News Releases

Immigration policy, aggressive enforcement harm mental health of people living in US illegally

Restrictive immigration policies and aggressive law enforcement are harmful to the mental health of immigrants living in the United States illegally, according to a new report from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Synthetic tools conduct messages from station to station in DNA

Bioengineers used deactivated Cas9 fusion proteins to synthetically control gene expression and reveal new details about natural processes in human cells.

Wireless activation of targeted brain circuits in less than one second

Rice neuroengineers and collaborators have created wireless technology to remotely activate brain circuits.

Strain-sensing smart skin ready to deploy

Carbon nanotubes’ natural fluorescence enables a method to detect high strain concentrations, which can lead to damage that threatens the integrity of critical infrastructure like aircraft, buildings, pipelines, bridges and ships.

SARS-Arena reveals hidden hooks in virus

SARS-Arena will help to find conserved parts in proteins from SARS-CoV-2 that could be a key for the development of wide-spectrum vaccines.

Flashing creates hard-to-get 2D boron nitride

Rice University chemists use their flash Joule heating process to synthesize 2D flakes of boron nitride and boron carbon nitride, highly valued for lending thermal and chemical stability to compounds.

Hidden genes may be tapped for new antibiotics

Rice University bioscientists learn to trigger “silent” gene clusters in bacteria that could be rich sources of new antibiotic candidates.

Interracial contact may not reduce racism, says report

Racial apathy and the belief that Black people no longer experience prejudice in today’s world represent the “new racism,” according to Tony Brown, professor of sociology at Rice University and lead author of the study, “Changes in Racial Apathy Among White Young Adults: A Five-Year National Panel Study,” published in the journal Sociological Inquiry.

Nine new professors join Rice Business

The Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University has added nine faculty members with expertise ranging from management to marketing. It’s a record number of new tenured and tenure-track professors for the school.

​​​​​​​Researchers discover new leukemia-killing compounds

Researchers from Rice and MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered potential new drugs for treating leukemia.

Expert available to discuss trauma and grief among immigrants following tragedy in San Antonio

An expert from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy is available to discuss this week’s horrific migrant deaths in San Antonio.

New senior staff, structure announced for Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research

As incoming director Ruth López Turley takes the helm of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research July 1, the institute is announcing a new executive leadership team that will help implement a five-year expansion plan.

Emu stands tall at detecting bacteria species

Rice computer scientists develop Emu, which uses long reads of genomes to identify bacteria in a community.

Flooding exacerbates pollution exposure in at-risk urban communities

Increased flooding in the U.S. is exposing more people to industrial pollution, especially in racially marginalized urban communities, according to new research from Rice University, New York University and Brown University.

Landmark new engineering and science building on campus to bear Ralph S. O’Connor’s name

A self-made businessman who started out working in oilfields and ended up building an empire in energy and real estate investments will be memorialized at Rice University with a landmark new science and engineering building named in his honor.