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The Central Analytical and Applied Research Unit (CAARU) is a College of Science facility under the Dean's office. The idea of the unit was first proposed in 2004, under the name of CENTRAL ANAYTICAL AND APPLIED RESEARCH FACILITY.
CAARU Vision
Building a compliant and internationally accredited functional facility to serve research and consultancy at SQU and formulate business links with major Omani and overseas companies in both private and public sector.
CAARU Mission
The primary mission of CAARU is to develop into a focal point for analytical applications and applied research in the College of Science by making our services readily available and to establish a strong link between the College of Science and the corporate sectors in Oman (including Ministries).
CAARU Objectives
- To increase the research quality and output.
- To encourage more applied science teaching and consolidate the components of the Graduate Programs.
- To provide advance technical training for Omanis.
- To promote further collaboration with our own science colleges at SQU.
- To promote further collaboration with the corporate sectors, both government and private.
- To provide analytical services to domestic as well as international clients.
CAARU Staff
Currently CAARU consists of 4 Omani application specialists who are derived from each contributing department, one of whom has been appointed by the Dean to be the In-charge to oversee and manage the unit.
CAARU instrumentation
Currently CAARU consist of XRD, XRF, SEM, ICP-MS, AFM, HPLC-MS, GC-MS and the Flow Cytometer.
1- X-ray Diffraction (XRD)
XRD is a technique that reveals detailed information about the chemical composition and crystallographic structure of natural and manufactured materials.
2- X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF)
XRF is a technique used to identify and determine the concentrations of elements present in solid, powdered and liquid samples.
3- Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is a type of electron microscope that images a sample revealing information about the sample including external morphology (texture), chemical composition, and crystalline structure and orientation of materials making up the sample.
4- Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) LC-MS is a powerful technique used for many applications which has very high sensitivity and selectivity. Generally its application is oriented towards the specific detection and potential identification of chemicals in the presence of other chemicals (in a complex mixture).
5- Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) Applications of GC-MS include drug detection, fire investigation, environmental analysis, explosives investigation, and identification of unknown samples. Additionally, it can identify trace elements in materials that were previously thought to have disintegrated beyond identification.
6- Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a type of mass spectrometry that is highly sensitive and capable of the determination of a range of metals and several non-metals at concentrations below one part in 1012 (part per trillion).
7- Flow cytometry (FCM) is a technique for counting and examining microscopic particles, such as cells and chromosomes. FCM is routinely used in the diagnosis of health disorders, especially blood cancers, but has many other applications in both research and clinical practice.
8- Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a very high-resolution type of scanning probe microscopy, with demonstrated resolution on the order of fractions of a nanometer. The AFM is one of the foremost tools for imaging, measuring, and manipulating matter at the nanoscale.
9- Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Time of Flight (MALDI-Tof/Tof) is technique used for the analysis of biomolecules (biopolymers such as DNA, proteins, peptides and sugars) and large organic molecules (such as polymers, dendrimers and other macromolecules.
10- High performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) is an enhanced form of thin layer chromatography. It application mainly in phytochemical analysis, fingerprint analysis, authentication, biomedical analysis, drug quantification, analytical analysis, quantitative analysis and validation.
http://www2.camag.com/iframe/index.html
CAARU Achievements
CAARU team has moved forward towards meeting the objectives and the mission of the unit and in doing so, succeeded not only in serving research within the College of Science, but was also able to grasp the attention and interest of other colleges within and outside SQU. And due to the exclusive network established in the private sector, CAARU has gained a reputation as a point of interface for scientific and analytical instrumentation issues.
CAARU Services
The team working for CAARU provides services including sample analysis, consultation, training and supervision for undergraduate and postgraduate research both within SQU and other leading international institutions.
Currently, the XRD, XRF, SEM, LC-MS and GC-MS facilities provide services to industrial private sectors, in addition to services within the SQU.
For any further details on type of services and cost, please contact us at caaru@squ.edu.om
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