Binding of the spike protein is essential for the immune response generated from many COVID-19 vaccines. Mutations on this protein may pose a threat to the efficacy and reliability of our current vaccination strategies.
Tracing carbon atoms through the galaxy
Amino acids found on meteorites may have seeded the beginnings of life on Earth, but where do they come from? Based on their isotopic signatures, they may have come from interstellar space.
Blood tests over biopsies: Detecting lung cancer through differences in the blood
Your blood is made up of many different proteins, and the concentrations of these proteins are different in healthy individuals and cancer patients. By exploiting these differences, researchers have developed a new method for diagnosing lung cancer using just a simple blood test.
Biosensors from graphene-wrapped nanofibers
Using nanofibers to create biosensors decreases cost and wrapping them in graphene increases their conductivity.
Looking for Viruses in Wild Bats
Cataloguing viruses in bats and other animals may help predict or trace viral transmission to humans in the future.
What captures carbon?
What technology is currently in use to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere? What technologies lie ahead to help us catch up to our emissions?
A Single-Flow Battery with Multiphase Flow
New battery design limits bromine corrosion without the need for an expensive membrane.
Collagen-mimetic protein in the surface of bacteria helps them latch onto skin
Two proteins in the surface of GAS bacterium are able to bind to damaged collagen. Thus facilitating the infection of this pathogen in wounds.
Insight into how droplets drop
Microphysical properties of droplets and their possible implications on SARS-CoV-2 transmission
Measuring Pollutants in Urban River Sediments
Title: Organophosphate Diesters in Urban River Sediment from SouthChina: Call for More Research on Their Occurrence and Fate in FieldEnvironment Authors: Chan Liang, Bo Peng, Gao-Ling Wei, Yanyan Gong, Guoqiang Liu, Lixi Zeng, Liang-Ying Liu, and Eddy Y. Zeng Journal: ACS EST Water 2021, 1, 4, 871–880 Organophosphate triesters are used as flame retardants, as well as…
Drying droplets could have been compartments during the origin of life
Primary source information: Title: Impact of wet-dry cycling on the phase behavior and compartmentalization properties of complex coacervates Authors: Hadi M. Fares, Alexander E. Marras, Jeffrey M. Ting, Matthew V. Tirrell, and Christine D. Keating. Journal: Nat Commun 11, 5423 (2020) Think about combining oil and…
Stories told by molecular skeletons: Animal evolution may not be what we think
Half-a-billion-year-old molecular skeletons tell conflicting stories about the first animals that evolved on Earth.
Chemical brushes in the fight against bacterial infection
Researchers develop a new two-layer coating for medical devices that dramatically reduces the chance of infection.
Computational Tools Aid in COVID19 Cure Hunt
Computation has a way of finding its use in every field, and drug discovery isn’t exempt from it, especially when we are time-bound.
More than SPF: Some Common Sunscreen Ingredients to Avoid
Buying sunscreen? Take a look at the ingredients list first.
Are there more chemicals in e-liquid than what’s listed on the cartridge?
Usually e-liquid has 4 ingredients listed – propylene glycol, glycerol, nicotine, and flavoring. However, the ingredients at the time of manufacturing do not necessarily reflect what you inhale in the aerosol. The ingredients can degrade to aldehyde products, which are highly reactive and may cause toxic outcomes for our cells.
Our Atmospheric Shield: Decline in Global CFC-11 Emissions Positive News for Ozone Recovery
CFC-11 is an industrially useful but ozone depleting chemical. The recently reported decline in global CFC-11 emissions grants the ozone layer a reprieve to heal.
Copycat: Mimicking Enzymes with Supramolecular Catalysts
Researchers meld ideas from biology and chemistry to generate hybrid catalysts that can catalyze natural reactions at even faster rates.
Intimidated by a paper title?
Sometimes we see a paper heading and freak out, put the paper away and never return to it. But don’t worry if that’s the case, we’ve got you…
Ribose delivered to Earth by meteorites: clues for the origin of life?
The chemical composition of meteorites provides important information about which building blocks might have been available for the origin of life on Earth.
De-icing surfaces by making frost jump
Many of us have first-hand experience with how hard it can be to get ice off things when you can’t melt it. Researchers have used the electrostatic charge in ice to make it jump, creating a new avenue for de-icing in the future.
Making a liquid fuel from a potent greenhouse gas
Methanol production under mild conditions opens possible renewable path for methane upgrading
Lipid allows tuberculosis bacterium evade immune response
Mycobacteria, the pathogen that causes tuberculosis, is able to avoid being attacked by the immune system. A unique lipid in its outer membrane plays a major role.
The Biggest Small Problem: Microplastics in the Coral Reef
Microplastics are a nearly-invisible part of our daily life. But when they reach the ocean, the effects they have on coral reefs can be deadly.
Engineering dicarboxylic acid production
Biology making precursors to perfumes, antibiotics, and more