E.T. may be able to phone home – or “home phone” if we’re quoting the little guy correctly – but humans require a little more info using extraterrestrial biosignatures to figure out where aliens come from.
Promising fuel cell catalyst for renewable future
Metal catalyst that may greatly improve feasibility of ethanol fuel cell
More than just genes: looking for disease markers in methylated DNA
A tiny methyl group (one carbon bound to three hydrogen atoms) can be a big marker for disease.
Enzymes upcycle harmful plastics into helpful antimicrobial agents
Enzymes and bacteria can be used to degrade plastics into chemicals useful for antibacterial coatings
FINDING A DIVERSE ANTI-INFLUENZA MOLECULE
We will continue coming across new viral proteins and viruses, so it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for those. The work of White et al helps in giving a starting point for medicines against the Influenza viruses.
Upcycling Plant Matter
Avocado peels and uprooted invasive plants can become a source for anti-inflammatories. I’ll toast to that!
Using seawater and the sun to make safe drinking water
Supplying safe drinking water to the world’s population remains a persistent challenge. In a new paper, researchers have developed a simple distillation device made of paper that can turn seawater into fresh drinking water using just the heat from the sun.
Looking into the past: How our gut microbiomes differ from our ancient ancestors
The human gut microbiome is essential for digestion and nutrient absorption. With industrialisation having dramatically changed the way we eat, what effects has this had on our intestinal flora?
Using Polymers for Data Storage
Rather than storing data in binary code, could polymers be used to encode data in hexadecimal?
Quantum Computing for electronic structure calculations
Simulations assisted by Quantum computers are the future. They could provide highly accurate and fast solutions to problems considered intractable for most powerful classical computers.
#InMyElement: Black Chemists Organization Convenes Members, Allies for 2nd Annual Virtual Celebration Week
BlackChemistsWeek features discussions on critical scientific and social issues, including DEI, STEM education, and intersectionality.
Working out what worked (or didn’t) in a work-up
In organic chemistry, once your reaction is over you generally “work-up” the mixture. But what happens if the work-up changes the outcome?
Combining Biomass and Carbon Dioxide Feedstocks Can Cut Polyurethane Emissions
Carbon dioxide and biomass combinations can reduce the carbon emissions of polyurethane production, but has negative effects on other environmental parameters.
How to distinguish two similar chemical functional groups
Distinguishing sulfation from phosphorylation
REPLACING CARBON WITH SILICON
Ibuprofen is a widely used pain killers but it isn’t administered intravenously. To make it so, scientists have modified ibuprofen slightly to alter its properties.
Side effect found to be responsible for antiviral activity of many repurposed drugs against SARS-CoV-2 during in vitro screens
Although many repurposed drugs entered trials against COVID-19 in the past year and a half, only one drug has been proven to be efficacious. What happened?
MicroRNAs: A New Assay Searches for Targets
If your DNA is a cookbook of “recipes” your cells could make, microRNAs help decide what’s for dinner.
What gives bird feathers such vivid colors?
Birds have a unique way of creating color in their wings and this is how they have become so colorful.
Prioritizing study of novel proteins
How scientists figure out what enzymes to study
Affordable and efficient carbon capture using nano-scale sheets in larger membranes
Metal-organic framework additives to membranes improve the efficiency of carbon capture by 9x, and are less expensive as well!
Towards enzymatic hydrocarbon remediation
Towards enzymatic bioremediation of oil spills
Another side (product) of synthesising antibiotic, daptomycin
Finding new antibiotics is difficult. Synthesising those new antibiotics can be just as hard, and sometimes is takes a long time to find a good approach. And sometimes the most important step in synthesis optimisation is characterising your side-products.
DISGUISING PEPTIDES FOR BETTER ANTI-DIABETIC MEDICINES
In diabetics, insulin production is reduced as a protease inactivates GLP1 responsible for insulin production. Administration of GLP1 could help, but it needs to be altered to sneak past the protease.
Can light break down antibiotics?
The antibiotics we take are beginning to build up in the environment. Researchers are beginning to look into different ways of removing those antibiotics, and subsequently reducing the harm to our environment, with varying degrees of success.
Targeting a myosin motor to treat malaria
Title: Peptide Probes for Plasmodium falciparum MyoA Tail Interacting Protein (MTIP): Exploring the Druggability of the Malaria Parasite Motor Complex Authors: Charlie N. Saunders, Ernesto Cota, Jake Baum, and Edward W. Tate Journal: ACS Chemical Biology Year: 2020 Malaria is one of the world’s oldest known…