Feature Channels: Chemistry

Filters close
Released: 14-Dec-2016 2:05 PM EST
Masters of Crystallization
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Biology isn't just for biologists anymore. That's nowhere more apparent than in the newly furnished lab in room 097 of the Shriram Center basement, where flasks of bacterial and animal cells, snug in their incubators, are churning out proteins destined for jobs they may not have done in nature.

Released: 14-Dec-2016 11:05 AM EST
Researchers Create New Way to Trap Dangerous Gases
University of Texas at Dallas

A team of researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas has developed a novel method for trapping potentially harmful gases within microscopic organo-metallic structures. These metal organic frameworks, or MOFs, are made of different building blocks composed of metal ion centers and organic linker molecules. Together they form a honeycomb-like structure that can trap gases within each comb, or pore.

Released: 13-Dec-2016 10:05 PM EST
Improving Catalysis Science with Synchrotrons
Department of Energy, Office of Science

the global economy and have been the subject of research for decades. Despite their unique advantages, x-ray synchrotron spectroscopy techniques were not widely employed by those delving into the intricacies The Synchrotron Catalysis Consortium was established to address this situation by providing scientists a means to study catalysts at work under realistic conditions and developing new techniques to characterize catalysts.

Released: 13-Dec-2016 3:05 PM EST
Water: Finding the Normal Within the Weird
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

RICHLAND, Wash. – Water has many unusual properties, such as its solid form, ice, being able to float in liquid water, and they get weirder below its freezing point. Supercooled water — below freezing but still a liquid — is notoriously difficult to study. Some researchers thought supercooled water behaved oddly within a particularly cold range, snapping from a liquid into a solid, instantaneously crystallizing at a particular temperature like something out of a Kurt Vonnegut novel.

Released: 13-Dec-2016 10:30 AM EST
NMU Offers New Medicinal Plant Chemistry Degree
Northern Michigan University

Northern Michigan University will offer the only four-year degree of its kind in medicinal plant chemistry that combines experimental horticulture and advanced analytical chemistry with an optional entrepreneurial track. Students will gain knowledge and skills applicable to the emerging cannabis and herbal supplement industries, food and fermentation science, environmental analysis, various lab positions or graduate school.

     
12-Dec-2016 4:05 PM EST
Faster (Cheaper) Method for Making Big Bioactive Ring Molecules
Vanderbilt University

A pair of Vanderbilt chemists have developed a faster, cheaper method for synthesizing ring molecules called cyclic depsipeptides found in antibiotics, anti-retrovirals and pesticides.

   
Released: 12-Dec-2016 1:05 PM EST
Study Shows Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids Affect Water Chemistry From Gas Wells
Penn State College of Engineering

Pressure, temperature and fluid composition play an important role in the amount of metals and other chemicals found in wastewaters from hydraulically fractured gas reservoirs, according to Penn State researchers.

Released: 7-Dec-2016 2:05 PM EST
Closing the Carbon Loop
University of Pittsburgh

Pitt chemical engineering team identifies new catalyst that advances capture and conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide

Released: 7-Dec-2016 1:05 PM EST
New Studies Take a Second Look at Coral Bleaching Culprit
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Scientists have called superoxide out as the main culprit behind coral bleaching: The idea is that as this toxin build up inside coral cells, the corals fight back by ejecting the tiny energy- and color-producing algae living inside them. In doing so, they lose their vibrancy, turn a sickly white, and are left weak, damaged, and vulnerable to disease.

Released: 7-Dec-2016 1:05 PM EST
AAAS and Los Alamos National Laboratory Announce 2016 Fellows
Los Alamos National Laboratory

Scott Crooker, of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Condensed Matter and Magnet Science group, and William Charles Louis III, of the Laboratory’s Physics Division, have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.

Released: 7-Dec-2016 5:05 AM EST
NUS Scientist Prof Barry Halliwell to Chair Singapore's Biomedical Research Council
National University of Singapore (NUS)

Prominent research leader and biomedical scientist Professor Barry Halliwell will help to steer biomedical research efforts in Singapore at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) from 1 January 2017.

Released: 7-Dec-2016 4:05 AM EST
Queen’s University Belfast Expert Leading €4m Bid to Reduce Impact of Chemicals on Long-Term Health
Queen's University Belfast

A Queen’s University Belfast expert is leading a €4m international initiative to investigate whether natural toxins and manmade chemicals are creating potentially dangerous mixtures that affect our natural hormones and cause major illnesses such as cancer, obesity, diabetes or infertility.

