Feature Channels: Chemistry

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After eight years of study, a team of researchers from the University of California San Diego and Johns Hopkins University published new findings about how to read the body’s histone code in the Nov. 7 issue of Science Advances. The findings answer a key question in the dynamic research area of epigenetics—adding chemical tags to DNA and histone proteins to alter cell functions without changing DNA sequence. Understanding the fundamental principles of how epigenetic information is transduced in the cell eventually could lead to developing new drugs for fighting diseases like cancer.

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Argonne scientists have invented a membrane that, when exposed to sunlight, can clean itself and also actively degrade pollutants.

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His Nobel Prize-winning studies of the ribosome’s structure were conducted in part at Brookhaven’s former National Synchrotron Light Source.

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No matter if it’s grandma’s cookies or commercially produced rolls, pastry lovers expect their baked goods to have a certain “golden brown” allure — but only after baking. A white dough that changes hue during storage, however, can negatively affect the appearance and perception of the final baked product. Now in a study appearing in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists report that they have developed a natural way to prevent discoloration during storage.

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In the quest to replace fossil fuels, scientists are always on the lookout for alternative, environmentally friendly sources of energy. But who could have imagined a bionic mushroom that produces electricity? It sounds like something straight out of Alice in Wonderland, but researchers have now generated mushrooms patterned with energy-producing bacteria and an electrode network. They report their results in the ACS journal Nano Letters.

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An eco-friendly technology for greener cosmetics and cleaner engine lubricants, made from approximately 50 percent biomass (grasses, corn husks, wood chips, etc.) and 50 percent common cooking oil.

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Patient talks will inform scientists and clinicians on etiology and impact

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The American Chemical Society (ACS) has recognized biocatalysis expert Richard Gross with the 2019 ACS Award for Affordable Green Chemistry, bestowed for outstanding scientific discoveries or chemistries that lay the foundation for cost-competitive environmentally friendly products or manufacturing processes that are less expensive than existing alternatives.

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Envision a yellow submarine on a rocket to Europa as a future culmination in the search for extraterrestrial life. A new $7 million NASA Astrobiology grant is fueling an alliance of oceanic astrobiology researchers who will unify their focus to probe oceans on our solar system neighbors for signs of life.

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Comparing the properties of cold- and hot-brew coffee, researchers found similar acidity in both, but higher antioxidant levels in hot coffee.

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In a new study published in Nature, scientists from the University of Chicago show how a common RNA modification plays an important role in the process of learning and memory formation.

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A trio of scientists was recognized for their early career successes in uncovering how microbes produce fuel, insights that could change our energy portfolio

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Manganese could advance one of the most promising sources of renewable energy: hydrogen fuel cells. In a study published today (Oct. 29, 2018) in Nature Catalysis, a University at Buffalo-led research team reports on catalysts made from the widely available and inexpensive metal. The advancement could eventually help solve hydrogen fuel cells’ most frustrating problem: namely, they’re not affordable because most catalysts are made with platinum, which is both rare and expensive.

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Scientists at Scripps Research and their collaborators have created microorganisms that may recapitulate key features of organisms thought to have lived billions of years ago, allowing them to explore questions about how life evolved.

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Icahn School of Medicine is designated a certified mitochondrial care center as part of the newly formed Mitochondrial Care Network

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Wilfred Chen will receive the 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Division Award in Chemical Engineering at the 2018 AIChE Annual Meeting.

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University of Oklahoma Professor Daniel Resasco has dedicated over 30 years to becoming an expert in the field of catalysis. In recognition of his work, the George Lynn Cross Professor and Gallogly Chair of Engineering was recently inducted into the National Academy of Sciences of Argentina.

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Fuel cell efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells decreases as the Nafion membrane, used to separate the anode and cathode within a fuel cell, swells as it interacts with water. Russian and Australian researchers have now shown that this Nafion separator membrane partially unwinds some of its constituent fibers, which then protrude away from the surface into the bulk water phase for hundreds of microns. Their results were published in this week’s Journal of Chemical Physics.

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Researchers at McMaster University have solved a vexing problem by engineering surface coatings that can repel everything, such as bacteria, viruses and living cells, but can be modified to permit beneficial exceptions.

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists used neutrons, isotopes and simulations to “see” the atomic structure of a saturated solution and found evidence supporting one of two competing hypotheses about how ions come together to form minerals.

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Comparing two strains of Salmonella – one that causes disease in humans and the other in reptiles – researchers discovered a covert way that the human-affecting bacteria essentially tricks the immune system into not attacking.

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Researchers have developed a new class of molecular layer deposition chemistry that paves the way for a new photoactivated molecular layer deposition technique. They report that their new method will expand the tool kit for forming covalently bound organic multilayers at surfaces. These emerging deposition techniques have enabled engineers to produce organic thin films with improved conformality. Richard Closser, Stanford University, will present the findings at the AVS 65th International Symposium and Exhibition, Oct. 21-26, 2018.

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As the phones get slimmer, the optics crisper and the processors faster, have you ever wondered what is happening behind the scenes that make these remarkable achievements possible? During the AVS 65th International Symposium and Exhibition, Oct. 21-26, Svetlana Radovanov will discuss the research and development that ultimately are used to create the particle accelerators driving these technological advances.

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A team of Tufts University-led researchers has developed three-dimensional (3D) human tissue culture models for the central nervous system that mimic structural and functional features of the brain and demonstrate neural activity sustained over a period of many months.

