells during chemotherapy,” Dr. Vazhappilly said. The investigation found that at moderate concentrations, catechol was toxic to the treated cancer cells and was able to target multiple signaling cascades within the cell. Catechol was specifically able to trigger cell cycle arrest within the breast cancer cells, a type of cell damage called a double-strand break, as well as apoptosis.

“CATECHOL’S EFFECT ON NON-CANCEROUS CELLS WAS SHOWN TO BE LESS DAMAGING, WHICH COULD BE CRITICAL FOR THERAPEUTIC EFFECTIVENESS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS.” Dr. Cijo George Vazhappilly Assistant Professor of Biotechnology American University of Ras Al Khaimah

Catechol also inhibited the colony formation of the breast cancer cells, demonstrating its use in reducing the rate of cancer proliferation. Comparing catechol’s effect on the breast cancer cells to that of doxorubicin, catechol’s positive breast cancer mitigating impacts required a larger dose. While catechol demonstrated impacts on the breast cancer cell that showed its chemotherapy potential, it was also found to cause less damage to normal human cells, even at higher dose concentrations, than doxorubicin does at lower doses. Regarding the implications of the project findings, Dr. Vazhappilly said: “Catechol was found to be an ideal choice to target multiple signaling mechanisms in breast cancer. Additionally, catechol’s effect on non-cancerous cells was shown to be less damaging, which could be critical for therapeutic effectiveness in breast cancer patients. Candidate molecules like catechol, with specificity to target cancer cells rather than normal cells during chemotherapy, might have the potential to alleviate the

concerns and side effects caused by many other drugs, which are currently in use.” Further research is needed to identify the appropriate dose of catechol for breast cancer treatment, which Dr. Vazhappilly and his collaborators are now investigating through live mice studies.

Title of published paper

Natural compound catechol induces DNA damage, apoptosis, and G1 cell cycle arrest in breast cancer cells

Published in

Phytotherapy Research

Journal metrics

Impact factor 4.087, Q2, H-index 129, Scientific Journal Ranking (SJR): 1.02

Project funded by

AURAK seed grant award AAS/002/19, and additional support from the University of Sharjah and Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences

FEATURES

IDENTIFYING NEW MATERIALS FOR NEXT GENERATION FIBER OPTICS The ongoing transition to 5G wireless technology and high-performing phone networks, along with the growing use of high-definition data by internet and cellular providers, necessitates the development of higher capacity optical fibers that are robust, durable, and lightweight. Most telephone networks, internet connections, and cable television transmissions in use today rely on silicabased fiber-optic cables. The fibers in fiber optics are essentially transparent and flexible strands of silica glass through which light can travel. Bundled together and covered with cladding and multiple plastic and metal sheaths for protection, these fiber-optic strands serve as the waveguide through which pulses of infrared light containing information are rapidly conveyed, enabling the transmission of high-throughput data. However, as the rate of wireless data transfer has increased and become denser, this method of transmitting data has begun to falter. The discovery and development of new optic materials is needed to take the place of silica-based fiberoptic cables to ensure we can continue to meet our progressing wireless data transmission needs. In response to this need, a research team based at New York University Abu Dhabi’s (NYUAD) Smart Materials Lab has explored whether the properties of an

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organic crystal are compatible with the requirements for advanced fiber optics. Specifically, they sought to analyze the optical and other physical assets and mechanical properties of a crystalline amino acid known as L-threonine. They confirmed that they are compatible with the requirements for transduction of light over a short distance. “Realizing that silica fibers may not be the most optimal solution, particularly in view of their significant weight and high degree of purity required for efficient transfer of information, we decided to investigate a completely different class of materials for the same purpose. Instead of silica, we used small crystals of organic materials, specifically the amino acid L-threonine, which is known to be among the stiffest known organic crystals. This mechanical robustness is important to be able to handle these crystals and to prevent damage by abrasion when they are incorporated into optical devices,” explained Dr. Pance Naumov, Professor of Chemistry and Principal Investigator at the Smart Materials Lab, NYUAD.

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From NYUAD, he worked with research scientist Dr. Durga Prasad Karothu, postdoctoral associate Dr. Ghada Dushaq, research scientist Dr. Ejaz Ahmed, postdoctoral associate Dr. Srujana Polavaram, undergraduate student Rodrigo Ferreira, and research instrumentation scientist Dr. Liang Li, as well as former NYUAD postdoctoral associate Dr. Luca Catalano, Khalifa University Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Sharmarke

“INSTEAD OF SILICA, WE USED SMALL CRYSTALS OF ORGANIC MATERIALS, SPECIFICALLY THE AMINO ACID L-THREONINE, WHICH ARE KNOWN TO BE AMONG THE STIFFEST KNOWN ORGANIC CRYSTALS. THIS MECHANICAL ROBUSTNESS IS IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THESE CRYSTALS AND TO PREVENT DAMAGE BY ABRASION WHEN THEY ARE INCORPORATED INTO OPTICAL DEVICES.” Dr. Pance Pan ce Naumov Professor of Chemistry and Principal Investigator Smart Materials Lab, New York University Abu Dhabi

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Mohamed, and NYUAD Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Dr. Mahmoud Rasras. To test L-threonine’s potential as a fiberoptic material, the team grew single crystals of L-threonine as elongated prisms of around 10mm in length, with a cross section of around 5mm2. The single crystals were colorless, clear, and free of visible defects, to ensure optimal light transmission without optical losses. “Single crystals of small organic compounds have been recently considered viable candidates for applications in optics, and this area has been actively researched in the past several years. The studies have focused on the demonstration of passive (transmission of unaltered input light) and active (transmission of fluorescence) transduction of visible light. However, most of the previous studies focused on transduction of visible light. In our research, we used near-infrared light, which is important because it is the light used to transfer information in the telecommunications systems,” Dr. Naumov explained. The research team conducted a characterization analysis of the tiny crystalline prisms of L-threonine that they had developed, looking at stiffness, hardness, and other mechanical properties. The L-threonine fibers’ functionality was also tested, including analysis of its broadband response, optical waveguiding properties, and optical losses. The researchers said their project provided the first demonstration of an organic crystal that conveys light in the near-infrared region with very low optical loss. Their work found that the amino acid L-threonine was mechanically robust and photochemically and thermally stable up to 490 Kelvin. “These values provide evidence that the optical signals are transduced unaltered through the crystal. The result is promising for integration of this prototypical material

