A new, growing group of scientists at the University of Iowa is researching how to address the storage and potential reuse of nuclear waste. Armed with grants from various federal agencies, UI faculty also are educating undergraduate and graduate students in radiochemistry.
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley have discovered that as plants develop they craft their root microbiome, favoring microbes that consume very specific metabolites. Their study could help scientists identify ways to enhance the soil microbiome for improved carbon storage and plant productivity.
COSMIC, a next-generation X-ray beamline now operating at Berkeley Lab, brings together a unique set of capabilities to measure the properties of materials at the nanoscale. It allows scientists to probe working batteries and other active chemical reactions, and to reveal new details about magnetism and correlated electronic materials.
The Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences at The Scripps Research Institute is ranked among the top ten in the nation according to a recent survey by U.S. News & World Report.
Tiny floating robots could be useful in all kinds of ways, for example, to probe the human gut for disease or to search the environment for pollutants. In a step toward such devices, researchers describe a new marriage of materials, combining ultrathin 2-D electronics with miniature particles to create microscopic machines.
It’s likely not the first thing you think of when you see elephant dung, but this material turns out to be an excellent source of cellulose for paper manufacturing in countries where trees are scarce, scientists report. And in regions with plenty of farm animals such as cows, upcycling manure into paper products could be a cheap and environmentally sound method to get rid of this pervasive agricultural waste.
The average American drinks more than three cups of coffee a day, contributing to a $40 billion industry in the U.S. alone, according to the National Coffee Association. But not all coffee is created equal; flavor profiles vary. Focusing on espresso, scientists say they have now unlocked the key to creating consistent cups of java.
From moon landings to mobile phones, many of the farfetched visions of science fiction have transformed into reality. In the latest example of this trend, scientists report that they have developed a powerful printer that could streamline the creation of self-assembling structures that can change shape after being exposed to heat and other stimuli.
Bacterial infections that target the intestine can cause conditions that range from uncomfortable to deadly. While it’s easy to blame the bacteria, it’s actually the toxins the bacteria produce that trigger inflammation, diarrhea, fever and cramps.
A compound in beets that gives the vegetable its distinctive red color could eventually help slow the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the brain, a process that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists say this discovery could lead to the development of drugs that could alleviate some of the long-term effects of the disease, the world’s leading cause of dementia.
If scientists are ever going to deliver on the promise of implantable artificial organs or clothing that dries itself, they'll first need to solve the problem of inflexible batteries that run out of juice too quickly. They're getting closer, and today researchers report that they've developed a new material by weaving two polymers together in a way that vastly increases charge storage capacity.
Stainless steel is the gold standard for kitchen appliances and cookware, described as modern and sleek. But bacteria can grow on stainless steel surfaces, contaminating food. Current coatings available on the market are pricey and potentially harmful, so scientists have now developed an affordable specialized polymer coating for such surfaces that they can recharge with bleach treatments.
The recent Thomas Fire in California was the largest wildfire in the state’s modern history. It scorched nearly 282,000 acres between December 2017 and January 2018, and serves as a reminder of how devastating such events can be. Now, researchers report that wildfires in forested watersheds can have a variable but predictable impact on the substances that are released from soils and flow into drinking water sources.
From floral perfume to fruity body wash and shampoos, scents heavily influence consumer purchases. But for most, the smell doesn’t last long after showering before it fades away. Scientists have now developed a way to get those fragrances to stick to the skin longer instead of washing down the drain immediately after being applied.
UT Southwestern Medical Center geneticist Dr. Helen Hobbs is the 2018 recipient of the Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine for her discovery of a novel way to reduce cholesterol. Dr. Hobbs, Director of the Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Genetics, is the fifth recipient of the Harrington Prize and the first woman to be honored.
A research team at the University of Delaware has developed technology to program strands of DNA into switches that turn proteins on and off. This technology could lead to the development of new cancer therapies and other drugs.
