A new powerful antibiotic, isolated from bacteria that could not be studied before, seems capable to combat harmful bacteria and even multi-resistant ‘superbugs’.
A new study published in iScience, by Hong Wang, PhD, an Associate Member at the Monell Chemical Sense Center, and colleagues sheds light on the mechanisms involved in the complex interplay between taste perception and immune function. Their work also highlights the potential of a sequencing tool for investigating epigenetic mechanisms that affect taste-cell gene expression.
A Florida State University scientist has helped uncover through a multidecadal study how changing water chemistry in Arctic rivers could impact the entire planet.
Empa researchers have developed an epoxy resin that can be repaired and recycled, in addition to being flame-retardant and mechanically strong. Potential applications range from coating for wooden flooring to composites in aerospace and railways.
The world needs greener ways to make chemicals. In a new study, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers demonstrate one potential path toward this goal by adapting hydrogen fuel cell technologies.
Chemists are building nanospheres that act as super enzymes to break down the plant fibers in biomass such as crop residues. The new catalysts could make biomass a practical source of sugars that can be converted into fuels and chemicals.
Angel Garcia-Esparza wins 2023 Spicer Young Investigator Award for studying catalysts in action. The award is part of SLAC SSRL's annual users' meeting in September.
As Labor Day approaches, many people will go tubing and swimming, but do these delightful summertime activities impact streams and rivers? Today, scientists report that recreation can alter the chemical and microbial fingerprint of waterways. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.
Sourdough bread-making took over amid lockdown boredom. Today, scientists report the 21 key chemical compounds responsible for its one-of-a-kind taste and smell. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.
Pouring flecks of rust into water usually makes it dirtier. Now, researchers have developed special iron oxide nanoparticles called “smart rust” to trap estrogen hormones that are potentially harmful to aquatic life. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.
Our brains constantly make memories and learn new skills. Understanding the role of the complex sugar molecules responsible for this “plasticity” could also make it possible to repair neural circuits after injury. The researchers will present their results today at ACS Fall 2023.
Indoor air pollution may have met its match. Scientists have designed lampshades that transform pollutants into harmless compounds. The catalyst-coated lampshades work with halogen and incandescent lamps, and LEDs will be next. The team will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.
Rice University chemists have discovered that tiny gold “seed” particles, a key ingredient in one of the most common nanoparticle recipes, are one and the same as gold buckyballs, 32-atom spherical molecules that are cousins of the carbon buckyballs discovered at Rice in 1985.
Lynmarie K. Thompson has been elected President-elect of the Biophysical Society (BPS). She will assume the office of President-elect at the 2024 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and begin her term as President during the 2025 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, California. Thompson is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass).
“Back-to-school” season means earaches. Today, a team reports a single-use nanoscale system unlikely to generate resistance. It can kill an ear-infection-causing bacterium in animals with a compound like bleach, and it could someday be used in a gel. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.
Young vegetables known as microgreens are claimed to be superfoods, but how do they compare to mature veggies? Their nutritional profiles and effects on gut bacteria differ, scientists say, yet tests in mice suggest that both could limit weight gain. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.
To explore prostate cancer disparities, researchers looked to another disorder, diabetes. They conducted a clinical trial and report four biomarkers linked to a higher risk of metastatic prostate cancer in men of West African heritage. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.
While aloe sap is in high demand, the peels are thrown away as agricultural waste. Now, scientists who have identified several bioactive compounds in extracts from the peels that deter insects report that these peels can act as a natural insecticide. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.
Scandium radioisotopes are potentially useful for cancer therapy and medical imaging such as positron emission tomography (PET) scans, but the difficulty of producing sufficient amounts and purities of these isotopes limits their use. New research describes ways to make and irradiate accelerator targets for scandium to increase production and purity. The process recycles the calcium target material with more than 95% efficiency.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence for Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense, CBTS, led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, is supporting a DHS Summer Research Team effort to detect harmful chemicals in shrimp supplies.
Flies are being used as a source of chemicals to make bioplastics. Eventually, that same type of bug might one day biodegrade those plastics once their useful life is over. The researchers will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.
To create desirable and healthful vegan seafood mimics, researchers have 3D-printed an ink made of microalgae protein and mung bean protein. They air-fried their proof-of-concept calamari rings for a tasty, quick snack. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.
A novel catalysis scheme enables chemical reactions that were previously virtually impossible. The method developed at the University of Bonn is also environmentally friendly and does not require rare and precious metals.
Although many Americans dutifully deposit their plastic trash into the appropriate bins each week, many of those materials, including flexible films, multilayer materials and a lot of colored plastics, are not recyclable using conventional mechanical recycling methods. In the end, only about 9 percent of plastic in the United States is ever reused, often in low-value products.
