Engineering

Rice lab’s catalyst could be key for hydrogen economy

A light-activated catalyst efficiently converts ammonia into clean-burning hydrogen using only inexpensive raw materials.

Strategic planning process to be launched in January

President Reginald DesRoches shared the news with the Rice community in an email Nov. 21.

Brain cancer research draws support

Bioengineer Kevin McHugh wins a Distinguished Scientist Award for brain cancer research from The Sontag Foundation.

Rice turns asphaltene into graphene for composites

The flash Joule heating process developed at Rice turns asphaltenes, a byproduct of crude oil production, into graphene for use in composite materials.

Rice U. technology startup Syzygy Plasmonics raises $76 million in latest funding round

Syzygy Plasmonics, a Houston-based startup fueled by technology developed at Rice University, has announced $76 million in Series C financing led by Carbon Direct Capital — one of the largest rounds of funding for a venture spun out of a Rice lab.

Rice refines analysis of MRI contrast agents

Simulations reveal details about the magnetic interactions between gadolinium contrast agents used in MRI scans and their environment.

ACS taps Rice, Shell for Partners in Progress & Prosperity Award

Collaborators at Rice and Shell receive the American Chemical Society Southwest Regional Partners in Progress & Prosperity Award.

Rice, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur commit to cooperate on research

Rice and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur sign a three-year cooperation agreement to collaborate on issues critical to the United States, India and the globe.

Rice funds new research collaborations with Houston Methodist

Rice and Houston Methodist have awarded seed grants for research in robotics, imaging, cardiovascular bioengineering, and psychological and behavioral health.

Rice facility is ‘one-stop shop’ for customizing DNA to fight cancer

Rice bioengineers, synthetic biologists and cancer researchers celebrated the opening of Rice’s first CPRIT Core Facility, the Genetic Design and Engineering Center, or GDEC, Nov. 10 at the BRC.

Cool respite with a conscience

Rice faculty members have installed “Building Ecologies” at Post Houston to demonstrate a “circular” strategy that incorporates environmental systems into architecture.

Rice bioengineer seeks better signals from cells

Jerzy Szablowski earns NIH support to research noninvasive reporters that monitor gene therapy in the brain.

Growing pure nanotubes is a stretch, but possible

Rice engineers have a new strategy for making batches of carbon nanotubes with a single, desired chirality.

Engineers go further with the flow to model moving cars and tires

Mechanical engineers dramatically advance computational fluid dynamics models of airflow around a moving car and its tires.

Seizures happen like clockwork — but depend on the clock

Statisticians use electronic diary entries by more than 1,000 patients with epilepsy to gain a better understanding of how “attractors” are associated with the likelihood of seizures.