Light-activated molecular machines get cells ‘talking’
Rice University scientists have used light-activated molecular machines to induce cell-to-cell calcium signaling, revealing a powerful new strategy for drug design. This technology could lead to improved treatments for people with heart problems, digestive issues and more.
Reporters broadcast live, on-the-scene, inside living cells
Synthetic biologists from Rice University and Princeton University have demonstrated “live reporter” technology that can reveal the workings of signaling networks in living cells with far greater precision than current methods. The first-of-its-kind reporting tool can show how quickly signaling networks respond and how responses vary from cell to cell in time and space.
Rice U. physicist to lead world’s longest-running nuclear collider experiment
Rice U. Frank Geurts has been named co-spokesperson of STAR, the world’s longest-running particle collider experiment.
Rice U. expert available to discuss social media giants’ rivalry and the launch of a new app by Meta
The launch of a new social media app by Facebook parent-company Meta yesterday has brought renewed attention to the social media landscape. Rice University Professor and computing expert Moshe Vardi is available to comment on the Meta-Twitter rivalry and its potential impact.
Rice U.’s Songtao Chen wins NSF CAREER Award
Songtao Chen, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice University, has won a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award to advance the development of quantum networks by leveraging point defects in silicon.
In the wake of recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on student loan debt relief, LGBTQ+ protections and business owner rights, Rice University experts are available for comment.
Rice University experts available to comment on forthcoming U.S. Supreme Court decisions
As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to make decisions on cases involving affirmative action, student loan relief and more, Rice University experts are available for comment.
Study: Pandemic FOMO had mental health consequences for older adults
During the COVID-19 pandemic, fear of missing out (FOMO) on social activities may have negatively affected the mental health of adults at high risk of serious disease, according to a new study from Rice University and Baylor University.
Rice University’s Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies has announced Kristen Schlatre as its new assistant dean for professional and corporate programs.
NeuWS camera answers ‘holy grail problem’ in optical imaging
Engineers from Rice and the University of Maryland have created technology that could allow cameras to "see" through fog, smoke, driving rain, murky water, skin, muscle and other light-scattering obstructions.
Electrochemical device captures carbon dioxide at the flick of a switch
New carbon capture technology developed by Rice University engineers can generate a continuous, high-purity carbon dioxide stream from diluted, or low-concentration, gas streams using only electricity and a water-and-oxygen-based reaction.
New enzyme could aid anticancer drug development
Retracing nature’s steps, Rice University engineer Xue Gao and her team mapped out the full series of enzyme-powered reactions a marine fungus uses to produce a complex molecule with anticancer properties. In the process, the Gao lab uncovered the first fungal enzyme of its kind known to break an amide bond.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought renewed focus on the use of energy resources as geopolitical “weapons.” But the respective experiences for oil and natural gas in the past year — Russia’s two main energy exports and the leading energy sources for Europe and the U.S. — provide strategic lessons for policymakers, according to a new report from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Study finds human impact on wildlife even in protected areas
The largest long-term standardized camera-trap survey to date finds that human activity impacts tropical mammals living in protected areas and sheds light on how different species are affected based on their habitat needs and anthropogenic stressors.
DNA test could broaden access to cervical cancer screening
Rice bioengineers have demonstrated a low-cost, point-of-care DNA test for HPV infections that could make cervical cancer screening more accessible in low- and middle-income countries where the disease kills more than 300,000 women each year.