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Precise positioning of oxygens could help engineer faster, more efficient energy-relevant chemical transformations.

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Researchers have developed a new test that could diagnose chronic kidney disease early in patients with type 2 diabetes. This novel method, published today in AACC’s Clinical Chemistry journal, could improve quality of life for diabetic patients by potentially catching chronic kidney disease in time to stop its progression to full-blown kidney failure.

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New research from Duke and Yale universities shows flavorings are transforming more than marketing. The chemical additives react to e-liquid, or e-juice, creating new compounds that could trigger irritation and inflammation when inhaled.

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A growing body of research indicates bisphenol A (BPA) levels in food containers present a public health risk. Despite this evidence, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to assert that BPA is safe for use in food packaging, based on an initial report conducted as part of the Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on BPA Toxicity (CLARITY-BPA).

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The U.S. Department of Energy is supporting development of a system for producing biobased chemicals that's based on the idea of "bioprivileged molecules." Researchers at the Center for Biorenewable Chemicals based at Iowa State University say such molecules have new and valuable properties.

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To forge nanodiamonds, which have potential applications in medicine, optoelectronics and quantum computing, researchers expose organic explosive molecules to powerful detonations in a controlled environment. These explosive forces, however, make it difficult to study the nanodiamond formation process. To overcome this hurdle, researchers recently developed a procedure and a computer model that can simulate the highly variable conditions of explosions on phenomenally short time scales. They report their work in The Journal of Chemical Physics.

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LIVERMORE, Calif. — Sandia National Laboratories researcher Jacqueline Chen has been elected as a fellow of the American Physical Society.This honor is afforded each year to no more than 0.5 percent of the members of the society.Chen was honored “for fundamental insights into turbulence-chemistry interactions revealed through massively parallel direct numerical simulations.

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Nail polishes with ‘n-free’ labels are not necessarily free of toxic compounds

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Researchers have developed designer molecules that may one day be able to seek out and trap deadly nerve agents and other toxic compounds in the environment – and possibly in humans.

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Newly uncovered newspaper articles shed light on Mendel’s motivations.

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The prestigious award will support the Cravatt laboratory with $7.8 million over seven years.

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Optical frequency combs can enable ultrafast processes in physics, biology, and chemistry, as well as improve communication and navigation, medical testing, and security. Columbia Engineers have built a Kerr frequency comb generator that, for the first time, integrates the laser with the microresonator, significantly shrinking the system’s size and power requirements. They no longer need to connect separate devices using fiber--they can now integrate it all on compact and energy efficient photonic chips.

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Experiments at Berkeley Lab helped scientists zero in on a low-temperature chemical mechanism that may help to explain the complex molecular compounds that make up the nitrogen-rich haze layer surrounding Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.

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Argonne recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the expanded Cell Analysis, Modeling and Prototyping (CAMP) facility.

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The Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA) is pleased to announce that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, signed the finalized Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) User Fees Rule into law at EPA headquarters.

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Lab-on-a-chip devices harness electrical signals to measure glucose, tell apart blood type and detect viruses or cancer. But biological samples need hafnium oxide for protection from the electric fields.

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AACC, a global scientific and medical professional organization dedicated to better health through laboratory medicine, is pleased to announce that David G. Grenache, PhD, DABCC, MT(ASCP), FAACC, has been elected to serve on the AACC Board of Directors as president-elect starting in January 2019. Following this, he will serve successive terms as the association’s president from August 2020-July 2021 and as past president from August 2021-July 2022. In addition, the AACC membership elected a new treasurer and two new directors to the association’s Board. They will take office at the start of 2019 along with the incoming president of AACC Academy, who will also serve on the Board.

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Fuel cells have long been viewed as a promising power source. But most fuel cells are too expensive, inefficient, or both. In a new approach, inspired by biology, a University of Wisconsin–Madison team has designed a fuel cell using cheaper materials and an organic compound that shuttles electrons and protons.

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American Chemical Society’s president comments on award of 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

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Carbon-rich pollution converted to a jet fuel will power a commercial flight for the first time today. The Virgin Atlantic Airlines’ flight from Orlando to London using a Boeing 747 will usher in a new era for low-carbon aviation that has been years in the making. Through a combination of chemistry, biotechnology, engineering and catalysis, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and its industrial partner LanzaTech have shown the world that carbon can be recycled and used for commercial flight.

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Light-absorbing brown carbon aerosols, emitted by wildfires, remain longer in the atmosphere than expected, which could have implications for climate predictions.

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Notorious asphyxiator carbon monoxide has few true admirers, but it’s favored by University of California, Irvine scientists who use it to study other molecules.

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Gary Patti, the Michael and Tana Powell Associate Professor of Chemistry in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been awarded $4.8 million in two separate National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants focused on improving the accessibility of metabolomics — the study of the biochemical reactions that underlie metabolism.

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Splitting up and getting back together is always hard to do, but for proteins, it's almost impossible. However, a computer-guided algorithm may help scientists find just the right spot to split a protein and then reassemble it to functionality.

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Dr. Stuart Chalk, a University of North Florida chemistry professor, has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to test and improve upon his data science framework, SciData, which will help make the integration of scientific data more efficient for researchers.

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Argonne’s sequential infiltration synthesis technique could advance computer chip manufacturing as well as other industries.