News
Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin
Department of Molecular Biosciences
Our Immune Systems Blanket the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein with Antibodies
Most antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the blood target areas of the viral spike protein outside the receptor binding domain, or RBD
![A spike protein from the virus SARS-CoV-2 with antibodies attached](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/antibodies-and-spike-white1400.jpg)
Two CNS Faculty Receive President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Awards
Laura Lashinger and Sally Ragsdale received awards recognizing the university’s educational innovators who demonstrate exceptional undergraduate teaching in the core curriculum.
![Portraits of two women](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/lashinger_ragsdale_2400x1350.jpg)
Graduating Researcher and Student Leader Grateful for Mentorship and Support
During Brett Dolotina's time at UT Austin, they advocated for LGBTQ+ students as a member of the President's Student Advisory Committee (PSAC) and were involved...
![Portrait of a young man](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/dolotina_brett_2400x1600.jpg)
UT News
Jonathan Sessler Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Chemist Jonathan L. Sessler of The University of Texas at Austin has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the country’s most prestigious scientific...
![Jonathan Sessler, in suit and tie, smiles and stands before white board with notes](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/sessler-jonathan-2400x1350.jpg)
Bay Education Center is Fully Repaired and Reopened after Hurricane Harvey Damage
The Bay Education Center, operated by the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, a program of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, is reopening with...
![Bay Education Center exhibits show animals such as a coyote and javelina](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/bayedctr-2.jpeg)
Department of Molecular Biosciences
Hepatitis C Drugs Boost Remdesivir’s Antiviral Activity Against COVID-19
Four drugs used to treat hepatitis C render remdesivir 10 times better at inhibiting the coronavirus in cell cultures.
![A hand holds a pill against a backdrop of other medical interventions such as shots and IV bags](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/5_pills_1400x840.jpg)
Mathematician Receives Jean Holloway Award for Excellence in Teaching
Amanda Hager was recognized for demonstrating "a warm spirit, a concern for society and the individual, and the ability to impart knowledge while challenging students...
![Portrait of a woman](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/hager_amanda2400x1350.jpg)
UT News
Climate-friendly Microbes Chomp Dead Plants Without Releasing Heat-trapping Methane
Scientists have identified an entirely new group of microbes quietly living in hot springs, geothermal systems and hydrothermal sediments around the world.
![Hot springs](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/drty-hot-springs_by-jian-yu-jiao1400.png)
UT News
Exoplanet is Gobbling Up Gas and Dust as it Continues to Build Mass
The Hubble Space Telescope has allowed astronomers including Brendan Bowler from The University of Texas at Austin to get a rare look at a young...
![An artist's image suggests a planet is sucking a stream of orbiting light into its mass](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/exoplanetpds70b_illo2-copy-1200x800-c-default.jpeg)
UT Chemistry Researchers Encode Jane Austen Quote in a Polymer
The technique, which relies on short polymers called oligourethanes, encodes information with greater density than DNA-based approaches
![Illustration of a book showing how to translate chemical components of a polymer into English letters](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/molecules_in_a_book_2400x1600.jpg)