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

www.kaust.edu.sa

BEACONthe ة املنـار

July - August 2014 / Ramadan- Shawwal 1435 Volume 4, Issue No. 10

CBRC INAUGURATION | Continued on p3

BILL GATES VISIT | Continued on p2QUANTUM DOT SOLAR CELLS | Continued on p4

DEVIL RAYS | Continued on p2

اللقيطة أسماك أن التعقب أجهزة أظهرت التي المحيطات أسماك بين من هي التشيلية

كبيرة ألعماق تغوص اللقيطة أسماك أن السائد سابقًا االعتقاد كان من هي )Mobula tarapacana( التشيلية الضحلة المياه التي تعيش في البحرية الكائنات جديدة دراسة كشفت ولكن فقط. والدافئة قام بها علماء من جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم بقيادة السعودية العربية المملكة في والتقنية وبعض بيرومين مايكل الدكتور األحياء عالم المخلوقات أن هذه الدوليين والزمالء الباحثين التي األسماك من ضمن الواقع في هي الكبيرة نشر وتم المحيطات. في كبيرة ألعماق تغوص Nature( مجلة في بحثية ورقة في الدراسة

1 يوليو 2014. Communications( بتاريخ المتوفرة "المعلومات بيرومين الدكتور وقال وكنا للغاية محدودة اللقيطة أسماك عن

في مجهود تعاوني يهدف إلى استكشاف طرق مبتكرة للحد من مشاكل بيل األعمال رجل قام العالم، في المياه وندرة التغذية وسوء الجوع والرئيس العالم، الخيرية في واألعمال التقنية رواد أشهر أحد غيتس، الملك جامعة بزيارة الخيرية، غيتس وميليندا بيل لمؤسسة المشارك

عبداهلل مؤخرًا.وقال الرئيس جان-لو شامو : "إنه لمن دواعي سروري أن أرحب بالسيد غيتس وأن أدعوه لاللتقاء بأعضاء هيئة تدريسنا وطلبتنا الذين يبذلون مجهودات كبيرة للتصدي للتحديات العالمية الرئيسية متسلحين بسالح االكتشافات العلمية. لقد تعرف السيد غيتس عبر هذه الزيارة على العلوم المتطورة التي تنتجها جامعتنا واالبحاث المهمة التي يقوم بها طلبتنا

الموهوبين ومرافقنا االستثنائية وثقافتنا التي تعزز االلهام والتمّيز".تتمه صفحة 2

تتمه صفحة 2تتمه صفحة 3

MAINLY thought to be surface dwellers, Chilean

devil rays (Mobula tarapacana) are most often

seen gliding through shallow, warm waters. But a

new study by KAUST scientists and international

colleagues reveals that these large and majestic

creatures are actually among the deepest-diving and

fastest-diving ocean animals.

"Very little is know about devil rays," said Michael

Berumen, a biologist at KAUST and senior author of

the paper, which was published July 1, 2014, in the

journal Nature Communications. "We suspected that

they travelled long distances horizontally, but we had

no idea that they were diving so deep or so fast. That

was truly a surprise."

The researchers utilized pop-up satellite archival

transmitting tags (PSATs) to record the movement

patterns of 15 Chilean devil rays in the central North

OMAR F. MOHAMMED, KAUST Assistant Professor of

Chemical Science and the principal investigator of the

ultrafast laser spectroscopy and four-dimensional electron

imaging laboratory at KAUST’s Solar and Photovoltaics

Engineering Research Center, and a team of researchers from

KAUST and the University of California at Berkeley recently

published a paper in the Journal of the American Chemical

Society (DOI: 10.1021/ja413254g) examining the properties

essential for quantum dot (QD) solar cells.

QD solar cells are “emerging as promising low-cost

alternatives to existing photovoltaic technologies,” the

researchers state. They are advantageous for use in

photovoltaics for several reasons, including strong above-

gap sunlight absorption, the possibility to tune the bandgap

by controlling the QD size, solution processability and the

availability of a range of device architectures.

KAUST officially inaugurated the Computational

Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), on June 8,

2014. CBRC began operating in September 2009

and since that time the center has achieved

many concrete milestones. In addition to having

published over 200 papers in peer-reviewed

journals based on research conducted at KAUST

with less than four faculty on average, the center

developed more than 40 different bioinformatics

resources and tools, as well as 10 full patent

and 13 provisional patent applications. CBRC

also graduated KAUST’s first Ph.D. student and

oversaw the graduation of over 30 master’s

students. Moreover, out of the ten inaugural

KAUST Ph.D. graduates, three were CBRC

students. “Overall, our measurable performance

has been reasonable, but we are striving to

improve it much further,” said Prof. Vladimir

Bajic, Director of the Computational Bioscience

Research Center (CBRC).

The official inauguration of the center

coincided with a two-day symposium featuring

over 30 invited international speakers and KAUST

faculty. Under the theme of “Meeting Modern

IN A COLLABORATIVE effort aimed at exploring ways to reduce

the problems of hunger, malnutrition and water scarcity, Bill Gates,

world-renowned technology pioneer, philanthropist and co-chair

of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, visited KAUST on Tuesday,

June 24, 2014.

KAUST’s long-term and sustained investments in four strategic

research areas—water, food, energy and the environment, have

attracted some of the world’s leading faculty, scientists and

researchers. As a result, KAUST’s research centers are at the

forefront of scientific efforts to address some of humanity’s

pressing challenges.

SIZE MAKES A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE IN TUNING ELECTRON INJECTION IN QUANTUM DOT SOLAR CELLS

BILL GATES VISITS KAUST ON EXPLORATORY TOUR

بيل غيتس يستكشف فرص تعاون مع جامعة امللك عبداهلل للحد من مشاكل اجلوع وسوء التغذية وندرة املياه يف العامل

INSIDE: Community 4News 1-3

Prof. Omar Mohammed and his research team work in the laser lab at KAUST’s Solar Center to align the femtosecond transient absorption setup to monitor electron injection between quantum dots (QDs) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) in real time.

حبث علمي يبني أن أمساك اللقيطة هي من أمساك األعماق.

THE COMPUTATIONAL BIOSCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER INAUGURATION

TAGS REVEAL CHILEAN DEVIL RAYS ARE AMONG OCEAN'S

DEEPEST DIVERS

News2 July - August 2014 The Beacon

The Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 10, July - August 2014. Published by The Communications Department, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia. Contact Salah Sindi salah.sindi@kaust.edu.sa, or Nicholas Demille nicholas.demille@kaust.edu.sa © King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Printed on partially recycled paper.

BILL GATES VISIT | Continued from p1 تتمة الصفحة األولى:

التدريس هيئة أعضاء مع نقاش في حلقة السيد غيتس وشارك في جامعة الملك عبداهلل لبحث طرق مبتكرة للزراعة في الظروف الجافة والقاسية والتباحث حول إمكانية تعاون بحثي مشترك بين جامعة الملك عبداهلل ومؤسسة غيتس الخيرية خصوصًا أن األخيرة الكبيرة ألهميتها نظرًا الزراعة مجال في كبيرة بأعمال تقوم وبعد النامية. الدول مجتمعات في الجوع لمشكلة التصدي في جامعة مختبرات من العديد بزيارة غيتس السيد قام المناقشة الملك عبداهلل، وتعرف عن قرب على االبحاث المتطورة التي تتم فيها خصوصًا تللك المعنية باألنظمة المستدامة والمبتكرة لإلنتاج

الغذائي وذات الكفاءة العالية في استهالك المياه.كما زار السيد غيتس مركز أبحاث تحلية وإعادة استخدام المياه في جامعة الملك عبداهلل حيث قدم أعضاء هيئة التدريس والطالب والمجاالت الصحي والصرف المياه تحلية تقنيات حول عروضا األخرى المرتبطة بها. ومن الجدير بالذكر أن مجال معالجة مياه الصرف الصحي يتصدر قائمة اهتمامات مؤسسة جيتس خصوصًا في

