A new study shows that small changes in a single olfactory receptor gene can affect how strong and pleasant a person finds an odor. The findings expand understanding of how olfactory receptors in the nose encode information about the properties of odors even before that information reaches the brain.
Cynthia Wolberger, Ph.D., a structural biologist who unravels how cells use chemical tags to turn genes on and off, is among 125 scientists newly elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Biodegradable and compostable plastic bags are still capable of carrying full loads of shopping after being exposed in the natural environment for three years, a new study shows.
An international team of researchers used an X-ray laser at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to create the first detailed maps of two melatonin receptors that tell our bodies when to go to sleep or wake up and guide other biological processes. A better understanding of how they work could enable researchers to design better drugs to combat sleep disorders, cancer and Type 2 diabetes. Their findings were published in two papers today in Nature.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis made an energy storage device that can withstand a hammer striking it more than 40 times. The shatterproof supercapacitor is also nonflammable, unlike lithium-ion batteries. The new work is the cover story of the April 23 issue of the journal Sustainable Energy and Fuels.“Accidentally dropping electronics, such as a laptop or cellphone, is a common scenario that may lead to the failure of the device,” said Julio D’Arcy, assistant professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences.
Scientists are excited by the prospect of stripping catalysts down to single atoms. Attached by the millions to a supporting surface, they could offer the ultimate in speed and specificity. Now researchers have taken an important step toward understanding single-atom catalysts by deliberately tweaking how they’re attached to the surfaces that support them – in this case the surfaces of nanoparticles.
Using a new X-ray technique, a team of researchers was able to watch in real time as a molecule split apart into two new molecules. The method could be used to look at chemical reactions that other techniques can’t catch, for instance in catalysis, photovoltaics, peptide and combustion research. The team, led by researchers from Brown University in collaboration with the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, published their results in March in Angewandte Chemie.
Nine St. Mary’s College of Maryland chemistry and biochemistry students presented their original research at two national conferences in Orlando
A team of scientists including researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has studied a catalyst that decomposes nerve agents, eliminating their harmful and lethal effects. The research was published Friday, April 19, in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. “Our work is part of an ongoing, multiagency effort to protect soldiers and civilians from chemical warfare agents (CWAs),” said Anatoly Frenkel, a physicist with a joint appointment at Brookhaven Lab and Stony Brook University and the lead author on the paper.
Biomedical engineers have developed a system that can study 10s to 100s of programmed bacteria within mini-tissues in a dish, condensing study time from months to days. The speed and high throughput of their technology allows for stable growth of bacteria within tumor spheroids and can also be used for other bacteria species and cell types. The team says this study is the first to rapidly screen and characterize bacteria therapies in vitro.
Design principles lead to a catalyst that splits water in a low pH environment, vital for generating solar fuels.
Fluorescent lighting has become one of the most common artificial light sources in use today, but new research from Texas State University suggests there may be unexpected consequences at the genetic level.
Artificial intelligence approach predicts the 3D structure of proteins based on its amino acid sequence
Milk is a staple of the human diet, full of key nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins. Today, scientists report in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry a comprehensive, centralized database of all known bovine milk compounds.
Contamination of rice with arsenic is a major problem in some regions of the world with high rice consumption.
Using liquid in a solid-state NMR experiment, UC San Diego researchers show which parts of a protein are involved in the formation of the jelly-like state and that other nuclear components can modulate the jelly state, providing a way to regulate how and where it forms.
Quantum computers promise to solve certain computational problems exponentially faster than any classical machine. "A particularly promising application is the solution of quantum many-body problems utilizing the concept of digital quantum simulation", says Markus Heyl from Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex in Dresden, Germany.
A novel strategy capable of extracting and driving hard-to-reach proteins into water solution where they can be effectively studied using mass spectrometry promises a trove of biological insights and, importantly, may help identify therapeutically relevant proteins and provide new disease diagnostic techniques.
With an extremely fast “electron camera” at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, researchers have made the first high-definition “movie” of ring-shaped molecules breaking open in response to light. The results could further our understanding of similar reactions with vital roles in chemistry, such as the production of vitamin D in our bodies.
Helium is not just for party balloons. It’s a valuable, non-renewable resource that is critical for many medical and research applications. And these days, helium is in short supply.The U.S. Department of the Interior recently designated helium as one of 35 elements or minerals critical to national security and the economy.
Primitive ponds may have provided a suitable environment for brewing up Earth's first life forms, more so than oceans, a new MIT study finds.
A Cornell researcher, who is a leader in developing a new type of gene editing CRISPR system, and colleagues have used the new method for the first time in human cells – a major advance in the field.
Scientists observe and control molecular and atomic dynamics at the fastest timescales to date.
By drilling holes into a thin two-dimensional sheet of hexagonal boron nitride with a gallium-focused ion beam, University of Oregon scientists have created artificial atoms that generate single photons.
A series of tests conducted over several years by UC San Diego scientists has shown for the first time that the pesticide Sivanto could pose a range of threats to honey bees depending on seasonality, bee age and use in combination with common chemicals such as fungicides.
Texas A&M researchers are looking to nature for inspiration in developing a new method of underwater plasma generation using shrimp as a model – a discovery which could provide significant improvements for actions ranging from water sterilization to drilling.
The dust that settles throughout our homes and offices almost always contains bits of chemicals that can cause problems for the human endocrine system, scientists say. But a new study indicates that the microbes we track into buildings can help break those chemicals down.
New research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that many "redundant" enzymes are actually specialists that ensure maximal growth across different environments. Further, these enzymes were found to increase E. coli’s resistance to antibiotics at low pH conditions, such as those found in the GI tract or urinary tract — raising concerns that current antibiotic susceptibility tests are inadequate.
West Virginia University junior Samantha Mehnert has been selected as a recipient of the 2019 George H. Robinson Memorial Scholarship.
Scientists have developed a new imaging technology to visualise what cells eat, which could aid the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancer.
The Dusky Arion slug produces a defensive glue that fouls the mouthparts of any would-be predator. Two new studies reveal more about how this glue achieves its strong sticking power and flexibility, insights that could be used to create better medical adhesives.
The chemist was a PhD student user of the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) and is now a CFN postdoc researching polymer self-assembly.
These strange bacteria conduct electricity through a structure never before seen in nature -- a structure scientists can co-opt to miniaturize electronics, create powerful-yet-tiny batteries, build pacemakers without wires and develop a host of other medical advances.
In a recent study from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, chemists have identified a way to convert cyclohexane to cyclohexene or cyclohexadiene, important chemicals in a wide range of industrial processes.
Irvine, Calif., April 3, 2019 – By focusing light down to the size of an atom, scientists at the University of California, Irvine have produced the first images of a molecule’s normal modes of vibration – the internal motions that drive the chemistry of all things, including the function of living cells. In a study in Nature, researchers at UCI’s Center for Chemistry at the Space-Time Limit describe how they positioned the atomically terminated silver tip of a scanning tunneling microscope mere ängstroms from its target: a cobalt-based porphyrin molecule affixed to a copper platform.
Wood may seem more at home in log cabins than modern architecture, but a specially treated type of timber could be tomorrow’s trendy building material. Today, scientists report a new kind of transparent wood that not only transmits light, but also absorbs and releases heat, potentially saving on energy costs.
Science-fiction writers have long envisioned human–machine hybrids that wield extraordinary powers. However, “super plants” with integrated nanomaterials may be much closer to reality than cyborgs.
Lead leaching from pipes into the water supply is a serious public health concern. If water sources or treatments are changed, the new chemistry can cause previously safe water distribution systems to begin releasing lead, as the crisis in Flint, Michigan, demonstrated.
Attend press conferences live – online at http://bit.ly/ACSLive_Orlando2019 or in person -- at the Spring 2019 National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Press conferences will be held Monday, April 1, through Wednesday, April 3, 2019. Below is the schedule, which will be updated as needed.
AACC, a global scientific and medical professional organization dedicated to better health through laboratory medicine, is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 AACC and AACC Academy Awards. Through this annual awards program, AACC and its academy strive to recognize laboratory medicine professionals in all stages of their careers and to build public awareness that clinical laboratory testing plays a critical role in improving patient health.
The power to align water molecules is usually held by ice, which affects nearby water and encourages it to join the ice layer. But in the case of organisms in freezing habitats, a powerful antifreeze protein can convince water molecules to behave in ways that benefit the protein instead. In this week’s Journal of Chemical Physics, scientists are taking a closer look at the molecular structure of the antifreeze protein to understand how it works.
Hundreds of everyday items contain organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants and plasticizers. Some of these compounds make their way into the air, onto surfaces and even inside our bodies, with uncertain health effects.
When an act of terrorism or a vehicle or industrial accident ignites fuel, the resulting fire or explosion can be devastating. Today, scientists will describe how lengthy but microscopic chains of polymers could be added to fuel to significantly reduce the damage from these terrifying incidents without impacting performance.
From computer hard discs and smart phones to earbuds and electric motors, magnets are at the forefront of today’s technology. Magnets containing rare-earth elements are among the most powerful available, allowing many everyday objects to be ever smaller.
Nature has evolved protein-based substances with mechanical properties that rival even the best synthetic materials. Pound for pound, spider silk is stronger and tougher than steel. But unlike steel, the natural fiber cannot be mass-produced.
Traditional surgery to reshape a nose or ear entails cutting, sometimes followed by long recovery times and scars. Now, researchers have developed a “molecular surgery” process using tiny needles, electric current and 3D molds to reshape living tissue with no incisions, scarring or recovery time.
Just as controlled-release medications slowly dole out their cargo after they experience a pH change in the body, implanted “artificial muscles” could someday flex and relax in response to light illuminating the skin. In pilot studies, scientists have developed a new material that expands and contracts.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered and characterized a new form of oxygen dubbed “featherweight oxygen” — the lightest-ever version of the familiar chemical element oxygen, with only three neutrons to its eight protons. Oxygen is one of the most abundant elements in the solar system, but oxygen-11 can be produced only in a laboratory.
There’s nothing like a glass of orange juice, but prices have soared as the Florida citrus industry fights a citrus greening disease epidemic that's been drying out oranges and reducing crop yield. There’s no cure, but researchers report they have identified a fungal compound that may inhibit the bacteria.
If you’ve ever dreamed about getting a good night’s sleep, your answer may someday lie in data generated by your sleepwear. Researchers have developed pajamas embedded with self-powered sensors that provide unobtrusive and continuous monitoring of heartbeat, breathing and sleep posture.
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