News Releases

Better transit, emergency response, broadband access top post-pandemic priorities

The United States must focus on improving infrastructure as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the top priorities include increasing broadband access, expanding public transportation, and improving emergency response and health care facilities, according to a new survey and report from Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research.

New CRISPR tech targets human genome’s complex code

Rice bioengineers harness the CRISPR/Cas9 system to program histones, the support proteins that wrap up and control human DNA, to manipulate gene activation and phosphorylation. The new technology enables innovative ways to find and manipulate genes and pathways responsible for diseases.

‘Defective’ carbon simplifies hydrogen peroxide production

Rice scientists introduce a new catalyst to reduce oxygen to widely used hydrogen peroxide.

Nanotechnology is crucial to US energy independence, says Baker Institute expert

Nanotechnology can deliver solutions to U.S. economic, energy and geopolitical challenges while also helping the world meet climate targets and sustainability goals, according to a new report from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

US must do its fair share for refugees, says Baker Institute expert

Increasing the number of refugees resettled to the U.S. is critical for the well-being of refugees across the globe, according to an expert from Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

‘Untapped potential’: Rice partners with area universities in new African and African American Studies consortium

Rice University and its Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS) have partnered with the University of Houston, Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University to form a new collaboration committed to African and African American Studies scholarship.

Baker Institute paper: US must mandate uniform reporting of data during deadly pandemics

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received limited data on the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. despite providing detailed case report forms, according to a new research paper from Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

New psychological sciences degree will help graduates improve workplaces

HOUSTON – (Feb. 1, 2021) – With the average adult spending about half of their waking hours at work, employees and companies alike are recognizing the importance of investing in more productive, diverse and satisfying workplaces.

Failed storage tanks pose atmospheric risks during disasters

Rice engineers model hypothetical threats from toxins released when aboveground storage tanks fail during a storm.

Research could dramatically lower cost of electron sources

Rice University engineers have discovered technology that could slash the cost of semiconductor electron sources, key components in devices ranging from night-vision goggles and low-light cameras to electron microscopes and particle accelerators.

Baker Institute and its Center for Energy Studies at top of global think tank rankings

Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy has risen to the No. 1 ranking among the best university-affiliated think tanks in the world, up from No. 2 the previous year, according to the 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report published today. Its Center for Energy Studies maintained its standing as the top energy and resource policy think tank and was recognized as a Center of Excellence for being ranked No. 1 for three consecutive years.

$4M Huffington Foundation gift endows Baker Institute fellow in child health policy

Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy has received a $4 million gift from the Huffington Foundation to endow a fellow in child health policy and advance the research of the institute’s Child Health Policy Program.

Study shows why anesthetic stops cell’s walkers in their tracks

Researchers detail the mechanism that allows propofol, a common anesthetic, to halt the movement of kinesin proteins that deliver cargoes to the far reaches of cells.

Texas needs to take the lead on carbon capture, say Baker Institute experts

Texas, with advantages in everything from its geology to its workforce, should become a leader in carbon capture, according to a new report from Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Pandemic highlights urgent need to address America's child development woes

The COVID-19 pandemic may irreversibly change the life course of millions of children in the United States, but long-overdue measures can be taken to help them reach their development potential, according to an expert from Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy.