James Tour, a Rice University chemist, has won the Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Prize for his groundbreaking work in materials chemistry with applications in medicine and nanotechnology. The award recognizes his research group's contributions over 32 years.
Rice University experimental physicist Ming Yi has been awarded a five-year grant from the Department of Energy to explore magnetism in two-dimensional materials. Her research aims to understand how key ingredients for magnetism evolve as materials transition from 3D to 2D.
Researchers have created a catalyst that can break carbon-fluorine bonds via hydrodefluorination, a process known as C-F bond breaking. The innovation has potential applications in remediating fluorinated compounds and could lead to cleaner, more efficient chemical processes.
Rice University researchers suggest that T cell relaxation time is key to immune response, explaining how invaders prompt the immune system. The approach helps explain why T cells can react so fast and selectively, despite self-ligand imposters outnumbering invaders by a factor of 100,000.
Researchers at Rice University discovered that excitons can spontaneously form in ground-state bilayers of specific 2D compounds, exhibiting superfluid-like behavior. This phenomenon holds promise for innovative electronic and quantum computing applications.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a new method to kill breast cancer cells using light-activated molecules. By replacing a single oxygen atom with sulfur, the photosensitizers generate reactive oxygen species that destroy tumor cells.
Rice University researchers have demonstrated methods to optimize data-centric processing, improving energy efficiency by up to two orders of magnitude. Two complementary approaches, TIMELY and SmartExchange, were presented at ISCA 2020, leveraging innovative hardware architecture and co-designing with machine-learning algorithms.
Researchers at Rice University have made a breakthrough in 4D printing by developing a method to print objects that can change shape autonomously. The technique uses liquid crystal polymers to create materials that can morph from one shape to another through temperature, electric current or stress.
Rice University scientists developed an easy and affordable tool to count and characterize nanoparticles using the open-source SEMseg program. The tool simplifies nanoparticle analysis by extracting pixel-level data from low-contrast SEM images and recombining it into sharp images.
Researchers develop implant that uses magnetic energy to produce high-frequency signals for treating epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, chronic pain and other conditions. The miniaturization enables wireless power delivery and minimally invasive procedure.
Researchers at Rice University have developed an egg-based coating that protects fruits and vegetables from rotting, extending their shelf life comparable to standard coatings like wax. The coating, made from egg whites and nanoscale cellulose, is all-natural, washable, and non-toxic.
Researchers isolated single BNNTs using a fluorescent rhodamine surfactant, allowing them to track their movement and confirm Brownian motion matches predictions. This study helps understand particle behavior in liquids and could lead to the development of novel composite materials and biomedical applications.
Laurence Yeung's research aims to unify theory and experiments on oxygen isotopes to improve estimates of primary productivity in the oceans. He also seeks to resolve interlaboratory discrepancies and study biosphere productivity over a billion years.
Physicist Ming Yi receives a prestigious $1.6 million grant to study correlated quantum materials, aiming to gain fundamental understanding of their electronic phases and control their behavior.
A newly discovered ocean virus is hijacking the metabolism of the most abundant organism on Earth, Prochlorococcus marinus. The virus alters the ability of P. marinus to store carbon and counter the greenhouse gas effect, potentially preventing gigatons of carbon from being taken out of the air annually.
A Rice University study reveals that blood flow to the brain recovers faster than brain function after a microstroke. The research used advanced neural monitoring technology to measure both blood flow and neuronal recovery simultaneously, showing a significant disconnect between the two processes.
Researchers developed Early Bird, an energy-efficient method for training deep neural networks, which can use 10.7 times less energy than traditional methods to achieve the same level of accuracy. This breakthrough could lead to significant cost savings and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Researchers have found a link between 2D and 3D phases of topological matter, reviving the quantum Hall effect in 3D superconductors. This connection could enable fault-tolerant quantum computing using entangled states protected by long-range quantum entanglement.
Daniel Preston, a Rice engineer, has received a National Science Foundation grant to investigate the effect of varying temperatures on SARS-CoV-2. His project aims to provide evidence-based guidelines for PPE sterilization and predict virus lifetime in different climates.
Early studies indicate COVID-19 genetic material can be detected in stool samples, but it's unclear if infectious virus is present. Further research is needed to determine the risk of transmission through feces.
Researchers at Rice University have created a 2D Janus compound that enhances the detection of biomolecules via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The nonmetallic material boosts signal strength, reducing background noise and improving detection limits.
Researchers at Rice University found evidence of piezoelectricity in lab-grown molybdenum dioxide flakes due to trapped electrons in defects. The material exhibits strong piezoelectric response comparable to conventional materials like molybdenum disulfide.
Rice University researchers have created a self-sustaining system that splits water to produce hydrogen fuel using solar power, with an efficiency of up to 6.7%. The device uses perovskite solar cells and catalytic electrodes to convert sunlight into electricity, which drives the electrochemical reaction to produce hydrogen and oxygen.
Peter Lwigale has been awarded a four-year, $1.5 million NIH R01 grant to investigate the function of Npnt, a protein abundant in the cornea's extracellular matrix. The study aims to inform therapies for malformed eyes and injuries.
Rice University researchers have discovered a hidden symmetry in the chemical kinetic equations used to model biological processes. This discovery has significant implications for drug design, genetics, and biomedical research, as it reveals that errors are controlled by kinetics rather than thermodynamics.
