Researchers developed VegSense, an open-source application that uses a Microsoft HoloLens to quantify mature trees in the wild. The device excels at detecting relatively healthy forests by capturing vegetation patterns with a holograph-like grid pattern.
Researchers at Rice University have created a system that uses the physiology of deceased spiders to create small-scale grippers. The spiders' unique hydraulic system allows them to lift and manipulate objects, making them a promising technology for pick-and-place tasks and capturing smaller insects in nature.
Researchers at Rice University propose a new scenario explaining the 2016 discovery of tridymite by NASA's Curiosity rover. They suggest that magma cooled slowly in a chamber below a volcano, producing concentrated silicon-rich ash that was later weathered and sorted by water.
Researchers at Rice University have created 2D chiral superstructures using three-sided pyramids, which could lead to breakthroughs in metamaterials. The structures, composed of ultrathin assemblies of particles, incorporate left-handed and right-handed domains and exhibit unique optical properties.
Researchers created a composite of boron nitride and titanium dioxide that harnesses UV-A energy to break apart PFOA molecules in water, degrading 99% of the pollutant in less than three hours. The catalyst is more efficient than existing methods, offering new hope for removing PFOA from drinking water.
Researchers used deactivated Cas9 proteins to target key segments of the human genome and synthetically trigger gene transcription. The study revealed that enhancers can send messages in both directions, but with a predominant regulatory mode where an enhancer tracks toward corresponding promoters.
The new system, S4, offers a high-resolution view of stressed specimens comparable to or better than established technologies like DIC. It also overcomes optical challenges posed by cement in concrete, providing a reliable strain measurement technology.
Researchers from Rice University, Duke University, Brown University and Baylor College of Medicine developed a magnetic technology to wirelessly control neural circuits in fruit flies. They used genetic engineering to express heat-sensitive ion channels in neurons that control the behavior, and iron nanoparticles to activate the channels.
The SARS-Arena program identifies conserved peptides in the SARS-CoV-2 virus that could be used to develop vaccines. The peptides are part of the nucleocapsid protein, which is highly expressed upon infection and highly immunogenic.
Rice chemists adapt flashing process to synthesize pure boron nitride and boron carbon nitride flakes with varying degrees of carbon. The flakes show promise as an effective anticorrosive coating, protecting copper surfaces up to 92% better than traditional compounds.
Rice University bioscientists have developed a novel approach to control the expression of 'silent' genes in bacteria using CRISPR technology. This strategy could lead to the discovery of new antibiotics and has potential applications in antifungal and anticancer agents, as well as agriculture.
The Emu project effectively identifies bacterial species by leveraging long DNA sequences spanning the entire length of the gene under study. This approach facilitates the analysis of key genes in microbiome researchers' efforts to sort out harmful and helpful bacteria.
Researchers have discovered eight potential leukemia-killing compounds that target mitochondria, inducing mitophagy to weaken cancer cells. The compounds showed significant synergy with existing chemotherapy drugs, offering a deadly one-two punch against leukemia.
A novel algorithm, BLIND, enables robots to navigate through environments with obstacles by incorporating human feedback. Humans provide labels to refine the robot's trajectory, avoiding obstacles efficiently.
Rice University physicists Frank Geurts and Wei Li have received a $1.8 million grant from the Department of Energy to conduct research on relativistic heavy-ion physics at both Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Their work focuses on creating quark-gluon plasmas, a
Researchers at Rice University have successfully created the first heat-tolerant, stable fibers from boron nitride nanotubes using a wet-spinning process. The fibers assemble themselves into liquid crystals, making them easier to process and suitable for large-scale applications in aerospace, electronics, and energy-efficient materials.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a chemical process that can add two distinct functional groups to single alkenes, a breakthrough in drug design and materials science. The process uses manganese catalysts and photocalysts to enable radical ligand transfer, allowing for the creation of unique molecules.
SeqScreen, an open-source software toolkit, accurately characterizes short DNA sequences to detect pathogenic sequences. The program uses a curated database of thousands of gene sequences representing 32 types of virulence functions.
A study by Rice University finds that agricultural nitrogen emissions cause substantial damage to air quality, human health, and the climate. The researchers quantified emissions from fertilized soils over three years and found that ammonia had a much larger impact on damages than nitrogen oxides and nitrous oxide.
Physicists at Rice University have created a quantum simulator that reveals the behavior of electrons in one-dimensional wires, shedding light on spin-charge separation. The study's findings have implications for quantum computing and electronics with atom-scale wires.
A Rice University study found that parents accustomed to home schooling felt more resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased physical activity. In contrast, parents whose public-school children were suddenly housebound experienced increased stress and lower resilience. The study highlights the importance of physical activi...
Rice University engineers have developed a novel approach to manipulating the magnetic and electronic properties of 2D materials by stressing them with contoured substrates. The technique, inspired by recent discoveries in twisted 2D materials, allows for unprecedented control over quantum effects.
A team of researchers from Rice University has modeled the dynamics of grain boundaries in polycrystalline materials using a rotating magnetic field technique. The study shows that grain boundaries can change readily in response to shear stress, and voids in these structures can act as sources and sinks for their movement.
A new study from Rice University finds that Black and Hispanic veterans experienced a significant improvement in mental health after Barack Obama was elected president. The research analyzed nationally representative survey data to find two fewer poor days per month among these groups compared to white veterans.
Disbanding city police departments has no effect on overall crime rates, but leads to fewer police-related deaths. However, communities that disband their police departments are less likely to report their crime statistics to the FBI.
