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Basic and Applied Sciences: Technology and Immunobiological Products

A. a. ishmukhametov.

Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immunobiological Products (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS FSC R&D IBP), Moscow, Russia

The experience in organizing the creation of innovative immunobiological drugs and vaccines is discussed—from laboratory developments to industrial technologies and the registration of finished forms of effective and safe drugs that are in demand in the domestic and foreign markets. The principles of their action rely on the latest global achievements in the field of immunobiology and vaccinology.

Vaccination is viewed as one of the main methods of ensuring the health of any person of any social group in developed and developing countries. It is universally recognized that vaccines reduce child mortality, increase life expectancy, and favor active longevity. In recent decades, world and domestic immunology has made significant progress in the prevention of infectious diseases through national immunization programs. In total, vaccinations against more than 30 different diseases are administered in the world, which has made it possible to achieve a significant reduction in child and infant mortality and to stop or come close to the complete elimination of epidemic threats from many diseases. Vaccines produced using classical technologies are quite successfully coping with problems that were previously considered a threat to national epidemic security. At the same time, as these threats fade away, other difficulties arise. For example, the negative attitude towards vaccination on the part of large population groups and even some doctors is a problem. The pretext for this is the side effects that do exist in some vaccines. Therefore, it is important to pay special attention to improving vaccine production technologies to reduce their reactogenicity and other side effects.

Improvement of vaccine production technologies continues; scientists are abandoning the use of animals and embryos in favor of culturing viruses in cell media. In addition to avoiding ethical problems, this makes it possible to minimize the number of allergic reactions by reducing the number of foreign proteins in the preparation and to standardize its composition. Research is also moving towards the use of genetically engineered compositions containing not a complete antigen but fragments sufficient to induce antibodies but devoid of the pathogenic properties of the virus as such, which significantly reduces the frequency of side effects. RNA and DNA vaccines are being developed that can potentially solve the problems of safety and efficiency in the production of drugs against especially dangerous and poorly cultivated pathogens. Multicomponent vaccines are widely used, allowing vaccination against several pathogens at once [ 1 ].

Virologists and infectious disease specialists are beginning to pay attention to the negative effects, including delayed ones, of those infections that previously paled into insignificance against the background of more severe diseases and were not considered a significant threat, for example, rotaviruses and chicken pox. However, a significant increase in healthcare standards makes it necessary to study these infections in depth and to identify their real impact on morbidity and mortality, including child mortality, as well as the long-term consequences of past diseases and the threat to the adult population that does not have immunity to them, as well as to expand the range of names of national vaccination schedules. For adults, as is known, such infections can pose a danger of a completely different level than for children. Therefore, it is necessary to create and master the production of new vaccines against pathogens that were not previously considered worthy of serious attention and to include them in national calendars. Abroad, such work has long been actively carried out, while the domestic industry dedicates little attention to this problem. Lagging behind in the field of innovative prophylactic and therapeutic immunobiological drugs can lead to the formation of almost complete dependence on foreign manufacturers when using innovative methods of treatment and prevention of mass and socially significant diseases—from infectious to oncological.

Since the number of newly discovered viruses is growing, over time, vaccination will only be possible in the form of complex vaccines against several infectious agents at once. The synthesis of the viral genome makes it possible to guarantee its composition and genetic homogeneity. In addition, there are ways to attenuate (weaken) viruses, which are being implemented using, among other things, genomic modifications.

Over the past few decades, vaccine development technologies have undergone significant changes owing to a better understanding of the functioning of the mechanisms of the human immune system in the fight against infectious agents and malignant tumors. Along with preventive vaccines, the effectiveness and safety of which are significantly increasing due to the use of new technologies, therapeutic vaccines have appeared and are increasingly being used. Based on knowledge about the mechanisms of interaction between the immune system and viruses, gene therapy preparations have appeared that use viruses as vectors.

Immunobiology is beginning to be used in oncology. A trend that uses the vulnerability of a number of cancer cells to the virus is actively being developed [ 2 ]. The treatment technology consists in the selection of a minimally pathogenic viral strain (for example, reovirus, rotavirus, modified pox virus, Coxsackie virus) for use as an agent that causes lysis (destruction) of the tumor. Scientific work is being carried out in the direction of searching for mechanisms and identifying patterns of vulnerability of tumors of various etiologies and selecting strains and methods for using oncolytic viruses, as well as technologies for their industrial production. The first trials have shown that in some cases the survival rate of patients without tumor progression (when treatment is suspended) is doubled, and overall survival in some patients can be increased by 3‒4 times [ 3 ].

The Chumakov Federal Science Center for Research and Development of Immunobiological Products, RAS, is a leading scientific center in the field of medical virology, including the study of poliomyelitis; tick-borne encephalitis; viral hemorrhagic fevers; influenza; and enterovirus, arbovirus, and coronavirus infections. It conducts basic and applied, including clinical, research and develops the scientific basis for the creation of preventive and diagnostic medicines, and theoretically substantiates strategies for the prevention of infectious diseases and studies issues of ensuring biosafety of the environment. The intellectual and technical potential of the center allows it to carry out a full cycle of work (from the creation of the concept of a drug and laboratory research to the technology for manufacturing finished dosage forms) and to organize and control the necessary volume of preclinical and clinical studies, as well as the process of registration of medicines, including in foreign markets.

The main directions of basic research of the Chumakov Center are the following:

• study of the biology of viruses that cause infectious diseases of high social significance and their interaction with the host at the molecular, cellular, organismal, and population levels [ 4 ];

• study of the mechanisms of variability of RNA-containing viruses based on the analysis of materials from patients, animals, and environmental objects, as well as experimental model studies [ 5 ];

• experimental study of virus‒cell interaction and the molecular basis of pathogenesis and formation of an immune response in viral diseases [ 6 ];

• study of the factors that determine the epidemiological and epizootological situation for viral infections with different ways of spread and the development of a scientifically justified scenario for changing the situation depending on external influences [ 7 , 8 ];

• study of the structural and functional organization of parasitic systems in natural foci of new and recurring infections, as well as the mechanisms of bringing pathogens into the territory of Russia and preventing their spread [ 9 ].

Technological solutions for applied research problems of the Chumakov Center include the following:

• development of biotechnological fundamentals for the creation of immunobiological preparations, including isolation and identification of viruses (using physicochemical, biological, immunological, molecular, and electron microscopic methods), study of the spectrum of cell cultures sensitive to virus propagation, certification of vaccine strains of viruses, determination of the range of laboratory animals as a biological model for studying the clinical and immunological manifestations of infection, optimization of virus cultivation to obtain a highly active substrate, filtration of virus-containing liquid, concentration of virus-containing liquid (ultrafiltration in tangential flow), purification of the virus-containing concentrate (gel chromatography), and inactivation with formalin or beta-propiolactone;

• development of vaccine quality control methods;

• preclinical studies of the vaccine;

• epidemiological monitoring of known and emerging infections.

The scheme of the biotechnological platform for whole-virion vaccines is shown in Fig. 1 . Vaccine preparations produced at the Chumakov Center for the prevention of viral diseases are shown in Fig. 2 . The main products of the center are antiviral vaccines against rabies, tick-borne encephalitis, and yellow fever, as well as the oral polio vaccines created over the past five years, including the monovalent drug MonoVacPolio (based on attenuated Sabin poliovirus 1, 2, 3 serotypes) and the bivalent drug BiVacPolio (based on Sabin poliovirus 1 and 3 serotypes). In addition, for the first time in Russia, an inactivated polio vaccine from attenuated Sabin viruses of three serotypes, PoliovacSin, has been registered and is ready for industrial production.