األماكن التي تنشط فيها مثل الهند وأفريقيا.وأعرب السيد غيتس في ختام زيارته لجامعة الملك عبداهلل عن إعجابه الكبير في الجامعة ومرافقها المتطورة وثقته الكبيرة في أبحاثها والثقافة التعاونية بين أعضاء هيئة التدريس والطلبة وزمالء ما بعد الدكتوراه في المختبرات وقال :" أنا متفائل بأن األبحاث بمستوى الرقي في عبداهلل ستساهم الملك جامعة تجريها التي

." معيشة أفقر النساء واألطفال واألسر في العالم

“It was pleasure to welcome Mr. Gates to meet

with faculty and students who are committed

to addressing major world issues through

scientific discoveries,” said President Jean-Lou

Chameau. “Mr. Gates saw first-hand the novel

science our talented people are undertaking,

empowered with exceptional facilities and a

culture that promotes excellence and impact.”

Since agriculture stands as a major pillar in

the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s work

in improving the lives of women, children

and communities in the developing world,

Mr. Gates took part in a roundtable discussion

with KAUST faculty on the topic of agriculture

research in arid and harsh conditions. The

group focused on ideas and opportunities

to align KAUST’s research pursuits with the

Gates Foundation. Following the discussion,

Mr. Gates had the opportunity to visit several

KAUST laboratories and observed first-hand

the innovative water-efficient and sustainable

systems of food production being developed.

Mr. Gates also met with faculty, postdocs,

researchers and students advancing science to

address global problems in water security and the

sustainability of water resources. During the visit,

faculty and students demonstrated their progress

in pursing innovative research that shares the

Gates Foundation focus on improving water

sources, especially in places like India and Africa.

Before departing, Mr. Gates shared his

confidence in KAUST’s progress stating,

“I’m optimistic that the research KAUST is

undertaking will help benefit the livelihoods of

the world’s poorest.” Mr. Gates also expressed

how impressed he was in KAUST’s unique

facilities and the culture of collaboration

among faculty, students and postdocs inside

the laboratory.

Atlantic Ocean during 2011 and 2012. The tags, which stay on the animals for

up to nine months, also measure water temperature, depth and light levels of

the waters. Once the PSATs detach or “pop off” from the tagged animal, they

float to the surface and transmit data via the ARGOs satellite system back to

computers on shore.

"Data from the tags gives us a three-dimensional view of the movements of

these animals, and a window into how they're living in their ocean habitat—

where they go when and why," said Simon Thorrold, a first author to the

paper and a biologist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)

in the United States.

TRACKING THE RAYS IN THE OCEANDevil rays, which can grow as large as four meters (13 feet) across, are

nomads who travel large areas of the ocean. Dive data from the tags show

that individuals are also routinely descending at speeds up to six meters per

second (13.4 miles per hour) and to depths of almost 2,000 meters (1.24 miles)

in water temperatures less than four degrees Celsius (39.2 degrees Fahrenheit).

The deep dives generally followed two distinct patterns. The most common

involved descent to the maximum depth followed by a slower, stepwise

return to the surface with a total dive time of 60 to 90 minutes. The tagged

rays generally only made one such dive during a 24-hour period. In the

second dive pattern, individuals descended and then remained at depths of

up to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) for as long as 11 hours.

During the day, the rays would spend time at the surface—presumably

heating up—immediately before and then again after a deep dive. This may

explain how these animals deal with the cold temperatures of the deep ocean.

A previous study from the 1970s found that several species of devil

ray possess a physiological adaptation associated with thermoregulatory

capabilities—well-developed retia mirabilia (networks of blood vessels)

around the cranial cavity.

"They are basically heat exchange systems that allow animals to become

endothermic, or in some sense warm blooded," explained Berumen. "We see

them in other deep-diving elasmobranchs, such as mako and white sharks."

Though it has been hypothesized that devil rays use this adaptation to

cool down rather than warm up, Berumen and his colleagues show that

the adaptation could facilitate dives into deep, cold waters, thus solving a

decades-old puzzle.

"Rays were always seen in very warm water up at the surface, so why

would they need an adaptation for cold water? Once we looked at the dive

data from the tags, of course it made perfect sense that the rays have these

systems. Sometimes they’re down diving for two or three hours in very

cold water —two to three degrees Celsius (35.6 to 37.4 degrees Fahrenheit),"

Thorrold said.

QUESTIONS ABOUT RAYS CONTINUEWhile it's not certain what the rays are doing at these depths, the dive

profiles suggest that they're foraging on large numbers of fish that live in

deeper waters. Earlier this year, a KAUST-led team of scientists described this

fish abundance in a report also published in Nature Communications.

"There’s an enormous amount of biomass in the deep ocean that we’re only

starting to understand the significance of," said Camrin Braun, a coauthor and

a graduate from KAUST’s Marine Science program. "This paper suggests that

devil rays are aware of and regularly exploit this resource, which demonstrates

an unexpected new link between the surface and deep ocean." Braun is

currently a PhD student in the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography.

"Ultimately, answering whether these animals depend on the deep layers

of the ocean for their feeding and survival could have major implications

for their management and that of oceanic habitats," added Pedro Afonso,

a coauthor of the paper and researcher at the Institute of Marine Research

(IMAR) at the University of the Azores and the Laboratory of Robotics and

Systems in Engineering and Science (LARSyS).

Devil rays are under increasing pressure from fishing, particularly in the

Indian and Pacific Oceans. Manta gill rakers are targeted for use in Chinese

medicine and their cartilage is used as filler in shark fin soup.

Little is known about the life span of devil rays or at what age they

reproduce. Like other large rays, devil rays are thought to birth just one pup

per about every two years.

"With such low reproductive rates, any increase in natural mortality rates

will have a big impact on the species," Berumen said. "We don’t know enough

about devil rays to even know if we should be worried about their status. There

is evidence to suggest we should be worried, or at least that we should be

trying to learn more about the basic biology and ecology of these rays.

Movement ecology studies can be challenging, but the results are crucial

to inform conservation efforts. The more species we tag, the more we

learn about their remarkable behaviors. Without such knowledge, it’s hard

to know even where to begin to protect a species."

Researchers from Massachusetts Marine Fisheries in the United States

also contributed to the study. Funding for this research came from the

National Science Foundation, The Harrison Foundation, Rodney and

Elizabeth Berens, KAUST, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and

Technology/ Ministry of Education and Science, the LARSyS Strategic

Project and WHOI.

DEVIL RAYS | Continued from p1 تتمة الصفحة األولى:ولكننا أفقيًا، طويلة مسافات تقطع أنها في نشتبه تغوص التي البحرية الكائنات من أنها أيضًا تفاجأنا

وبسرعة". األعماق في استخدم الباحثون أجهزة تعقب باألقمار الصناعية قابلة )PSATs( وتسمى السمكة جسم على تثبت للفصل لتسجيل أنماط حركة 15 من أسماك اللقيطة التشيلية في وسط وشمال المحيط األطلسي خالل عامي 2011 و 2012. وتبقى أجهزة التعقب مثبتة على جسم السمكة لمدة تصل إلى 9 أشهر، وتقوم خالل هذه الفترة برصد وبمجرد فصل هذه العمق. ومستوى الماء درجة حرارة تبدأ و السطح على تطفو السمكة جسم من األجهزة على موجودة كمبيوتر أجهزة إلى البيانات بإرسال الشاطىء عبر نظام أرغوس )ARGOs( لألقمار الصناعية. ويضيف الكاتب األول للورقة سايمون ثورولد،عالم أحياء الواليات في المحيطات لعلوم هول وودز معهد من المتحدة: "نستطيع بواسطة هذه البيانات عرض تحركات هذه الحيوانات على خريطة ثالثية األبعاد، ويمكننا أيضًا أين – المحيط بيئتها في التعرف على نمط حياتها في تذهب ومتى ولماذا". وفي حين أننا ال نعرف ماذا تفعله الغوص بيانات أن إال األعماق، هذه في األسماك هذه تشير إلى أنها تقتات على أعداد كبيرة من األسماك التي

تعيش في المياه العميقة.وساهم الباحثون من مصائد األسماك البحرية في والية هذه في أيضًا المتحدة الواليات في ماساتشوستس الدراسة. وجاء تمويل هذا البحث من المؤسسة الوطنية بيرينز، وإليزابيث رودني هاريسون، ومؤسسة للعلوم، للعلوم البرتغالية والمؤسسة عبداهلل، الملك جامعة والمشروع والعلوم، والتعليم التربية وزارة / والتقنية

.ومعهد وودز هول ،LARSyS االستراتيجي

Chilean Devil Ray

ON JUNE 21, the United Nations Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

named “Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah,” a

World Heritage Site. It’s a designation that took

several decades to achieve, in part, because

capturing and communicating the significance

of Jeddah’s unique historical landmarks proved

a daunting task.

“In an area like Al-Balad, some of the

buildings may not be safe to enter for

surveyors,” said Neil Smith, a KAUST researcher.

“And at the rate these buildings are decaying,

traditional methods of survey are infeasible. A

building was lost to fire only two weeks before

we arrived. That’s historical information that is

simply gone.”

Smith and his partner Luca Passone are part of a

small team of researchers from KAUST that helped

make the argument for a UNESCO cultural heritage

site in Jeddah. Their contribution was to map

Al-Balad, Jeddah’s iconic, old city.

Using a remote control helicopter, the team

rapidly surveyed large areas using a high-definition

camera from about 50 meters above street level.

Even in areas such as Al-Balad, several passes

over each city block were enough to create a rich,

interactive model.

“We can create three-dimensional renderings

of complicated urban environments accurate up

to several centimeters. And we can create them

quickly, which allows us to show planners how

buildings are shifting, what improvements have

been made and where potential problems are

developing,” said Passone.

A team of surveyors on the ground can collect

a few, highly accurate data points, but this takes

a long time. Lidar scanners can

be used to generate a lot more

data, but they do not work well in

urban environments where they’re

constantly interrupted.

“A helicopter gives us the ability

to cover huge areas in a short time,

generating a lot of useful data,”

said Passone. “We think this will be helpful to

project managers whose only option is probably an

outdated Google map.”

Passone pilots the helicopters using goggles

that enable him to sit inside a virtual cockpit. It’s

a hobby that he cultivated as a diversion from the

demands of academic life. He’s currently finishing

a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences focused on earthquake

simulation. His background is in high-performance

computing, which is what brought him to KAUST as

a master’s student.

“I’ve been able to move around and work on

projects that I’m passionate about,” said Passone. “I

never envisioned myself flying model helicopters

over important historical sites as a business

enterprise, but here I am.”

Smith has a Ph.D. in Archeaology. His

research focuses on the study and

preservation of archaeological sites

in the Gulf region such as Petra in

Jordan, or Mada’in Saleh in Saudi

Arabia.

The two make an unlikely duo.

But in the few, short years they’ve

worked together, they’ve designed

and built a line of remote control

helicopters, outfitted them with

high-resolution cameras, written

and debugged custom imaging software and

pitched their services to a range of high-profile

clients.

With seed funding from KAUST, Smith and

Passone run a small startup called FalconViz.

It’s an apt name choice. The FalconViz team can

give architects and planners access to a birds-

eye perspective they’ve never had before.

“Imagine the construction site of the future,”

said Smith. “Autonomous helicopters, similar to

our prototypes, will buzz around capturing realtime

data that can be used to check the accuracy of

construction. That data will be overlayed with

information from the original plans, data from

surveyors and more. Everyone has a much more

accurate look, much earlier in the process, to make

sure things are being built they way they should.”

In the case of areas like Al-Balad, surveying the

space using traditional methods is prohibitively

expensive, hot and even dangerous work given

the state of some of the structures. The FalconViz

team offers the ability to capture an entire area in

a day or two and prepare a range of printed plans,

video flyovers, interactive three-dimensional

models and more

News 3July - August 2014www.kaust.edu.sa

Life Science Challenges Through Computational

Bioscience,” the topics covered by the distinguished

speakers included methods in bioinformatics,

genomics, bioengineering, microbial cell factories

and big data management.

“We are going to focus on covering domains

pertaining to the center’s research activities

as much as possible,” said Bajic prior to the

inauguration. Speaking about the center’s

research thrusts over the next few years, Prof.

Takashi Gojobori, Distinguished Professor of

Bioscience and Associate Director of CBRC, said:

“ We understand that in life science, so-called

big data is coming out prominently. Whether

it’s in genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics,

metabolomics or proteomics, big data approaches

are essential to analyze databases and establish

experimental procedures.”

Combining diverse fields such as computer

science, mathematics, biology and chemistry,

CBRC concentrates on computational biology

and bioinformatics as catalysts for life science

discoveries and technology development. The aim

is to integrate several disciplines to design novel

high-performance computational biology and

bioinformatics methods, tools and models that will

lead to and speed up development of applications

in synthetic biology and biotechnology – as well

as validating these applications in engineered

cells. This process also helps to understand

data and practical problems related to data

storage, processing, database construction and

experimental activities.

As Bajic further explained: “Our center

combined bioinformatics research with

experimental biology.” CBRC will develop the

new hybrid pipeline where the process starts

with collecting samples,

processing them, and through

various steps of experimental

and computational analyses

finally arrive at the suitably

engineered microbial cells.

In this process computational

analysis has a critical role

in suggesting optimized

solutions that could minimize

required experimental effort.

“ In part icular, we are

focused on the Red Sea,”

Gojobori confirms. The Red

Sea represents a very rich

source of microbiological and

microorganismic diversity. “If

we can find out what kind of

microorganisms exist in the

Red Sea, such as bacteria, algae or sometimes

maybe even marine viruses, we can be in a very

good position to identify genes which may be

useful for technological innovation,” he delineates.

The Red Sea is a unique and still largely

unexplored marine environment. By combining

bioinformatics with experimental procedures,

particularly metagenomics and single cell genomics,

the CBRC scientists aim to further explore the

microbial diversity of the Red Sea.

From its inception, the Computational Bioscience

Research Center's aim has been to develop

bioinformatics methods that will enable easier

biological discoveries, subsequent technology

development and potential industrial use.

Considering the broader context of Saudi Arabia’s

new commitment to introducing an algal biomass

production industry in the Kingdom, coupled with

KAUST’s direct access to the Red Sea’s rich source

of understudied microorganisms, Bajic explained

that “we decided that the most rational way for

us to go was to embark on something related to

the utilization of microbes for the production of

useful chemicals.” This could be either though the

intermediate form of producing biomass, which

would then be converted into chemicals, or directly

producing the chemicals of interest.

This hybrid approach, involving several

disciplines, is reflected in the diversity of the KAUST

faculty working in and around CBRC. Currently, the

center has seven faculty members; but there are an

additional six from different KAUST divisions and

centers who are affiliated with CBRC.

The center has defined its flagship project for the

next six years, which relates to the development

of hybrid platforms for design of efficient

microbial cell factories. CBRC will receive a large

new computing cluster, which is expected to be

functional in September of this year. This resource

is primarily aimed at supporting CBRC research.

However, Bajic states that CBRC has strong intention

for establishing large-scale collaborative projects

that will expand the existing collaboration with

other life-science groups in KAUST. This resource

will enable large-scale studies that were previously

infeasible. In this way, they will be beneficial to the

broader KAUST life science research community.

Through the leadership of Professors Bajic

and Gojobori, with the aid of Professors Victor

Solovyev, Mikhail Moshkov, Stefan Arold, Xin

Gao and Dr. John Archer, the Computational

Bioscience Research Center is well positioned

to ensure successful developments in the

coming years.

3D MAPPING

CBRC INAUGURATION | Continued from p1

YOU SEE THEM at night pounding the pavement.

They swim past diligently as you lounge at the

beach. They’re up at 5 a.m. turning the pedals

over in the pursuit of something that, for many

of us, is hard to understand: why do endurance

athletes do what they do?

“At some point I always ask myself: why am

I doing this?” said Michelle Houborg of her

triathlon experiences. “I do it because I can, and

that keeps me moving forward.”

Running, swimming and biking are

popular pursuits among residents at KAUST.

But for a select few, combining all three into

one epic test of strength and determination

has become a passion.

KAUST is home to a number of triathletes,

three of which sat down with The Beacon

to talk about a race they all share; the Abu

Dhabi triathlon.

Vibeke Svensson, Mazen Akhdar, and Michelle

Houborg all know each other. They give an

occasional wave as they pass on training runs.

They meet for coffee occasionally, but being on

the move is clearly what all three of them share.

Svensson and Houborg both have four children.

Akhdar has three. All three have spouses. All

three have careers. And yet all three of them

dedicate several hours each day to training,

preparing healthy food and reading up on all of

the knowledge required of triathletes.

“The mix of disciplines makes it more

challenging and more fun” said Svensson about

switching from cyclist to triathlete. “You’d be

surprised at how technical racing is. If you miss

one detail, it can ruin the whole race.”

Svensson actually cites the Global Corporate

Challenge or GCC as having started her triathlon

aspirations. “After doing the biking, swimming

and running required as a participant in the 2013

GCC, I was physically ready to do a triathlon.”

Akhdar placed sixth in the 2013 Abu Dhabi

triathlon in the short distance. It’s something he

takes on almost as though it were a second job. He

attended the 2013 race as a sponsored participant,

thanks to the Abu Dhabi Tourism Association.

Most recently he took third place in a Jeddah

triathlon, for which he took home a medal and a

shiny, new Galaxy S4.

Community4 The Beacon

IMRAN SHAFIQUE ANSARIIN HIS time at KAUST, Ph.D. candidate

Imran Shafique Ansari has flourished both

personally and in his academic pursuits.

Already the first author of 11 publications,

Imran has found the research support of

KAUST to be impressive. “KAUST has been

amazing in achieving my objectives in terms of research for

my Ph.D. I have been blessed with an amazing supervisor, who

guides, teaches and shares knowledge beyond what is required.

Additionally, the lab equipment at KAUST is very powerful for

computational areas, and so are other research resources,” he says.

According to Imran, though, it is not only the top-tier academics

and facilities that make KAUST unique: “Most importantly, the work

style is quite dynamic here, and as a student, one works according

to the rhythm of his or her supervisor.”

Though hailing from Budaun, India, Imran spent his

formative years in Saudi Arabia. Upon completing his

bachelor’s degree at King Fahd University of Petroleum and

Minerals, Imran was recruited to join the founding class at

KAUST. The decision to accept was an easy one. “KAUST

provides resources similar to the world’s best universities

in terms of faculty, research facilities and a competitive

research environment,” he says. “This environment leads to

the advancement and gaining of top-level knowledge.”

Imran earned his master of science in Electrical

Engineering from KAUST in December 2010, and is now

fully invested in his Ph.D. research. Studying under Dr.

Mohamed-Slim Alouini, Imran is tackling issues regarding

how to best adapt and apply the fixed and limited resources

of wireless communications to the ever-expanding base of

users and their growing needs.

When not bat t l ing wi th the i s sues of g lobal

communications, Imran takes full advantage of all that

KAUST has to offer. His friends hail from all corners of the

globe, and he appreciates how the international dynamic

drives the social scene, stating, “KAUST has a very diverse

environment and a very multi-cultural social life. Saudis

have an excellent reputation for hospitality, and being part

of the KAUST family makes this hospitality even better.”

His full and active schedule is made all the more enjoyable

by his surroundings. “KAUST’s panoramic view speaks for

itself in terms of its rare beauty and for the innumerable

recreational opportunities,” he says.

From global communications to global friendships, Imran

seems to have the perfect perspective on what KAUST is:

“KAUST seems to be situated at the center of the globe,

making every place on the map easily accessible.”