THE TEAM’S WORK PROVIDES A STARTING POINT FOR SIMPLE ORGANIC CRYSTALS OF STIFF MATERIALS TO BE DEVELOPED INTO CHEAP AND ACCESSIBLE FIBEROPTIC MATERIALS

in optical communication devices and fiber-optic cables operating in the O band and the C band of the spectrum,” the researchers wrote in a paper on the project recently published in the journal Nature Communications. This high functionality in the wavelength bands of O and C are considered important for the telecommunications industry, as the standard silica fibers also have low optical losses in those bands. To simplify, they showed that when L-threonine was used for fiber-optic transmission of light, the light coming in from one end of the crystal was transmitted without alteration to the other end of the crystal, and with minimal bandwidth losses. Dr. Naumov said the team’s work provides a starting point for simple organic crystals of stiff materials to be developed into cheap and accessible fiber-optic materials. The researchers are now advancing their work, focusing on maintaining control over the process of light conveyance through the cable and the output.

Left to right: Dr. Durga Prasad Karothu, Dr. Pance Naumov, Dr. Ghada Dushaq

Title of published paper

Mechanically robust amino acid crystals as fiber-optic transducers and wide bandpass filters for optical communication in the near-infrared

Published in

Nature Communications

Journal metrics

Impact Factor: 12.121, Q1, H-index: 365, Scientific Journal Ranking (SJR): 5.56

Project funded by

NYUAD, with a grant from Khalifa University and partial sponsorship by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University

FEATURES

USING HIGH-POWERED LASER RESURFACING TO FABRICATE SUPERHYDROPHOBIC METALS Research led by the American University of Sharjah has resulted in a method of fabricating self-cleaning and water-repellent metals that is faster and less harmful to the environment than existing techniques.

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THE METHOD COULD HELP THE UAE TAP INTO THE SUPERHYDROPHOBIC CHEMICAL COATINGS MARKET, WHICH IS CURRENTLY VALUED BETWEEN $8 BILLION AND $15 BILLION

Conditioning a metal to repel water can improve the function of that metal in many industrial applications. This superhydrophobicity can help steel beams used in underwater construction resist corrosion, keep water filtration systems running longer and more efficiently, and even reduce friction on the prow of a ship as it travels. Typically, superhydrophobicity is imparted to metals and other surfaces through the application of chemical coatings. But these coatings are costly, time-consuming, harmful to the environment, and they erode over time. In response to the need for a better way to achieve superhydrophobicity in metal, a team led by the American University of Sharjah (AUS) Physics Department examined the wetting properties, or wettability, of the surface of various metals. “Wettability has gained a lot of importance in recent years because it has a wide range of applications in the aerospace, marine, biomedical, and automotive industries, among others. Superhydrophobic surfaces have great potential, such as anti-icing, anti-fogging, corrosion resistance, self-cleaning, oil/ water separation, and high resistance to bacterial contamination,” explained AUS Physics Department Head and Professor Dr. Ali S. Alnaser. He was the principal investigator on the project, working with AUS research assistant Sharjeel A. Khan, AUS Postdoctoral Researcher Ganjaboy S. Boltaev, Senior Laboratory Instructor Mazhar Iqbal, research assistant Vyacheslav V. Kim, and research fellow Dr. Rashid A. Ganeev. A paper on their research was recently published in the journal Applied Surface Science. Wetting refers to the ability of a liquid to maintain contact with a solid surface. When a metal surface attracts, holds, or spreads water, it is referred to as being hydrophilic. When it repels water, it is

hydrophobic. The wettability of a surface is characterized by its contact angle, which is a factor of the surface texture and chemistry. The rougher the surface of a material, the better it repels liquid. Recognizing the role surface structure plays in wettability, Dr. Alnaser and his collaborators decided to use a highpowered laser to create a pattern on the surface of the metal that would increase surface roughness, leading to superhydrophobicity. By etching directly on the metal surface, they intended to preclude the need for costly and toxic coatings and ensure longer performance without erosion. The team used femtosecond lasers to achieve the desired surface roughness, followed by exposure to a high-vacuum environment. Femtosecond lasers emit ultrashort optical pulses with a duration of one quadrillionth of a second. These extremely short pulses enable powerful but brief blasts of energy to be directed onto a surface to ablate or destroy material at a minute scale. Femtosecond lasers are commonly used in Lasik surgeries to reshape the cornea and in micromachining to create lab-on-achip devices and other photonic and microfluidic devices. AUS is one of very

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FEATURES

Left to right: Ms. Aya Abu Baker, Dr. Ali S. Alnaser, Mr. Mazhar Iqbal, Dr. Ganjaboy S. Boltaev

“OUR METHOD IS COMPLETELY ECO-FRIENDLY, WITH NO CONTAMINATION TO THE SURFACE, AND IS ALSO TIME-EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE COMPARED TO THE TRADITIONAL CHEMICAL METHODS OF SURFACE COATINGS, WHICH MAY FADE AWAY OVER TIME. MOST NOTABLY, OUR METHOD IS FAR FASTER.” Dr. Ali S. Alnaser Professor & Head of the Physics Department American University of Sharjah

few universities in the world to possess a high-power femtosecond laser capable of fabricating and altering the optical, chemical, and mechanical properties of almost all kinds of materials including metals, semiconductors, and insulators. The femtosecond laser surfacing method was to be applied on three types of metal – aluminum, copper, and galvanized steel – selected because of their ubiquity in industry. “These metals are among the most common commercial metals used in construction and building materials, for tubing, fitting, frames, sheets, housing,

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and other applications. The water repellent characteristic on the surfaces of those metals would be quite beneficial in many applications, including corrosion resistance, self-cleaning, anti-fogging, oil/water separation and tribology, which is the interaction of surfaces in relative motion and includes friction, wear, and lubrication,” Dr. Alnaser said. To test their proposed fabrication method, commercially available sheets of aluminum, copper, and galvanized steel with a thickness of 1mm were gathered. The metal sheets were subjected either to femtosecond laser ablation or to slightly slower picosecond laser ablation for comparison. Following laser ablation, some sheets were left in the open-air to age for 30 days, while others were stored in high vacuum conditions for six hours. Both aging processes were intended to enable the newly ablated surface structure to invert, transforming its characteristic from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic. The treated metal samples were then analyzed to study their surface morphology and superhydrophobicity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

images revealed that the femtosecond laser treatment resulted in the removal of metal to create grid-like patterns with small valleys in the laser beam’s path. In the copper and galvanized steel, the femtosecond laser beam produced laserinduced periodic surface structures, while in the aluminum only rough random structures were observed. Regarding the implications of the findings, Dr. Alnaser said: “We demonstrated a single-step, contactfree, high-resolution and highly versatile technique to achieve superhydrophobicity in metals that can be applied to precisely control the surface properties of almost all types of materials, regardless of their chemical composition.” Comparing their novel femtosecond laser fabrication method to the chemical coating-based method typically used to achieve superhydrophobicity, the researchers said it was faster, easier, non-toxic, and more durable. “Our method is completely eco-friendly, with no contamination to the surface, and is also time-efficient and effective compared to the traditional chemical

COPPER

ALUMINUM

Title of published paper 2488 nm

2727 nm

µm

m 7µ

µm

Ultrafast fiber laser-induced fabrication of superhydrophobic and self-cleaning metal surfaces

Published in

Applied Surface Science 1234 nm

1629 nm

methods of surface coatings, which may fade away over time. Most notably, our method is far faster. Using our laser-based surface modification method to treat an area of 2 cm2 would take 100 seconds, compared to the chemical methods, which would take hours or even days. In hightech applications, in which contamination is crucial and time and precision are required, the ultrafast laser technique could stand as the most suitable and effective approach,” Dr. Alnaser shared. For the UAE, the superhydrophobic material fabrication method developed by the team could be of particular use in the country’s desalination and oil sectors, in the form of filtration and separation membranes. It could also help the UAE tap into the superhydrophobic chemical coatings market, which is currently valued between $8 billion and $15 billion. Going forward, Dr. Alnaser and his collaborators will be exploring the use of their superhydrophobic material fabrication method on other materials and testing specific uses and applications, like oil/water separation, anti-corrosion, fuel cells, and implants.

µm

Journal metrics

Impact Factor: 6.182, Q1, H-index: 174,, Scientific Journal Ranking (SJR): 1.23

µm

GALV. STEEL

Project funded by 2484 nm

µm

2279 nm

µm

AUS faculty research grant (FRG19-L-S61) and the common research facility

FEATURES

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STUDYING THE POLLUTION FILTERING POTENTIAL OF DAMAS TREE WINDBREAKS A British University in Dubai research team studied the efficiency of a Damas tree windbreak in filtering out larger particulate matter from the air, as a passive solution for sustainable urban development.

Urban development and general life in the UAE and wider Gulf region face a particular challenge in the form of dust. The UAE’s climate and terrain produce high levels of dust, which reduces air quality and impacts human health. In response to the need to reduce the impact of dust pollution, a British University in Dubai (BUiD) team has researched how to use a native tree species to reduce dust pollution in urban developments. While many people view dust as just a nuisance – something that accumulates on surfaces and requires regular removal – it is also a pollutant with health implications. In scientific terms, it is considered a type of particulate matter (PM), with the different particle sizes and compositions having varied environmental and health impacts. There are two broad categories of PM. PM10 refers to coarser particles with a diameter greater than 2.5 micrometers (µm) and is the category in which dust typically falls. PM2.5 refers to finer particles with a diameter of less than 2.5µm. When we inhale, PM particles of both sizes can be deposited in our lungs.

The larger sized particles typically end up on the surface airways of the upper region of the lung, where they can induce tissue damage and inflammation, while the smaller particles can travel farther and even end up being absorbed into the bloodstream. This is why exposure to PM is considered a health hazard, with prolonged exposure contributing to coughing, wheezing, asthma attacks, high blood pressure, and even the risk of stroke and premature death. The Middle East region is believed to be particularly impacted by the problem of dust pollution because of its natural dust sources, like windblown desert sand and sea spray, as well as human activity, like cement production and construction. The result is that the UAE has often recorded days of very high PM levels, with daily average values in the Western part of the country exceeding the national standard limit. In 2018, the UAE set a goal of increasing air purity to 90% by 2021 as part of its Vision 2021 goals. In light of the prevalence and risk of dust pollution in the UAE and the air purity goal, there is a need to improve air quality, and

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FEATURES

WHILE MANY PEOPLE VIEW DUST AS JUST A NUISANCE – SOMETHING THAT ACCUMULATES ON SURFACES AND REQUIRES REGULAR REMOVAL – IT IS ALSO A POLLUTANT WITH HEALTH IMPLICATIONS

Left to right: Ms. Mays Kayed, Dr. Hanan Taleb 28 ISSUE 04

sustainable urban planning has been identified as one way to do that. “One of the most pressing environmental issues today is sustainable urban planning. Because the landscape is so important to the quality of any urban environment, nature’s role is not only to beautify it but also to influence the shape of development and human wellbeing,” explained BUiD Faculty of Engineering and IT Associate Professor Dr. Hanan Taleb. She worked with BUiD Architecture and Sustainable Built Environment research associate and PhD student Mays Kayed to investigate the use of windbreaks as a sustainable urban planning solution to reduce dust pollution. A windbreak is a row of shrubs, trees, or structures, planted or constructed to block and redirect wind flow. They are

typically used to protect people’s homes, farmland, and animals from the damaging force of the wind, but the BUiD research team sought to explore their impact on PM levels. “We aimed to investigate the role of adding windbreaks in order to lower the concentration of desert dust without compromising the natural ventilation in urban communities in Dubai. The effect of windbreaks was quantified by calculating the PM concentration in front of and behind the windbreak,” the authors wrote in a recently published paper in the journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. While previous research had investigated the PM collection capabilities of specific tree species in other climates – like that of the hawthorn hedge in rural parts of the United Kingdom – no research had

been done to measure the impact of green windbreaks on PM pollution in the UAE or to identify which type of tree would be best suited both for the PM filtering requirements and the UAE’s climate. The researchers selected Al Furjan neighborhood in Dubai – an urban development that is surrounded by empty desert on three sides. They then located existing windbreaks within the development, which were formed using the hardy and popular Damas tree. The team analyzed the trees’ structure to understand its PM filtration effect and input the data into software that they used to determine the windbreak’s porosity. This was used to create a computational fluid dynamic analysis. The team also collected PM10 data from the area for a year, as well as weather data on each month’s windiest days, and the hour of peak flux within each day. They then used data from that hour to simulate PM10 dispersal through two formations of Damas tree windbreaks – one placing the trees 20m apart, and another placing them 10m apart. The resulting analysis showed that when the Damas trees are grown in a windbreak 20m apart, they are better able to block the flow of PM10. They also found that the angle of the wind had a significant impact on the effectiveness of the windbreaks in reducing PM10 concentration.

“BECAUSE THE LANDSCAPE IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE QUALITY OF ANY URBAN ENVIRONMENT, NATURE’S ROLE IS NOT ONLY TO BEAUTIFY IT BUT ALSO TO INFLUENCE THE SHAPE OF DEVELOPMENT AND HUMAN WELLBEING.” Dr. Hanan Taleb Associate Professor British University in Dubai

“Our main findings were that the 20m tree spacing is more effective at reducing dust through a windbreak, compared to 10m spacing. Additionally, the windbreak’s effectiveness was increased when the wind was blowing perpendicular to the trees. If urban developers apply our findings and plant Damas windbreaks at 10m spacing between trees, they will achieve 19-22% dust reduction. This will result in a healthy community and pure ventilation. It will help UAE residents to enjoy the outdoors and will boost walkability,” Dr. Taleb shared, adding that her findings could also be applied to other countries with similar terrain and climate. She has identified six further research questions relating to this topic, including investigating windbreak PM10 reduction in other climates, analyzing the PM10 filtration effects of other species of trees, and exploring the windbreaks’ filtration effects on PM2.5.

Title of published paper

Applying porous trees as a windbreak to lower desert dust concentration: Case study of an urban community in Dubai

Published in

Urban Forestry & Urban Greening

Journal metrics

Impact Factor: 4.021, Q1, H-index: 74,, Scientific Journal Ranking (SJR): 1.16

Project funded by

BUiD provided funding and support for the project

PROFILES

DR. HABIBA ALSAFAR

CRACKING THE EMIRATI GENETIC CODE FOR PRECISION HEALTHCARE Fr om establishing the UAE’s fir st patient r e gistr y, to constr ucting the Emir ati r efer ence genome, Dr. Habiba Alsaf ar has long been a c hampion of r esear c h in the field of genetics for impr oved healthcar e and pr ecision medicine.

Dr. Habiba Alsafar Khalifa University Scopus H-index: 15 ORCID ID

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A name that always crops up in the field of genetics in the UAE, is that of Dr. Habiba Alsafar. She is the Founding Director of the Center for Biotechnology, Associate Dean of Student Affairs at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, and an Associate Professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology at Khalifa University (KU), as well as being a member of the Emirates Scientists Council. During her third year of pre-medical studies at San Diego State University, Dr. Alsafar’s path diverged from her original goal to work in medicine when she took a genetics class and became enthralled by the subject. Genetics appeared to explain so much about how characteristics are expressed, and yet there remained a great deal to be discovered and many questions to be answered. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 2002, Dr. Alsafar enrolled in the University of Liverpool to pursue her Master’s in medical engineering and focused her efforts on tissue and genetic

engineering. Upon graduating in 2003, she took her new degree back to the UAE, where she joined Dubai Police as a forensics expert. It was during this time, occupied with the analysis of crime scene evidence, that Dr. Alsafar acknowledged that she wanted to learn more. She decided to pursue her doctorate, for which Dubai Police sponsored her studies at the University of Western Australia. After initially focusing on genetic technologies for forensic applications, Dr. Alsafar realized that the same tools used for investigative work could easily be applied to medicine, simultaneously satisfying her work requirements as a forensic scientist while delving into her passion of researching why certain genes cause disease. She began working on a project to identify specific genes that predispose carriers to cardiometabolic diseases, specifically type 2 diabetes (T2D), which would become a major focus of her career. At the time, T2D was becoming recognized as a serious concern in the UAE, with prevalence rates reaching around 20%, particularly among Emirati and South Asian populations. This high prevalence posed a significant national health challenge, as T2D is part of a combination of metabolic dysfunctions that causes cardiometabolic disease characterized by insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance,

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PROFILES

dyslipidemia, hypertension, and central adiposity – leading to poor health and early death rates. She began the project working with a family of which many members were afflicted by T2D. Biospecimens provided by the family members enabled Dr. Alsafar to study their genetic makeup, to ascertain possible causes of the illness. The next step was to compare the resulting genetic analysis with other diabetic patients, but at the time the UAE had no patient registries. Dr. Alsafar, therefore, set about creating one. The result was the establishment of the Emirates Family Registry in 2007, which now contains data from more than 26,000

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volunteers and was described in a peerreviewed paper in the International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries. Dr. Alsafar went on to use the registry to undertake and complete the UAE’s first genome-wide association study, which aimed to identify the genetic basis for T2D susceptibility in the local Bedouin population. This work featured in a peer-reviewed paper in the Annals of Human Genetics. “This registry helped me to link T2D in the Emirati population to genes and also showed the importance of establishing patient registries in the UAE to study potential disease mechanisms,” Dr. Alsafar shared.

This work resulted in two of her most cherished prizes – The UAE Pioneers Award from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, and the 2015 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Middle East Fellowship Award. Having completed her PhD in 2010, Dr. Alsafar returned to the UAE to resume her position with Dubai Police. Within a year, however, she found that her interests had shifted more towards research than applied forensics. “In 2011, I felt it was time for me to join academia. I found the newly established Khalifa University and liked their mission and their focus on research. I applied and joined as an assistant professor, with an idea that I would create a biotechnology center, gathering genetic and phenotypic data and building competencies in sequencing technology to study the genomes of humans and other species,” she recalled. Four years later, the KU Center of Biotechnology was established under Dr. Alsafar’s directorship. Since its establishment, the center has produced many genetics and genome science projects, resulting in a steady stream of publications. In 2015, Dr. Alsafar embarked upon a project that she considers to be among her most satisfying achievements – the UAE Genome Project – which sought to complete whole genome sequencing for a large sample of the national population, to provide an Emirati reference genome. Currently, genetic analysis in medical research uses a reference genome as its baseline. The most used baseline, GRCh38, derives 70% of its material from one donor, and the remainder from 10 others – mostly of Caucasian origin. Given the genetic variation across human ancestries,

using such a limited reference genome as a standard for genetic analysis can lead to erroneous findings. With the UAE’s genetically diverse Emirati population and the prevalence or unique distribution of disease types, Dr. Alsafar felt it was particularly important that the Emirati population have its own reference genome. “Less than 1% of Arab genome knowledge was in the public domain. By completing the whole genome sequence of Emirati subjects, we could characterize the genetic code, enabling us to better understand the causes of diseases, what they are influenced by, how to explain susceptibility, and what actionable plan individuals need to make to prevent or treat illness. With greater knowledge of our genetic makeup, we could approach disease management in a different way through precision medicine that matches the personal or unique characteristics of an individual,” Dr. Alsafar said.

PROFILES

“WITH GREATER KNOWLEDGE OF OUR GENETIC MAKEUP, WE COULD APPROACH DISEASE MANAGEMENT IN A DIFFERENT WAY THROUGH PRECISION MEDICINE THAT MATCHES THE PERSONAL OR UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF AN INDIVIDUAL.” Dr. Habiba Alsafar Director, Center for Biotechnology Associate Dean of Student Affairs, College of Medicine and Health Sciences Associate Professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology at Khalifa University

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The project team started with the collection of bio-samples from 1,028 Emirati volunteers. After genotyping and screening, 129 samples were selected as being most representative of the entire cohort. Of these, 125 samples were analyzed for genome reference construction and the remaining four were set aside as test samples. In total, 120 samples were used for whole genome sequencing and 33 for whole exome sequencing. Whole genome sequencing analyzes the entire DNA content of an individual, while whole exome sequencing focuses only on the proteincoding regions of genes in a genome.

The result of the analysis was an Emirati reference genome that comprehensively described the genetic makeup of the local population, defining genotypes and allele frequencies.

In just six years – four fewer than Dr. Alsafar had originally targeted – the project was complete. The result of the analysis was an Emirati reference genome that comprehensively described the genetic makeup of the local population, defining genotypes and allele frequencies. Last April, a paper detailing the findings of the project was published in the journal Frontiers in Genetics. Explaining the impact of the project, Dr. Alsafar said: “Our work demonstrates that there is a 20% difference between the Emirati genome and the typical reference genome. Some of these differences may lie in important genes, which means that a particular treatment may not necessarily fit everyone. We have only just published our report. I hope policymakers and others will read and apply its findings to provide more personalized medical care.” Having only recently achieved her longterm goal of constructing the Emirati reference genome, Dr. Alsafar said she has yet to identify her next big project, but she does know one thing she will be focusing on – continuing to mentor and train the next generation of young scientists. “When I initially set off on my path, I was motivated by the need to gain knowledge.

Now that I have the knowledge – albeit only part of the puzzle – I am driven by a need to transfer these experiences to my students to build our national research capacity in biomedical and health sciences. That is why I am spending so much more of my time mentoring students, setting up laboratories and programs for them, and getting them trained to the highest standards,” she shared. It is Dr. Alsafar’s hope that her pioneering work in genetics and student mentorship in the UAE will lead to increased capacity, understanding, and management of illness – whether that be T2D, obesity, cardiovascular disease, or through her more recent work analyzing SARS-CoV-2 and identifying risk factors that affect the severity of COVID-19. “Through my passion for science, genetics, and mentorship, I would like to think that my work contributes to my beloved country and to my fellow citizens. The major impact I would like my work to have is to see people living long, healthy lives. We shouldn’t be losing our family members at a young age from diseases that are easily prevented or managed. That is what I hope my work will contribute towards in the UAE,” she concluded.

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DR. AFAF KAMAL-ELDIN

ADVANCING FOOD CHEMISTRY TO SUPPORT UAE FOOD SECURITY A question posed during Dr. Afaf K amal-Eldin’s thesis defense set her on a r esearch investigation that has spanned mor e than 20 year s. At the end of it, she helped clarify the key mechanism in a type of vitamin E that has had a major impact on how this supplement functions as an antioxidant.

Dr. Afaf Kamal-Eldin United Arab Emirates University Scopus H-index: 57 ORCID ID

The year was 1993 and Dr. Afaf KamalEldin, now chair of and a professor in the Department of Food Science at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), was a PhD student at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala. While defending her thesis on sesame oil, she was asked by her examiner why she had written that gamma-tocopherol was a more powerful antioxidant in vitro, while alphatocopherols were more powerful in vivo. Tocopherols are a category of organic compounds that include different forms of vitamin E. They act as antioxidants, scavenging free radicals to protect cells from oxidation damage. This antioxidant effect makes tocopherols useful as a food additive to reduce decay and rancidity and as a health supplement to prevent inflammatory conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and arthritis. However, why one type of

tocopherol has a stronger antioxidant effect in living organisms (in vivo) while others work better in non-living things (in vitro), was a mystery. “It was not known why this was the case, but I told the examiner that it must be due to a structural feature of the tocopherol molecule and completed my thesis defense. I had a six-month wait after graduating before starting my new job, and during that time, the examiner’s question kept nagging at me. So I immersed myself in research, reading everything I could find on the topic. The result of that reading was a review paper published in Lipids that has more than 2,100 citations today on Google Scholar,” she said. While Dr. Kamal-Eldin’s paper was a huge success, it would take another 20odd years and many more investigations before the question asked during her thesis defense would be definitively answered, as is often the case in fundamental or basic research. “The answer was that with tocopherol, its antioxidant activity relates not only to its ability to neutralize radicals but also to its partitioning in the food matrix, which is the nutrient and non-nutrient components of foods and their chemical bonds to each other. So depending on the structure of the matrix, a tocopherol

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Dr. Kamal-Eldin hopes her research into camel milk and dates will help the UAE achieve some of the goals of its National Food Security Strategy 2051, which aims to make the country the world leader in innovation-driven food security.

