The BESE Division recently engaged with students from the KAUST Gifted Student Program (KGSP) at KGSP Convocation 2026 in Washington, D.C. BESE faculty Prof. Kyle Lauersen @Kylelauersen, Prof. Francesca Benzoni @BenzoniFran, and Prof. Rod Wing @10BPQ_Oryza connected with Saudi undergraduates from leading U.S. universities to discuss research pathways, graduate study at KAUST, and how life sciences and environmental research can contribute to national and global priorities. The Convocation also featured an address by HRH Ambassador Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States. Convocation reinforced BESE’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of scientists who will advance discovery, innovation, and impact within the Kingdom and beyond. 👉 Learn more: bese.kaust.edu.sa/news/detai… #KGSP #KAUSTAcademy #STEMEducation #FutureScientists

We got the Cover! @TrendsinBiotech @MLPMasson @Barbara_C_F @ASU_AzCATI @MikeD_Fox @KAUST_BESE

Our February issue is online! Read about volumetric bioprinting (@Khoonono Spotlighting @RicLevato), molecular diagnostics, electrified food fermentation, hPSC editing, liquid biopsy (@IBiofilms), cryobioprinting, chocolate waste upcycling (@Kylelauersen), and more: cell.com/trends/biotechnolog…

Great #preprint by Teles et al. (2026) on how genomic position effect does not influence the transgene expression level in the nuclear genome of the #extremophilic red alga #Cyanidioschyzon by validating 38 neutral integration loci through robotic-assisted transformation. #SSBLab

New Preprint from our Lab! Kaian, @GordonWellman using data from RaderLab @UNBC and bioreactor support from @Barbara_C_F, show it doesn’t matter where the gene goes, it’s all the same to Cyanidioscyzon merolae biorxiv.org/content/10.64898…

In the news: Arab News highlights BESE research showing how food waste — including chocolate factory byproducts — can be repurposed to produce high value compounds, including C-phycocyanin, a natural blue pigment with a global market projected to exceed $275 million by 2030. The study was led by BESE Bioengineering student Mauricio Masson @MLPMasson, with contributions from Professors Michael Fox @MikeD_Fox and Kyle Lauersen @Kylelauersen, and in collaboration with @ASU_AzCATI. It demonstrates how an extremophilic microalga can convert industrial chocolate waste into valuable pigments and proteins, supporting circular economy approaches aligned with the Kingdom’s green agenda. More in Arab News: arab.news/pmdjh #BESE #Bioengineering #CircularEconomy #WasteToValue #SaudiResearch #Sustainability

We made Arab News again: How KAUST is transforming waste into wealth arabnews.com/node/2628729/bu… @KAUST_BESE @MLPMasson @Barbara_C_F @MikeD_Fox @ASU_AzCATI @KAUSTCoreLabs @MarsGlobal

Have you ever seen 8 kgs of clean algal biomass? Thanks to our colleagues @ASU_AzCATI, we have plenty of Galdieria and Nannochloropsis to play with! @KAUST_BESE @MLPMasson @Barbara_C_F

Check out our latest featured research: *Smart patch detects allergies before symptoms strike* 📰Featured in KAUST Discovery: discovery.kaust.edu.sa/en/ar… 💉Published in ACS Materials Letters: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs… This interdisciplinary work was led by a BESE bioengineering student in collaboration with faculty from KAUST’s CEMSE Division. #Biosensors #Microneedles #WearableBiosensors #BiomedicalEngineering #Bioengineering @knsalama @KAUST_CEMSE

New record for the coldest I’ve experienced in Thuwal since moving to @KAUST_BESE !

Explore this week’s BESE research highlights, from large-scale wheat genomics to coral health monitoring and molecular insights into viral infection in poultry. 🔗 Read the full research highlights for December 4 to 10: bese.kaust.edu.sa/news/detai…

What a beautiful freeze drier full of Galdieria biomass. We’re experimenting with mixotrophy. By @MLPMasson & @GordonWellman @KAUST_BESE

Lots of updates on our Lab website! It has been a busy year for the Sustainable & Synthetic Biotechnology Group! ssb.kaust.edu.sa/ @KAUST_BESE

Check out our latest featured research: *Algae and the chocolate factory* 📰Featured in KAUST Discovery: discovery.kaust.edu.sa/en/ar… 🦠Published in Trends in Biotechnology: doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.20… #ChocolateWaste #Algae #Bioengineering #Biotechnology #WasteToValue @Kylelauersen

Looking to advance your research career in Bioengineering? The KAUST Bioengineering program trains students to apply engineering principles to the life sciences - developing solutions that advance human health, sustainability, and innovative technologies. Designed for Master’s and Ph.D. students, the program offers an interdisciplinary curriculum at the intersection of biology, engineering, and computation. Students gain hands-on experience in modeling biological systems, detecting disorders, and engineering living systems, preparing to lead in fields from synthetic biology to medical diagnostics. • Apply for Fall 2026 Master’s or Ph.D. programs by Jan. 17, 2026. • Learn more or share with your network: bese.kaust.edu.sa/study/bioe… Join BESE, where discovery shapes the world. #KAUSTResearch #Bioengineering #Biotechnology #SyntheticBiology #ScienceForImpact #GraduateStudies #BESEatKAUST

A festive twist on our article: wastemanagementreview.com.au… @MLPMasson @MikeD_Fox @Barbara_C_F @KAUSTCoreLabs @ASU_AzCATI @KAUST_BESE

Thanks to KAUST Discovery for this great write-up on our work. Algae and the Chocolate Factory! @MLPMasson @ASU_AzCATI Prof. Peter Lammers, @Barbara_C_F @MikeD_Fox @KAUSTCoreLabs @MarsGlobal discovery.kaust.edu.sa/en/ar… Beautiful image by @HenoHwang

Looking to advance your research career in Marine Science? The KAUST Marine Science program is a globally recognized leader in marine education and research - uniquely located on the shores of the Red Sea, one of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems. Designed for Master’s and Ph.D. students, the program brings together world-class faculty, advanced research infrastructure, and strategic partnerships to train the next generation of marine scientists. Students lead and contribute to pioneering work in marine organism and ecosystem discovery, as well as monitoring, restoration, regeneration and conservation, building the skills needed to protect our oceans for future generations. • Apply for Fall 2026 Master’s or Ph.D. programs by Jan. 17, 2026. • Learn more or share with your network: bese.kaust.edu.sa/study/acad… Join BESE, where discovery shapes the world. #KAUSTResearch #MarineScience #OceanHealth #Conservation #ScienceForImpact #GraduateStudies #BESEatKAUST

Please join us in welcoming @Wayne_YangWW to KAUST as Assistant Professor of Bioengineering. His research develops single-molecule biosensing tools that reveal how biological systems function at the smallest scales. By creating innovative, label-free platforms to detect and study biomolecules and other complex biological processes, his work contributes to BESE’s focus on advancing discovery in bioscience and supporting progress in disease research and diagnostics. Learn more about Prof. Yang: bese.kaust.edu.sa/news/detai… #Bioengineering #Biosensing #SingleMoleculeScience #BiomolecularCondensates #Diagnostics #KAUSTResearch