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Polyurethane waste is piling up in landfills, but scientists have a possible solution: They have developed a method to make polyurethane degradable. Once the original product’s useful life is over
In addition to their role in plant fertilization and reproduction, pollens and spores have another, hidden talent: With a simple treatment, these cheap, abundant and renewable grains can be converted into tiny sponge-like particles that can grab on to pollutants and remove them from water, scientists report.
Saliva from a tick’s bite can transmit pathogens that cause serious illnesses, such as Lyme disease, and significant agricultural losses.
Flame retardants are present in thousands of everyday items, from clothing to furniture to electronics. Although these substances can help prevent fire-related injuries and deaths, they could have harmful effects on human health and the environment.
Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society (ACS), unveiled its annual “Talented 12” list today. Sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific, this feature, now in its fifth year, recognizes young stars in the chemical sciences that are working to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems.
For years, scientists have been trying to solve a medical mystery: Why do people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of developing some forms of cancer? Today, researchers report a possible explanation for this double whammy.
In 2012, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize recreational marijuana. Since then, several other states have joined them, and cannabis-infused edibles, including gummy bears
Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer that has been increasing in the U.S. for the past 30 years. Nearly 100,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed every year, and 20 Americans die every day from it
Researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology have measured the emission rates of the gaseous compounds released by several types of polyurethane mattresses under simulated sleeping conditions.
Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology have associated hyperthyroidism with another class of flame retardants, using silicone pet tags similar to the popular wristbands that many people wear for charitable causes.
Researchers have made a hydrogel that, when injected near tumors in mice, recruits drugs to shrink the tumor with fewer side effects. They report their results in ACS Central Science.
Contamination of rice with arsenic is a major problem in some regions of the world with high rice consumption.
Milk is a staple of the human diet, full of key nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins. Today, scientists report in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry a comprehensive, centralized database of all known bovine milk compounds.
Attend press conferences live – online at http://bit.ly/ACSLive_Orlando2019 or in person -- at the Spring 2019 National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Press conferences will be held Monday, April 1, through Wednesday, April 3, 2019. Below is the schedule, which will be updated as needed.
Wood may seem more at home in log cabins than modern architecture, but a specially treated type of timber could be tomorrow’s trendy building material. Today, scientists report a new kind of transparent wood that not only transmits light, but also absorbs and releases heat, potentially saving on energy costs.
Science-fiction writers have long envisioned human–machine hybrids that wield extraordinary powers. However, “super plants” with integrated nanomaterials may be much closer to reality than cyborgs.
Lead leaching from pipes into the water supply is a serious public health concern. If water sources or treatments are changed, the new chemistry can cause previously safe water distribution systems to begin releasing lead, as the crisis in Flint, Michigan, demonstrated.
Hundreds of everyday items contain organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants and plasticizers. Some of these compounds make their way into the air, onto surfaces and even inside our bodies, with uncertain health effects.
When an act of terrorism or a vehicle or industrial accident ignites fuel, the resulting fire or explosion can be devastating. Today, scientists will describe how lengthy but microscopic chains of polymers could be added to fuel to significantly reduce the damage from these terrifying incidents without impacting performance.
From computer hard discs and smart phones to earbuds and electric motors, magnets are at the forefront of today’s technology. Magnets containing rare-earth elements are among the most powerful available, allowing many everyday objects to be ever smaller.
Just as controlled-release medications slowly dole out their cargo after they experience a pH change in the body, implanted “artificial muscles” could someday flex and relax in response to light illuminating the skin. In pilot studies, scientists have developed a new material that expands and contracts.
Traditional surgery to reshape a nose or ear entails cutting, sometimes followed by long recovery times and scars. Now, researchers have developed a “molecular surgery” process using tiny needles, electric current and 3D molds to reshape living tissue with no incisions, scarring or recovery time.
Nature has evolved protein-based substances with mechanical properties that rival even the best synthetic materials. Pound for pound, spider silk is stronger and tougher than steel. But unlike steel, the natural fiber cannot be mass-produced.
If you’ve ever dreamed about getting a good night’s sleep, your answer may someday lie in data generated by your sleepwear. Researchers have developed pajamas embedded with self-powered sensors that provide unobtrusive and continuous monitoring of heartbeat, breathing and sleep posture.
There’s nothing like a glass of orange juice, but prices have soared as the Florida citrus industry fights a citrus greening disease epidemic that's been drying out oranges and reducing crop yield. There’s no cure, but researchers report they have identified a fungal compound that may inhibit the bacteria.
Prehistoric rock paintings are a source of fascination. Aside from their beauty, there’s deep meaning in these strokes, which depict ancient rituals and important symbols. Scientists now describe use of “X-ray vision” to gain brand-new insights about the layers of paint in rock art without needless damage.
Drawing inspiration from nature, researchers are making polymers with ever-more precise compositions on demand. Using multistep synthesis tools pulled from biology, a group is reporting that it is developing ultra-high precision synthetic polymers with precisely controlled chain lengths.
Major depression, obesity and chronic pain are all linked to the effects of one protein, called FKBP51. Researchers have now developed a highly selective compound that can effectively block FKBP51 in mice, relieving chronic pain and having positive effects on diet-induced obesity and mood.
Aiming a laser beam at an aircraft isn’t a harmless prank: The sudden flash of bright light can incapacitate the pilot, risking the lives of passengers and crew. Today, researchers report liquid crystals that could someday be incorporated into aircraft windshields to diffuse any wavelength of laser light.
As current antibiotics dwindle in effectiveness against multidrug-resistant pathogens, researchers are seeking potential replacements in some unlikely places. Now a team has identified bacteria with promising antibiotic activity against known pathogens.
Fentanyl’s powerful effects are long-lasting, and even tiny amounts of the drug can lead to an overdose. Antidotes, do not last long enough in the body to fully counter the drug, requiring repeated injections. Now, scientists report that they are developing single-dose, longer-lasting opioid antidotes.
Freshly distilled, un-aged whiskey is filtered over charcoal made from the sugar maple tree in a mysterious, but necessary step known as the Lincoln County Process. By law, a product cannot be called Tennessee whiskey without it. Researchers have clues as to what the process imparts to the final product.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Down syndrome is the most common birth defect, occurring once in every 700 births. However, traditional non-invasive prenatal tests for the condition are unreliable or carry risks for the mother and fetus. Now, researchers have developed a sensitive new biosensor that could someday be used to detect fetal Down syndrome DNA in pregnant women’s blood. They report their results in the ACS journal Nano Letters.
Vaccines have saved millions of lives, but nobody likes getting a shot. That’s why scientists are trying to develop oral vaccines for infectious diseases. But to be effective, the vaccine must survive digestion and reach immune cells within the intestinal wall. Now, researchers reporting in the ACS journal Nano Letters have developed oral vaccines powered by micromotors that target the mucus layer of the intestine.
For decades, women have shouldered most of the burden of contraception. However, long-term use of female birth control pills could increase the risk for side effects such as blood clots or breast cancer. Now, inspired by colorful layered cocktails, researchers have developed a medium-term, reversible male contraceptive. They report their results in the journal ACS Nano.
Most consumers’ exposure to toxic methylmercury occurs when they eat fish. But research just published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology could help clarify why methylmercury concentrations in tuna vary geographically.
Drinking bone broth is a recent diet fad that proponents claim fights inflammation, eases joint pain and promotes gut health. Simmering animal bones in water releases collagen and other proteins into the broth that may have health benefits, although more research is needed to validate these claims. Now, a new study in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has shown that ham bones contain peptides that could have cardioprotective effects.
The holiday season can be a time of excess, but low- or no-calorie sweeteners could help merry-makers stay trim. Stevia is a zero-calorie sweetener that is sometimes called “natural” because it is extracted from the leaves of a South American plant. Now, a report in ACS Synthetic Biology describes a way to prepare large quantities of stevia using yeast, which would cut out the plant middleman and could lead to a better tasting product.
Skin has a remarkable ability to heal itself. But in some cases, wounds heal very slowly or not at all, putting a person at risk for chronic pain, infection and scarring. Now, researchers have developed a self-powered bandage that generates an electric field over an injury, dramatically reducing the healing time for skin wounds in rats. They report their results in ACS Nano.
Many of us view the year’s end as a time for reflection, and chemists are no different. As we say goodbye to 2018, Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly news magazine of the American Chemical Society, highlights the year’s biggest chemistry trends, most memorable molecules and more in a special issue. As part of its wrap-up, the magazine peers into its crystal ball to predict the hottest chemistry advances to watch for in 2019.
Our homes are supposed to be safe havens from the outside world. However, studies have shown that household air is more polluted than either office or school air, exposing children and home workers to higher levels of carcinogens than the general population. Now, researchers have made a genetically modified houseplant that can efficiently remove at least two toxins from the air. They report their results in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Like people in a large company, proteins in cells constantly interact with each other to perform various jobs. To develop new disease therapies, researchers are trying to control these interactions with small-molecule drugs that cause specific proteins to associate more or less with their “coworkers.” Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ journal Analytical Chemistry have developed a method to visualize whether drugs are regulating protein–protein interactions inside cells.
Aging often improves the flavor of wine, but sometimes the beverage emerges from storage with an unpleasant smell. One of the prime culprits is hydrogen sulfide, which can give the affected wine an aroma of sewage or rotten eggs. In a report in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers have now identified some potential sources of this stinky compound.
As 2018 draws to a close, the pharmaceutical industry is celebrating a prosperous year of new investments and therapeutic breakthroughs. These successes were driven by cutting-edge science and progress in finally translating long-standing technology into actual products, according to a cover story in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society.
Hydrogen-powered vehicles emit only water vapor from their tailpipes, offering a cleaner alternative to fossil-fuel-based transportation. But for hydrogen cars to become mainstream, scientists need to develop more efficient hydrogen-storage systems. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Chemistry of Materials have used metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to set a new record for hydrogen storage capacity under normal operating conditions.
Even in this digital age, paper is still everywhere. Often, printed materials get used once and are then discarded, creating waste and potentially pollution. Now, scientists report in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces the development of an easy-to-make “rewritable” paper that can be drawn or printed on over and over again. The messages can last more than half a year, compared to other rewritable papers whose messages fade after a few days or a few months.
New Mexico contains hundreds of historic uranium mines. Although active uranium mining in the state has ceased, rates of cardiovascular and metabolic disease remain high in the population residing close to mines within the Navajo Nation. According to a new study in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, inhaled uranium in dusts from the mines could be a factor.
In the summers of 2017 and 2018, heat waves and drought conditions spawned hundreds of wildfires in the western U.S. And in November, two more devastating wildfires broke out in California, scorching thousands of acres of forest, destroying homes and even claiming lives. Now, researchers studying ash from recent California wildfires report in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology that burned material in forests might help sequester mercury that otherwise would be released into the environment.
Hazelnuts, like olive oil, cheese and other agricultural products, differ in flavor depending on their geographic origin. Because consumers and processors are willing to pay more for better nuts — especially in fine chocolates and other delicacies — testing methods are needed to reliably authenticate the nuts’ country of origin. Researchers now report in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that NMR analysis could fill the bill.
Human skin contains sensitive nerve cells that detect pressure, temperature and other sensations that allow tactile interactions with the environment. To help robots and prosthetic devices attain these abilities, scientists are trying to develop electronic skins. Now researchers report a new method in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces that creates an ultrathin, stretchable electronic skin, which could be used for a variety of human-machine interactions.
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