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could have more or less antioxidant activity,” she shared. The implication of this finding is that today, when scientists want to use tocopherol to preserve food or as a health supplement, they know to select alpha- or gamma-tocopherol, or a combination of both, along with other compounds, or synergists, that enhance the antioxidant activity. “Our research, and that of others who followed, has enabled scientists to understand the basic principle so industry can tailor antioxidant strategies and add different compounds with an understanding of how this works,” Dr. Kamal-Eldin said. This kind of single-minded pursuit of an answer to the question “why?” has been a defining aspect of Dr. Kamal-

Eldin’s personality since she was a child in Sinnar, Sudan. “My father was my role model. He always said you need to have a reason why you do anything. You can’t say you did it because everyone else did it. This put in me a drive from my childhood, to answer the question ‘why?’” she recalled. Chemistry appealed to the young Dr. Kamal-Eldin because of its ability to answer so many of nature’s questions, leading her to study the subject for her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Khartoum. During her Master’s studies, she began to investigate the chemistry of sesame oil, which took her from pure chemistry to food chemistry. Later, when Dr. Kamal-Eldin was ready for her doctorate, she joined the SLU Department of Food Science, where she leveraged her

previous years of biology and zoology to dive deeper into food chemistry. After receiving her PhD in 1993, Dr. Kamal-Eldin stayed on at SLU as a postdoctoral researcher, moving up the ranks to become a professor in 1998. It was during her time at SLU that she began work on another one of her more notable projects. This one focused on the identification of biomarkers of whole grain cereal intake. The project was inspired by industry’s need to develop a more accurate and objective way of measuring people’s intake of whole grains in its research to link whole grain consumption to good health. At the time, the standard way of doing this was to have subjects fill out questionnaires about their eating habits and then compare their reported whole grain consumption to their biometric health data. However, the self-reporting

of daily intake was unreliable because of the potential for misreporting. Dr. Kamal-Eldin and her collaborators first worked to establish a method that could distinguish whole grain from white flour in flours and processed foods. They identified that the lipid compound alkylresorcinol was present in bran and could be used as a biomarker for wheat and rye grains. They then analyzed how it was absorbed in the body to establish its absorption path, and they published a highly cited paper on this in Nutrition Reviews in 2004. The researchers then developed analytical methods to examine alkylresorcinols in urine and blood and compared subjects’ alkylresorcinol levels to their whole wheat consumption to confirm the correlation. This was detailed in another highly cited paper, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2008.

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“Now, whoever wants to link the health benefits of whole grains can use the alkylresorcinol biomarkers – either alone or in addition to the questionnaires. This provides a more objective way to link whole grain consumption to health. You cannot doubt results with a measurable biomarker,” Dr. Kamal-Eldin said, explaining the implications of her foundational work. In 2010, Dr. Kamal-Eldin, seeking warmer climes, decided to move to the UAE, where she joined the UAEU as chair of and a professor in the Depar tment of Food Science. There she pivoted her research to explore the untapped value of two traditional agricultural products – dates and camel milk. She seeks to identify the

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mechanism in camel milk responsible for its antidiabetic effect, while also exploring how to utilize the fibrous byproduct of date syrup production as a food supplement. Dr. Kamal-Eldin hopes her research into camel milk and dates will help the UAE achieve some of the goals of its National Food Security Strategy 2051, which aims to make the country the world leader in innovationdriven food security. “Food chemistry has a role in helping the UAE achieve its goal for food security with respect to the increasing quality – and even quantity – of the food produced in the country. I am particularly hoping to increase our utilization of our traditional produce of dates and camel milk, as they can be processed into different products

“MY FATHER WAS MY ROLE MODEL. HE ALWAYS SAID YOU NEED TO HAVE A REASON WHY YOU DO ANYTHING. YOU CAN’T SAY YOU DID IT BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE DID IT. THIS PUT IN ME A DRIVE FROM MY CHILDHOOD, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ‘WHY?’” Dr. Afaf Kamal-Eldin Professor and Chair of the Department of Food Science United Arab Emirates University

with various functional and nutritional properties,” she shared. This commitment to advancing the UAE’s food chemistry research has won her some recognition. In 2019, Dr. Kamal-Eldin was awarded a long-term “golden visa” by the UAE Government for her work in food composition and analysis, for which she was shortlisted for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Excellence in 2018. When asked for her opinion on the most important skills or qualities for future researchers to learn, Dr. Kamal-Eldin listed confidence, ethics, professionalism, and a thoughtful approach to their work that begins with study and contemplation. She believes imparting these skills to her students – who number in the thousands since she began teaching in 1993 – sets them up for long-term success. “It is very important for me to contribute

to the development of others. When I see my graduate students developing as researchers, it motivates me further. Some of my students are already professors in Sweden and Germany, and when I see their careers advancing, it makes me happy,” she stated. Though the work of a fundamental scientist may not be as immediately impactful as an applied scientist, Dr. Kamal-Eldin says she measures her success by the students she has helped graduate – now totaling 19 PhD and 21 Master’s graduates – and the papers she has authored that have served as the base of other major investigations. “I am happy when my research work becomes the base of other investigations. When I am retired, I will sit down and look into the progress of my students and the citations of my work to see how people have used it and what it has contributed to,” she concluded.

CAPSTONE PROGRAM

STUDENTS INVESTIGATE SUPERHYDROPHOBIC PV COATINGS IN MOE CAPSTONE PROGRAM PILOT A team of students from Al Rashidiya Girls’ School has proposed a way to improve the efficiency of solar panels using a superhydrophobic chemical coating.

