Texas Science

cns.utexas.eduUnder Antibiotic Siege, Frontline Bacterial Cells Protect Their Colony from Beyond the GraveRasika Harshey’s lab studies how dying bacteria can increase antibiotic resistance among their neighbors.

Bacteria find safety in numbers. A new UT study led by Rasika Harshey & Vineet Kumar reveals a form of temporary, community-level antibiotic tolerance — dying bacteria release RNA that traps antibiotic like a ‘molecular sponge’ & protects their neighbors. #AntibioticResistance #BacillusSubtilis

cns.utexas.eduThe Brain's Tug-of-War Between Impulse and Self-ControlWhy people with addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder struggle to resist urges.

We’ve all struggled with the impulse to do something we want to do when we know we should do something else. New research led by UT neuroscientist Thomas Elston has uncovered clues on how the brain regains control when these urges threaten to take over. #ImpulseControl #SelfControl #Neuroscience

cns.utexas.eduKurtis Carsch Selected as a 2026 Packard FellowThe fellowship will fund research on materials with applications in energy, medicine and drug discovery.

Congrats to UT chemist Kurtis Carsch on being selected as a 2026 Packard Fellow for Science & Engineering by the David & Lucile Packard Foundation! #PackardFellows #TexasScience @utaustinchemistry.bsky.social @utaustin.bsky.social @kcarsch.bsky.social @packardfdn.bsky.social

cns.utexas.eduHelping Others Slows Cognitive Decline in People at Higher Genetic Risk for Alzheimer’sResearchers found that even modest time spent helping others was associated with cognitive benefits.

Helping others can benefit people with a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, finds new research led by UT Austin. Regularly volunteering or even informally helping people outside their home was linked with slower cognitive decline in those at risk. #Alzheimers #Volunteering

Texas Science reposted

LaMontagne Center for Infectious Disease

@lcidatut.bsky.social

SAVE THE DATE: Dr. Rachel Dutton, Professor and Executive Director of Innovation at UC San Diego, will be the keynote speaker for the 2027 John Ring LaMontagne Annual Keynote Lecture on March 22, 2027. lcid.utexas.edu/events/rache...

lcid.utexas.eduRachel Dutton at the 2027 LaMontagne Lecture2027 LaMontagne Lecture with Dr. Rachel Dutton at the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Disease

15 Sept

Now you see it … now you don’t. Researchers stumbled onto a greener way to recycle objects made of pDCPD, used in everything from vehicle bumpers to construction equipment to chemical storage tanks. More at txsci.net/recycled #SustainableScience #PlasticRecycling @utaustinchemistry.bsky.social

cns.utexas.eduMeet Iris Schmeder, Undergraduate Frog ResearcherA chance encounter in a hallway and hands-on learning opportunities sparked her passion for research.

10 Sept

Meet Iris Schmeder, undergrad frog researcher 🐸 The senior bio major researches frog biodiversity & ecology at UT Austin. She’s a Dean’s Scholar & former Stengl-Wyer Biodiversity Scholar & even interned for a @pbs.org science show. Learn about her in our Q&A ⬇️ #UndergraduateResearch #Herpetofauna

8 Sept

Last week in Oslo, Allan MacDonald received the Kavli Prize for Nanoscience. A physicist at The University of Texas at Austin, he was honored for helping establish the field of twistronics. Read more: cns.utexas.edu/news/accolad...

news.utexas.eduMost Children Rebounded After COVID-19 Disruptions, Study Finds - UT NewsLong-term research finds most children recovered from the effects of the pandemic, with lasting challenges concentrated among those already facing hardships.

3 Sept

New studies find COVID pandemic impacts on children were not as severe as originally feared. Most children’s health, learning, social development and well-being recovered substantially over time. Full story: news.utexas.edu/2026/09/02/m...

Texas Science reposted

Hannah Sima Rempel

@hannah-rempel.bsky.social

3 Sept

Blennies & the Jetty 🐟 Small fishes that inhabit Texas jetties may have surprisingly important roles as links in local food webs between the nutrients and detritus they eat and larger iconic Texas game fishes! @texasscience.bsky.social @utmsi.bsky.social www.portasouthjetty.com/articles/the...

portasouthjetty.comThe Secret lives of Port A’s cryptic fishes - Port Aransas South JettyIf you’ve ever strolled a long the Port Aransas jetty or paddled past the pier to catch some surf, you’ve likely been watched by hundreds of tiny, tufted eyes from some of our smallest residents! Thes...

