In a breakthrough that could transform bioelectronic sensing, an interdisciplinary team of researchers at Rice University has developed a new method to dramatically enhance the sensitivity of enzymatic and microbial fuel cells using organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs).
Two university presidents hosted a conversation at the Ion Feb. 24 to discuss how American research universities serve the public. Rice University President Reginald DesRoches and Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University (ASU), shared how research universities are engines of innovation, economic growth and social mobility while educating millions and driving scientific and technological discovery to help sustain U.S. global competitiveness.
Rice lecturer in Japanese Naoko Ozaki set up a rare opportunity for Lovett College students to learn the Japanese culture by inviting two distinguished guests: Consul General Zentaro Naganuma of Japan and chef Shinji Takahashi. The event was made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of Lovett College, which played a central role in bringing together the chef, consul general, residents of the college and Ozaki’s fourth-year Japanese language class for a day filled with the rich food and culture.
Rice neuroscientist Valentin Dragoi and Ariana Andrei from the Houston Methodist Research Institute developed a detailed, step-by-step guide for deploying optogenetics in nonhuman primates, providing critical guidance for researchers working to advance understanding of the brain’s complex networks and their relationship with behavior.
Three former presidential science advisers will speak on how science and technology play a critical role in addressing complex challenges such as climate change, public health, national security and economic competitiveness at a March 8 event hosted by Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The discussion — free and open to the public — will be complemented by an exhibit inside Baker Hall that displays the history of science advisers and the role of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in presidential policymaking.
Xinwu Qian, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University, is spearheading research that reimagines how and where charging stations should be deployed.
Avantika Gori, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University, is leading an innovative project to address flooding in rural communities.
“Interdisciplinarity is not just something that happens between disciplines but actually many different knowledge projects with their own originary force,” said Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan.