Feature Channels: Chemistry

• share
• favorite_border

A monthly roundup of research briefs showcasing recent scientific advances led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center faculty.

• share
• favorite_border

The element’s unusual electron structure and behavior are vital to understanding and exploiting the chemical bonding and reactivity of the heavy elements.

• share
• favorite_border

Throughout the summer, you could often find Ben Hewson sharing his notes with Professor Charley Liberko in the chemistry lab during the Cornell Summer Research Institute (CSRI).

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers have made a MOF with the highest electron charge mobilities ever observed, along with a technique to improve the conductivity of other MOFs. The work was led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

• share
• favorite_border

Gene editing technology could one day eliminate diseases currently considered incurable. Thanks to a new test developed by Sandia National Laboratories scientists, that day is closer to dawning.

• share
• favorite_border

This summer, five graduate students from the University of Puerto Rico had the opportunity to use SLAC’s world-class facilities to keep their studies on track.

• share
• favorite_border

Attend press conferences live – online at http://bit.ly/ACSLive_Boston2018 or in person -- at the 256th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Press conferences will be held Monday, Aug. 20, through Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018. Below is the schedule, which will be updated as needed.

• share
• favorite_border

A special strain of soil bacteria has the paradoxical ability to produce highly toxic compounds to protect itself from other organisms without harming itself.

• share
• favorite_border

Thousands of shipwrecks litter the seafloor all over the world, preserved in sediments and cold water. But when one of these ships is brought up from the depths, the wood quickly starts deteriorating. Today, scientists report a new way to use “smart” nanocomposites to conserve a 16th-century British warship, the Mary Rose, and its artifacts. The new approach could help preserve other salvaged ships by eliminating harmful acids without damaging the wooden structures themselves.

• share
• favorite_border

A cross-disciplinary team of chemists and physicists from Washington University in St. Louis is building a better computer chip to improve detection and surveillance for the illegal transport of nuclear materials at U.S. borders. The work is part of a new, five-year, $10 million collaboration in low-energy nuclear science led by Texas A&M University.

• share
• favorite_border

Using computer modeling, researchers from Sandia National Laboratories and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are helping to develop the means to prevent some deaths from infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria.

• share
• favorite_border

Laughing gas and the mystery of Carl Sagan's Faint Young Sun Paradox: When the sun shone dimmer an eon ago, Earth remained warm in spite of it likely thanks to a mix of greenhouse gases. Biogeochemists have now shown how N20, known today for its use as a dental anesthetic, may have made it into the mix.

• share
• favorite_border

Maple trees are best known for their maple syrup and lovely fall foliage. But it turns out that the beauty of those leaves could be skin-deep — and that’s a good thing. Today, scientists report that an extract from the leaves may prevent wrinkles.

• share
• favorite_border

Scientists report they have successfully developed and tested the world’s first ultrathin artificial retina that could vastly improve on existing implantable visualization technology for the blind. The flexible device, based on very thin 2D materials, could someday restore sight to the millions of people with retinal diseases. And with a few modifications, the device could be used to track heart and brain activity.

• share
• favorite_border

The popularity of electronic cigarettes continues to grow worldwide, as many people view them as a safer alternative to smoking. But the long-term effects of e-cigarette usage, commonly called “vaping,” are unknown. Today, researchers report that vaping may modify the genetic material, or DNA, in the oral cells of users, which could increase their cancer risk.

• share
• favorite_border

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a set of painful conditions that can cause severe diarrhea and fatigue. Treatments can include medications and surgery. But now researchers report that a simple dietary intervention could mitigate colonic inflammation and improve gut health. In this case, a strawberry — or rather, less than a cupful of strawberries — a day could help keep the doctor away.

• share
• favorite_border

Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society (ACS), is today unveiling its annual “Talented 12” list. This award program, now in its fourth year, and for the first time sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific, recognizes young global stars in the chemical sciences that are working to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems. These up-and-coming innovators in chemistry will be debuted at an event today at ACS’ 256th National Meeting & Exposition. They are also featured in this week’s issue of C&EN.

• share
• favorite_border

Many people rely on contact lenses to improve their vision. But these sight-correcting devices don’t last forever — some are intended for a single day’s use — and they are eventually disposed of in various ways. Now, scientists are reporting that throwing these lenses down the drain at the end of their use could be contributing to microplastic pollution in waterways.

• share
• favorite_border

— In remote areas of the world or in regions with limited resources, everyday items like electrical outlets and batteries are luxuries. Health care workers in these areas often lack electricity to power diagnostic devices, and commercial batteries may be unavailable or too expensive. New power sources are needed that are low-cost and portable. Today, researchers report a new type of battery –- made of paper and fueled by bacteria --- that could overcome these challenges.

• share
• favorite_border

In 2008, a contaminant eluded the quality safeguards in the pharmaceutical industry and infiltrated a large portion of the supply of the popular blood thinner heparin, sickening hundreds and killing about 100 in the U.S.

• share
• favorite_border

Many natural products and drugs feature a so-called dicarbonyl motif – in certain cases however their preparation poses a challenge to organic chemists. In their most recent work, Nuno Maulide and his coworkers from the University of Vienna present a new route for these molecules. They use oxidized sulfur compounds even though sulfur is not included in the final product. The results are now published in the prestigious journal "Science".

• share
• favorite_border

“High risk, high reward” is the kind of discovery Dr. Garry Grubbs seeks with a new experiment designed to rapidly identify the atomic structure of chiral molecules widely used in pharmaceutical drugs. The finding could significantly reduce the time and costs involved in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing.

• share
• favorite_border

Clinicians most often monitor antibodies because these small proteins attach to antigens, or foreign substances, we face every day. Most biomolecules, however, have complicated charge characteristics, and the sensor response from conventional carbon nanotube systems can be erratic. A team in Japan recently revealed how these systems work and proposed changes to dramatically improve biomolecule detection. They report their findings in the Journal of Applied Physics.

• share
• favorite_border

The journal impact factors (JIFs) for the ECS journals continue to grow. Increase in citations and downloads are just some of the factors that are placing ECS journals among the top ranked.

• share
• favorite_border

Ordinary WiFi can easily detect weapons, bombs and explosive chemicals in bags at museums, stadiums, theme parks, schools and other public venues, according to a Rutgers University–New Brunswick-led study. The researchers’ suspicious object detection system is easy to set up, reduces security screening costs and avoids invading privacy such as when screeners open and inspect bags, backpacks and luggage. Traditional screening typically requires high staffing levels and costly specialized equipment.

• share
• favorite_border

Tulane University research could shed light on the molecular details of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers from the University of Florida and the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil have used state of the art simulations to assess the effect of both pH and redox potential, or rate of electron transfer, on a biomolecule.

• share
• favorite_border

Argonne chemist Stephen Klippenstein has received a gold medal from The Combustion Institute, one of the highest honors given in the field of combustion chemistry.

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

Carsten Milsmann, assistant professor in the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry at West Virginia University, has earned the National Science Foundation’s prestigious CAREER Award for research that could help develop solar energy applications that are more efficient and cheaper to produce.

• share
• favorite_border

Fernando Alferez, an assistant professor of horticultural sciences at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, leads a team of UF/IFAS researchers studying the effects of Homobrassinolides (HBr), a type of plant hormone, on greening-infected citrus trees.

• share
• favorite_border

A leading scientist has been working to identify what contributes to the ability of tumor cells to move through the body and find other places to “set up shop.” He has identified a number of enzymes that he believes are responsible for this process and is working to develop novel compounds to slow down this spreading aspect of cancer.

• share
• favorite_border

Ask most people to identify the fastest animal on Earth and they’ll suggest a cheetah, falcon or even a sailfish. To that list of speedy animals, Georgia Institute of Technology assistant professor Saad Bhamla would like to add the Spirostomum ambiguum, a tiny single-celled protozoan that achieves blazing-fast acceleration while contracting its worm-like body.

• share
• favorite_border

Sulfur isotopes can serve as tracers of atmospheric oxygen, and new data collected from the present-day atmosphere in China by an international team of researchers, led by the University of California San Diego, indicate remarkable similarity to the isotopic footprint found in ancient rocks. This opens up new interpretations of the Archean Period’s sulfur isotope sedimentary signature—a proxy for the origins and evolution of atmospheric oxygen and early life on Earth.

• share
• favorite_border

A high-fat diet may promote the growth of pancreatic cancer independent of obesity because of the interaction between dietary fat and cholecystokinin (CCK), a digestive hormone. In addition, blocking CCK may help prevent the spread of pancreatic tumors to other areas of the body (metastases).

• share
• favorite_border

Scientists have now observed for the first time how diamonds grow from seed at an atomic level, and discovered just how big the seeds need to be to kick the crystal growing process into overdrive.

• share
• favorite_border

Announcement of a New IFCC Division

• share
• favorite_border

Novel findings unveiled at the 70th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo show that gender-affirming hormone therapy markedly impacts the results of common laboratory tests for transgender patients. This study underscores the need for transgender-specific reference intervals to ensure this underserved population receives accurate diagnoses and effective treatments.

• share
• favorite_border

Plants can’t do without phosphorus. But there is often a ‘withdrawal limit’ on how much phosphorus they can get from the soil. A new study looks at how liming, soil management history, and enzymes relate to plants' access to phosphorus.

• share
• favorite_border

Research announced today at the 70th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo reveals that two out of three of the digital home ovulation tests sold by U.S. retailers do not accurately predict when a woman is ovulating. This information is critical for women trying to get pregnant and could improve their chances by helping them to better select at-home tests to guide intercourse timing.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers have developed a novel test that rapidly distinguishes between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This new method and a second study revealing gaps in care for women with gestational diabetes were presented today at the 70th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, and could improve treatment for patients with all diabetes types across the board.

• share
• favorite_border

Scientists have discovered that in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, lower levels of vitamin D are associated with increased disease severity. Their findings, announced today at the 70th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, indicate that vitamin D supplementation could significantly improve quality of life for RA patients.

• share
• favorite_border

AACC is pleased to announce the recipients of the AACC 2018 Top Corporate Supporter Awards. This year, AACC recognizes 47 different companies and organizations that generously support the association through sponsorships, advertising, and exhibiting. These significant contributions make it possible for AACC to improve patient care by fostering research, innovation, and professional excellence in the field of laboratory medicine.

• share
• favorite_border

Today biotech innovators will present portable tests that could help more patients get accurate diagnoses in a competition to win AACC’s Disruptive Technology Award.

• share
• favorite_border

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics’ VITROS® XT 7600 Integrated System received CE Mark. By combining Ortho’s proprietary dry slide technology with sophisticated digital imaging and the potential to perform two separate lab tests simultaneously, Ortho introduces digital chemistry to clinical lab management

• share
• favorite_border

Sysmex, one of the fastest growing providers of diagnostic hardware and software in the U.S., celebrates its 50th anniversary in booth number 1231 at this year’s annual meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC). The company is also sharing its plans to equip the clinical laboratory of the future with innovative solutions in flow cytometry, urinalysis and hematology.

• share
• favorite_border

MedTest Holdings, the solution provider of choice offering integrated products and services for decentralized clinical diagnostic testing, today announced the debut of its new corporate name—MedTest Dx—at the upcoming 2018 American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Scientific Meeting.

• share
• favorite_border

What do one in five breast cancers have in common? Large amounts of a protein called HER2 (or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2). “Every healthy cell produces a normal amount of HER2, but HER2 is produced 10 to 20 times more in a cancer cell,” said Yehenew Agazie, an associate professor of biochemistry at the West Virginia University School of Medicine.

• share
• favorite_border

At the 70th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo—the premier global conference and exhibit for laboratory medicine—trailblazers in the field will share the pioneering research and technology paving the way for better clinical testing and patient care. From July 29–August 2 in Chicago, the meeting will feature more than 200 talks on a broad range of timely healthcare topics.

• share
• favorite_border

PixCell is a cell based diagnostics company that has developed the HemoScreen: the first true Point of Care (POC) Hematology analyzer that uses a self-contained disposable cartridge, preventing the need for any maintenance or calibrations. The HemoScreen is a portable and user-friendly test device that provides lab accurate results for the standard 20 Complete Blood Count (CBC) parameters, including a 5-part differential.