Personalized medicine is one step closer for consumers, thanks to tiny, implantable sensors that could give an early warning of a person’s developing health problems, indicate the most effective type of exercise for an individual athlete, or even help triage wounded soldiers. That’s the vision for a family of devices that scientists are now developing.
This year’s unexpectedly aggressive flu season reminds everyone that although the flu vaccine can reduce the number of people who contract the virus, it is still not 100 percent effective. Researchers report that a tweak to a small-molecule drug shows promise for future production of new antiviral therapies that could help patients, regardless of the strain with which they are infected.
Drug overdoses are taking a huge toll on public health, with potent synthetic drugs posing a particular threat. Medical professionals are scrambling to meet the growing demand for emergency room treatment, but they’re hampered by the lack of a quick and easy test to screen patients for these “designer” drugs.
The world drinks a lot of wine, and that means a lot of grapes are consumed every year. But not every part of the grape ends up in the bottle. Seeds, stalks and skins — roughly a quarter of the grapes —- are typically discarded in landfills as waste. But now, researchers say they have found some useful commercial applications, such as prolonging the shelf life of fatty foods, for these wine leftovers.
The Colonial Pipeline, which carries fuel from Texas to New York, ruptured last fall, dumping a quarter-million gallons of gas in rural Alabama. By the time the leak was detected during routine inspection, vapors from released gasoline were so strong they prevented pipeline repair for days. Now, scientists are developing technology that would alert pipeline managers about leaks as soon as failure begins, avoiding the environmental disasters and fuel distribution disruptions resulting from pipeline leaks.
Setting off smoke bombs is more than good fun on the Fourth of July. The military uses smoke grenades in dangerous situations to provide cover for people and tanks on the move. But the smoke arms race is on. Increasingly, sensors can now go beyond the visible range into the infrared (IR) region of the spectrum.
All press conferences from the American Chemical Society’s 255th National Meeting & Exposition in New Orleans will be accessible live on YouTube starting on Monday, March 19, at 9:30 a.m. CDT. The link to the live press conferences is http://bit.ly/ACSLive_NOLA (“ACSLive_NOLA” is case sensitive).
EVANSTON - A Northwestern University team has leveraged super material graphene to develop a new hair dye that is non-toxic, non-damaging and lasts through many washes without fading.
Chemical compounds carry distinctive absorption “fingerprints,” within the mid-infrared spectral region; this offers an opportunity to measure and study chemicals at extremely sensitive levels, but researchers currently lack the tools required. In a breakthrough, NIST researchers developed an on-silicon-chip laser source with outputs that consist of precisely defined and equally spaced optical lines within the mid-infrared spectral region. They report their findings in APL Photonics.
In a new study from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Lille in France, chemists have explored protactinium’s multiple resemblances to more completely understand the relationship between the transition metals and the complex chemistry of the early actinide elements.
Javier Vela of Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory has worked with two of his graduate students to synthesize a new material for semiconductors. The chemists think the material will work well in solar cells, but without the toxicity, scarcity or costs of other semiconductors.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry has appointed Phyllis Hanson, Karin Musier-Forsyth, and Michael Shipston as associate editors. The three new editors bring expertise in intracellular cell membranes, RNA biology, and ion channel signaling to the journal.
Drug therapies that target a specific molecule have changed the way patients are treated for cancer and greatly improved survival rates. However, some patients do not respond to these therapies because the drug is not reaching the tumor cells effectively. In a new study published in Scientific Reports, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers combined single-cell imaging of cancer cells in mice with mathematical modeling to determine which drug characteristics are the most important for efficient drug uptake.
Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have designed a new molecule-building method that uses sulfones as partners for cross-coupling reactions, or the joining of two distinct chemical entities in a programmed fashion aided by a catalyst.
Americium(III) is selectively and efficiently separated from europium(III) by an extractant in an ionic liquid.
One major problem in treating cancer is identifying the location of small tumors and treating them before they metastasize.
Research Highlights: a proteomics study to understand a rare skin disease; understanding T cell activation through "click chemistry."
For decades, combustion researchers and engine companies have been seeking to understand how these gases are produced during combustion so that they can find ways to reduce them. Now Argonne researchers have synthesized more than a decade’s worth of combustion studies to create a new overarching model of how nitrogen oxides are produced.
Researchers at Iowa State University, partnering with the LifeServe Blood Center, have used leftover blood donor cells to gain crucial insights into how natural killer cells circulating in the human body differ from those typically studied in the lab. The results of this research are published in the March 9 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
A team led by engineers at Tufts University has opened a window into the cell by developing an optical tool that can read metabolism at subcellular resolution. The researchers were able to use the method to identify specific metabolic signatures that could arise in diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
New research published in Science (March 9), C. Austen Angell of Arizona State University and colleagues from the University of Amsterdam have observed one of the more intriguing properties predicted by water theoreticians – that, on sufficient super-cooling and under specific conditions it will suddenly change from one liquid to a different one.
LIVERMORE, Calif. — Sandia National Laboratories researchers have identified key chemical mechanisms for the first time that add to the fundamental knowledge of combustion chemistry and might lead to cleaner combustion in engines.Sandia researcher Nils Hansen and former postdoctoral appointee Kai Moshammer focused on low-temperature oxidation of hydrocarbons and other alternative fuels.
Scientists have conducted the first lab experiments on haze formation in simulated exoplanet atmospheres, an important step for understanding upcoming observations of planets outside the solar system with the James Webb Space Telescope.
Researchers at Durham University in the UK have identified a crucial link in the process of how plants regulate their antiviral responses. The research is published in the March 2 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
New "smart glass" technology developed at the University of Delaware could make curtains and blinds obsolete. This isn't the first "smart glass," but it's one-tenth the price of other versions and more transparent in its transparent state and more reflective in its reflective state than competitors.
Calcium ions enable cells to communicate with one another, allowing neurons to interact, muscles to contract, and the heart's muscle cells to synchronize and beat. To better understand these processes, researchers often use computer simulations, but accurate models are challenging and computationally expensive. In this week’s The Journal of Chemical Physics, researchers demonstrate how a straightforward modification in a computer model leads to highly accurate simulations, which serve as powerful tools for studying a range of biological processes.
Infusing foods with smoke can impart delicious nuanced flavors, but could also come with an unwelcome side of carcinogens. To reduce the carcinogen content of smoked foods, researchers took a lesson from the automobile industry, running the smoke through a zeolite filter to remove harmful compounds. It worked, and with a happy bonus: superior smoke flavor.
Scientists have used experiments at Berkeley Lab to retrace the chemical steps leading to the creation of complex hydrocarbons in space. They showed pathways to forming 2-D carbon-based nanostructures in a mix of heated gases.
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a new technique that lets them pinpoint the location of chemical reactions happening inside lithium-ion batteries in three dimensions at the nanoscale level. Their results are published in the journal Nature Communications.
News Release DALIAN, China — Energy storage allows power operators across the nation to balance electricity supply and demand instantaneously, affording ratepayers a more resilient power supply.Now the focus on energy storage is global. In January, energy storage experts at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory joined forces with their counterparts around the world to forge the International Coalition for Energy Storage and Innovation, or ICESI.
The breakthrough may expand research on the roles of glycans in human diseases, including cancers.
Scientists have discovered a novel chemical state, first proposed about 90 years ago, that enables a high-performance, low-cost sodium-ion battery. The battery could quickly and efficiently store and distribute energy produced by solar panels and wind turbines across the electrical grid.
Lithium ions have to travel through layers of molecules in the electrolyte liquid before they can enter or leave a lithium-ion battery electrode. Tweaking this process could help batteries charge faster.
Researchers have developed a method that will help natural gas experts better understand shale samples and eventually help them decide whether to invest time and resources to extract gas from the formation the samples came from.
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