MICHAEL GILMERHUMAN RESOURCES’ Senior Recruitment

Specialist Michael Gilmer works hard at

his job but likes to keep things light,

noting, “I’m a member of The Hair Club

for Men.” Seeing that Mike (as he prefers)

is as bald as a marble floor, it’s clear he

doesn’t mind having a laugh at his own expense.

Born and raised in the friendly city of Pittsburgh,

Pennsylvania (U.S.), Mike still maintains his roots, despite

now calling Orlando, Florida his U.S. home. “I still love my

city and my Pittsburgh sports teams: the Steelers, the Pirates, and

the Penguins,” he says. Mike earned two bachelor’s degrees

from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, and previously

worked for noted companies Xerox Corporation, Sony

Electronics and Delta Airlines, among others. “You need to be

personable, social and a people person in my field,” says Mike.

“My job at KAUST is to locate and to hire the most qualified and

most dynamic candidates that best fit our career openings and

our community.”

Mike doesn’t have difficulty selling KAUST to potential

candidates, stating, “One of the things I truly believe is

that KAUST is a great place for families. We have a young,

vibrant, growing community, and I get to work with and

break bread with some of the most talented people in their

respective professions.” KAUST’s dreamscape scenery is

not lost on him either. “Before I came to KAUST, I thought

the photos on the website were amazing. But now that I’ve

seen KAUST in person, the photos pale in comparison to the

reality,” he adds.

In his time away from the office, Mike likes to stay fit

by taking in the full range of recreational opportunities at

KAUST. “I like to go to the gym, and you can often see me out

cycling,” he says.

Being that he’s a recruiter, it might be easy to forget that

Mike himself was recruited to join KAUST. On that point,

he notes, “I came to KAUST because I wanted to do something

different. I wanted to live and to work overseas. KAUST was

hands down the best opportunity to do that.”

MY UNIVERSITY

July - August 2014

In solar cells, the efficient generation of current requires charge

transfer (CT) at a donor-acceptor interface, but this must take place on

a timescale much shorter than the lifetime of the excited state of the

absorber. It has recently been shown that smaller-sized QDs, or QDs

with increased bandgap energies, may promote, suppress, or rectify

electron transfer to the accepting layer in the solar-cell. QD size is also

important in optimizing both charge transfer and separation at QD/

oxide interfaces, which allows for the use of QDs instead of dyes in

producing QD-sensitized solar cells.

In their work, the team used QDs and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl

ester (PCBM) as a unique model system to examine the interfacial

charge transfer and separation in real time using a combination of

femtosecond (fs) broadband transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy

and steady-state photoluminescence quenching measurements.

“We added a piece to the puzzle into how we can tune

electron injection at the interface between QDs and PCBM,

which is a material commonly used in solar cells,” says

Mohammed. “The steady-state and femtosecond time-

resolved data clearly demonstrate that the charge transfer

process at the QDs-PCBM interface can be tuned from zero to

very efficient and ultrafast injection by controlling the size

of the QDs.”

The researchers investigated charge separation and ultrafast

electron injection at the QD/PCBM interfaces for four different

sizes of QDs, and also as a function of PCBM concentration.

They claim that the energy band alignment is one of the key

elements for efficient electron injection and charge separation

processes. “More specifically,” the researchers state, “the

steady-state and time-resolved data demonstrate that only

small-sized QDs with a bandgap larger than one electron volt

can transfer electrons to PCBM upon light absorption.”

“For QD solar cells, size makes all the difference,”

Mohammed says. “Our results have clearly demonstrated

for the first time the possibility of modulating the electron

transfer rate between QDs and PCBM by tailoring the size

distribution of QDs via quantum confinement effects.”

Mohammed hopes the team’s work will advance the

understanding and design of QD interfaces for solar energy

conversion. “We hope our work enables other researchers

to understand that the size of QDs can make a dramatic

difference, and that it should be taken into consideration

before the fabrication of QD solar cell devices,” he says.

QUANTUM DOT SOLAR CELLS | Continued from p1

KAUST TRIATHLETES TAKE ON ABU DHABI