For some peptides, killing bacteria an inside job
Rice scientists study the dynamics of the immune system’s antimicrobial peptides, which attack and eliminate harmful bacteria. They find peptides that invade bacteria and do their damage from the inside are underrated.
Docking peptides, slow to lock, open possible path to treat Alzheimer’s
Researchers have identified a possible “Achilles’ heel” in the frustration of amyloid beta peptides as they dock to the fibrils that form plaques in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Tweezer grant pleases Rice researchers
Rice researchers have won an NSF grant to acquire a sophisticated optical tweezer microscope to manipulate, measure and monitor micron-scale particles.
Nature’s archive reveals Atlantic tempests through time
Rice scientists uncover how natural archives can record Atlantic hurricane frequency over the past 1,000 years. SUMMARY: Rice University scientists uncover how natural archives can record Atlantic hurricane frequency over the past 1,000 years. More data is needed to help model how climate change will affect storms in the future.
Rice announces new faculty funding opportunities
Rice's Office of Research launches three Creative Ventures Funds to seed faculty initiatives and guide them towards commercialization.
Welch Institute names Matthew Tirrell to chair Scientific Advisory Board
The Welch Institute for Advanced Materials has named Matthew Tirrell to chair its Scientific Advisory Board
Double-walled nanotubes have electro-optical advantages
Rice theorists find that flexoelectric effects in double-walled carbon nanotubes could be highly useful for photovoltaic applications.
Sim shows how COVID virus infects cells
A simulation shows the complicated mechanism by which the SARS-CoV-2 virus may infect cells, leading to COVID-19.
Scientists make bilayer borophene for the first time. The versatile 2D material shows promise for quantum electronics, energy storage and sensors.
Ethics survey shows a campus unafraid to speak up
A recent survey of Rice employees found that 99% of respondents were comfortable reporting ethical concerns to at least one resource on campus.
‘Smart’ shirt keeps tabs on the heart
Carbon nanotube thread woven into athletic shirts gathered electrocardiogram and heart rate data that matched standard monitors and beat chest-strap monitors. The fibers are flexible and the shirts are machine washable.
Rice lab dives deep for DNA’s secrets
Structural biologist Yang Gao receives a five-year National Institutes of Health grant to detail how complex protein chains replicate DNA and fix errors on the fly. What they find could help treat genomic disease, including cancer.
CPRIT grant establishes Genetic Design and Engineering Center
Rice faculty members led by bioengineer Gang Bao have been awarded a $4 million CPRIT grant to establish the Genetic Design and Engineering Center.
Rice, Baylor win defense grant to advance metastasis study
Rice University chemist Han Xiao and biologist Xiang Zhang at Baylor College of Medicine have won a $2.3 million Department of Defense grant to expand their efforts to halt bone cancer metastasis.
Woven nanotube fibers turn heat into power
Carbon nanotubes woven into thread-like fibers and sewn into fabrics become a thermoelectric generator that can turn heat from the sun or other sources into energy.