Researchers at Rice University developed a plan to recycle wastewater, reducing the need for surface water by 28%. The 'direct potable reuse' method could also improve water quality and travel times, providing a more efficient and sustainable water supply system.
Rice University has secured a $2.45 million NIH grant to develop CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing for sickle cell disease treatment. The study aims to address the risks and mechanisms of gene editing in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells.
Rice University researchers have won a National Science Foundation RAPID grant to upgrade their wastewater-treatment technology. They aim to develop a system that can selectively adsorb viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, and disable them using photocatalytic disinfection.
Researchers at Rice University have simulated a complex network mechanism by which the brain retains information. The study suggests that cytoskeletal avalanches within neurons' dendritic spines may be one way they retain new information.
Researchers at Rice University have found that the size of the space trapping petrochemicals is the primary factor behind puzzling NMR signals, leading to better interpretation of logs in unconventional shale formations. The discovery is crucial for extracting oil and gas safely and economically.
László Kürti, a Rice University chemist, has received a prestigious grant to speed up drug design by simplifying the synthesis of essential precursors. The five-year grant will support research into amines and their derivatives, which are present in most drug molecules. This could lead to more environmentally friendly drug development.
The Rice University team has developed an automated bag valve mask ventilator unit that can be built for less than $300 in parts. In lab tests, the device delivered nonstop air for 24 hours, showing its potential to help critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Rice University researchers are receiving $3 million to upgrade sensors for the Large Hadron Collider. The upgrades will enable the collider to discover even deeper truths about elemental matter. The research team is responsible for designing and managing the installation of next-generation sensors in the Compact Muon Solenoid.
Researchers at Rice University have discovered that double-walled carbon nanotubes can create a staggered band alignment, allowing for more efficient separation of positive and negative charges in photovoltaic applications. This effect is caused by the interplay of different curvatures between the inner and outer walls of the nanotube.
A study in Science reveals ancient coral records that show no correlation between volcanic eruptions and El Niño events. The analysis of oxygen isotopes in corals provides a high-fidelity record of ocean temperatures, spanning over 500 years of the last millennium.
New research from Rice University found that Barack Obama's 2008 presidential election improved the mental health of black men, with an average decrease in poor mental health days from four to three. However, this benefit did not extend to black women, who reported a slight increase in mental health problems following the election.
Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have developed a new method for analyzing the brains of stroke victims just days after the stroke. They found that different parts of the brain are responsible for various speech functions, including retrieving words and producing grammatical aspects of sentences.
Research from Rice University found that working blacks with high awareness of systemic racism are seven times more likely to pursue self-employment. However, these individuals often experience worse financial situations and lower education levels than their counterparts. The study suggests racism's influence on career choices and fina...
Researchers at Rice University found that Buffalo Bayou's natural form is better at absorbing floodwater and preventing it from spilling over into heavily populated areas. The study shows that urban development in the Brays watershed increased the 100-year flood plain, making it more prone to flooding.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a new strategy to destroy antibiotic-resistant genes, known as superbugs, in sewage system wastewater. The nano technology traps and degrades these genetic remnants before they can infect other bacteria.
Bioscientists at Rice University have developed a novel system to amplify gene expression signals, allowing for more sensitive detection of target genes. The system, consisting of two modules, provides high-resolution dynamic information on gene expression dynamics, which are critical for understanding cell behavior.
Researchers found that the alignment of nanotubes in 2D films corresponds to parallel, submicroscopic grooves on the paper. The grooves likely form during the factory production process, and removing them allows for control over alignment direction.
Researchers have successfully tested molecular motors that can destroy diseased cells in worms, plankton, and mice. The nanomachines caused various degrees of damage to tissues, showing their potential for treating skin diseases such as melanomas and eczema.
Researchers from Rice University and the University of Michigan created a model to predict the severity of multipathogen epidemics based on within-host pathogen interactions. The study used zooplankton as a model organism and found that altering the order of infection can change the course of an epidemic.
Scientists at Rice University successfully grew atom-thick sheets of hexagonal boron nitride, a wide band gap semiconductor, to create perfectly ordered crystals for use in integrated circuits. The breakthrough enables the development of 2D layers with millions of transistors, potentially overcoming limitations in miniaturization.
Rice University researchers developed a cost-saving alternative to GPU acceleration called SLIDE, which uses general-purpose CPUs without specialized hardware. The algorithm outperforms traditional back-propagation training with hash tables, reducing computational overhead and enabling faster deep learning on CPUs.
Scientists at Rice University found that low-salinity brine can create emulsion droplets in crude oil, enhancing oil recovery. The research also revealed the wettability of rock determines how easily it releases oil.
The Rice University team has introduced an inexpensive organic synthesis technique that catalyzes the transfer of nitrogen atoms to olefins, making valuable pharmaceutical precursors. The process combines nitrogen and hydrogen atoms in triangular aziridine products, which are readily available to react with other agents.
A team of Rice University engineers has introduced the first neural implant that can be both programmed and charged remotely with a magnetic field. The integrated microsystem, called MagNI, incorporates magnetoelectric transducers that allow it to harvest power from an alternating magnetic field outside the body.
Anna-Karin Gustavsson joins Rice University as a CPRIT Scholar, bringing expertise in single-molecule imaging to cancer research. She aims to develop 3D super-resolution microscopy techniques for understanding molecular mechanisms and potential targets for drug treatment.