The first complete iodine measurements in the middle atmosphere detected higher levels than expected.
Seeing the Invisible
Ever wondered how scientists know what is going on inside a cell, or how you could design a chemical probe to tell you more? There’s a lot of things to consider, find out more here.
The Chemistry Behind Bushfires
The current Australian bushfire season has been worse than any seen before. The causes are complex, but chemistry can be used to help fight the disaster.
What happens when you add crap to graphene? Literally.
Graphene’s amazing properties make it one of the most popular new materials in recent years. But what if we could improve it with an unlikely additive?
Mapping Impurities in 2D Nanosheets to Improve Catalysis
Nanoscale materials are highly promising for efficiently catalyzing chemical reactions, but figuring out where impurities are in these tiny materials is often challenging. New research applies atom probe tomography to map impurities in 2D nanosheets.
New plastics made from wood break down completely in seawater
Single-use plastics continue to pile up in the oceans, where they can last thousands of years and have huge impacts on marine ecosystems. Now, researchers from Italy have developed a plastic made from wood that breaks down in seawater.
Nanoparticles when you need them and where you want them
Nanocomposites bring together the fields of polymers and nanoparticles. A new technique to synthesize them gives researchers more control over their formation
“Buckling” down on flexible electronics
Researchers have combined biological with inorganic nanoparticles to introduce a new flexible electronic ink using cooperative “buckling” effects.
Battling Bilirubin: Faster, Cheaper Method of Identifying Newborn Jaundice Developed.
blood, jaundice, medicine, lab on a chip
Identifying the Molecular Mechanism of a Targeted Cancer Therapeutic Lead Compound
Molecules that target specific aspects of cancer biology are of great interest due to the improved efficacy and reduced side effects for patients relative to chemotherapy. Scientists have identified many compounds that can selectively kill cancer cells, but it is not yet understood how most of them work. Here, Madhusudhan and coauthors have used chemical probes and mass spectrometry to identify the targets of potential new targeted lung cancer therapies against a protein complex in the mitochondria. This complex currently has no approved targeted therapies against it, making it an exciting prospect for a whole new class of anticancer agents.
Vanilla substitute loosens up cell membranes to increase drug uptake
Could vanillin, the flavoring molecule extracted from vanilla bean, increase our body’s ability to absorb ingested drugs?
Stitching proteins together, piece by piece
New technology developed to build larger proteins
Medical electronics inspired by our skin
A new study describes a semiconductor that is stretchable and degrades completely in acid – which can be used in next-generation electronics.
Designing DNA origami assembly using peptides
Researchers developed new design methodology to achieve diverse superstructures using DNA-peptide conjugates.
Rapidly Developing Disease-Specific Detection Methods
Antibodies in your body help fight disease by specifically targeting a viral or bacterial strain. This specificity makes antibodies useful for disease detection, but how do scientists reduce the chance of false positives and false negatives?
A New Look at Recycling: Turning Plastics into a Valuable Product
Researchers uncover a new catalytic process!
Controversial Mushrooms Can Be Useful After All
With a renewed interest in psilocybin — the psychedelic substance present in magic mushrooms — by the medical community, the Weng group at MIT sets up to study one of the enzymes that makes it.
It’s Alive! 3D Printed Living Materials with Antibiotic and Wounding Healing Abilities
Inspired by nature, researchers at MIT have printed the soil bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, into polymer gels to create a living material with the ability to heal wounds and eliminate the highly infectious bacteria Staphylococcus Aureas. Check it out!
Trapping air pollution with artificial spiderwebs
Filters are one of the best ways to trap and remove pollution and small particles from the air. Let’s learn how spiderweb-like networks can be made from polymer into incredible filters.
Chemistry of Photography: How Veiled Photographs are Made
Mordançage is a photography technique that has been used by artists for decades, but only recently have researchers discovered the chemistry behind the process.
How Long Do Nanoparticles Stay in the Body?
As nanotechnology is developed into drugs for human health, scientists need to study nanoparticle clearance rates from the body.
Something in the Air: Collecting Fresh Water from the Atmosphere
Water capture technology has made collecting water from the air a reality, but dry climates have always posed a challenge. New research takes us a step closer to providing fresh water in some of the driest places on Earth.
How to survive and thrive in sub-freezing temperatures
Water is one of life’s most essential substances; here, we look at some methods researchers are using to control the properties of water under extreme conditions.
How a Small, Organic Molecule Reigns in the Immune System
A Chinese research group has employed a chemical proteomic strategy to determine the mechanism of action of the anti-inflammatory molecule itaconate. Itaconate non-enzymatically modifies cellular proteins in order to modulate their activity, leading to a reduction in the activation of immune cells, which could pave the way to an autoimmune therapy.
Zapping Infections Before They Start With Self-Heating Graphene Filters
Hospitals are supposed to be havens for sick people, but they can also be breeding grounds for dangerous bacteria. A new kind of air filter for hospital HVAC systems can both remove and destroy bacteria for the air, helping prevent infections before they can start.