PROJECT TITLE

Increasing the efficiency of solar panels using a hydrophobic solution

TEAM MEMBERS

Aldemani Hesham, Aliya Ahmad, and Maryam Nassar

SCHOOL

Al Rashidiya Girls' School

MENTOR

Dr. Muhannad Ali

SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR Engineer Nada Al Hawari

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WHEN WATER IS APPLIED TO THE SOLAR PANELS, IT WILL SLIDE OFF, CARRYING THE DUST PARTICLES WITH IT AND THEREFORE INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR PANELS

Left to right: Aldemani Hesham, Aliya Ahmad

Three grade 12 students – Aldemani Hesham, Aliya Ahmad, and Maryam Nassar – have spent two years investigating superhydrophobic chemical coatings to increase the efficiency of solar panels. Their project, part of the pilot Capstone Program led by the Ministry of Education (MoE), sought to support the UAE’s goal to meet 30% of its energy needs with clean energy by 2030. Solar energy is the cheapest and most readily available renewable energy in the region. Among the various technologies available for harnessing solar power, photovoltaic (PV) technology is the most established. A PV solar cell absorbs the energy from sunlight through a semiconductor material which separates electrons from atoms. The electrons moving around the solar cell form an electric current, which is then extracted and used like any other electrical source. For a PV panel to be able to capture enough solar energy, the panel surface must be clear of any obstructions. In the UAE, hot, dry temperatures and sandy soil creates dust that coats PV panels, often

reducing the yield of solar energy. To overcome this challenge, the team from Al Rashidiya Girls’ School investigated water-repellent chemical coatings. “Our solution to fix this problem is to apply a hydrophobic solution to solar panels. Hydrophobic means water resistant, so when water is applied to the solar panels, it will slide off, carrying the dust particles with it and therefore increasing the efficiency of solar panels,” the team wrote in their paper. The team investigated several ways to apply a hydrophobic coating to solar panels and selected one that could be achieved using inexpensive materials. The selected method integrates silicone dioxide nanoparticles with low surface energy into methyl silicone. Although preparing the coating requires the sensitive handling of chemicals, once made up, the mixture can be applied to the PV panel surface with a spray gun. The panel must then be dried in an oven for an hour at 100°C. To test the efficacy of the selected superhydrophobic coating, the team

SCIENCE FOR KIDS

THE CAPSTONE PROGRAM AIMS TO PROMOTE CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION, PROVIDE A FIRST-RATE EDUCATION FOR EMIRATI SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS IN ACADEMIC RESEARCH FROM AN EARLY AGE

proposed testing the output, voltage, and current of a treated PV panel against that of an untreated panel. A lightbulb would also be connected to each panel to demonstrate its energy output. The researchers hypothesized that the panel treated with the superhydrophobic coating would demonstrate greater energy capture and output. Sharing what they learned from the Capstone Program, Hesham noted the importance of being able to work as a team: “It was a challenge to work with people who had different ideas, but over time, I realized that these differences build and connect the project together.” Fellow team member Ahmad agreed on the value of teamwork and communication: “Through teamwork, we were able to achieve many great things quickly and effectively,” she said. Nassar added that “how to do proper research and be consistent” were also vital lessons. “The Capstone Program increased my interest in science and made me want to explore more topics,” she said. Ahmad added that the experience “had a huge impact” on the young scientists’ perception of the value of scientific

44 ISSUE 03

research. “Through Capstone, we learned how to conduct research properly and how to find fascinating and compelling topics to research. Furthermore, the project taught us that if we choose an interesting topic, we’ll find it easy to research because we’ll find it entertaining.” Hesham shared: “I know now that scientific research is very important when it comes to understanding the concept of a specific topic. It gives a detailed explanation and breaks down complicated ideas. From my point of view, scientific research is interesting to work on because some parts will be extremely hard and others will be simple.” The Capstone Program aims to promote creativity and innovation, provide a firstrate education for Emirati school students, and develop their skills in academic research from an early age. The goal is to produce a generation of young Emirati researchers who can serve as an asset to the country’s higher education sector and in the fields targeted in the UAE Vision 2021 and the Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy.

SCIENCE FOR KIDS

Q&A WITH EMIRATES YOUNG SCIENTIST BUTTI KHALID ALZAABI One of three members of the RICE Plastic team, the young student reveals the environmental concerns that inspired his team’s project and what motivated him to venture out of his comfort zone.

NAME BUTTI KHALID ALZAABI

AGE 14

SCHOOL AL MAJD SCHOOL FOR BOYS IN SHARJAH

CATEGORY INTERMEDIATE CATEGORY, GRADES 5-8

PRIZE AED 10,000

PROJECT TITLE RICE PLASTIC

PROJECT BRIEF THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT WAS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW FOOD WASTE FROM FRUIT CAN BE USED TO CREATE BAGS AND BOWLS FROM A BIOLOGICALLY- AND ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY PLASTIC ALTERNATIVE, TO ULTIMATELY REDUCE THE LOAD OF PLASTIC WASTE ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

46 ISSUE 03

Last year, nearly 2,500 student science projects from 427 UAE public and private schools competed to receive one of 27 prizes honoring scientific merit. Ahead of the next Emirates Young Scientist Competition (EYSC), likely to take place this fall, we spoke with Butti Khalid Alzaabi, whose project with Saif Karam and Mustafa Aljasmi won the intermediate prize (for Grades 5 to 8) in the Biological and Ecological Sciences category at EYSC 2020.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN EYSC 2020? I was motivated by my passion for science and my love for innovating and creating new things. But my mom is the real reason I'm inspired to do the things I enjoy. She always pushes me to pursue challenges, even when I may have doubts. It is thanks to her that my mates and I won the EYSC last year. HOW DID YOU SELECT YOUR EYSC PROJECT, AND WHAT WAS IT ABOUT? We wanted to help prevent food waste and reduce pollution – two problems which have huge negative effects on the Earth. My friends, Saif and Mustafa, thought of the idea of making bowls and bags out of banana skins and other waste fruit peels, which addressed both problems at once.

