Microscopy Centre of Excellence Established at KAUST

The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and FEI have announced a combined project to establish a new Centre of Excellence at the KAUST Research & Technology Park in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.

KAUST has recently purchased electron microscopy equipment from FEI, including: a Titan Themis™ transmission electron microscope (TEM), Helios™ G4 DualBeam, as well as upgrades for its existing Titan Krios™ cryo-TEM. These new systems, which will ship in Q4 2016, will be added to the existing 17 electron microscopes from FEI that KAUST already has installed at the site.

“This long-term strategic collaboration originally began in 2009 with the first shipment of equipment; it is very important to FEI and KAUST, and to the entire country of Saudi Arabia. It is an integral part of the country’s overall plan to build a strong infrastructure of scientific research that benefits humanity world-wide,” said Trisha Rice, vice president and general manager of the Materials Science Business, FEI. “We anticipate the agreement to be mutually beneficial, as we exchange vital information and knowledge that will help us to develop application-specific workflows and further advance our technology.”

“This agreement officiates KAUST and FEI’s recommitment to build a strong relationship and valuable strategic partnership to achieve our common goals in the advancement of high-performance imaging technologies,” said Dr. Justin Mynar, Director of KAUST Core Laboratories and Major Facilities. “This collaboration is the first implementation of our strategic initiative to build a long-term partnership with major instrument suppliers to help us carry out our mission in providing state-of-the-art research facilities, training and services to our users.”

Rice adds, “The suite of electron microscopes at the KAUST is one of the most advanced in the world. We anticipate that this collaboration will help KAUST to further scientific research in the areas of chemistry/catalyst research, nanoparticles and life sciences by gaining continual access to the latest characterization techniques, hardware and software available on the market.” The three-year agreement also involves FEI support staff on site.