   
Released: 6-Dec-2016 10:05 AM EST
Ban on Triclosan Shows Need for New Chemicals to Demonstrate Efficacy and Safety
Tufts University

A new commentary cautions that the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on triclosan and 18 other biocidal chemicals that promote antibiotic resistance is only a starting point. Triclosan’s long-term impact, as well the risks substitute chemicals may pose, must also be addressed.

Released: 2-Dec-2016 4:05 PM EST
New Study Reveals Relationships Between Chemicals Found on Comets
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

A new study has revealed similarities and relationships between certain types of chemicals found on 30 different comets, which vary widely in their overall composition compared to one another. The research is part of ongoing investigations into these primordial bodies, which contain material largely unchanged from the birth of the solar system some 4.6 billion years ago.

Released: 1-Dec-2016 2:05 PM EST
For the First Time, Scientists Catch Water Molecules Passing the Proton Baton
University of Washington

Water conducts electricity, but the process by which this familiar fluid passes along positive charges has puzzled scientists for decades. But in a paper published in the Dec. 2 in issue of the journal Science, an international team of researchers has finally caught water in the act — showing how water molecules pass along excess charges and, in the process, conduct electricity.

Released: 30-Nov-2016 5:05 PM EST
Q&A: Simon Bare Catalyzes New Chemistry Effort at SLAC
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Simon Bare, who joined the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in April, spent 30 years as an industrial chemist investigating how catalysts work. Now, as co-director of the Chemistry and Catalysis Division at the lab’s Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), his goal is to build on research strengths at SLAC and Stanford University to create a West Coast center for catalyst research and define new research directions.

Released: 30-Nov-2016 10:05 AM EST
'Tennessine' Acknowledges State Institutions' Roles in Element's Discovery
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The recently discovered element 117 has been officially named "tennessine" in recognition of Tennessee’s contributions to its discovery, including the efforts of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and its Tennessee collaborators at Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee.

Released: 30-Nov-2016 9:00 AM EST
Vapors From Some Flavored E-Liquids Contain High Levels of Aldehydes
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Traditional cigarettes pose a well-established risk to smokers' health, but the effects of electronic cigarettes are still being determined. Helping to flesh out this picture, researchers are reporting in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology what happens to e-liquid flavorings when they're heated inside e-cigarettes or electronic nicotine-delivery systems. The study found that when converted into a vapor, some flavorings break down into toxic compounds at levels that exceed occupational safety standards.

Released: 30-Nov-2016 9:00 AM EST
How to Ensure the Safety of Cosmetics
American Chemical Society (ACS)

In recent years, environmental groups have been calling out cosmetic preservatives as suspected endocrine disruptors, cancer-causing agents and skin irritants. The campaigns have resulted in new restrictions on certain preservatives. But, as reported in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the shrinking list of approved preservatives is having unintended consequences.

   
Released: 30-Nov-2016 9:00 AM EST
Urine Test for Fatigue Could Help Prevent Accidents
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Doctors, pilots, air traffic controllers and bus drivers have at least one thing in common — if they're exhausted at work, they could be putting lives at risk. But the development of a new urine test, reported in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry, could help monitor just how weary they are. The results could potentially reduce fatigue-related mistakes by allowing workers to recognize when they should take a break.

Released: 30-Nov-2016 9:00 AM EST
Biomass Heating Could Get a 'Green' Boost with the Help of Fungi
American Chemical Society (ACS)

In colder weather, people have long been warming up around campfires and woodstoves. Lately, this idea of burning wood or other biomass for heat has surged in popularity as an alternative to using fossil fuels. Now, in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, scientists report a step toward a "greener" way to generate heat with biomass. Rather than burning it, which releases pollutants, they let fungi break it down to release heat.

Released: 30-Nov-2016 9:00 AM EST
Mimicking Bug Eyes Could Brighten Reflective Signs and Clothes
American Chemical Society (ACS)

That bright, reflective coating used on road signs, bicycles and clothing are important safety measures at night. They help drivers get to their destinations while avoiding bicyclists and pedestrians in low-light conditions. Now, inspired by the structure of insect eyes, scientists have developed new materials that could improve the color and effectiveness of these safeguards. Their report appears in the ACS journal Langmuir.

Released: 29-Nov-2016 3:05 PM EST
Science for Sweet Tooths
University of British Columbia

UBC researchers develop new method to test for antioxidants in chocolate

Released: 29-Nov-2016 2:05 PM EST
Researchers Tweak Enzyme ‘Assembly Line’ to Improve Antibiotics
North Carolina State University

Researchers from North Carolina State University have discovered a way to make pinpoint changes to an enzyme-driven “assembly line” that will enable scientists to improve or change the properties of existing antibiotics as well as create designer compounds.

