While discovery of new complexes can be difficult, this group at Cambridge has developed “cube traps” and effectively synthesized a molecule atkin to a molecular fidget spinner!
A surprising answer for how cells deal with a toxic – but essential – molecule
Heme is central to many processes within cells, from breaking down food to energy to transporting oxygen from the air we breathe. Bound to proteins it’s extremely useful and versatile, but by itself it is highly reactive and toxic. So how does the body prevent heme from reacting before it is used in a cell?
Using chemical probes to identify bacterial virulence factors
It seems like a silly question: how can we study the function of proteins with unknown functions? The answer: with activity-based chemical probes. In this article, researchers identified several previously unexplored enzymes that may play a role in serious bacterial infections.
Chemistry, archaeology and the ergot fungi: solving the mystery of the past
During thousands of years of burial, cereals from ancient artifacts are degraded and consumed, but ergot fungi produce a fingerprint of lipids that we can use to trace them.
Painting a Fuller Picture in Medicinal Chemistry
Title: Synergistic effects of stereochemistry and appendages on the performance diversity of a collection of synthetic compounds Authors: Stu Schreiber et al. Journal: Journal of the American Chemical Society https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.8b07319 Year: 2018 The ability to rapidly evaluate what a chemical compound does to a cell, and…
3 questions explaining “What, Where and How” of the new exotic phase of matter – TOPOLOGICAL MATERIALS
We have always been told that do not compare apples and oranges! They are completely different! Well a mathematical theory based on surface of material finds them similar. This theory applied by physicists in materials research has discovered new exotic phase of matter called topological materials. In this article, learn about the unique nature of this exotic phase, approaches to make these materials and their wide-spread applications.
Proteomics Aids a Cheesy Discovery in Ancient Egypt
What can we learn when anthropology and chemistry join forces? Analytical chemists used proteomics to study the world’s oldest cheese sample discovered in an ancient Egyptian tomb.
Common Sense Recycling – Turning Waste Cables into Electrochemical Sensors
Modern technology is evolving at a mind-blowing rate, but what should we do with all of the obsolete hardware? Researchers are finding clever ways of recycling the old material – check it out!
Crystal Clear Chemistry
In this article you can learn about how researchers have taken images as crystals form out of a liquid.
The Sci Art Collaboration that Powers Up!
Art could show the beauty of science. But art could also put science to work in real life!
Let’s learn from researchers about how origami can turn paper into a real battery!
Monitoring Glucose Levels in Sweat with a Wearable Sensor
Measuring blood sugar levels by pricking your finger is painful and inconvenient. Learn about a new wearable device that measures your glucose levels with just your sweat!
From Sunscreen to Solar Cells: What’s Happening on TiO2‘s Surface?
The controversy over TiO2’s hydrophilic/hydrophobic transition has been examined in new detail – with researchers concluding that atmospheric molecules can attach onto TiO2’s surface, changing its chemical properties.
FRET-based screening to identify therapeutics for heart disease
Scientists have developed a clever time-resolved FRET screening method to identify drug candidates for the prevention of heart failure.
Plasmonic Stamps: Simple Color Control
Optical electronics are the future of technology. Take a look at how a new printing technique may enable chip scale manipulation of light via gold nanoparticles.
Scanning for Skin Cancer
The idea that a full body scan can give comprehensive medical prognosis may be closer than we realize. Scanning mass spectrometry has been used to differentiate between healthy and cancerous skin cells. We can literally scan a person for skin cancer!
Destroying Rogue Kinases with Degraders
Aberrant enzyme activity drives many types of cancer and other human diseases. Traditional drugs targeting such enzymes face a variety of challenges. Here, researchers use a new small molecule “degrader” to destroy an enzyme involved in cancer.
Detecting Lung Cancer with Molecules from Our Breath
It turns out that people with lung cancer may breathe out different molecules than people without. Scientists are figuring out which molecules to look for to diagnose cancer!
Exploring microfluidics…using Lego?
LEGO is lots of fun and can be used to create almost anything, from gigantic towers to intricate machines. But did you know LEGO can even be used to build tiny chemistry labs?
Crystallography’s Magic 8 Ball: Predicting Novel Structures with a Digital Brain
Researchers have developed a database that allows us to predict undiscovered structures based on chemical reactivity rules and existing structures. While still in early stages, this is a huge step towards successful structural prediction!
Organic Molecules on Mars: The Possibility of Life Sparks Curiosity
Researchers collaborating on the Curiosity Mars Rover mission have discovered organic matter on Mars – a crucial ingredient to life as we know it. Let’s take a deep dive into what they found, how they did it, and what the data really mean.
Dealing a Double Blow to Cancer
Researchers have developed a way to combine chemotherapy and radiation into one ultra effective treatment. Check out how these packages of drugs get activated at the tumor by X-rays!
Let machine teach about atoms
We have been trained to be adaptive to our environment in our daily life. Same for chemists to train computers to model atoms. Let’s look at how chemists make functions adaptive to different situations!
Linking bacteria and electrodes through DNA hybridization
The development of microbe-based, “green” fuel cells is hampered by unreliable methods for bacterial growth on conductive surfaces. Researchers are now one step closer to a strategy for coverage using DNA-based targeting!
A New Duo in Catalysis: Combining Gold Nanoparticles with Enzyme Compartments
Biological catalysts and inorganic catalysts each have their own advantages and it is sometimes difficult to choose one or the other. So why not combine them into a powerful hybrid catalyst? That’s exactly what the researchers did in this recent article from ACS Catalysis.
Printing Carbon Nanotube Patterns Using Electron Beams
Carbon nanotubes have material properties straight out of a science fiction novel. Yet, it is still difficult to assemble carbon nanotubes into organized structures where the science fiction-like properties can really shine. Discover what researchers are doing to solve this problem!