Training at the Unit:

The Unit’s objectives and services are not limited to providing analytical services and supporting the research field; they also focus on building human capacity by training students and staff from both academic and industrial environments. This goal is considered central to the Unit, and it has consistently worked to achieve it in previous years through the following initiatives:

• Contributing to the university’s educational process by delivering explanations and conducting practical experiments on the instruments available in the Unit for students as part of their academic curricula.

• Organizing summer training workshops for university students to qualify them for graduation projects that involve scientific analyses using the Unit’s techniques and instruments.

• Training students from Colleges of Technology and private universities in the Sultanate as part of the requirements for obtaining a bachelor’s degree.

• Providing specialized long-term pre-employment training for graduates from various universities to equip them with practical skills that help them build promising career paths.

• Training groups and individuals from the corporate sector on the instruments and techniques available in the Unit (such as Haya Water Company and Petroleum Development Oman).

• Hosting workshops at the Arab regional level, such as workshops on the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), organized in coordination with the General Secretariat of the Association of Faculties of Science at member universities of the Association of Arab Universities.

Quality Control System

The Unit is committed to achieving customer satisfaction, enhancing the required level of quality, and planning for continuous improvement. This is accomplished by applying international standards for various analytical methods, as well as regularly sending samples to external laboratories for analysis and comparing the results with those obtained internally. In the event of any discrepancies, they are identified and evaluated to determine the root causes, and appropriate corrective and preventive actions are taken.

The Unit has been certified with ISO 9001 since August 2015. It undergoes internal audits twice annually by the Unit’s Quality Control Team, followed by an external audit conducted once a year by the accreditation body. The Unit is also working toward obtaining ISO 17025 accreditation, which specifies the general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.

Unit Sections:

The Unit, with its expertise and instruments, is divided into three main sections:

Materials Science Section

This section focuses on studying the properties of materials and their applications across various fields, including geology, applied physics, chemistry, and different branches of engineering such as chemical engineering, petroleum and mining engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, and electrical engineering.

It is considered one of the most active sections and the most attractive to clients from both inside and outside the University. Its services extend beyond academic and research activities to include the industrial sector, particularly the oil and mining industries. The section is further enriched by the availability of expertise and capabilities in nanotechnology, which has emerged in recent years as a key area of interest in both scientific and industrial fields.

Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Section

This section specializes in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of biochemical, organic, and inorganic compounds typically found in complex mixtures from environmental, biological, and industrial sources. It also focuses on measuring molecular mass and studying molecular structures.

Various sectors benefit from this section, including biotechnology, environmental monitoring, food processing and pharmaceutical industries, agrochemicals, cosmetics manufacturing, and many others.

Cellular and Molecular Biology Section

This section specializes in the study of microscopic biological particles and the determination of their physical and chemical characteristics. It also includes DNA analysis, including the identification of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi.

The section is closely linked to biological and environmental sciences and provides diagnostic services to the medical sector, particularly in the rapid and effective identification of disease-causing bacteria. It can also offer consultations to fertility centers by examining semen quality and assessing the feasibility of in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures.