Argonne scientists have developed a neural network that can identify the structure of molecules in the gas phase, offering a novel technique for national security and pharmaceutical applications.
A team of researchers led by Assistant Professor Yan Ning from the National University of Singapore has developed a new sustainable chemical approach to produce a series of amino acids from woody biomass derivatives such as grass, straw and wood chips from agricultural wastes. The team’s novel chemical method has potential to revolutionise amino acid production of the future and transform the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
The longstanding mystery of soot formation, which combustion scientists have been trying to explain for decades, appears to be finally solved, thanks to research led by Sandia National Laboratories.Soot is ubiquitous and has large detrimental effects on human health, agriculture, energy-consumption efficiency, climate and air quality.
A team of energy researchers from the University of Minnesota and University of Massachusetts Amherst has discovered that molecular motion can be predicted with high accuracy when confining molecules in small nanocages. The discovery could improve production of fuels and chemicals.
Two Weizmann Institute scientists, Profs. Eran Elinav and Eran Segal, have revealed that our gut microbes' relationship with probiotics may not be as healthy as we think
Scientists uncover a way to control terahertz radiation using tiny engineered particles in a magnetic field, potentially opening the doors for better medical and environmental sensors.
Researchers at UCLA and Columbia University have developed a novel method for tracking the activity of small molecules in the brain, including the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Pairing tiny artificial receptors with semiconductor devices that are able to function in living tissue, the team was able to observe brain chemicals at a high level of detail.
LIVERMORE, Calif. — Insights from experiments at Sandia National Laboratories designed to push chemical systems far from equilibrium allowed an international group of researchers to discover a new major source of formic acid over the Pacific and Indian oceans.The discovery was published in the July 3 issue of Nature Communications and featured on the “Editors’ Highlights” webpage.
The Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences today announced the three winners and six finalists of the 2018 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists.
When Jasmine Hatcher started community college, she was encouraged by her family to pursue a nursing career. But her mindset quickly changed when her chemistry professor suggested she intern for a research team at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory. There, a new field captured her interest as she spent her summer investigating chemical elements crucial for dealing with nuclear waste.
How did life arise on Earth? Rutgers researchers have found among the first and perhaps only hard evidence that simple protein catalysts – essential for cells, the building blocks of life, to function – may have existed when life began. Their study of a primordial peptide, or short protein, is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Processes that were thought to take tens of thousands of years can happen in hours, according to new research. And that may change our understanding of the carbon cycle, and maybe the history of Earth's climate.
Secretary of Energy Rick Perry recognized LLNL chemist Bill McLean with a prestigious Secretary’s Achievement Award yesterday in recognition of “pioneering technical contributions that have led to significant advancements in science-based stockpile stewardship.”
The U.S. Secretary of Energy's office has awarded the Scientific and Operational Leadership team for the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) the Secretary of Energy’s Achievement Award.
The element’s unusual electron structure and behavior are vital to understanding and exploiting the chemical bonding and reactivity of the heavy elements.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
A special strain of soil bacteria has the paradoxical ability to produce highly toxic compounds to protect itself from other organisms without harming itself.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
— 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.
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.
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".
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.