Researchers at Rice University have developed molecular machines that can kill bacteria using visible light, targeting gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The breakthrough study uses rotors spinning at millions of times per second to break up biofilms and persister cells, making these infections more treatable.
Researchers turn mixed plastic waste from F-150 trucks into graphene, then reuse it to create enhanced polyurethane foam with increased tensile strength and noise absorption. The circular recycling process has potential to reduce weight and increase fuel economy in the automotive industry.
A team of researchers used resonant inelastic X-ray scattering to study the behavior of electron spins in iron selenide, a material that exhibits directionally-dependent electronic behavior. They found that high-energy spin excitations are dispersive and undamped, indicating a well-defined energy-versus-momentum relationship.
Rice University bioengineers are developing optogenetic tools to study B. subtilis' stress response, combining experimental results with theoretical findings to understand genetic design principles. This research aims to reveal clues about bacterial survival and potentially lead to new antimicrobial drugs.
A new genome-editing strategy called DAP array can correct dozens of errors at the same time with high precision and efficiency, avoiding off-target edits. The technique leverages tRNA to drive multiple guide RNAs on a single array, then released individually by cells to direct genome editors for edits at multiple human genomic sites.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a theoretical framework to explain how cancers caused by multiple genetic mutations can be identified and potentially stopped. By analyzing energy landscapes of cellular transformation pathways, they found that the most dominant pathways are favored by chance.
Researchers from Rice University and Brown University demonstrate a DIY method to hack 6G frequency using office paper, inkjet printer, metallic foil transfer, and laminator. The 'metasurface-in-the-middle' attack can redirect part of a high-frequency transmission between two users, threatening the security of next-gen wireless networks.
The Rice-Waseda team created a computer simulation model that can accurately depict the complex aerodynamics around a moving car and its rolling tires. The model uses NURBS Surface-to-Volume Guided Mesh Generation method, which enables it to capture the deformation of tires as they roll on the road.
Researchers use computational detective work to verify the existence of a 3D quantum spin liquid in cerium zirconium pyrochlore, overcoming decades-long challenge. The material exhibits fractionalized spin excitations, where electrons do not arrange their spins in relation to neighbors.
A study by Rice University bioscientists has revealed the presence of a central metal ion critical to DNA replication and implicated in misincorporation. The research found that three metal ions are involved in the process, with the first supporting nucleotide binding and the second stabilizing the binding of loose nucleotides. This di...
Daniel Preston, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Rice University, has won the National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his proposal on textile-based wearable robots. The grant aims to develop a platform for non-electronic computation that can be integrated directly into wearable robots, addressing problems with s...
Researchers at Rice University have created a 'metalens' that transforms long-wave UV-A into a focused output of vacuum UV radiation. The technology uses nanophotonics to impart a phase shift on incoming light, redirecting it and generating VUV without the need for specialized equipment.
A new analysis of ancient predators sheds light on how prehistoric humans found their food, revealing that they did not rely on abandoned animal carcasses as previously thought. The study, led by Rice University, found that sabertooth cats fully devoured their prey and consumed some bones.
Researchers documented three common types of workplace microaggressions toward Black employees: expression of anti-Black stereotypes, racialized role assignment, and interactional injustice. These microaggressions lead to higher levels of job dissatisfaction and burnout among Black employees.
Researchers create high-performance catalyst to pull ammonia and solid fertilizer from low-level nitrates in industrial wastewater, reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The process works at room temperature and under ambient pressure, with potential for decentralized ammonia production.
Researchers develop less-corrosive solutions using methanesulfonic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid and oleum acids to separate and process nanotubes. The new method enables scalable production of advanced materials with excellent electrical and mechanical properties.
A study by Rice University found that Chinese public's perception of the US significantly worsened during the Trump presidency. The survey, conducted before and after the 2020 presidential election, showed that 76% of respondents believed the US did not consider China's interests in foreign policy decisions.
Jeanine Ash is part of a US effort to recover sediment cores from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which will help answer questions about sea level rise and global warming. The team aims to drill through up to 1,000 feet of ice in two places on the Ross Ice Shelf.
Rice University and MD Anderson Cancer Center will train future medical professionals to translate nanotechnology advances to the clinic, focusing on cancer diagnosis and treatment. The five-year program aims to recruit 16 fellows from underrepresented groups.
The Rice University lab has improved the recipe for synthesizing molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a highly sought-after material for its semiconducting properties. By using iodized salt, the team was able to speed up the synthesis process while reducing growth temperatures.
Researchers found uneven charge distribution within lithium iron phosphate cathodes due to misaligned particles, leading to reduced battery performance. Introducing porosity or aligning particles could potentially improve uniform lithium insertion, enhancing energy density and charge/discharge rates.
Kaiyuan Yang's five-year grant will focus on enhancing the reliability and security of bioelectronic implants by making them aware of and adaptive to their physical and logical contexts. The goal is to develop WBMI bioelectronics that can be deeply implanted in humans through minimally invasive injection, ingestion or through vessels.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a method to turn treated plastic waste into an effective carbon dioxide sorbent, capable of removing CO2 from flue gas streams. The process involves heating plastic waste in the presence of potassium acetate, producing particles with nanometer-scale pores that trap CO2 molecules.
A Rice University-led team is studying the impact of climate change on flooding in the Mississippi River, which affects over a quarter of the US population. The research aims to understand how climate warming will alter the frequency and magnitude of flooding by comparing paleoclimate data with modern models.
The five-year grant aims to develop electrobiology techniques that enable applications like living sensors to quickly detect environmental pollutants. The project will involve multiple disciplines, including synthetic biology, protein engineering, soft materials, microsystems integration, and machine learning.