How does melanin protect cells from damaging radiation? How can this ability be improved?
Monitoring Vital Signs with Temporary Tattoos
Skin-conforming, ultra-thin wearable medical sensors could make going to the doctor less invasive than ever before. This newly developed, “tattooable” sensor uses a newly developed material to create one of the thinnest yet.
Mapping the Targets of Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2
The worldwide death toll from the pandemic disease COVID-19 has now surpassed half a million people, sparking global vaccine development efforts. One of the most important elements in the immune system’s response to a vaccine is the antibody response, but antibodies to different parts of the invader can have different effects. In order to better understand which parts of SARS-CoV-2 are targeted by antibodies from the human immune system, Hongye Wang and colleagues developed a SARS-CoV-2 peptide array. By observing which peptides were targeted by antibodies from patients with COVID-19, the authors were able to profile which of these regions were responsible for raising antibodies. Their technology will also be useful in future vaccine development efforts.
Using Deep Learning to Expedite Drug Discovery
Let’s find out how researchers are using ‘artificial intelligence’ as a tool to the advancement of drug discovery.
Life in the Hot Springs: Bacterial Tricks for Thermal Stability
When cooking an egg, heat denatures proteins in the egg. How does a thermophilic bacteria prevent its proteins from denaturing too?
No More Burnt Bridges: DNA Nanoengines Designed to Perform Multiple Cycles
The authors here present the next step in artificial nanoengines – an engine that can perform multiple cycles over the same path.
Eating Spices could Boost Your Immune System
An interesting correlation has been discovered between consumption of spices and a lower fatality rate from COVID-19.
Release the molecule! Photolabile protecting groups
How do you design a “cage” for a molecule? And how do you release it again, selectively? Find out about a rationally designed red-light labile protecting group.
“Mix n’ Match” Metabolisms
“Jailbreaking” your smartphone is one thing—but what if you could jailbreak nature itself?
We need to talk about racism in chemistry
The impacts of systemic racism extend far beyond police brutality. It’s time we face up to systemic racism within chemistry, and take action to reform it for the better
Cleaning the Oceans with Help from … the Sky
Scientists can now identify plastic in coastal water from pictures taken by European Space Agency (ESA) satellites
3D printed blood vessels allow easy monitoring and experimentation
Paper: ECM-based microchannel for culturing in vitro vascular tissues with simultaneous perfusion and stretch Journal: Lab on a Chip Authors: Azusa Shimizu, Wei Huang Goh, Shun Itai, Michinao Hashimoto, Shigenori Miurad and Hiroaki Onoe Year: 2020 Featured Image: Jesus Leonardo Rondon Tapia–Creative Commons License Inflammation or…
Parasitic ticks, friends rather than foes?
Ticks are usually viewed as disgusting parasites, but new research has emerged that may make you change your mind about these little critters.
A Solution Worse than the Problem: Using Chemistry to Understand the Runaway Immune Reaction in COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 has now caused over 100,000 deaths in the United States alone. However, only a small fraction of people infected develop severe illness leading to death. Why do some people barely display any symptoms, while others progress to complete respiratory failure? Here, researchers at Shanghai Children’s Hospital used chemical proteomic technology to identify protein-protein interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and human proteins and use these data to better understand how the virus interacts with the immune system, leading to a runaway reaction in some patients. They also correlate levels of important immune proteins IL-6 and IL-8 to COVID-19 severity in patient samples, in agreement with their chemical proteomic data.
A new link between the gut microbiome and ourselves
Sphingolipids – a new gut microbiota molecule that impacts host health
Harnessing an enzyme’s full potential by locking it in a protein cage
Researchers use a naturally crystalline protein to act as a cage to hold another enzyme. This assembly can then be used to turn waste cooking oil into biodiesel.
Monitoring plant maturation with a Wack reaction
When the authors’ blurb about their own work is “Okay, bloomer,” you know you have to read it.
Catching it Early: New Ways of Detecting Coronavirus
Coronavirus has affected every one of us directly or indirectly. Early detection can lower the spread of the disease. Let’s learn about a new technique for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.
From Lead Pipes to Contaminated Drinking Water: Lead’s Chemical Accomplices
Lead pipes still exist in older infrastructure, but chemical water treatment can prevent (or increase!) the release of lead from the pipes to drinking water.
A Closer Look At The Walls of The Toughest Microbes
Mycobacteria are tough, pathogenic microbes that shield themselves with a hardy envelope known as the mycomembrane. Little is still known about the proteins that build or interact with this envelope, but these researchers are up to the challenge.
The Chemistry of Intermittent Fasting
Our bodies evolved two primary systems to generate energy so why is one so misunderstood?
Road Salt Impacts the Atmosphere
A surprising new source of chlorine to the atmosphere: road salt!
How effective are fabric masks?
The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of our lives, including the daily use of face masks. But how well do home-made fabric masks really filter the air we breathe?
These artificial muscles don’t mind being “light” weight
Light-responsive substances are all the rage; find out how one research group invented a new class of photomechanical materials.
Hydrogenation without turning up the heat
Researchers discover a new way to dope high-melting oxides in solution with hydrogen.