There’s a new record holder for the world’s blackest material. Learn about how randomly oriented carbon nanotubes can be used to create a coating darker than anything else ever made!
“Uncorking” a Mini Machine
Scientists discover a novel mechanism for taking apart tiny machines
Enzymes Get Closer to Traditional Organic Chemistry – The Case of Reductive Amination
A clever, two-part biocatalytic strategy grants access to products of reductive amination that can be troublesome to obtain through more traditional synthetic methods.
The Smell of Success
Although skunks are nocturnal animals that prefer their own company, they won’t hesitate to spray potential predators, people or pets with fluid from their anal glands. For many years, these anal secretions have fascinated natural products chemists but repelled most of the rest of us. Learn about a new way to “de-skunk” from researchers at the University of Oklahoma.
More than just our genetic code: how chemical modifications affect gene expression
DNA is the instruction manual for how to produce an organism, one gene at a time. But our heart cells, liver cells, and brain cells are different, despite having the same DNA, thanks in part to the “epigenetic” modifications that control which genes are expressed.
Are Nanoparticles Getting Into Your Cells?
Scientists want to use nanoparticles to deliver drugs straight to where they’re needed in your body – but can the nanoparticles enter the right cells? A new model describes how to design nanoparticles that get to where they’re needed.
“Invisible Ink” Nanoparticle Fingerprint Paper
A more secure way to collect biometric data: this nanoparticle-based paper uses your sweat as an “invisible ink” for fingerprints!
Draw your own circuits with liquid metal
Electrical circuits can be drawn, erased, and redrawn with ease on this new material that uses liquid metal particles suspended in a polymer network. Check out how it’s made and its potential uses in flexible electronics!
Development of new tools for single RNA imaging
Detection of movement of single RNA within live cell was achieved using Quantum Dot Nanobeacons.
Now slide real smooth: Using peptide coatings to prevent biofilm formation
When it comes to milk, preventing bacterial contamination on dairy equipment is key. Researchers in Israel developed a biological coating to prevent biofilm formation and keep their moo-juice fresh and clean.
Delicious diagnosis – real-time glucose analysis straight from your gut
Scientists from UCSD and Compultense University developed non-invasive tools to measure gastrointestinal distress, monitoring chemical markers in real-time.
A View With A Future: Perovskites in Solar Windows
Sure, solar panels can be installed on your roof, but that might not provide enough power – and no one wants to cover their garden with solar panels. That’s why researchers are studying new perovskite/organic materials for solar windows.
Using Aerogel to Harness the Greenhouse Effect for Good
Switching to solar energy is one of the ways we can fight against climate change. Let’s learn how something as harmful as the greenhouse effect can be used to create better solar devices!
A new photovoltaic panel that produces clean water
A research team in Saudi Arabia developed solar panels that clean the sea water whilst producing electricity.
Enabling Solar Panel Windows
Solar panel windows could revolutionize urban architecture by turning buildings into energy producing structures. Read about how scientists are trying to enable solar windows by exploring new chemistry.
A more thorough way to study ammonia production
How can researchers eliminate false positives from their research on energy efficient production of ammonia?
Treating Tumors with Cuttlefish Ink
Cuttlefish ink looks like a promising new treatment for tumors – with the help of nature’s nanoparticles!
Discovery of a small triangular analog of graphene
New triangular shaped small graphene analog is synthesized and characterized extensively.
Nanoparticle Made of DNA Degrades Cancerous HER2 Protein
DNA can be more than just the genetic code. Can four specially designed strands of DNA destroy cancer cells?
Light me up: can visible light impact forensic luminol reactions?
Crime scene techs use luminol to reveal latent bloodstains – can normal, visible light increase the reaction’s sensitivity?
Smelling chemicals with an artificial nose
Nothing compares to a well-trained dog’s nose for smelling out faint odors. But a new artificial nose made with living cells may come close!
Scientists Are Now Shooting Lasers at Historic Art
What do lasers and the Mona Lisa have in common? Well, it turns out scientists can use lasers to help save old paintings from degrading, preserving our masterpieces for future generations. Pump-probe microscopy is one such technique.
Finding Genes that Fit: Targeting DNA Bases
Changes in our DNA can cause a host of health issues. However, we can mitigatge a lot of those if we can identify and catalogue these changes, potentially developing novel treatments.
Kratom: A Promising New Therapy or a Dangerous Unregulated Drug?
A traditional medicinal plant from Southeast Asia called kratom has been hailed as a potential new tool in the fight against the opioid epidemic. But what is the active ingredient, and is it potentially dangerous? Read on to learn the latest pharmacological research.
Finding disguised pesticide?
Can we judge whether crops have pesticide without detecting the pesticide directly? Let’s check out how researchers come up with alternatives for pesticide residue detection!