Biotechnology platform for whole virion vaccines.

Vaccine preparations produced in the Chumakov FSC R&D IBP, RAS.

In connection with the COVID-19 infection pandemic, a manufacturing technology for the inactivated whole-virion vaccine CoviVac was developed and its large-scale production was mastered [ 10 ]. By now, the bivalent whole-virion inactivated vaccine HFRS-Vac for the prevention of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which has no analogues in the world, has successfully passed preclinical studies [ 11 ].

The prospects for technological solutions in the production of vaccines at the Chumakov Center are the following.

• Development of an inactivated coronavirus vaccine based on new strains: CoviVac-Delta, CoviVac-Combi, and a Combined covid and influenza vaccine.

• A vaccine against poliomyelitis based on viruslike particles in plants. For the development of this technology, the genes of poliovirus capsid proteins have been obtained and modified. Genetically engineered constructs based on various vectors have been created for the expression of viruslike particles of poliovirus in plants. Methods have been developed for delivering the constructs to producer cells, as well as the main methods for isolating and detecting viruslike particles in plants and methods for growing plants under the conditions of an aeroponic installation for the expression of viruslike particles. In the near future, the expression of viral proteins and viruslike particles in plants under phytotron conditions will be worked out, and the efficiency of their expression under various conditions will be analyzed.

• A vaccine against COVID-19 based on viruslike particles in insect cells, for the development of the technology of which capsid protein genes have been isolated from the AYDAR-1 vaccine strain. Donor plasmids and recombinant bacmids for the expression of capsid proteins have been obtained. Recombinant baculoviruses carrying the S and N genes have been obtained. The technology for cultivating Sf9 insect cells on a laboratory scale has been developed. The envelope proteins of SARS-CoV-2 Spike and N have been expressed. In the near future, recombinant baculoviruses carrying the SARS-CoV-2 M and E genes will be obtained. The conditions for coexpression of the SARS-CoV-2 envelope genes to obtain viruslike particles will be selected, and the technology of purifying viruslike particles will be developed.

Considering new knowledge, biotechnologists should rely on the development of innovative vaccines based on the latest achievements in vaccinology using advanced systems and approaches that combine areas such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, etc. It is necessary to move actively from traditional methods of creating vaccines to modern ones, aimed at enhancing the stability of vaccines and improving their composition and methods of delivery. Lack of attention to this trend can lead (and is already leading) to a gradual “washout” of the domestic range of vaccines by Western analogues produced using more modern technologies, which, among other things, are promoted based on the opinion of the WHO.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The author declares that he has no conflicts of interest.

RAS Academician Aidar Airatovich Ishmukhametov is Director of the Chumakov FSC R&D IBP, RAS.

Translated by B. Alekseev

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New research initiative tackles pressing global development issues

By alison fromme cornell sc johnson college of business.

Fundamental challenges in food insecurity, poverty, agriculture, health, education and markets form the focus of Collaboration for International Development Economics Research (CIDER) , a new initiative launched by the Office of the Provost, the SC Johnson College of Business, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Policy.

“CIDER builds on a long history of Cornell research and engagement in the economies of nations, particularly developing and emerging economies challenged by global economic forces,” said Provost Michael I. Kotlikoff. “This initiative expands the interdisciplinary focus of these efforts, bringing economists, social scientists, policy experts and agricultural experts together to pursue solutions to some of our most difficult global challenges.”

Hosted by the SC Johnson College, CIDER unites 24 faculty across campus and the world, along with students, staff, researchers and external partners, to create and share knowledge. CIDER’s activities will encompass research, workshops, seminars, internships, career mentoring and continuing-education coursework.

“We’re delighted to embark on this new collaborative effort in development economics,” said Andrew Karolyi, the Charles Field Knight Dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. “CIDER taps into existing expertise and a grand legacy of intellectual leadership at Cornell going back decades. I can’t wait to see the tangible impact CIDER makes on campus and around the world.”

CIDER’s inaugural faculty director is Chris Barrett , the Stephen B. and Janice G. Ashley Professor of Applied Economics and Management in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and professor in the Brooks School.

“We expect CIDER will further reinforce Cornell's already formidable reputation in this space,” Barrett said. The university’s impact in development economics was established over many decades and reinforced when standard measures of poverty and food insecurity were developed here in the 1980s. Now, CIDER provides a forum to collaborate on large-scale projects, advance policy-relevant research and train early career scholars and practitioners.

Through a workshop hosted by CIDER on May 10, the center is already encouraging new collaborations in East African dryland drought research, risk management and policy.

The World Bank, the African Development Bank, private organizations and multiple East African national governments are currently investing nearly $1 billion in the region to address drought, Barrett said.

“The efficacy and the impact of these massive investments can be directly influenced by research findings,” he said. “Indeed, research by Cornell and partners going back to the late 2000s underpins the initiative. We’re now working to produce timely policy-relevant, clearly communicated and rigorous research that can inform that effort.”

Among other presentations at the workshop, Karlijn Morsink , Utrecht University economist and CIDER-affiliated adjunct associate professor at the Dyson School, discussed her work leading the evaluation of World Bank programs in the region and share opportunities for Cornell faculty and student involvement.

“This workshop and the collaborations it represents offer just one example,” Barrett said. “We look to scale this type of effort across a range of different domains.”

CIDER will also support early career mentoring through two formal programs. Structural Transformation of Agriculture and Rural Spaces (STARS) , an existing Cornell program, previously paired early career researchers who earned degrees in Africa with mentors at Cornell and affiliated institutions. Now under CIDER’s umbrella, STARS is open to scholars across all low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Additionally, a predoctoral program for scholars who have not yet earned advanced degrees will provide one to three years of research experience and professional development training with core faculty. One predoctoral fellow already began work in January, and three more arrive this summer.

Building professional networks, increasing research capacity, disseminating best practices in the field and shaping early career researchers for the next generation are at the heart of CIDER’s mission, Barrett said. “This is a really exciting venture.”

Alison Fromme is a writer for the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

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Gas production

The cutting edge Fadhili Gas Plant (FGP) is emblematic of Saudi Aramco’s broad impact on not only boosting gas supply to displace crude burning, but also driving economic growth, developing the Saudi workforce, spearheading technology deployment, and reducing CO2 emissions. FGP construction started in 2016 and was completed and put fully onstream in 2020.

With a total processing capacity of 2.5 BSCFD, FGP is the first plant in the region to have the capability of sweetening low BTU gas, then directly powering an independent power plant, yet able to switch to regular sales gas as needed. In addition, Fadhili is the first plant to treat nonassociated gas from both onshore and offshore fields.

FGP is also the first SA Gas plant to deploy the Sulfur Recovery Unit Tail Gas Treatment process to attain a sulfur recovery rate of 99.9%, helping to protect air quality, and reducing SO2 emissions by more than 18,000 Metric Tons per year as compared to the conventional Claus process.

The development of Fadhili added billions of dollars to the local economy through IKTVA. 46% of the project’s materials and services were sourced and manufactured in Saudi Arabia.

A unique feature of Fadhili is that its multiple downstream treated gas pipelines enhanced the connectivity, reliability, and responsiveness of Saudi Aramco’s Master Gas System (MGS), as those pipelines are connected to the northern and central sections of the MGS.

We are expanding the gas processing capacity of our Hawiyah gas plant by more than 1 BSCFD. The new gas processing facilities, expected to be on stream in 2022, are anticipated to raise total production capacity of the plant to approximately 3.6 BSCFD, making it one of the largest gas processing facilities in the world.

We are making improvements to sustain gas production from both the Haradh and Hawiyah fields for the next 20 years and boost production by an average of 1.2 BSCFD. The program includes installing gas compression facilities, liquid separation stations, and transmission lines to our Haradh and Hawiyah gas plants, along with expanding the existing gas gathering pipeline network. 

Karan, was our first non-associated offshore gas field development. Discovered in 2006 in the thickest, extremely prolific and complex carbonate layers, the project was fast-tracked, taking only six years to go from discovery to production.

Non-associated gas fields do not have an associated oil column and, therefore, can be accessed without producing oil. The raw gas is transported through a 110-kilometer subsea pipeline to the Khursaniyah Gas Plant for processing. 

The natural gas liquids (NGL) recovery plant at Shaybah was commissioned and began production in late 2015, with a second processing train starting up in 2016. The plant NGL production helps Saudi Aramco to meet increasing demand for petrochemical feedstock.

Designed to process as much as 2.4 BSCFD of associated gas and recover 275,000 bpd of ethane plus NGL, the Shaybah facility feeds these volumes of NGL via pipeline to Ju’aymah for further processing before being delivered as petrochemical feedstock to industrial cities.  

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Wasit, one of the largest gas plants we have ever built, was brought onstream in October 2015 and reached full operating capacity in mid-2016. Unlike our other gas plants, Wasit is designed to process solely nonassociated gas. 

To feed Wasit, we brought gas production onstream from the big bore nonassociated gas wells in our offshore Arabiyah and Hasbah fields, situated approximately 150 km northeast of Jubail Industrial City in the Arabian Gulf. With the startup of production from these two fields, more than 40% of our nonassociated gas now comes from offshore fields.

Our continued success in increasing supplies of cleaner burning natural gas makes it possible for us to reduce emissions, enable new industries and release more crude oil for value-added refining or export.

Oil production & Refineries

As the company's largest oil processing facility and the largest crude oil stabilization plant in the world, Abqaiq plays a pivotal role in our day-to-day operations.

Abqaiq oil facilities receive sour crude oil from gas-oil separation plants (GOSPs), process it into sweet crude oil, and then transport it to Ras Tanura and Jubail on the east coast, Yanbu' on the west coast and to Bapco Refinery in Bahrain. The off gases from the spheroids and stabilizer columns that are part of the conversion process are then sent to Abqaiq natural gas liquids (NGL) facilities for further processing.

Abqaiq is the main oil processing center for Arabian Extra Light and Arabian Light crude oils.

The northern-most portion of the Ghawar field lies approximately 100 kilometers west of Dhahran. The field comprises six main areas (Fazran, Ain Dar, Shedgum, Uthaminyah, Hawiyah and Haradh) and extends southward over more than 200 kilometers as one long continuous anticline. It is approximately 36 kilometers across at its widest point.

We believe that the Ghawar field is the largest oil field in the world in terms of conventional proved reserves, totaling 58.32 billion barrels of oil equivalent as at 31 December 2018. It has accounted for more than half of the total cumulative crude oil production in the Kingdom.

The Ghawar field facilities and infrastructure remain a central component in our long-term strategic framework for optimizing both technical recovery of resources and the economic of resource management. 

The Haradh area, located at the southern tip of the Ghawar oil field, was developed in three increments of 300,000 bpd of Arabian Light crude oil capacity.

Haradh III was also the first plant in the Southern Area of company operations to have completely automated well control and monitoring, allowing remote operations. The project benefited from successful integration of four technologies: multilateral, maximum reservoir contact (MRC) wells; Smart Well completions (using control valves for preventing premature water breakthrough); geosteering (for optimal placement of wells in the reservoir for maximum recovery); and the “intelligent field” concept, in which real-time sub-surface data transmissions enable continual monitoring of key reservoir indicators.  The integrated use of these four technologies slashed unit well development costs three-fold.

The Khurais complex, which comprises of the Abu Jifan and Mazalij fields in addition to Khurais itself, is approximately 106 kilometers long and 18 kilometers across at its widest point.   

Khursaniyah

The Khursaniyah program includes facilities to process and stabilize 500,000 bpd of Arabian Light crude oil blend from the Abu Hadriya, Fadhili and Khursaniyah fields, and a grassroots gas plant to process one billion scfd of associated gas.

Khursaniyah began producing oil in August 2008. The facility also has the capacity to inject 1.1 million bpd of non-potable water for reservoir pressure maintenance.

The UNESCO environmental responsibility award nominated Manifa crude oil development was designed to produce 900,000 bpd of Arabian Heavy crude oil, 90 million scfd of sour gas, and 65,000 bpd of hydrocarbon condensate.

By employing best-in-class technologies in infrastructure, drilling and production activities, the project consumed more than 80 million man hours without a lost time injury.

Prior to construction, extensive engineering and ecological assessments were conducted to ensure that the marine ecosystem would not be adversely affected by developing the field. As a direct result of these studies, Saudi Aramco constructed three kilometers of bridges to span the migration paths of various marine species, maintaining natural water flow and preserving natural marine nurseries. 

Nuayyim crude oil increment added 100,000 bpd of Arabian Super Light crude oil and 90 million scfd of associated gas to our production capacity.

The project – the first in-Kingdom project of this scale with a project proposal completed entirely in Saudi Arabia – also included a gas-oil separation plant, 140 kilometers of 16” gas pipeline, and water supply facilities at Hawtah. Smokeless flaring has been used to significantly reduce emissions. 

The field, which entered production in August 2009, is 250 kilometers south of Riyadh and about 50 kilometers northeast of our Hawtah crude oil facility, the first producing facility in the Central Region of Saudi Arabia.

Qatif Producing Plants Program consists of facilities to produce, process, and transport 500,000 bpd of blended Arabian Light crude oil from the Qatif field and 300,000 bpd of Arabian Medium crude oil from the offshore Abu Sa'fah field.

The Qatif facility was the first to produce Arabian Light crude oil by blending Arabian Extra Light, Light and Medium grades.

We believe that Safaniyah field is the world's largest conventional offshore oil field in terms of proved reserves. It is located approximately 260 kilometers north of Dhahran. Most of the field lies offshore in the Arabian Gulf. Within the Concession area, the Safaniyah field is approximately 50 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide.  

The Shaybah field, located in the Rub’ al-Khali or Empty Quarter, was discovered in 1968. Its remote location, local summer temperatures in excess of 50 degrees Celsius and sand dunes higher than 300 meters presented serious challenges. So for technical and economic reasons, development was held off until 20 years later. However, by the 1990s, advances in 3D seismic imaging technology, horizontal drilling and other technologies gave us the tools we needed to begin production. 

The field is approximately 13 kilometers wide and 64 kilometers long. Due to the field's remoteness, its facilities include a dedicated NGL recovery unit, an airfield and accommodation for staff. 

Our second 250,000 bpd expansion project at Shaybah came on-stream in 2016, raising its overall production capacity to 1 million bpd of Arabian Extra Light crude oil — double the facility’s original capacity. 