Released: 28-Nov-2016 6:05 PM EST
‘Brighter Than A Billion Suns’: SLAC Studies Featured in TEDx Talk
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Phil Manning and his colleagues have used synchrotron light for nearly a decade to help interpret the chemical signatures locked within fossilized life. Bright X-rays have allowed them to study fossilized worm burrows, recreate pigment patterns in ancient bird feathers, see how Jurassic dinosaur bones heal and image the living chemistry of 50-million year old plant fossils.

Released: 23-Nov-2016 11:05 AM EST
Ames Laboratory Scientists Create New Compound, First Intermetallic Double Salt with Platinum
Ames National Laboratory

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory are being credited with creating the first intermetallic double salt with platinum.

23-Nov-2016 5:00 AM EST
Scientists Trace ‘Poisoning’ in Chemical Reactions to the Atomic Scale
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

A combination of experiments, including X-ray studies at Berkeley Lab, revealed new details about pesky deposits that can stop chemical reactions vital to fuel production and other processes.

Released: 22-Nov-2016 11:05 AM EST
Protein and Salt Drive Post-Meal Sleepiness
eLife

Sleepiness after a large meal is something we all experience, and new research with fruit flies suggests higher protein and salt content in our food, as well as the volume consumed, can lead to longer naps.

Released: 21-Nov-2016 11:00 AM EST
Ten Rutgers Professors Named Fellows of American Association for the Advancement of Science
Rutgers University

Ten Rutgers have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), an honor conferred on 381 other experts in the U.S. and abroad. The fellows were chosen by their AAAS peers for efforts to advance science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished, according to the AAAS.

16-Nov-2016 3:05 PM EST
Sparkling Firework Droplets
American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics

In Japan, many adults hold fond childhood memories of fireworks as a symbol of the summer season. Senko-hanabi, which translates to “sparkling fireworks,” emit a small fireball with streaks of light akin to pine needle structures. As one of the most popular hand-held fireworks since the early Edo period, from 1603 to 1868, they’re renowned for fragile beauty accompanied by a soothing sound. During the 69th DFD meeting, researchers will describe work uncovering the liquid dynamics at play behind Senko-hanabi’s beauty.

Released: 18-Nov-2016 1:05 PM EST
Big Data for Chemistry: New Method Helps Identify Antibiotics in Mass Spectrometry Datasets
University of California San Diego

An international team of computer scientists has for the first time developed a method to find antibiotics hidden in huge but still unexplored mass spectrometry datasets. They detailed their new method, called DEREPLICATOR, in the Oct. 31 issue of Nature Chemical Biology.

16-Nov-2016 4:15 PM EST
Asteroid Impacts Could Create Habitats for Life
Rutgers University

An international team of 38 scientists, including Rutgers’ Sonia Tikoo, has shown how large asteroid impacts deform rocks and possibly create habitats for early life on Earth and elsewhere.

Released: 17-Nov-2016 1:05 PM EST
Arginine Study Contributes to Understanding of Cell Membrane Properties
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

New research at the University of Arkansas shows that arginine – one of 20 common amino acids – does not change its positive charge when inserted into the lipid environment of the cell membrane.

Released: 17-Nov-2016 10:05 AM EST
Glow-in-the-Dark Dye Could Fuel Liquid-Based Batteries
University at Buffalo

University at Buffalo scientists have identified a fluorescent dye called BODIPY as an ideal material for stockpiling energy in rechargeable, liquid-based batteries that could one day power cars and homes.

Released: 16-Nov-2016 1:05 PM EST
UT Southwestern Reports Highest-Resolution Model to Date of Brain Receptor Behind Marijuana’s High
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report the most detailed 3-D structure to date of the brain receptor that binds and responds to the chemical at the root of marijuana’s high.

Released: 16-Nov-2016 10:05 AM EST
Salty Snow Could Affect Air Pollution in the Arctic
American Chemical Society (ACS)

In pictures, the Arctic appears pristine and timeless with its barren lands and icy landscape. In reality, the area is rapidly changing. Scientists are working to understand the chemistry behind these changes to better predict what could happen to the region in the future. One team reports in ACS' Journal of Physical Chemistry A that sea salt could play a larger role in the formation of local atmospheric pollutants than previously thought.

