News Releases

US patents chief to discuss research and innovation at Rice U. event

The commissioner for patents of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Vaishali Udupa, will headline an event April 5 on how to transform research into innovation, and ways in which universities and her office — working separately and together — can pick up the pace.

Shepherd School spring opera ‘L'incoronazione di Poppea,’ set for April 14 and 16

A shameless quest for power through any means necessary is the focus of Monteverdi’s “L'incoronazione di Poppea” (The Coronation of Poppea), the spring opera production from the Rice University Shepherd School of Music’s Opera and Chamber Orchestra.

Eco-efficient cement could pave the way to a greener future

Rice U. scientists develop process to remove toxic heavy metals from coal fly ash, making for greener, stronger concrete.

James Chappell wins NSF CAREER Award

Rice bioscientist James Chappell has won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to develop RNA programming methods that can improve human health and the environment.

Protein-based coating could keep fruits and vegetables fresh longer

Rice University materials scientist Muhammad Rahman has won a National Science Foundation grant to develop a sustainable, low-cost coating to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.

Moving American business operations from China to Mexico strengthens all of North America, says report

American businesses moving operations out of China and into Mexico would be economically beneficial for all of North America, according to a new report from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Largest intercollegiate student startup competition announces 2023 teams

The 2023 Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC), hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and the Jones Graduate School of Business, will be held on Rice University campus May 11-13. The competition brings together the most promising student ventures from top universities across the world to compete for prizes in front of active investors, entrepreneurs and the Houston business community.

Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator opens Class 3 applications for energy transition ventures

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship is accepting applications for Class 3 of its Clean Energy Accelerator, the premier energy transition accelerator in Houston, through April 14.

Rice, African American History Research Center to host inaugural ‘Black Houston(s)’ symposium March 23-24

A first-of-its-kind symposium March 23-24 will be centered on highlighting the shifting, dynamic contributions that Afro-Diasporic communities have made to Houston throughout its history and in the present day.

Upgraded tumor model optimizes search for cancer therapies

Rice U. bioengineers have developed an upgraded tumor model that houses bone cancer cells beside immune cells inside a 3D structure engineered to mimic bone and, through research using the model, found that the body’s immune response can make tumor cells more resistant to chemotherapy.

Political division prolongs the immigration crisis, report says

The U.S. immigration system is slow and stymied by politics, but the border crisis represents an opportunity to address gaps in the American labor market, according to a new report from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Fats help tag medical implants as friend or foe

Rice University bioengineer Omid Veiseh and collaborators found that lipid deposition on the surfaces of medical implants can play a mediating role between the body and implants, knowledge that could help scientists develop biomaterials or coatings for implants that could reduce malfunction rates.

Magnetism fosters unusual electronic order in quantum material

Rice physicists have found experimental evidence that magnetism helps bring about the intriguing type of electronic order they discovered in a quantum material last year.

Rice labs seek RNA programming for ‘smart’ antibiotics

Rice University synthetic biologists are working to make “genetically encoded antibiotics” that kill only disease-causing bacteria.

New podcast tackles foreign, domestic policy, features Baker Institute experts

A new podcast from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy tackles timely discussions about the state, the country and the world’s most pressing issues.