Printable solar materials could soon turn many parts of a house into solar panels.

Xin Gao’s research is building bridges between computer science and biology.

Tantalum nitride as thin layers improves the extraction of electrons from silicon solar cells.

Genome sequencing of two Red Sea bacteria highlights their potential as industrial workhorses. 

A more efficient approach to modeling spatial data involving thousands of variables keeps computation time in check.

A comprehensive model for simulating mudcake growth during oil extraction could transform well-drilling protocols.

Composition in cryptic fauna assemblages changes across a shelf gradient, a recent study of the Red Sea shows.  

A numerical study reveals how to reduce instabilities in the complex flow of plasma in converging geometry of particles in fusion reactions.

KAUST places great emphasis on translating university know-how into real-world impact, say Kevin Cullen, vice president of Innovation and Economic Development, and John Tannaci, associate vice president for research.

A tool developed by Håvard Rue has transformed data analysis, interpretation and communication. It has been applied broadly: from modeling the spread of infectious diseases to mapping fish stocks.

A carbon source stemming from daily fish migrations is implicated in the global carbon cycle.

Nanoparticles with a shell structure improve the performance of zinc-oxide photodetectors.

Research to optimize aquaponics systems could inform a new era of urban food production.

Tiny nature-inspired cavities that trap air can stop liquids from sticking to surfaces without the need for coatings.

Rethinking industry-scale catalytic processes could slash global energy consumption and even turn carbon dioxide into a valuable commodity.

Simultaneously modeling air pollutants and weather under extreme conditions highlights the potential for serious health risks.  

While drones scan beaches to assess plastic litter, microplastics are found in the digestive tracts of one in every six Red Sea fish.

Epigenetic mechanisms adjust gene expression in anemone symbiosis.

Computer analysis aids the formulation of methanol-based renewable fuels that can operate under compression ignition conditions.

Triple-layered nanoarray electrode promises to boost battery performance and enhance other electrochemical processes.

Ethanol and related gasoline replacement fuels produce fewer smog-causing chemicals.

Molecules reorganize to slow stem cells down, giving them a chance to adhere to and eventually cross the inner lining of blood vessels into the bone marrow.

Laser-scribed disordered graphene significantly improves sodium-ion battery capacity.

Adding certain types of bacteria to soil could help protect plants against drought by activating a proton pump in root cells.

A low-cost method for collecting water from the atmosphere could be used to provide potable water to dry, inland regions.

Volcanic eruptions in Mexico and the Philippines can lead to atmospheric changes that favor the ventilation of deep water in the Red Sea.

A compound that binds to and inhibits a crucial receptor protein offers a new route for controlling a parasitic plant.

A membrane made of porous carbon-fiber structures grown on a porous ceramic substrate is more efficient than similar existing membranes at filtering seawater.

Maintaining a balance between rising sea levels and soil accumulation will rely on careful management of coastal regions.

The first quantification of wind energy in Saudi Arabia points to high wind power potential for many decades to come.

Investigations of prey patterns fail to explain why whale sharks aggregate off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

Software could transform underground imaging of fossil fuel reserves by providing unprecedented detail in record time. 

Understanding the response of gas flames to acoustic perturbations at high pressure should make next-generation turbines safer and more efficient.

Corals, even in the most far-flung locations, are being affected by climate change but fare better in marine protected areas. 

A novel imaging method makes it possible to capture object deformation in three dimensions over time with unprecedented accuracy.

Precision molecular tools derived from bacterial defence systems are transforming the theory and practice of genetic modification.

A plant scientist, a water specialist and a petroleum engineer walk onto a panel, “how do you define sustainability?” one asks.

Bacteria isolated from desert plants could provide the key to maintaining productive agriculture in arid regions.

A metal catalyst that gives distinct carbon-based molecular skeletons upon ligand change may unlock cost-effective, green synthetic routes.

Pairing a conjugated polymer with a redox enzyme generates a fast, selective and sensitive electrochemical biosensor for metabolites.

Research reveals the genetic response to heat stress and highlights symbiotic algae’s role.

A new conceptual model for describing a fuel’s composition can accelerate and simplify combustion simulations.

A metal carbide within a hydrogel composite senses, stretches and heals like human skin for use in medicine and robotics.

Innovative drone designs and software enable a team of drones to work together in a coordinated approach. 

Learning how boron evaporates will help to improve water desalination technologies.

A molecular process that signals distress could also help corals adapt to climate change.

A 3D solar-steam generator design squeezes every last drop of energy from sunlight to produce fresh water.

Tiny loudspeakers can efficiently produce low-frequency sounds due to effects similar to the quantum physics governing atoms.

An unexpected two-step mechanism occurs when cells copy DNA.

The interface between two tin-oxide semiconductors can exhibit unexpected metallic properties. 

