Rice Engineering and Computing

💡 New insights on curbing emissions from AI-driven data center boom.

As AI increases demand for computing power across the U.S., a new study co-authored by Hon Chung Lau, Rice University Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering adjunct professor and founder of Low Carbon Energies LLC, has found that carbon capture and storage could play a major role in limiting the climate impact of data centers.

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Study finds carbon capture and storage could help curb emissions from AI-driven data center boom As artificial intelligence accelerates demand for computing power across the U.S., a new study co-authored by Hon Chung Lau, adjunct professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice and founder of Low Carbon Energies LLC, has...

A major milestone for coastal resilience.

The SSPEED Center's coastal recreation vision has caught the attention of Congress.

U.S. Rep. Randy Weber (R-Friendswood) has introduced H.R. 9325, the Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area Act, legislation that would establish a new national recreation area across portions of Jefferson, Chambers, Galveston, Brazoria and Matagorda counties.

If enacted, the bill would create the Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area to expand outdoor recreation, support conservation, strengthen coastal economies and elevate the national and international profile of the upper Texas Gulf Coast.

Image credit: Lone Star Coastal Alliance
https://news.rice.edu/news/2026/rices-sspeed-center-helped-shape-coastal-recreation-vision-now-congress

A historic first: Rice University and NASA are on a mission to accelerate robotic systems for space.

A team led by Lydia Kavraki, doctoral student Nikki Hart, and NASA collaborators have launched iMETRO Dynamic Simulation — the world’s first open-source dynamic simulation environment to develop robots used in space vehicles and indoor space habitats.

The simulation platform addresses a critical bottleneck for future long-duration spaceflight: maximizing human efficiency during space missions.

Rice and NASA launch world's first open-source remote space robotics simulator Researchers at NASA and Rice have launched the the world's first open-source dynamic simulation environment to develop robots used in space vehicles and indoor space habitats.

Imagine a future where pediatric cancer patients receive personalized treatments that improve quality of life and maximize their chances of survival.

Rice University Bioengineering's Julea Vlassakis is helping make that future possible. She has been awarded $1.1 million in federal funding to advance research on Ewing sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that primarily affects children and young adults.

The Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program Career Development Award from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs will support her research on biological mechanisms that enable Ewing sarcoma cells to divide and spread to other parts of the body.

Congratulations to Julea Vlassakis on this outstanding achievement. https://news.rice.edu/news/2026/rice-bioengineer-wins-federal-award-ewing-sarcoma-research

A blood sample may soon reveal how genes behave deep inside living tissues.

Rice University Bioengineering's Jerzy Szablowski and Sho Watanabe developed a new approach for accurately mapping transcription profiles in living brain tissue using only a blood sample.

Their work marks the first demonstration of measuring transcription for targeted genes nondestructively in living tissue—an advance that could open new avenues for studying brain function, monitoring disease and evaluating therapies without invasive procedures.

Technology Networks recently highlighted the research and its potential impact.

Blood Test Method Tracks Gene Activity in Living Brain Tissue New research introduces INTACT, a tool that combines RNA sensing and blood-based reporters to track gene expression in real time. The system could eventually enable large-scale monitoring of genes across multiple tissues.