Released: 16-Nov-2016 10:05 AM EST
Solar Smart Window Could Offer Privacy and Light Control on Demand
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Smart windows get darker to filter out the sun's rays on bright days, and turn clear on cloudy days to let more light in. This feature can help control indoor temperatures and offers some privacy without resorting to aids such as mini-blinds. Now scientists report a new development in this growing niche: solar smart windows that can turn opaque on demand and even power other devices. The study appears in ACS Photonics.

Released: 16-Nov-2016 10:05 AM EST
Controversial Drug Approval Stirs Deep Concerns — and Hope
American Chemical Society (ACS)

In September, the Food and Drug Administration approved Exondys, a controversial treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy based on tenuous data from just 12 patients. The cover story in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, explores what the decision could mean for future drugs for Duchenne and other rare diseases.

Released: 16-Nov-2016 10:05 AM EST
Fast-Cooking Dry Beans Provide More Protein, Iron Than ‘Slower’ Varieties
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Beans are a versatile, inexpensive staple that can boost essential nutrients in a diet, especially for people in low-resource areas where food options are limited. To get the most out of these legumes, new research suggests choosing fast-cooking dry beans could be the way to go. A study in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that fast-cooking beans retained more protein, iron and other minerals than “slower” dry beans.

Released: 16-Nov-2016 10:05 AM EST
Improving Cryopreservation for a Longer-Lasting Blood Supply
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Freezing and reanimating your body is still science fiction, but cryopreserving cells and certain tissues for future use is a reality. Still, the process could use some improvements to make it more useful in emergencies. In a recent study in the journal ACS Omega, scientists take a close look at a new class of small molecules with the potential to make the process more practical and give the cells and tissues a longer shelf life.

Released: 16-Nov-2016 9:30 AM EST
Where Cells Go: Mechanical and Chemical Cues Collaborate to Guide Them
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Living cells respond to biochemical signals by moving toward those at higher concentration, a process carefully mapped out by biologists over the past several decades. But cells also move in response to mechanical forces, such as bumping up against other objects -- although the details of that action have been poorly understood.

Released: 16-Nov-2016 9:30 AM EST
NSF Awards Nearly $1.7 Million to CUR to Create Research-Based Curricula
Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR)

NSF grant will support five-year project to create cohesive, research-based curricula in biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology.

Released: 15-Nov-2016 10:05 AM EST
Researchers Explore Gigantic Volcanic Eruptions That Caused Worldwide Mass Extinctions
Virginia Tech

A paper in Nature Communications confirms a major feature in the formation of large igneous provinces — massive worldwide volcanic eruptions that created incredibly high volumes of lava and triggered environmental catastrophes and mass extinctions from 170 to 90 million years ago.

Released: 15-Nov-2016 4:00 AM EST
European Commission Proposal on Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Fails to Protect Public
Endocrine Society

The Endocrine Society expressed disappointment today in the European Commission's revised proposal on defining and identifying endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), citing unnecessarily narrow criteria for identifying EDCs that will make it nearly impossible for scientists to meet the unrealistically high burden of proof and protect the public from dangerous chemicals.

10-Nov-2016 10:05 AM EST
International Team Decodes Cellular Death Signals
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)

A multidisciplinary international team of scientists solved the mystery of a recently discovered type of controlled cell death, mapping the path to potential therapies for conditions ranging from radiation injury to cancer. The study, led in part by the University of Pittsburgh, is reported today in two papers in Nature Chemical Biology.

Released: 14-Nov-2016 9:05 AM EST
Argonne Radioisotopes Have Potential for Medical Diagnosis and Treatment
Argonne National Laboratory

Using its electron linear accelerator, Argonne enabled two companies to demonstrate new methods for the production of molybdenum-99, the parent isotope of technetium-99m – a medical isotope that could face short supply. The laboratory is also expanding its radioisotope program with the goal of performing groundbreaking research and carrying out the development and demonstration needed for supplying a range of key radioisotopes through the DOE Isotope Program.

Released: 11-Nov-2016 10:45 AM EST
Smart Microscope Adapts to Changes in Live Specimens
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)

Janelia scientists have developed the first adaptive light-sheet microscope — an instrument that continuously analyzes and adapts to dynamic changes in a specimen and thereby improves spatial resolution.

Released: 10-Nov-2016 1:05 PM EST
Flavored E-Cig Vapor Contains Cancerous Chemicals
Desert Research Institute (DRI)

Scientists stress need for thorough research into flavored e-liquids.

Released: 9-Nov-2016 12:05 PM EST
Geologists Find Key Indicator of Carbon Sources in Earth's Mantle
University of Notre Dame

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame found evidence of varying ratios of boron isotopes in igneous rocks, known as carbonatites, of different ages.



close
2.60452