Researchers analyzed over 100 period products for fluorinated compounds, an indicator of potentially harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. While PFAS were absent from many products, they might be in others. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.
A team led by Virginia Tech researchers has developed a new method for upcycling plastics into high-value chemicals known as surfactants, which are used to create soap, detergent, and more.
Examining the flow of fluids, scientists have conducted a study of the interface between two liquids, focusing on a force called interfacial tension. Their numerical simulation helped them better understand the mechanism at work in interfacial tension.
Recorded media briefings from the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), ACS Fall 2023, will be accessible starting on Monday, Aug. 14, by 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT) here: www.acs.org/acsfall2023briefings.
Certain sugars naturally found in breastmilk could help prevent infections before a baby arrives. Researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have found that these sugars can stop a common prenatal infection in human tissues and pregnant mice.
Just catching a quick whiff of certain chemicals known as nerve agents can be lethal. Researchers now reporting in ACS Sensors have developed a sensitive and selective nerve gas sensor using these human scent receptors. It reliably detected a substitute for deadly sarin gas in simulated tests.
Ames National Laboratory partnered with the Colgate-Palmolive Company to improve stannous fluoride, an FDA approved ingredient that prevents tooth decay and plaque formation, and combats gum disease.
The interaction between a probing tip and an adsorbed molecule can significantly impact the molecular chemical structure. The tip-induced bond weakening, tilting, and hopping processes of a single molecule were investigated by sub-nanometre resolved tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). The C−O stretching mode is always redshifted as the tip approaches, revealing the weakening of the C−O bond. Further analyses of the vibrational Stark effect and TERS imaging suggest a delicate tilting of the adsorbed CO molecule.
An antibody in single-chain fragment variable (scFv) format that binds to the powerful opioid carfentanil was shown to reverse signs of carfentanil overdose in preclinical tests conducted by scientists at Scripps Research.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $37 million in funding for 52 projects to 44 institutions which include Argonne projects. The funding will help build research capacity, infrastructure and expertise at institutions historically underrepresented.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $37 million in funding for 52 projects to 44 institutions to build research capacity, infrastructure, and expertise at institutions historically underrepresented in DOE’s Office of Science portfolio, including Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs).
After more than a decade of work, electrons are now flying through a new superconducting accelerator at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, preparing to power the world’s most powerful X-ray free electron laser. This project – named the Linac Coherent Light Source II (LCLS-II) – is now steps away from releasing X-ray flashes that will open a new era in scientific research at that atomic level.
A team of researchers led by Brent Sumerlin, of the University of Florida, has made a breakthrough with the potential for a new method for recycling plastic that promises to lower the energy requirement without sacrificing the quality of the plastic.
Tumor cells are known to be fickle sleeper agents, often lying dormant in distant tissues for years before reactivating and forming metastasis. Numerous factors have been studied to understand why the activation occurs, from cells and molecules to other components in the so-called tissue microenvironment.
Researchers from Michigan State University’s top-ranked School of Packaging have developed a way to make a promising, sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics more biodegradable. A team led by Rafael Auras has made a bio-based polymer blend that’s compostable in both home and industrial settings. The work is published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
When we think of soil, most of us think of dirt on the ground. But a surprising amount of the planet’s soil thrives in the treetops of old-growth forests, high above terra firma.
The key to understanding proteins — such as those that govern cancer, COVID-19, and other diseases — is quite simple. Identify their chemical structure and find which other proteins can bind to them. But there’s a catch.
Light affects living organisms in many different ways: for example, plants orient their growth direction towards the sun, while circadian rhythms in humans are controlled by daylight.
Scandium-44 is a promising medical isotope for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging for identifying cancer, heart disease, and other conditions. Scandium-44 can be produced through the radioactive decay of titanium-44, but the challenge is to reliably separate scandium-44 from titanium-44 at hospitals. A new approach produces an isotope generator that is portable, uses facilities routinely available at hospitals, and works efficiently and reliably. This will enable medical staff to more easily use scandium-44 for PET scans and other applications.
Using the full capabilities of the Quantinuum H1-1 quantum computer, researchers from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory not only demonstrated best practices for scientific computing on current quantum systems but also produced an intriguing scientific result. By modeling singlet fission — in which absorption of a single photon of light by a molecule produces two excited states — the team confirmed that the linear H4 molecule’s energetic levels match the fission process’s requirements.
In chemical reactions, molecules transform from reactants into reaction products through a critical geometry called a transition state that lasts less than one millionth of one millionth of a second. Scientists recently captured a critical geometry using the ultra-high speed “electron camera” at SLAC. The research will help explain why reactions generate only specific reaction products.
Antiviral therapies are notoriously difficult to develop, as viruses can quickly mutate to become resistant to drugs. But what if a new generation of antivirals ignores the fast-mutating proteins on the surface of viruses and instead disrupts their protective layers?