News: Chemistry

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

Cockrell School of Engineering

The Secret Ingredient Is Salt

Eric Anslyn co-led a study revealing how salt can be used to control the formation and aging of nanocrystal gels.

A large piece of scientific equipment with wires and metal tubes sits on a long table in a laboratory

Accolades

5 Questions With Senior Krithik Vishwanath

The winner of the prestigious Churchill Scholarship is triple-majoring in math, chemistry and computational engineering.

A young man in a polo-style shirt crosses his arms and smiles standing before a limestone building labeled computational engineering and sciences.

Research

Experimental Chemo Drug May Trick the Immune System Into Fighting Cancer

The finding suggests other chemo drugs, too, may be making cancer cells cause a surprising immune-system reaction.

A microscope image of round cells that resemble lemon slices, but stained purple.

Features

Visualizing Science Contest Winners for 2026 Span Disciplines

Top-prize image highlights a vital player in the central nervous system.

Shapes and colors like swirls of paint occupy a star-shaped cell found in the brain and spinal cord

Accolades

Two UT Austin Faculty Members Selected as 2026 Cottrell Scholars

William Gilpin in physics and Devleena Samanta in chemistry each were selected for the honor.

Headshots of two scientists

Features

Microplastics in the Sand: Beach Combing Goes High Tech

A UT chemist says it is now time to develop tests for microplastics, similar to tests for other toxic threats.

A toaster-sized robot sits on a table with and mechanical arm hovering over a dish of sand. A bluish light points onto a spot on the sand for analysis.

UT News

UT Startup To Recover Rare Earth Minerals From Industrial and e-Waste

The startup, based on work from UT chemists, puts a reusable, 3D-printed filtration platform to work.

A hand in scientific PPE glove and white lab coat holds up a textured cube in front of a fume hood.

Research

New 3D Printing Method Makes Affordable, Realistic Replicas as Structurally Complex as a Human Hand

The CRAFT method uses widely available materials and inexpensive commercial 3D printers.

Four panels show a 3D printed model of a human hand. One panel shows a grayscale image used for the printing, two show the printed hand and the final panel shows cross sections of the wrist, highlighting hard and soft regions.

UT News

Governor Abbott Announces Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund Grant To Texas Quantum Institute

The announcement notes: “UT Austin is where world-changing discoveries in quantum research and development are being made.”

Illustration shows how atom-thin materials enable control of individual photons of light

Texas Quantum Institute

Quantum Leap for STEM Graduate Training at UT

A new initiative will prepare graduate students in the rapidly evolving field of quantum science and technology.

Illustration shows how atom-thin materials enable control of individual photons of light