The Zuluf field is located in the Arabian Gulf, approximately 240 kilometers north of Dhahran, in average water depth of 118 feet. The field has two main structures, Zuluf and Ribyan, and is of similar area to Safaniyah to the north.  

Jazan Refinery

Aramco operates one of the world’s largest refining businesses, and its integrated petrochemical refinery complex at Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries is part of the Company’s vibrant downstream growth strategy.

In 2020, Aramco confirmed that it would proceed with the divestment of the Jazan Integrated Gasification and Combined Cycle Plant into a Joint Venture (JV) between Aramco, Air Products, ACWA Power, and Air Products Qudra, integrating the Air Separation Unit into the JV.

With the addition of our Jazan Refinery Complex, Aramco has five wholly owned refineries within the Kingdom, three of which were built specifically to supply transportation and utility fuels for the domestic marketplace. Aramco’s four domestic affiliated refineries within the Kingdom are highly competitive with other world-class facilities based on scale, configurations and product yields. 

Hyundai Oilbank

Hyundai Oilbank is a refinery in South Korea, established in 1964. The Daesan Complex, where Hyundai Oilbank’s major facilities are located, is a fully integrated refining plant with a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Aramco has a 17% equity interest in Hyundai Oilbank.

Idemitsu Kosan

Idemitsu kosan co., ltd.

Idemitsu Kosan, one of leading refining and marketing companies in Japan, is a result of a merger between Idemitsu and Showa Shell Sekiyu. Its sales in Japan are primarily gasoline, diesel oil, kerosene and automotive lubricants. Idemitsu Kosan owns and operates more than 6,400 retail service stations, has equity stakes in six refineries, and a gross refining capacity of 945,000 bpd. Aramco owns a 7.7% equity interest in Idemitsu Kosan.

Motiva Enterprises

Motiva Enterprises, a fully owned affiliate of Saudi Aramco, operates the Port Arthur Refinery, the largest refinery in the U.S. at 635,000 bpd in Port Arthur, Texas. Motiva has acquired a 100% equity interest in Motiva Chemicals LLC (formerly Flint Hills), a chemical plant in Port Arthur, Texas.

Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company

SAMREF is an equally owned joint venture between Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation). Its current refining capacity is 400,000 bpd.

Sinopec SenMei

Sinopec senmei petroleum company ltd..

Sinopec SenMei Petroleum Company Limited is a joint venture of Sinopec, ExxonMobil China Petroleum & Petrochemical Company Limited and Saudi Aramco Sino Company Limited. Sinopec SenMei, with headquarters in Fuzhou, is mainly engaged in the wholesale, retail, storage, throughput and transport of the processed oil, lubricant and other petroleum products, operation of convenience stores of service stations, car washing, lubricant replacement, restaurant and other auxiliary services.

Based in Maastricht, Netherlands, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, ARLANXEO serves the development, production, marketing, sale and distribution of specialty chemicals and synthetic rubber products, principally for the high-volume global tire and automotive industries.

Fujian Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd. (FREP)

FREP, is our joint venture with ExxonMobil, China Petroleum and Petrochemical Company Limited (Sinopec) and the Fujian provincial government.

Petro Rabigh

Rabigh refining and petrochemical company (petro rabigh).

A joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical. The products produced are used in such end products as plastics, detergents, lubricants, resins, coolants, anti-freeze, paint, carpets, rope, clothing, shampoo, auto interiors, epoxy glue, insulation, film, fibers, household appliances, packaging, candles, pipes and many other applications.

PRefChem venture is a strategic alliance between Saudi Aramco and Petronas, through equal ownership in two joint ventures, namely the Pengerang Refining Company Sdn. Bhd. (PRefChem Refining) and the Pengerang Petrochemical Company Sdn. Bhd. (PRefChem Petrochemical), collectively known as PRefChem. 

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC)

Saudi Aramco has a 70% majority stake in Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC). Headquartered in Riyadh, SABIC has global operations in over 50 countries with 34,000 employees.

Sadara Chemical Company (SADARA)

A joint venture developed by Saudi Aramco and the Dow Chemical Company. The Sadara chemical complex―the largest of its kind ever built in a single phase― manufactures a portfolio of valued-added performance plastics and specialty chemicals.

Saudi Aramco Jubail Refinery Company - SASREF

A Saudi company wholly-owned by Saudi Aramco. The refinery is located in Jubail Industrial city. The refinery processes crude oil into petroleum products for both local and international markets.

Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical company

The Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Co. (SATORP), a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Total in Jubail, supports Saudi Aramco’s efforts to expand the value chain and achieve maximum value from the Kingdom’s resources. It processes heavy Arabian crude daily into low-sulfur gasoline, diesel and jets fuel that comply with the standards in the United States, Europe and Japan. It also produces paraxylene, benzene, sulfur and pure petroleum coke that fuels cement plants and electric power stations.

S-Oil Corporation

Our investment in South Korea’s S-OIL, one of the country’s leading refiners, complements our downstream ventures in China and Japan and creates new opportunities along the value chain in the major energy markets in Asia.

Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company

The Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company (YASREF) Ltd., a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec), is a world-class, full-conversion refinery that covers about 5.2 million square meters in the Yanbu Industrial City, and is the key anchor project in Yanbu. YASREF uses 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Arabian heavy crude oil to produce premium transportation fuels, as well as high-value refined products for both international and domestic markets.

YASREF is a significant addition to the impressive downstream portfolio of Saudi Aramco, while building on and cementing the strategic partnership with Sinopec, Saudi Aramco’s largest crude oil partner and buyer. Both companies bring commercial and technical expertise to the joint venture to enhance trade of transportation fuels between a significant energy producer and its consumer.

In addition, YASREF represents a continuing step forward in the strategies of Saudi Aramco and Sinopec to drive growth further downstream to capture additional value along the hydrocarbon chain.

All centers

Aberdeen, scotland.

Our Technology Office in Aberdeen focuses on drilling and production technologies. The European arm of Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures (SAEV) is located within the office, whose mission is to source and develop relationships with strategically significant and innovative energy technology companies.  

Our Beijing Research Center conducts research on chemical enhanced oil recovery and advanced seismic imaging technologies, including automated fault detection and improvements in data quality through super resolution.

The Center is also evaluating the expansion of research activities into the downstream sector in areas such as transportation efficiency, greenhouse gas management, advanced control and power systems, robotics, materials science, nanotechnology and advanced computing.

South Korea

Our CO2 Management Collaboration at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea, is dedicated to addressing issues related to carbon management. The collaboration follows an interdisciplinary approach to innovative and cost-effective CO2 capture, storage, and conversion from fixed and mobile sources. 

The Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands is home to our technology office that focuses mainly on seismic processing and subsurface imaging to help us better understand the nature of our subsurface geology.

Aramco Innovations Research Cente r Leninskiye Gory 1 bldg 75-B 119234 Moscow  Russia

Our Aramco Fuel Research Center in Paris is located at IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPen) . IFP Energies nouvelles is a public-sector research, innovation and training center active in the fields of energy, transport and the environment. Thanks to this strategic placement, we can capitalize on IFPen’s facilities and links to various European automakers to accelerate the innovation cycle of different fuel technologies.

Saudi Arabia

Our research areas at our Dhahran headquarters include the Research & Development Center (R&DC) and the EXPEC Advanced Research Center (EXPEC ARC).

