Split gene-editing tool offers greater precision
To make a gene-editing tool more precise and easier to control, Rice University engineers split it into two pieces that only come back together when a third molecule is added.
Preston, four others win Ig Nobel Prize for ‘necrobotic’ spider study
Mechanical Engineering’s Daniel Preston, three graduate students and a postdoctoral fellow have won a 2023 Ig Nobel Prize for their “necrobotic” robot arm that incorporated a dead spider.
The Ralph S. O’Connor building for Engineering and Science was officially inaugurated yesterday with a ceremony commemorating the late Rice University trustee whose generosity helped make it a reality.
Making hydrogen from waste plastic could pay for itself
Rice University researchers have found a way to harvest hydrogen from plastic waste using a low-emissions method that generates graphene as a by-product, which could help offset production costs.
Rice University today introduced the Rice Biotech Launch Pad, a Houston-based accelerator focused on expediting the translation of the university’s health and medical technology discoveries into cures.
Ralph S. O’Connor building dedication ceremony to be held Sept. 14
On Thursday, Sept.14, Rice inaugurates a new, state-of-the-art engineering and science research facility with a dedication ceremony to Ralph S. O’Connor.
You can leave your gloves on: Rice-developed material burns viruses, safe for skin
A new material that packs deadly heat for viruses on its outer surface while staying cool on the reverse side could be used to make sustainable, multiuse personal protective equipment. Marquise Bell, a Rice graduate student who is the lead author of the research, was also part of this year’s NextProf Nexus workshop, a national, competitive faculty development program for engineering students from underrepresented groups.
Rice helps lead national quantum computing research efforts
A team of Rice University researchers have won a 4-year, $1.2 million grant from the Department of Energy to evaluate the strengths and limitations of different physical systems used to build quantum computers and inform strategies for achieving near-term advances in quantum computing.
Smart fabrics’ informed touch can tell you where to go
Rice U. engineers developed a lightweight, wearable textile-based device that can deliver complex haptic cues, enabling a user to perform open-world navigation tasks. The device is resilient to regular daily use, withstanding multiple cycles of washing and other damage and repair without loss of function.
Michael King, Cynthia Reinhart-King to join Rice engineering faculty
Two leading experts in the biomedical engineering field, Michael King and Cynthia Reinhart-King, whose research programs have advanced the understanding and treatment of cancer and other diseases, will join the Rice University faculty next year.
Rice welcomes delegation from India
In order to deepen and broaden the partnership between Rice University and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), Rice Global recently welcomed a delegation from the institute to the university for a day-long meeting.
Protective particles allow engineered probiotics to report gut disease
Rice U. bioengineers developed a platform that enhances survival and function of probiotics engineered to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease in animals. The technology holds promise for minimally invasive disease monitoring and advanced smart therapeutics.
Rice establishes 3-year partnership with Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Rice University and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur have taken an important next step in their strategic research and education partnership with the announcement of the first recipients of the Rice-IITK Strategic Collaboration Award program.
Gold buckyballs, oft-used nanoparticle ‘seeds’ are one and the same
Rice chemists have discovered that tiny gold “seed” particles, a key ingredient in one of the most common nanoparticle recipes, are one and the same as gold buckyballs, 32-atom spheres that are cousins of the Nobel Prize-winning carbon buckyballs discovered at Rice in 1985.
Weaker transcription factors are better when they work together
Rice bioengineer Caleb Bashor and colleagues have developed a generalizable method to address “off-target” gene activation, a significant problem in the field of synthetic biology. Taking a cue from nature, the researchers showed they could all but eliminate the activation of off-target genes by designing weak transcription factors that cooperatively assemble.