Adding sound to elephant seal migration data reveals high levels of coordination when swimming long distances.

Rainfall simulations in statistical models could allow accurate prediction of dangerous landslides.

Nemo’s genome has been deciphered and made publicly available, helping researchers further investigate fish ecology and evolution.

Spotting signatures of potential pollutants made easier with quantum lasers that emit tunable infrared light.

Protein analysis could lead to new advances in DNA sequencing technologies.

Mapping genetic influences on connections between neural networks could lead to a better understanding of brain organization and behavior.

A fast and safe method to prepare a 3D porous material that mimics the shape of a honeycomb could have broad applications from catalysis to drug delivery or for filtering air to remove pollutants or viruses.

Advanced analysis of seismic data could lead the next wave in oil exploration.

Big data shows that large marine vertebrates move differently, but consistently, through coastal and ocean waters.

An optical communication system could revolutionize underwater exploration and discovery.

An electronic tag that stretches and flexes while it records location and environmental data can monitor marine animals in their natural habitat.

Color changes in the northern Red Sea indicate rising sea temperatures could significantly impact tropical marine ecosystems.

Custom-made gas-sensing material could lead to inexpensive devices for real-time air-quality analysis.

Precise control of the atomic structure of gallium oxide layers improves the development of high-power electronic devices.

Turbulence and nutrient availability drive changes in Red Sea microbes.

Ultrathin films curve up into long, light and cost-effective heat-harvesting tubes for high-power generation.

Perovskite particles could improve the performance of solar cells and light-emitting diodes via a simple process to stabilize the nanocrystal surface.

A new malaria metabolic model may uncover better ways to treat a highly deadly disease.

A porous cerium-based coating boosts the durability of oxygen-forming catalysts while maintaining their inherent water-splitting activity.

An innovative chemical reactor for depositing semiconductors at very high temperatures draws on the strength of Saudi Arabia’s chemical industry.

A risk-based optimization scheme boosts confidence and profitability for future mixed-technology power plants.

Standalone power modules that harvest and convert vibrations from their surroundings into electricity could soon fuel future microsystems.

Oil expert Tadeusz Patzek aims to ensure that efficient recovery of oil and gas remains feasible whilst scientists find alternative green energy sources.

A new ink containing iron oxide nanoparticles can be turned into fully printed and versatile components for cellular networks.

From farming to healthcare, there are few areas of our lives that couldn’t be enhanced by incorporating flexible CMOS electronics.

A grimy layer on wastewater filters could slow the spread of antibiotic resistance.  

Spray coating and inkjet-based electronics manufacture are among the industrial applications in which liquid droplets are applied to a surface. But minuscule air bubbles that get trapped beneath the droplet as it lands can affect the coating’s quality and uniformity.

Faster computations will allow researchers to see the finer details of brain activity in functional brain imaging.

The availability of high-resolution data collected by miniaturized satellites heralds a turning point in Earth and environmental sensing from space.

A technique modeling the combustion characteristics of gasoline blended with biofuels for cleaner and more efficient fuels.

New method offers a means of efficient and high-throughput technique to study the structure of DNA.

Unveiling new strategies to improve future wireless underwater sensing networks for marine research and communication.

Understanding how bacteria help convert glacier bedrock into soil could help address desertification. 

A simple chemical surface treatment improves the performance of nanowire ultraviolet light-emitting diodes. 

Materials that normally become damaged inside electron microscopes can now be imaged with atom-scale resolution.

Corals living in highly saline waters may be more tolerant to rising water temperatures. 

A technique of microwave synthesis of layered oxides enables high-capacity aqueous zinc-ion batteries. 

More accurate statistical modeling of extreme weather will improve forecasting and disaster mitigation.

A technique that uses the power of computing could solve statistical problems cheaper and faster than current methods.

Seagrass meadows play a pivotal role in protecting coasts against rising sea levels.

Nanomaterial coating enables efficient delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 machinery into the cell. 

Safety assurance is the first step in bringing valuable wastewater into use, says Peiying Hong.

2017 recipient of the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award Niveen Khashab builds nanoscale ‘miniature machines’ with diverse applications.

Ying Sun is a multi-award-winning statistician who is inspired by the value of statistics in solving real-world problems.

Genetic analyses of a desert bacterium show it could help to improve crop production in arid lands.

A metal-organic framework that can take up twice its weight in water and then release it when humidity falls.

Innovative diode design uses ultrafast quantum tunneling to harvest infrared energy from the environment.

Ultrathin, rigid silicon segments that are wired through interdigitated metal contacts produce ultraflexible high-performance solar cells.

A comparison of the genomes of two species of coral demonstrates unexpected genetic diversity.

A method to visualize hidden statistical structure helps make sense of environmental data.