EXPEC ARC develops specialized technologies necessary to achieve its upstream objectives of increasing discovery of oil resources and increasing reservoir recovery. An expansion of the EXPEC Advanced Research Center is currently underway, with new facilities to enable integrated research on sustainability technologies.

Our R&DC focuses on cutting-edge technologies that enhance operational reliability, efficiency and safety, as well as investigating clean fuels and the management of carbon release.

Our research center at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)  focuses on catalyst development, materials science, nanotechnology, robotics, solar energy materials and fuel technology. The strong capabilities provided in downstream areas are complemented by our FUELCOM collaboration with the KAUST Clean Combustion Research Center .

Aramco Research Center-Boston supports development in the areas of computational modeling, advanced materials, and nanotechnology. The center works on collaborative research projects with the nearby Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT ) faculty, with a focus on modeling, visualization, simulation, and advanced materials. 

Our Aramco Research Centers in Detroit, Houston, and Boston have a collaboration with the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) to support research by two Low-Carbon Energy Centers designed to address climate change challenges. The centers bring together researchers from multiple disciplines at MIT to engage with companies, governmental agencies, and other stakeholders to further research and promote clean energy technologies to mitigate climate change.

Our Aramco Research Center in Detroit focuses on competitive transportation solutions, improving the efficiency of current and future engines, reducing overall environmental impact, cost, and complexity of engine systems.

The Center can accommodate light-duty and heavy-duty fuels research programs and also offers full on-site integration and the demonstration of new vehicle technologies. Our Strategic Transportation Analysis Team, based in the Detroit Center, provides dynamic industry analysis relevant to our fuels research and development activities.

Aramco Research Center in Houston focuses on upstream technologies for conventional and unconventional resources to support discovery and recovery goals. Specific areas of research include advanced seismic imaging, unconventional productivity enhancement, smart fluids to improve well productivity, nano-based polymers, surfactants, cement technologies related to drilling operations, quantitative geology, and advanced downhole sensors. It is our largest center outside Saudi Arabia.

Technology breakthroughs

Technology and innovation, we are focused on strategic research that moves our work from the lab into the field.  we are transferring knowledge and creating technologies that are applied to some of the world's largest onshore and offshore field developments..

Our work not only applies to the oil and gas industry, but also has far-reaching implications for other industries.  We are developing innovative solutions to today's operational challenges while also looking ahead to create the energy breakthroughs that will power the future.

Aramco Research Center – Houston

The Houston research center spans upstream disciplines and is strategically located in a major hub for the international oil-and-gas community, giving our research scientists access to industry partners as well as other research organizations and academia. Focusing on upstream research and technology development that will help us achieve breakthroughs in the discovery and recovery of hydrocarbon resources, our team has expertise in production management, drilling, reservoir engineering, geology, geophysics, and subsurface sensing and control. Our pioneering sensor technology has created faster and more cost effective ways of gathering well log data.  Measuring produced fluids in a reservoir at different velocities and during different phases has become less complex with more accurate, proprietary multiphase metering.   Our researchers are working at the most fundamental molecular level to understand and optimize the behavior of cements and other drilling fluids and to create a new generation of drilling muds, fluids and resin repair solutions. Houston-based geoscientists are writing new chapters in establishing workflows and best practices for 3D printing of rocks with digital models maintaining accurate resolution and high fidelity in terms of geometry and topology. High pressure, high temperature (HP/HT) extremes experienced with deepwater offshore wells are being studied as well as challenges faced by drilling and producing from unconventional reservoirs –shale, carbonate or tight sandstone — with unconventional rocks exhibiting their own unique characteristics and behavior.   In addition to our main facility with its various specialty labs, an annex building serves specifically to stage our Sensors Development Laboratory.

Aramco Research Center – Boston Our Boston center specializes in computational reservoir modeling, advanced separation systems and materials, nanotechnology, and novel corrosion-resistant materials for oil and gas and chemical applications. The center is located adjacent to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, an area with a long-standing reputation for innovation.   One of the center’s initiatives has invented an entirely new material to increase crude to chemical conversion from 50 to 70 percent.  Our researchers have taken another quantum leap with Aramco’s reservoir simulation tool, TeraPOWERS, allowing engineers to virtually look inside a reservoir to view a formation with incredible detail.   Advancements with nanoparticles - particles that are 10,000 times smaller than a typical thickness of human hair – called Resbots, are underway.  Injected into wells and traveling through the void spaces of rock, Aramco’s Resbots retrieve valuable information to improve production, maximize recovery and locate new discoveries. With the latest equipment and methods, Aramco is looking at an age-old problem, corrosion, on the nanoscale.  Our Advanced Materials Team is examining ways to control steel corrosion – costing trillions of dollars for a number of industries – not just oil and gas but others such as utilities, transportation, or infrastructure.   Our collaboration with MIT and throughout the region further engages us with other top researchers, innovative companies, national laboratories and governmental agencies to promote technology transfer and the mitigation of climate change through carbon reduction.  This extends our reach into the fields of sustainable and renewable energy; carbon capture, utilization and storage; environmental sciences; energy storage; water conservation and reuse; and other technologies, including artificial intelligence and robotics.        From innovative materials used in heavy-hydrocarbon separation to the deployment of reservoir nanoagents for better monitoring and imaging, our multidisciplinary research in Boston is dedicated to working on key elements of complex energy challenges today and tomorrow.

Aramco Research Center – Detroit Our Detroit center is a key contributor to Aramco’s global fuels research program by promoting the development and adoption of efficient, sustainable and affordable transport solutions for the future.   The facility’s research capacity encompasses very small engines such as a single-cylinder research engine to 1,000 horsepower heavy-duty on-road and stationary engines. With a global refining presence, Aramco brings a unique perspective into how fuels can be designed and matched with engines – both current and future fuel-engine systems – for higher performance and lower emissions.   The 50,000-square-foot facility includes research related to fuel combustion and emissions, technology integration and strategic transport studies.  The center is equipped with state-of-the-art engine dynamometer labs, including a vehicle integration lab featuring a chassis dynamometer for evaluating engine performance and identifying solutions to all types of system integration challenges.   Supporting facilities include a prototype engine build lab, fabrication shop, vehicle soak room, engine start-cart lab, and associated vehicle integration facilities.    Our capabilities surrounding fuel design allow for back-to-back advanced fuel testing and blending.   Located in the Detroit suburb of Novi, we leverage the geographic excellence of being in the heart of North America’s automotive industry.  Working with universities, transportation companies and suppliers, research organizations, national labs and trade and automotive societies we are invested in the creation of low-carbon-footprint transportation technologies in support of reducing CO2 emissions from transport sources.   Mobile carbon capture and gasoline compression ignition (GCI) represent two of the major technologies advanced in both passenger vehicles and commercial fleet trucks to reduce carbon emissions.

Addressing Long-Range Energy Solutions The goal of these centers is to bring top researchers, innovative companies, governmental agencies, and other stakeholders together to address global energy and climate challenges.  Our commitment to R&D and collaboration underscores the importance we place on shaping the future with technology transfer and innovative solutions to address the world’s increasing demand for energy. Our teams of scientists and researchers work on identifying solutions that will have far-reaching impact, not only for Aramco, but for the world.

Global research centers

Aramco's global research network has facilities located in targeted innovation hubs in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

We build innovative devices of the highest caliber

Big ideas and raw materials, and turn them into unique devices, which are integrated into the global high-tech supply chain, our engineers take, our collaboration with scientists, builds on a deep foundation of engineering know-how. we delve into every detail and nuance to meet the challenge of developing and scaling knowledge-intensive devices., passionate, up-and-coming engineers, we value determined, self-driven employees, and help each of them find the right path forward for dynamic growth., optical scientists.

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The world will look different in 2050: Climate change will progress, many workforces will shrink as populations age, and emerging technologies will change the way we work and live. But what are the implications of those changes, and what can we do to shape the best possible version of our future?

In this project, Charles Kenny and other experts from CGD and beyond build a series of forecasts of different aspects of the world by 2050—projecting global growth, poverty and aid, manufacturing and services employment and the future of work, the effects of climate change, demographic transitions, and more. These forecasts explore the range of possible outcomes and sketch out several different possible versions of the future—optimistic ones where the world is more equal, prosperous, and innovative, and more pessimistic ones where it is the opposite.

Whether we end up in the more negative version of the future or the more positive one has less to do with luck than with the choices political leaders make over the coming years on a few crucial types of policies, on migration, services trade, innovation policy, aid flows, and more—as this project explores.

Explore our new interactive tool to create your own scenarios:

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The Idaho Center on Disabilities and Human Development (CDHD) is Idaho's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. 

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Edmund Malesky leads research methodology for Provincial Competitiveness Index, Provincial Green Index

Conducted by the vietnam chamber of commerce and industry with support from usaid, the pci and pgi annual report aims to promote a business-enabling and environmentally friendly investment climate in vietnam..

Edmund Malesky , director of the Duke Center for International Development (DCID) and professor of political economy, helped launch the 2023 Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and Provincial Green Index (PGI) report in a May 9 event held in Vietnam.

Conducted by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the report aims to promote a business-enabling and environmentally friendly investment climate in Vietnam.

With support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the PCI and PGI report is based on responses from more than 10,000 firms, including domestic businesses and foreign-invested enterprises operating in Vietnam. Malesky led the development of the research methodology and authored the presentation of its analytical findings.

In his presentation on the PGI, Malesky shared that provinces are facing many challenges in implementing local environmental initiatives due, in part, to a lack of resources and expertise. He recommended the central government and international organizations provide financial and technical support to provincial governments during the green transition process to overcome resource limitations.

He also shared the need to provide more guidance on the implementation of legal documents on environmental standards, as well as a need for businesses to be motivated by customers to change their production and business models.

“The 2023 PCI and PGI report is expected to provide state agencies at all levels with policy indications that are crucial to their policy formulation and managerial functions,” Pham Tan Cong, chairman and president of the VCCI, wrote in the report’s foreword. “Moreover, the report is envisaged to be an impetus for the local transition towards sustainable growth while offering a reference to investors who contemplate engagements in environmentally sustainable projects, as well as to interested parties.”

Access the PCI and PGI 2023 report .

Edmund Malesky is a specialist on Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam. His research lies at the intersection of comparative and international political economy, falling into three major categories: 1) Authoritarian political institutions and their consequences; 2) The political influence of foreign direct investment and multinational corporations; and 3) Political institutions, private business development, and formalization. He has served on the PCI research team since its inception 19 years ago.

• Onondaga County keeps another promise to Micron by helping fund research and development at Syracuse University

S YRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Onondaga County has unveiled another promise it made to Micron to attract the company’s $100 billion investment.

The county will put $10 million toward a $20 million center at Syracuse University to research and develop how to better build computer chips in the future.

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The University describes the Center for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing as “an interdisciplinary center that will bring together expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, manufacturing processes, optimization and robotics to advance the science of semiconductor manufacturing.”

“One of the things that (Micron) suggested within our community was we didn’t have an R&D, a research and development, component,” said Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon.

He continued: “We knew this University would be willing partners, we just never told the University we had that on the table.”

Once in on the secret, the University matched the money.

Thursday, May 16, renderings were unveiled that show the changes that will be constructed within the Science and Technology Center.

The University says the center, “will replicate an autonomous-advanced manufacturing floor enabling research and design that will make Syracuse and the United States globally competitive in semiconductor manufacturing technologies. Students will be trained in the manufacturing technologies of today and create the new ideas that will drive the industry tomorrow.”

The project is expected to help increase enrollment in the College of Engineering and Computer Science by 50%, along with at least 10 additional faculty members.

Construction is expected to take about two years.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSYR.

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Oracle Increases Research and Development Investments in Morocco

More than 1,000 new employees will develop cloud and AI solutions for global export

Oracle will expand its research and development (R&D) capabilities in Morocco by growing its local workforce to 1,000 information technology (IT) professionals. This investment will accelerate the development of Oracle’s cutting-edge technologies that help solve customer challenges worldwide.

Today, Ms. Ghita Mezzour, Minister in charge of Digital Transition and Administration Reform of the Government of Morocco, signed an agreement with Safra Catz, CEO of Oracle, to formalize the partnership and commitment to innovation in Morocco. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Mohcine Jazouli, Minister in charge of Investment, Convergence and Evaluation of Public Policies, and Mr. Ali Seddiki, General Director of the Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE).

“Oracle’s R&D center in Casablanca has already played a critical role in creating technical breakthroughs, enhancing cybersecurity, and delivering impactful new AI capabilities,” said Safra Catz, CEO of Oracle. “By expanding our R&D presence in Morocco, we can further tap its deep talent pool to accelerate development of solutions that help our global customers grow their businesses and win in their industries.”

“This ambitious project falls within the strategic and comprehensive Royal Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI who called on encouraging Moroccan youth innovation and creativity,” said Ms. Ghita Mezzour, Minister in charge of Digital Transition and Administration Reform of the Government of Morocco. “At this cutting-edge center, young Moroccans will be at the forefront of designing and developing innovative solutions, covering the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing and cybersecurity. These solutions will be deployed on a global scale, thus strengthening Morocco’s positioning as a regional digital hub.”

Oracle’s expansion follows the opening of its Morocco Development Center facility at Casanearshore Park in Casablanca, where researchers use Oracle’s cloud, AI, and machine learning technologies to tackle the most pressing challenges facing business, science, and the public sector. An estimated 40 percent of the new positions will be located outside the regions of greater Casablanca and Rabat-Salé-Kenitra to offer opportunities across the country including new Oracle offices in Agadir this year and Northern Morocco in the next two years.

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North Dakota State University

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Bowerman joins NDSU Extension's Center for 4-H Youth Development

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Margo Bowerman has joined North Dakota State University Extension’s Center for 4-H Youth Development as the STEM specialist.

Bowerman will lead the North Dakota 4-H STEM program and the North Dakota Next Chapter program. 

Through the 4-H STEM program, youth gain competence in science and engineering practices that will enable them to tackle today’s science and engineering challenges as well as anticipate and address future science and engineering challenges. Bowerman will work with internal and external stakeholders of North Dakota 4-H to identify current and emerging needs related to STEM programs and develop 4-H programs to equip youth with the knowledge, skills and conviction to address those needs. 

The Next Chapter program is designed to inspire youth to continue their education after high school by engaging them in activities that build college and career readiness skills and explore career paths. Bowerman will work with the North Dakota State University admissions office and other units to offer this opportunity to schools across North Dakota.

“I’m excited to work alongside the outstanding North Dakota 4-H staff, volunteers and youth to deliver STEM programs to meet the needs of today’s global workforce and economy,” says Bowerman. “4-H serves a valuable role in today’s society by providing programs that support youth in developing a belief in their own capabilities and competence in science and engineering practices.”

Before joining NDSU, Bowerman worked as regional Extension educator for the University of Minnesota Extension’s Department of Youth Development. In this role she designed and implemented 4-H STEM programs in northwest Minnesota, while also serving as co-chair of the Minnesota 4-H state STEM team. Prior to her work in Minnesota, she was a 4-H educator and invasive species educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension in western New York. She also has conducted research on woodchucks at Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland.

Bowerman has a bachelor of science and a master’s degree from State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

“The state 4-H office is thrilled to welcome Margo to the team,” says Leigh Ann Skurupey, 4-H Youth Development Program assistant director. “We are all excited for her expertise to ignite innovation, empower our future leaders, and pave the way for all youth to explore their sparks and the endless possibilities with STEM.”

NDSU Agriculture Communication – May 16, 2024

Source: Leigh Ann Skurupey, 701-231-7253, [email protected]

Contact: Margo Bowerman, 701-231-4263, [email protected]

Editor: Elizabeth Cronin, 701-231-7006, [email protected]

Student Focused. Land Grant. Research Institution.

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UTA receives Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation

Monday, May 13, 2024 • Katherine Egan Bennett : contact

In recognition of The University of Texas at Arlington’s role as a leading economic engine for the North Texas region, UTA has recently received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) designation from APLU, the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities.

The designation recognizes UTA’s ability to engage with private and public sector partners to promote business and industry; talent and workforce development; and innovation, research and entrepreneurship. UTA is one of just 88 higher education institutions to receive this designation.

“UTA is a comprehensive research, teaching and public service institution that aspires to advance ideas with a strong economic impact and to foster a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity,” said UTA President Jennifer Cowley. “This APLU designation is a testament to the hard work of the faculty, staff and students at UTA and recognizes our significant impact on our communities and the Texas economy.”

APLU President Mark Becker said economic development is “a major pillar of universities’ work.”

“From talent development to pathbreaking research to entrepreneurship and beyond, institutions have a central role to play in economic development,” Becker said. “We’re pleased to recognize UT Arlington for its commitment to engaging its community around these issues to advance regional economic development.”

UTA’s application to earn the IEP designation was reviewed by an independent panel that assessed the University’s economic engagement activities. APLU’s Commission on Economic and Community Engagement, which manages the designation process, is a national leader in efforts to help public research universities plan, assess and communicate their work in regional, national and global economic development and community engagement.

As part of the process for pursuing the designation, UTA leaders embarked on a rigorous self-study of the University’s entire economic engagement enterprise, inventorying its economic, academic and societal impact. This process included commissioning an economic impact study documenting that UTA and its graduates have an annual economic impact of about $27 billion in Texas and have led to the creation of nearly 227,000 jobs statewide. Within the North Texas region, UTA is responsible for about 4.2% of total employment.

UTA’s more than 41,000 students hail from more than 100 countries, making it one of the most diverse campuses in the country. The U.S. Department of Education has designated UTA as both a Hispanic- and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution .

Within the past 15 years, UTA’s student body has grown by nearly 65% and research expenditures have increased 200%. In 2016, UTA first received the R-1 designation for “Very High Research Activity” from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing it among the nation’s top 4% of national research universities. In 2023, UTA received $113 million in extramural funding.

There are 24 Fortune 500 company headquarters in the fast-growing Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area, along with more than 200 companies from 40 countries with either operations or headquarters in the region.

“With such a breadth and depth of industry and corporate partners, UTA is poised to further increase its local engagement in training, research and innovation with a global impact for years to come,” Cowley said. “We have a long history of providing pathways to education and professional development for our students and community partners.”

UTA’s research arm also plays a big part in the regional economy. The direct economic impact of federally sponsored research at UTA was $38 million in 2022, with expenditures spread among 725 unique vendors. Of that total, the University spent about $24 million on research-related goods and services in Texas.

UTA further advances its engagement locally and regionally through executive leadership representation on multiple boards and commissions. For example, Cowley serves on the Dallas Regional Chamber board, the APLU Urban Serving Universities board and the Executive Committee of the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce.

Additional support for advancing UTA’s economic engagement stems from the launch of RISE 100: Recruiting Innovative Scholars for Excellence , a recently announced endeavor supported by both UTA and the UT System Regents Research Excellence Program. This $60 million investment is helping the University recruit 100 new research-focused faculty members—a 15% increase over current numbers. This additional push for research faculty aims to strengthen the undergraduate experience, enhance graduate education and drive impact across strategic areas.

“The growth and maturation of UTA these past few years is phenomenal,” Cowley said. “It’s gratifying to see the APLU recognize how UTA innovation, talent and discovery can be a significant driver of our regional economy.”

• Faculty and Staff
• New Research

Reflecting on IALE and Presenting What’s Driving Residential Development Near Protected Areas

Editor’s note:  Each semester, students in the  Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. program  can apply for a Geospatial Analytics Travel Award that supports research travel or presentations at conferences.  The following is a guest post by travel award winner   Eamon Espey  as part of the  Student Travel series .

Recently, the Center for Geospatial Analytics supported my attendance at the annual conference of the North American chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This conference was appreciably smaller than any I have previously presented at, but nonetheless, I was able to find familiar faces among the attendees. In addition to sharing the work I completed during my first year in the Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. program, I had the pleasure of supporting my fellow students at their presentations, meeting experts in the field and visiting a part of the country I had not been to before.

I presented on characterizing the factors driving residential development near national parks and other federally protected areas. My analysis included multiple random forest (RF) regression models to identify the importance of dozens of variables related to population characteristics, land use, natural amenities, the business environment and proximity to protected areas. These RF models were used to identify patterns in development for two decades (2000–2010 and 2010–2020) at both the national level as well as ten smaller regions. In general, population and housing density remained prominent factors across the country in both decades. However, natural features such as the abundance of bird and mammal species and proximity to protected areas gained significance in the second decade compared to the first, hinting at a growing preference for areas rich in natural resources. 

The presentation was well received by other conference attendees and led to multiple quality discussions. I was thankful for how engaged the audience was, asking multiple good questions after I had finished. I am also thankful to have been introduced to this community, and I hope to continue fostering these professional connections. 

In addition to attending and presenting at this conference, I took the opportunity to explore the city with my colleagues. We got to see a tulip festival, enjoy a wonderful steak dinner and play a round of disc golf. The conference was a valuable experience for me both professionally and personally. I was able to share my research, learn about others’ research and network with professionals in my field. I am grateful for the opportunity to have attended this conference and I look forward to attending future conferences.

• Geospatial Analytics Ph.D.
• Student Travel

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Exploring principles of open data and data sovereignty in landscape ecology, components to consider in choosing plant disease forecast models, a presentation at iale, a wonderful experience presenting at my first academic conference.

St. Jude investigator led multi-center effort to define Diamond Blackfan anemia syndromes’ guidelines

Marcin Wlodarski, MD, PhD, St. Jude Department of Hematology, a DBA and bone marrow failure expert, led a multinational effort to create new DBA treatment guidelines that incorporated the best and most recent evidence.

Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA) syndrome is a rare congenital disease whose hallmark is low red blood cell production, but there are other heterogeneous clinical features in many patients. In 2008, a group of experts created consensus clinical guidelines for DBA, as the low prevalence makes clinical trials impractical. However, the ensuing 16 years brought about many advances in research, uncovering multiple genetic causes of the disease and an increase in treatment outcome information. Therefore, Marcin Wlodarski , MD, PhD, St. Jude Department of Hematology , a DBA and bone marrow failure expert, led a multinational effort to create new DBA treatment guidelines that incorporated the best and most recent evidence, published recently in The Lancet Haematology .

