News Releases

Inner ear has a need for speed

Rice bioengineers and applied physicists, together with and colleagues at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Chicago, have unlocked the mechanism of the fastest synapses in the human body. A previously hidden mechanism in the inner ear that helps mammals balance via the fastest-known signal in the brain, and researchers from Rice University, the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Chicago have modeled a hidden mechanism in the inner ear that helps mammals balance via the fastest-known signal in the brain.

Top conductors from around the world to guest direct Rice’s Shepherd School orchestras over next 18 months

Some of the most recognizable conductors in the classical music world will take the stage at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music over the next 18 months.

Nanoparticles make it easier to turn light into solvated electrons

Chemists from Rice, UT Austin and Stanford have uncovered the long-sought mechanism of a light-driven process that creates solvated electrons, inherently clean chemical reactants that are attractive for green chemistry.

New fluorescent dye can light up the brain

Rice chemist Han Xiao and Stanford researcher Zhen Cheng have developed a tool for noninvasive brain imaging that can help illuminate hard-to-access structures and processes. Their small-molecule dye is the first of its kind that can cross the blood-brain barrier, allowing researchers to differentiate between healthy brain tissue and a glioblastoma tumor in mice.

3 out of 4 parents say social media is a major distraction for students, according to new study

The vast majority of parents believe social media is a major distraction for students, according to a new nationwide study.

DARPA grant will fund hunt for drug that can keep people warm

Rice University bioengineer Jerzy Szablowski has won a prestigious DARPA Young Faculty Award to identify nongenetic drugs that can temporarily enhance the human body’s resilience to extreme cold exposure.

International Shakespeare troupe returning to Rice Feb. 2-4

The world-acclaimed Actors From The London Stage, the international touring theater troupe based in London and at the University of Notre Dame, will be in residency at Rice Jan. 31-Feb. 4. The troupe will perform “Romeo and Juliet” at Hamman Hall on campus at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2-4.

Energy transition requires new investments in ‘Minerals Heartland’

The transition from legacy energy sources to sustainable sources will require an enormous amount of resources in the form of energy, minerals, metals and other materials — as well as new supply chains, infrastructure, human talent and financial commitments, according to a new report from an expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Rice Baker Institute expert available to comment on Biden administration’s proposal for new, highly restrictive asylum policy

On Jan. 5, the Biden administration announced sweeping changes to migration policy at the U.S. border with Mexico. Kelsey Norman , fellow for the Middle East at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy (BIPP), is available to discuss the administration’s plans with the media.

Rice University scientists get fungi to spill their secrets

As anyone who has ever attended a cocktail party can tell you, shedding inhibitions makes you more talkative and possibly more prone to divulging secrets. Fungi, it turns out, are no different from humans in this respect.

DNA repair scheme gets closer look for cancer therapy

Rice bioscientists took a close look at one of the ways cells repair broken DNA and made a discovery about a promising target for cancer therapy.

‘Arabian Nights’ adventure in store at Rice Shepherd School Family Concert Jan. 28

An “Arabian Nights” adventure awaits attendees of the 2023 Shepherd School of Music Family Concert, set for Jan. 28 in Stude Concert Hall in Rice University’s Alice Pratt Brown Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

Rice political scientist Mark Jones available to discuss fight over next speaker of the House

As the U.S. House of Representatives continues to debate over who its next speaker will be, Rice University political scientist Mark Jones is available to discuss how the high-stakes fight impacts the Republican and Democratic parties.

​​​​​​​Lab lights way to simple chemical synthesis

Rice University scientists have developed a photochemical process to simplify the synthesis of drug and chemical precursors known as diamines.

​​​​​​​Climate warming reduces organic carbon burial beneath oceans

A first-of-its-kind study suggests climate warming could reduce organic carbon burial and increase the amount of carbon that’s returned to the atmosphere.