https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Materials that repel water are used in countless applications, including industrial separation processes, routine laboratory pipetting, and medical devices. When water touches these surfaces, the interface where they meet tends to acquire a small electrical charge—an effect that is ubiquitous, yet poorly understood. KAUST researchers have now studied this in detail and their findings could have broad implications. The findings are published in the journal Langmuir. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-repelling-surfaces-reveal-effects.html Soft Matter Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news694699416 A wearable device that alerts people with food allergies before a reaction begins has the potential to reduce life-threatening anaphylaxis and transform allergy management from reactive to preventive care. The AllergE patch is a microneedle-based biosensor developed by researchers at KAUST that painlessly detects immunoglobulin E (IgE), the antibody that triggers allergic reactions, directly from the fluid beneath the skin. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-smart-patch-allergies-symptoms.html Inflammatory disorders Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:20:05 EST news691686915 Smart biomedical devices are transforming modern health care, using skin-mounted sensors to capture in-depth health information directly from the body. As clinicians increasingly use biosensing devices to guide patient care, accurate and reliable signal acquisition is critical. A team at KAUST has developed a new system that can rapidly detect when the electrodes of devices such as heart monitors start to detach from the skin. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-aware-biosensors-boost-digital-health.html Biomedical technology Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:40:06 EST news691684922 A tiny sensor that detects hazardous head impacts the instant they occur could reshape safety monitoring in sports, transportation and other high-risk settings. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-tiny-sensor-injury.html Neuroscience Tue, 13 Jan 2026 13:40:01 EST news687532818 Deep within the world's oceans lurk marine bacteria armed with plastic-munching enzymes, their evolution seemingly sculpted by our synthetic castaways. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-enzyme-motif-reveals-plastic-munching.html Evolution Tue, 04 Nov 2025 14:26:03 EST news681488761 Microbes are masters of survival, evolving ingenious strategies to capture energy from their surroundings. For decades, scientists believed that only a handful of bacteria used specialized molecular "circuits" to shuttle electrons outside their cells—a process known as extracellular electron transfer (EET). This mechanism is critical for cycling carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, and metals in nature, and it underpins applications ranging from wastewater treatment to bioenergy and bioelectronics materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-bacteria-reveal-hidden-powers-electricity.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 03 Nov 2025 13:08:03 EST news681397681 A study led by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Professor Alexandre Rosado has revealed an unusual microbial world in the Hatiba Mons hydrothermal vent fields of the central Red Sea, a site first discovered by one of his co-authors and colleagues, Assistant Professor Froukje M. van der Zwan. The research delivers the first "genome-resolved" analysis of these hydrothermal systems, providing an unprecedented view into both the types of microbes present and the metabolic functions that sustain them. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-microbes-red-sea-vents-life.html Ecology Mon, 20 Oct 2025 17:15:03 EDT news680199302 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST; Saudi Arabia) researchers have set a record in microchip design, achieving the first six-stack hybrid CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) for large-area electronics. With no other reported hybrid CMOS exceeding two stacks, the feat marks a new benchmark in integration density and efficiency, opening possibilities in electronic miniaturization and performance. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-10-scientists-stacking-semiconductor-transistors-large.html Electronics & Semiconductors Fri, 17 Oct 2025 05:00:01 EDT news679720889 The complex sugar molecules that festoon our cells are often treated as little more than biological decoration. A new study suggests they hold hidden patterns—distinct signatures that can separate one cancer from another. The paper is published in the journal Cell Reports Methods. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-cancer-hidden-sugar-code-glycan.html Oncology & Cancer Tue, 14 Oct 2025 11:33:04 EDT news679660381 Wildfire smoke causes more air pollution than current atmospheric models can predict. A new study by researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences explains why by revealing that, under sunlight, wildfire smoke particles act like tiny chemical factories, producing harmful oxidants such as peroxides, a group of highly reactive pollutants contributing to smog and haze. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-sunlight-worsens-wildfire-pollution.html Earth Sciences Wed, 01 Oct 2025 14:00:01 EDT news678533701 Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have provided conclusive evidence that the Red Sea completely dried out about 6.2 million years ago, before being suddenly refilled by a catastrophic flood from the Indian Ocean. The findings put a definitive time on a dramatic event that changed the Red Sea. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-red-sea-dry-indian-ocean.html Earth Sciences Tue, 30 Sep 2025 15:19:03 EDT news678464341 Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have unveiled a breakthrough system that could change the way we think about carbon emissions. Published in Nature Catalysis the researchers outline a system for converting captured carbon dioxide (CO₂) into industrial-grade ethylene, a commodity chemical essential to plastics, textiles, and construction. The work shows a direct path to transforming greenhouse gas emissions into valuable chemical products. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-high-pressure-electrolysis-sustainably-captured.html Materials Science Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:33:03 EDT news676564381 An international research team of photovoltaics scientists has taken a crucial step toward the industrialization of perovskite silicon tandem solar cells. They demonstrated that passivation of the perovskite top cell is possible in combination with textured silicon bottom cells featuring a large pyramid size, which is the current industry standard for solar cells. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-power-passivation-perovskite-silicon-tandem.html Engineering Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:00:21 EDT news676201854 Mass gatherings, such as major sports events and festivals, bring together people from different regions and countries. One associated risk of such large gatherings is the potential spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing threat that undermines the effectiveness of treatments for infectious diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-wastewater-surveillance-tracks-antibiotic-resistance.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:14:03 EDT news676030441 Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have provided a new mathematical approach to protect aircraft from interference caused by mobile communications. The solution, published in IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, describes the shape of the ideal exclusion zone that protects aircraft while maximizing 5G performance. This zone is expected to inform aviation regulators and telecom authorities on how to deploy 5G networks around air traffic. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-08-scientists-mathematical-approach-aircraft-5g.html Telecom Thu, 21 Aug 2025 11:06:03 EDT news674993161 When water drains from the bottom of a vertical tube, it is followed by a thin film of liquid that can adopt complex and beautiful shapes. KAUST researchers have now studied exactly how these "fluted films" form and break up, developing a mathematical model of their behavior that could help improve the performance, safety, and efficiency of industrial processes. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-falling-beautiful-fluted.html Soft Matter Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:39:54 EDT news674915987 Stylolites—irregular seams that occur in limestone—have been found to affect how acoustic waves move through rock samples. Laboratory-based insights from KAUST researchers offer an improved understanding of how these features impact acoustic imaging techniques, which are used to analyze induced microseismic events during hydraulic fracturing. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-stylolites-complicate-propagation-sedimentary-samples.html Earth Sciences Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:30:03 EDT news674911801 Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) packs so much chemical energy into a small space that it is powerful enough to fuel rockets. But this same ability to concentrate energy also makes hydrogen peroxide useful for more earthly energy applications, such as powering fuel cells. It also holds promise as a green and sustainable energy source: when hydrogen peroxide releases its stored energy, the main byproduct is simply water. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-sunlight-powered-catalyst-standard-hydrogen.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:24:03 EDT news674832241 Engineered photosynthetic algae could be used within sunlight-powered sustainable chemical biofactories using a new circular production process developed at KAUST. The scalable process uses bespoke functionalized microparticles—rather than flammable organic solvents—for the critical step of harvesting the valuable chemicals that the algae produce. The microparticles are robust, reusable, and can be tailored to capture a range of chemical products. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-circular-bioprocess-valuable-chemicals-algae.html Materials Science Wed, 30 Jul 2025 10:10:01 EDT news673088017 Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have uncovered a critical molecular cause keeping aqueous rechargeable batteries from becoming a safer, economical option for sustainable energy storage. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-07-sulfate-ions-lifespan-aqueous-batteries.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 25 Jul 2025 14:00:04 EDT news672644599 Organic thermoelectric devices (OTEs) convert waste heat into useful electric power, but they are not yet efficient enough for practical use. KAUST researchers have now developed a tool that predicts the best solvent to use when processing the devices' polymer films, significantly improving their power output. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-solvent-tool-boosts-thermoelectric-devices.html Polymers Mon, 21 Jul 2025 16:30:01 EDT news672332181 A sensor that can measure hormone concentrations in plants precisely and in real time with minimal damage can shed light on how hormones affect plants' response to disease and stress. With further development, it could also be part of an agricultural toolkit for early detection of disease or stress, enabling farmers to intervene before extensive crop damage. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-minimally-invasive-sensor-stress-safe.html Plants & Animals Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:40:46 EDT news672331241 Gall crabs are tiny, and yet these crustaceans have evolved fluorescence to help them be concealed within hideouts they have created in the coral itself. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-gall-crabs-evolved-patterns-coral.html Plants & Animals Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:35:21 EDT news672330917 Hollow, pumpkin-shaped molecules can efficiently separate valuable hydrocarbons from crude oil, KAUST researchers have shown. These "molecular sieves," known as cucurbiturils, could enable a more sustainable approach to producing raw materials for the chemicals industry. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-hollow-molecules-cyclohexane-greener-hydrocarbon.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:30:03 EDT news672330286 Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST; Saudi Arabia) have announced the development of a new deep learning tool, deepBlastoid, to study models of human embryo development in artificial laboratory conditions. The KAUST scientists showed that deepBlastoid can evaluate images of the models equally to expert scientists but 1000 times faster. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-deep-early-pregnancies.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Mon, 14 Jul 2025 13:20:07 EDT news671715006 A team of international researchers led by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia has developed a new composite material made of acrylate that enhances the performance of solar cells. Adhering the composite material to solar cells deployed in Saudi Arabia for weeks significantly raised the power output and longevity while reducing the electricity consumed by the cells. The study can be read in Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-composite-material-solar-panels-cool.html Engineering Wed, 28 May 2025 12:23:03 EDT news667653781 The holy month of Ramadan is a sacred time when millions of Muslims around the world embark on a profound spiritual journey of fasting, prayer, and reflection. But it is also a time when many face serious health risks, as going without food or water from sunrise to sunset—often in scorching heat—can lead to dangerous levels of dehydration. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-dehydration-fingertips-touchscreen-tech-tracks.html Engineering Tue, 27 May 2025 15:11:03 EDT news667577462 Combining data across mismatched maps is a key challenge in global health and environmental research. A powerful modeling approach has been developed to enable faster and more accurate integration of spatially misaligned datasets, including air pollution prediction and disease mapping. The study is published in the journal Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-key-combining-mismatched-geographic-health.html Health Tue, 27 May 2025 14:51:03 EDT news667576261 Coral reefs form a vital part of the marine ecosystem, playing host to diverse species and supporting multiple industries, including fisheries, tourism, and recreation. However, these fragile ecosystems are under increasing threat from climate change, with warming oceans increasing stress on the coral animals and their symbiotic algal partners. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-cues-coral-health-red-sea.html Ecology Tue, 27 May 2025 14:49:04 EDT news667576141 A joint team of researchers led by scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has reported the fastest quantum random number generator (QRNG) to date based on international benchmarks. The QRNG, which passed the required randomness tests of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, could produce random numbers at a rate nearly a thousand times faster than other QRNG. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-quantum-mechanics.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 27 May 2025 10:42:47 EDT news667561345