“Now that we have these guidelines,” Wlodarski said. “We can disseminate them across the world and make them freely available, which we hope will improve patient care and ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes.”

The new guidelines represent a major update to DBA identification and treatment. Several genetic forms of DBA were unknown when the original guidelines were created. In the intervening years, physicians realized that clinical disease presentation was also heterogeneous. Fundamental understanding of the disease has improved dramatically, as has the collective experience of physicians caring for these patients, including observing long-term outcomes of different treatment approaches. To combine that knowledge and experience, Wlodarski led an international consensus-building task force, which created the new guidelines. The writing team consisted of Wlodarski with co-contributors Adrianna Vlachos, MD, and Jeffrey Lipton, MD, PhD, both of Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Jason E. Farrar, MD, Arkansan Children’s Research Institute, and Thierry Leblanc, MD, Robert Debré Hospital. In total, more than 50 international experts were involved in developing these guidelines.

“It was a panel of clinical providers collectively caring for more than 2,500 children, adolescents and adults with this syndrome,” Wlodarski said. “It is a rare disease, but collectively, we had the experience of caring for many patients with DBA syndrome. Since many patients can present without anemia, we agreed to call the condition DBA syndrome to allow for the inclusion of other clinical phenotypes associated with this disease, such as certain birth defects or cancers.”

Updating DBA syndromes’ treatment

The task force agreed on multiple improvements to treatment. Since DBA syndromes’ recognition, there have only been three approved treatments to address it: red blood cell transfusions, corticosteroid therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. While the number of therapeutic options has not increased, the panel recognized ways to optimize these treatments for patients with DBA syndrome.

They changed the recommendations for transplants. “This is also a major change in the guidelines,” Wlodarski said. “Now, we are recommending, if needed, a transplant from a matched unrelated donor because recent years have shown excellent transplant outcomes with this type of donor. Before, the standard of care was only matched sibling donors.”

The task force also focused on collecting and dissemination other treatment improvements learned over the last decade.

“For example, now we better know how to assess the iron burden in patients,” Wlodarski explained, “and we have good drugs called iron chelators to remove the excess iron from frequent transfusions.”

Due to problems in creating red blood cells, many patients with DBA syndrome need to receive life-long blood transfusions. They also need higher hemoglobin levels compared to patients with short-lasting anemia, such as those with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. In DBA syndrome, severe anemia can be lifelong, and hemoglobin levels must be maintained at appropriate levels to ensure adequate growth and development. The guidelines provide directions on maintaining appropriate hemoglobin levels while balancing iron toxicity prevention with iron chelation therapy.

“Our consensus among experts is that hemoglobin levels prior to transfusions should be maintained at a minimum of 9-10 g/dL — this is something that many clinicians need to learn, and we hope our guidelines will help implement changes,” Wlodarski said.

Similarly, the guidelines are a resource for learning what is currently considered best practice during corticosteroid therapy. For corticosteroids, the group recommends restricting the long-term maintenance dose of prednisone or prednisolone to 0.3 mg/kg per day to avoid treatment-related side effects.

Collectively, the new expert-led guidelines represent the best DBA treatments currently known. Their true value is as a resource to local physicians who may lack experience with this rare disorder.

Helping physicians, patients and families identify and treat DBA syndromes

One of the largest problems with treating and studying DBA syndrome is its rarity. Many physicians and health care facilities have never encountered affected patients, which have an incidence of 5-10 cases per million live births. That makes identifying the disease an uncommon experience. More recent research and experience revealed a significant heterogeneity in disease causes and presentation, complicating the problem.

“In the last few years, we’ve discovered new genes that cause the disease,” Wlodarski said. “It’s caused mostly by mutations in the ribosome system. This can cause severe anemia, which, over time, can develop into full bone marrow failure and immunodeficiencies. Additionally, at least half of the patients are born with congenital defects, such as heart, skeletal, kidney or other organ system defects.”

Instead of every physician needing to become an expert on DBA syndrome genetics, the guidelines provide detailed information on the current landscape of genes affected in DBA syndrome. For example, one in five people with DBA syndrome has a mutation in the ribosomal protein S19 (RPS19) gene. In total, the authors agreed on 28 genes that cause DBA syndrome, of which 26 directly affect the ribosome system, and two are other genes, such as GATA1 and TP53, which can cause DBA syndrome.

The guidelines also provide a starting point to plan treatments based on new and simplified diagnostic criteria. The authors agreed that DBA syndrome can be diagnosed based on clinical presentation, after exclusion of other differential diagnoses, or based on genetic testing. To that end, St. Jude created a resource for all interested parties.

“We created a website where clinicians, patients and families can easily access the different aspects of disease diagnosis and management,” Wlodarski said. The St. Jude–hosted website is now freely available and contains the material from the consensus, including tables with detailed information and the corresponding text. The guidelines were also published as a peer-reviewed article by The Lancet Haematology and are available on the journal’s page. The goal is to help standardize treatment for patients with this rare disease, not only for children but also for adults.

“It’s important for physicians to adopt the standards at their institutions — and follow them — because we believe they will improve the long-term outcomes,” Wlodarski emphasized.

A global consensus to improve the lives of patients with DBA syndrome

“We wanted to achieve standardization across the world, not only in one country,” Wlodarski explained. “We included representatives from 27 countries — and a total of 53 experts were involved — to create this comprehensive piece of work that takes into account various aspects of the disease in an international multidisciplinary effort.” The task force consisted of physicians, scientists and patient advocates, representing many different points of view as well.

The group produced the guidelines using the Delphi consensus-building method. Each accepted statement had to receive approval from at least 85% of the task force. This undertaking was difficult, as many different hospitals, health care systems and resource availabilities were reflected throughout the group.

“It took lots of effort, but also, it was a good way to learn more about the most recent advances in DBA syndrome and treatment approaches throughout the world,” Wlodarski said. “For example, we agreed to change the name because patients might present without anemia, with cancers, or with congenital abnormalities, like a skeletal abnormality. So, that’s why we prefer calling it DBA syndrome. It’s a grouping of symptoms, not only anemia.”

Wlodarski helped co-lead the group through these votes, discussions and debates over four years. In some cases, the group did not reach a consensus. Fortunately, in many cases, they did, such as for increasing surveillance due to the increased cancer risk posed by DBA syndromes.

“We were able to reach unanimous consensus on the higher risk for cancer,” Wlodarski explained. “Colon cancer risk is increased, even in young adults. So, the group’s consensus was to start colonoscopies at 20 years old and not wait until 45-50, as we do for the general population in most countries. We all agreed that if we want to catch cancer early, we need to start looking for it early in these patients.”

The final guidelines presented in The Lancet Haematology are the current consensus recommendations that the international and interdisciplinary group found compelling scientific evidence and/or clinical experience to endorse.

“If we have these guidelines and can disseminate them across the world, patients will now have a document to show to their doctors, who may not be experts in the disease,” Wlodarski concluded, “or doctors can discover on their own, to get patients with DBA syndromes the treatments that they need.”

About the author

Scientific Writer

Alex Generous, PhD, is a Scientific Writer in the Strategic Communications, Education and Outreach Department at St. Jude.

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