News Releases

Patents as loan collateral can help businesses meet financial needs, study shows

Patents are becoming an innovative source of collateral for businesses borrowing money, and there’s a time-critical sweet spot for lenders trying to calculate how much those patents are worth, according to new research from Rice University experts and collaborators.

Microplastic pollution aids antibiotic resistance

Microplastics dispersed in the environment may enhance antibiotic resistance. A study led by Rice University found the chemical-leaching plastics draw bacteria and other vectors and make them susceptible to antibiotic resistant genes.

Omicron mutations may help SARS-CoV-2 evade antibodies

Software under development at Rice University and its partners reveals mutations in the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 that may help it evade antibodies, including those from vaccinations.

Ruth López Turley named next director of Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research

HOUSTON – (Dec. 1, 2021) – Ruth López Turley, a prolific education researcher, professor of sociology and director of Rice University's Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC), has been selected as the next director of the university's Kinder Institute for Urban Research after current director Bill Fulton steps down June 30, 2022.

Welch Institute names Sir Anthony Cheetham, Kristin Persson to Scientific Advisory Board

The Welch Institute for Advanced Materials names Sir Anthony Cheetham and Professor Kristin Persson to its Scientific Advisory Board.

Orbital harmony limits late arrival of water on TRAPPIST-1 planets

Seven Earth-sized planets orbit the star TRAPPIST-1 in near-perfect harmony, and U.S. and European researchers have used that harmony to determine how much physical abuse the planets could have withstood in their infancy.

‘Bound Away’ conference bringing new research on slave voyages

Art exhibitions at Moody, MFAH will contextualize research presented Dec. 3-4

Ultrathin solar cells get a boost

Rice University engineers boost the efficiency while retaining the toughness of solar cells made of two-dimensional perovskites.

AI technology no silver bullet for hiring the best employees, says new Rice research

Artificial intelligence technology is now used by a growing number of companies looking to hire the best employees, but new research from Rice University warns how it can incorporate biases and overlook important characteristics among job applicants.

Rice Business ranked No. 1 for entrepreneurship by Princeton Review

Rice Business is ranked the No. 1 graduate entrepreneurship program in the United States for 2022 by the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine. This is Rice Business’ third No. 1 ranking in a row, its sixth year in the top three and the 13th year in which it has ranked in the top 10 on this prestigious list.

Big data privacy for machine learning just got 100 times cheaper

Rice University computer scientists have discovered an inexpensive way for tech companies to implement a rigorous form of personal data privacy when using or sharing large databases for machine learning.

Houston must take steps now to preserve affordable housing for future, report says

Houston’s supply of affordable housing is on the decline, and a new report from Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research says the city must take advantage of community, state and federal support to reverse the trend.

Private equity-acquired hospitals focus on increasing provision of technology-intensive, profitable services, study says

As a growing number of hospitals face unprecedented financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is concern that they might become acquisition targets by private equity firms. New research from Duke University and Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy indicates those hospitals are significantly more likely to offer services that maximize profit and cut those that don't.

Rice lab first to mimic molecule found in poppies

A Rice undergraduate leads the discovery of a way to synthesize a rare molecule drawn from poppies.

Prions may channel RNA’s messages

Prions, aggregates implicated in neurological diseases, may also have an important function in helping regulate the transcription of messenger RNA in memory formation.