News Releases

Cells’ springy coils pump bursts of RNA

Models by Rice chemists calculate the chemical and mechanical energies involved in “bursty” RNA production in cells.

Ordering in? Plants are way ahead of you

Dissolved carbon in soil can quench plants' ability to communicate with soil microbes, allowing plants to fine-tune their relationships with symbionts. Experiments show how synthetic biology tools developed at Rice University can help understand environmental controls on agricultural productivity.

Rice fluids researcher earns solid federal support

Rice University engineer Jesse Chan wins a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award to develop reliable simulations of fluid flow.

Veteran and military spouses given new opportunities

HOUSTON – (Jan. 27, 2020) – A dozen spouses of veterans and active duty military personnel will be awarded scholarships to train for careers in human resources thanks to a partnership between Schlumberger and Rice University’s Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies.

Environmental expert to Chinese government: Banning single-use plastics is not enough

HOUSTON – (Jan. 27, 2020) – The Chinese government has announced it plans to address the world's growing plastic waste problem by phasing out single-use plastics by 2025. But such a ban is premature and “puts the cart before the horse,” according to an expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Rice lab turns trash into valuable graphene in a flash

Scientists at Rice University are using high-energy pulses of electricity to turn any source of carbon into turbostratic graphene in an instant. The process promises environmental benefits by turning waste into valuable graphene that can then strengthen concrete and other composite materials.

New trade agreement good for US digital products, says Baker Institute expert

HOUSTON – (Jan. 27, 2020) – The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) sends a clear and welcome message acknowledging the enormous importance of digital products produced in the U.S. for sale around the world, according to a report from the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Shepherd School to host annual Family Concert Feb. 1

HOUSTON – (Jan. 24, 2020) – Selections from Bach, Debussy and Mozart will be among the musical works performed at the annual Family Concert presented Feb. 1 by Rice's Shepherd School of Music.

Third Reich's legacy tied to present-day xenophobia and political intolerance

Who — or what — is to blame for the  xenophobia, political intolerance and radical political parties spreading through Germany and the rest of Europe? A new study from Rice University and Washington University in St. Louis shows a major factor is people's proximity to former Nazi concentration camps.

CPRIT grant bolsters Rice biosciences

Rice University recruits synthetic biologist Caroline Ajo-Franklin with a $6 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to bolster the university’s cutting-edge Systems, Synthetic and Physical Biology program.

Climate change 'a strategic dilemma' for Persian Gulf, Baker Institute expert says

Climate change poses a strategic dilemma for oil-exporting states of the Persian Gulf, according to a new paper by an expert in the Center for Energy Studies at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Less may be more in next-gen batteries

Rice University engineers build full lithium-ion batteries with silicon anodes and an alumina layer to protect cathodes from degrading. By limiting their energy density, the batteries promise excellent stability for transportation and grid storage use.

Uighur humanitarian crisis in focus at Rice event

HOUSTON – (Jan. 21, 2020) – Rice University's Islamophobia Resistance Campaign and the Muslims in American Society sociology course will host "Voices From the Uighur Community" Jan. 23 to shed light on the humanitarian crisis in China.

Study finds billions of quantum entangled electrons in 'strange metal'

Rice physicists and collaborators have observed quantum entanglement among "billions of billions" of flowing electrons in a quantum critical material.

Media advisory: 'Radical Revisionists' opening Jan. 24 at Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts

HOUSTON – (Jan. 16, 2020) – Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts will unveil its spring exhibition Jan. 24 with an opening reception for “Radical Revisionists: Contemporary African Artists Confronting Past and Present.”