Texas Science reposted

Texas Astronomy

@texasastronomy.bsky.social

31 Aug

You've likely heard about the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch yesterday. Use of this incredible instrument is already highly coveted, and UT Austin won more resources to use the telescope than researchers at ANY other university in the country!🤘 mcdonaldobservatory.org/2026/08/ut-a...

mcdonaldobservatory.orgUT Austin Astronomers to Play Leading Role in NASA’s Newly Launched Roman Space Telescope – The McDonald Observatory

youtube.comCox and Parry LIVE Backstage at The Kavli Prize Ceremony (Not the ceremony)YouTube video by The Kavli Prize

31 Aug

Allan MacDonald is receiving The Kavli Prize in Nanoscience tomorrow. Learn about his science, and of the other winners, in a live backstage event on YouTube hosted by physicist Brian Cox and journalist Vivienne Parry. Sep. 1 at 9:45am ET/6:45am PT (U.S.). www.youtube.com/live/qDM9ZE6...

cns.utexas.eduStudents Win Science Award for Bio-Inspired Fabric SealantCollege of Natural Sciences students developed an innovation that could mean safer ways of making clothing water-resistant.

28 Aug

Five Freshman Research Initiative students won the 2026 Biodesign Challenge’s Outstanding Science Award by using corn & beeswax to invent an innovative fabric sealant that could more safely make clothing water-resistant, stain-resistant & moisture-wicking. #HappyFRIday #BDC2026 #StudentResearch

Texas Science reposted

Caroline Farrior

@cfarrior.bsky.social

27 Aug

Some fantastic lessons in here from an incredibly thoughtful and creative teacher. Congratulations on your retirement, Ruth Buskirk! cns.utexas.edu/news/feature...

cns.utexas.eduSix Lessons from a Legendary UT Science TeacherOn moving day, a veteran scientist and teacher looks back on lessons learned in the college.

cns.utexas.eduThose Toddler Foods on Grocery Shelves? More than 80% Are UltraprocessedUniversity of Texas at Austin nutritional scientists found nearly half of foods for young children exceeded recommended sugar, sodium, fat or calories.

19 Aug

When nutritional scientists at UT Austin examined toddler foods sold in 21 Texas grocery stores they found that more than 80% were ultraprocessed and almost half exceeded recommended sugar, sodium, fat or calories. #ChildNutrition @utaustin.bsky.social cns.utexas.edu/news/researc...

13 Aug

Microplastics on beaches are potentially dangerous to wildlife and people, yet hard to monitor. Scientists and engineers at The University of Texas at Austin are developing a robot to map microplastics on beaches. Learn more: www.texasscientist.cns.utexas.edu/articles/bea...

13 Aug

And here is a video of the robot in action

12 Aug

🎉 Congrats to the newly launched National Center for STEM Education (formerly UT each Institute)! We look forward to what’s next. Learn more: nationalstemed.org/news/press-r...

cns.utexas.edu5 Questions with Archer Graduate Fellow Christina LildharrieA Ph.D. student in neuroscience, she is exploring science, service and public policy in the nation’s capital.

12 Aug

Christina Lildharrie, a neuroscience Ph.D. student at @utaustin.bsky.social, spent her summer as an Archer Graduate Fellow in Washington, D.C., learning how science and public policy can work together to create meaningful change. Read about her experience: cns.utexas.edu/news/feature...

cns.utexas.eduTeens who Start the Day with Breakfast, Especially Foods with Protein, Eat Better OverallTeens who ate breakfast took in more nutrients and consumed less daily fat and sugar than those who skipped it, a University of Texas at Austin study found.

7 Aug

It’s said breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but there’s been little evidence to back that up until now. New research at UT Austin found that teens who ate breakfast took in more nutrients & consumed less daily fat & sugar than those who skipped. cns.utexas.edu/news/researc...

Texas Science reposted

The University of Texas at Austin Department of Chemistry

@utaustinchemistry.bsky.social

30 July

Congratulations to Michael Krische, recipient of the Akira Suzuki Award! chemistry.utexas.edu/news/accolad...

1/6: Physicists have revealed the origin of a possible runaway black hole: two supermassive black holes smashed together, spawning gravitational waves that gave the resulting black hole a powerful kick. Read the paper in @physrevlett.aps.org: journals.aps.org/prl/abstract...

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5/6: The runaway black hole was kicked out of its home galaxy and is now racing through space at supersonic speed.

6/6: Illustration credit: NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak (STScI).

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3/6: Their findings could help physicists interpret expected observations from an upcoming space-based gravitational wave observatory called LISA.

4/6: The mysterious object, shown here in an artist’s impression, first got the attention of astronomers when they noticed a strange streak of stars in a Hubble Space Telescope image that was then later captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.

2/6: The study was led by Tousif Islam, an incoming postdoctoral fellow at The University of Texas at Austin's Weinberg Institute, with Jay Wadekar of the Weinberg Institute and Tejaswi Venumadhav of UC Santa Barbara.