WHAT DID YOU GAIN FROM YOUR EYSC EXPERIENCE? I learned that without my teammates, I wouldn't have done such a good job of thinking up an idea. I would also like to thank our fantastic teacher, Mr. Lester, who helped us with the project assembly.

HOW DO YOU HOPE SCIENCE AND RESEARCH WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE UAE?

WHAT EXCITES OR INTERESTS YOU ABOUT SCIENCE? I like the sense of power we feel when we figure things out combined with the sense of awe at what remains unknown, as well as how every new discovery opens our horizons and presents us with new challenges.

IF YOU WERE A SCIENTIST, WHAT RESEARCH QUESTION WOULD YOU WORK TO ANSWER?

I hope science will contribute greatly to our lovely country and make the UAE the most technologically and scientifically advanced nation in the world.

If I were a scientist, I would like to find out how big our ocean is and discover the real extent of our universe.

WHAT ROLE DO YOU HOPE SCIENCE AND RESEARCH WILL PLAY IN YOUR FUTURE?

HOW DID YOUR EYSC EXPERIENCE INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION ABOUT WHAT TO STUDY AT UNIVERSITY?

I want to be a doctor in the future. That is and always will be my dream.

It made me more motivated to become a brain surgeon – and a successful one at that.

EVENTS CALENDAR

NAJAH ABU DHABI AND DUBAI

AQDAR WORLD SUMMIT

WHEN 27 October to 1 November 2021

WHEN 8 pm-5pm, 24-30 October

WHERE Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) & Dubai Exhibition Center, Expo 2020

WHERE Dubai Exhibition Center, Expo 2020

ORGANIZER Informa Connect Supported by the Ministry of Education, Najah enables high-school students, their parents, teachers, and counselors to meet and engage with local and international universities, as well as participate in content-driven seminars and workshops. Najah Abu Dhabi will be held on 27-29 October, and Najah Dubai will be held on 31 October to 1 November.

48 ISSUE 04

ORGANIZER Aqdar The Aqdar World Summit is a global platform for leaders, decision makers, experts, specialists, and leading companies from around the world to gather, discuss, and debate on crucial issues of international importance and help empower communities to build a world of security, tolerance, peace, and coexistence. Aqdar World Summit in its 4th edition will be held under the theme “Positive Global Citizenship – Empowerment of Sustainable Investment Opportunities.”

CHANGE THE WORLD MODEL UNITED NATIONS (CWMUN) EMIRATES WHEN 12-14 November 2021 WHERE New York University Abu Dhabi ORGANIZER Associazione Diplomatici Change the World Model United Nations (CWMUN) Emirates is an annual international meeting attended by more than 3,500 students from all over the world, in which they debate the major issues of the international political agenda. Thanks to the work done over the years, students develop leadership, research, writing, and public speaking skills, as well as problem-solving expertise. Active participation encourages consensus building through mediation and negotiation, conflict resolution, and the ability to rapidly build friendly and profitable relations among people.

‘Open scholarship in a post-pandemic world,’ ETD presents an opportunity to re-ignite global open scholarship after a period of pandemic lockdowns and travel restrictions.

ABU DHABI INTERNATIONAL PETROLEUM EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE (ADIPEC) 2021 WHEN 15-18 November 2022 WHERE Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center ORGANIZER Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) The Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) is the world's most influential meeting place where oil, gas, and energy companies and professionals will convene in-person, safely and securely, to engage and identify opportunities that will unlock new value in an evolving energy landscape.

ELECTRONIC THESES & DISSERTATIONS (ETD) 2021 CONFERENCE

5TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADVANCES IN BUSINESS AND LAW (ICABL)

WHEN 15-17 November 2021

WHEN 20-21 November 2021

WHERE Virtual

ORGANIZER Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations and United Arab Emirates University

ORGANIZER University of Dubai

Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) is an international organization dedicated to promoting the adoption, creation, use, dissemination, and preservation of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). Held under the theme

The main aim of the International Conference on Advances in Business and Law (ICABL) is to share knowledge and expertise in the broad areas of finance, economics, management, and law by academics from developed and emerging economies. The conference theme of the 5th edition of ICABL is “Business Recovery During and Post Covid-19 Pandemic.”

October 2021 Published on behalf of the UAE Ministry of Education by the Department of Science, Technology, and Research. The Innovation@UAE Magazine is free of charge. Disclaimer: Online project information and links published in the current issue of the Innovation@UAE Magazine are correct when the publication goes to press. The UAE Ministry of Education cannot be held responsible for information which is out of date or websites that are no longer live. Neither the UAE Ministry of Education nor any person acting on its behalf is responsible for the use that may be made of the information contained in this publication, or for any errors that may remain in the texts, despite the care taken in preparing them. The technologies presented in this magazine may be covered by intellectual property rights. The content contained within Innovation@UAE Magazine is by no means an exhaustive listing of all research taking place in the UAE’s accredited higher education institutes. Each issue of the magazine merely seeks to present some selected news and features relating to research and researchers based on proposals from their host institutes. The editorial team responsible for Innovation@UAE Magazine reserves the right to select ideas for news, features, profiles, and calendar items according to the topic timeliness, the availability of information, the cooperativeness of the involved researchers, and the available time and resources. If you would like to suggest a news story, research feature, researcher profile, or calendar item for the next issue, please contact InnovUAEmagazine@moe.gov.ae, and include in the email subject headline “Innovation@UAE Magazine suggestion.”

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Innovation@UAE Magazine, Issue 4, English, October 2021

Articles inside

DR. AFAF KAMAL-ELDIN - ADVANCING FOOD CHEMISTRY TO SUPPORT UAE FOOD SECURITY

USING HIGH-POWERED LASER RESURFACING TO FABRICATE SUPERHYDROPHOBIC METALS

DR. HABIBA ALSAFAR- CRACKING THE EMIRATI GENETIC CODE FOR PRECISION HEALTHCARE

STUDYING THE POLLUTION FILTERING POTENTIAL OF DAMAS TREE WINDBREAKS

IDENTIFYING NEW MATERIALS FOR NEXT GENERATION FIBRE OPTICS

EXPLORING THE BREAST CANCER-TARGETTING ABILITIES OF A PLANT-BASED COMPOUND