20 July

On this day in 1969, humans took their 1st steps on the Moon. It took years of work by a multitude of people, including Texas Science alum Frances “Poppy” Northcutt. Learn more about her & other UT alumni who played a part at txsci.net/CNSApollo #MoonDay #MoonLanding @poppynorthcutt.bsky.social

nature.comLARES-2 satellite measures frame-dragging effect around the Earth - NatureUsing LARES-2, LAGEOS and GRACE satellites, researchers measured Earth’s frame-dragging with unprecedented precision, strongly confirming general relativity, constraining alternative gravity theories,...

17 July

Using a disco ball in space and lasers, scientists have confirmed one of Einstein’s weirdest predictions: rotating objects (like Earth) drag spacetime around them. They measured “frame dragging” with the highest precision ever. Learn more: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Texas Science reposted

Texas Astronomy

@texasastronomy.bsky.social

6 July

Using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory, astronomers have taken a closer look at a nearby exoplanet and discovered it may be more Earth-like than previously thought. mcdonaldobservatory.org/2026/06/near...

txsci.netScience vs. Screwworms: How UT Research Inspired Our Best WeaponKey to earlier eradications of the threat was a University of Texas discovery that’s still proving useful today.

2 July

🩻 Science vs. Screwworms 🪰 Did you know that a University of Texas discovery — which led to a Nobel Prize — was the key to eradicating past outbreaks of the New World screwworm & is still proving useful today? #TexasScience #Screwworm #NobelPrize #BasicResearch #BasicScience txsci.net/screwworms

Texas Science reposted

The University of Texas at Austin Department of Chemistry

@utaustinchemistry.bsky.social

11 June

Congratulations to Kurtis Carsch, one of 12 researchers nationwide selected for the 2026 class of Beckman Young Investigators! @kcarsch.bsky.social cns.utexas.edu/news/accolad...

cns.utexas.eduKurtis Carsch Named a Beckman Young InvestigatorThe Beckman Foundation selected University of Texas at Austin chemist Kurtis Carsch among 12 award-winning researchers honored this year.

10 June

🎉 Congratulations to Allan MacDonald on winning a 2026 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience!

The Kavli Prize@kavliprize.bsky.social

We're thrilled to announce the 2026 #KavliPrize Laureates, scientists pushing boundaries of what humanity knows in #astrophysics #nanoscience #neuroscience. They have revealed new chapters in the story of our universe, the smallest materials, and how the brain works. 1/2

9 June

Meet Chip Breier, a marine scientist developing cutting-edge robotics & other tools to explore some of the most extreme environments on Earth. 🌊🔬 Read our Q&A: www.texasscientist.cns.utexas.edu/articles/joh... @utmsi.bsky.social @whoi.edu

Happy World Reef Day! 🪸🐠 Misha Matz, a coral biologist at The University of Texas at Austin is proposing a radical plan to save Caribbean coral reefs from collapse. Read more: cns.utexas.edu/news/feature... Photo captions & credits below in comments @heatshok.bsky.social @texas-ib.bsky.social

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2. Could “super recruiter” corals—like these that sprung up in the western Pacific just several years after a typhoon destroyed the reef—help save Caribbean coral reefs? Photo of Acropora corals in Palau in 2018. Credit: Mark Priest.

3. Recent changes in Caribbean/western Atlantic coral reefs, as elkhorn (orange), staghorn (yellow) and massive boulder corals decline. Illustration redrawn by Rashpal Dhilon (Rush Studio), based on a 2016 review paper in Conservation Biology by Kuffner and Toth.

1. Misha Matz. Photo credit: Eileen Chong.

27 May

By mapping protein networks in an ancient ancestor of all complex life, a U. of Texas at Austin-led team found new genes connected to three rare disorders. It might yield hundreds more. New study in Cell Genomics cns.utexas.edu/news/researc... @edwardmarcotte.bsky.social @jbwallingford.bsky.social

Texas Science reposted

utcompsci.bsky.social

@utcompsci.bsky.social

19 May

Congratulations to UT Computer Science Ph.D. student Yeonju Ro on being named a 2026 MLCommons ML and Systems Rising Star! Co-advised by Aditya Akella and @atlaswang.bsky.social, Yeonju is also a contributor to UT’s @ldosexpedition.bsky.social and Infra AI Center.

cns.utexas.eduA Formula for Promoting Student STEM SuccessJames Álvarez, a new administrator in the College of Natural Sciences, spoke to us about his work in STEM education.

19 May

Meet James Álvarez, a new college administrator and alum who is working to bolster programs across the college that support STEM education not just at UT, but across the country and at every level. #STEMEducation #STEMSuccess cns.utexas.edu/news/feature...