Life & Chemistry

In the trypanosomatidAngomonas deanei, the endosymbiont divides synchronously with the host cell. The nucleus-encoded protein ETP9 is essential for the division of the endosymbiont. Image Credit: HHU/Anay Maurya and Eva Nowack
Life & Chemistry

Exploring Organelle Evolution: Nature’s Innovation Unveiled

Organelles in cells were originally often independent cells, which were incorporated by host cells and lost their independence in the course of evolution. A team of biologists headed by Professor Dr Eva Nowack at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) are examining the way in which this assimilation process occurs and how quickly. They now describe their findings about an intermediate stage in this process in the scientific journal Science Advances. Eukaryotic cells – i.e. cells with a nucleus – contain…

With the help of the new active ingredient developed by MLU researchers, plants can be easily protected against the cucumber mosaic virus. Image Credit: Uni Halle / Heiko Rebsch
Life & Chemistry

New Strategies to Combat Widespread Plant Virus Affecting Crops

New RNA-based active agents reliably protect plants against the Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), the most common virus in agriculture and horticulture. They were developed by researchers at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The active ingredients have a broad spectrum effect; a series of RNA molecules support the plant’s immune system in combating the virus. In laboratory experiments, 80 to 100 per cent of the treated plants survived an infection with a high viral load, as the team reports in…

Holding half its weight in carbon dioxide, the material could replace sand in concrete and other construction materials while trapping greenhouse gas. Image Credit: Northwestern University
Life & Chemistry

New Carbon-Negative Material Enhances Sustainable Cement

Innovative process converts CO2 into solid, durable, carbon-trapping materials Using seawater, electricity and carbon dioxide (CO2), Northwestern University scientists have developed a new carbon-negative building material. As Earth’s climate continues to warm, researchers around the globe are exploring ways to capture CO2 from the air and store it deep underground. While this approach has multiple climate benefits, it does not maximize the value of the enormous amounts of atmospheric CO2. Now, Northwestern’s new strategy addresses this challenge by locking away CO2 permanently and turning…

Haotian Wang, associate professor in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing at Rice University (Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University).
Life & Chemistry

Rice and UH Scientists Innovate Chemical Manufacturing for Carbon Capture

Each year billions of tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels, certain industrial processes, construction and other human activities, creating an urgent need to find better solutions to reduce the levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. A team of scientists led by Haotian Wang, associate professor in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing at Rice University, and Xiaonan Shan, associate professor of electrical and computer…

(Left) Schematic representation of the structure of a porous carbon catalyst with boron doping on the surface and carbon walls forming the mesopores.(Right) Mesopore structure and atomic-scale distribution of boron in the carbon catalyst measured using transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Image Credit: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Life & Chemistry

KIST Develops Carbon Catalyst for Green Hydrogen Peroxide

Mesopore introduction enables world-class hydrogen peroxide production characteristics even in low oxygen air supply environments Hydrogen peroxide is one of the world’s top 100 industrial chemicals with a wide range of applications in the chemical, medical, and semiconductor industries. Currently, hydrogen peroxide is mainly produced through the anthraquinone process, but this process has several problems, including high energy consumption, the use of expensive palladium catalysts, and environmental pollution due to by-products. In recent years, an environmentally friendly method of producing…

A logarithmic spiral with a diameter of 500 μm, approximately half the diameter of a sewing needle. Image Credit: Yilin Wong
Life & Chemistry

Chemistry and Force Create Stunning Spiral Patterns on Surfaces

Hundreds of regular patterns spontaneously form on a small germanium chip Key takeaways UCLA doctoral student Yilin Wong noticed that some tiny dots had appeared on one of her samples, which had been accidentally left out overnight. The layered sample consisted of a germanium wafer topped with evaporated metal films in contact with a drop of water. On a whim, she looked at the dots under a microscope and couldn’t believe her eyes. Beautiful spiral patterns had been etched into the…

Scientist examining cells under a microscope with reflection in glasses. Credit by Image-Source, Envato
Life & Chemistry

Exploring Electrochemistry in Condensate Innovations

By Leah Shaffer Much of cell behavior is governed by the actions of biomolecular condensates: building block molecules that glom together and scatter apart as needed. Biomolecular condensates constantly shift their phase, sometimes becoming solid, sometimes like little droplets of oil in vinegar, and other phases in between. Understanding the electrochemical properties of such slippery molecules has been a recent focus for researchers at Washington University in St. Louis. In research published in Nature Chemistry, Yifan Dai, assistant professor of…

A pair of dorcas copper butterflies, a North America native species, and one of the 324 species studied in this report. Image Credit: Photo by David Pavlik, Michigan State University
Life & Chemistry

Study Explores Future Without Butterflies in Ecosystems

Butterflies are disappearing in the United States. All kinds of them. With a speed scientists call alarming, and they are sounding an alarm. A sweeping new study published in Science for the first time tallies butterfly data from more than 76,000 surveys across the continental United States. The results: between 2000 and 2020, total butterfly abundance fell by 22% across the 554 species counted. That means that for every five individual butterflies within the contiguous U.S. in the year 2000,…

Synthesis of NFN@C Catalyst and Schematic Illustration of Tumor Catalytic Therapy. Image Credit: ZHAO Jiaping
Life & Chemistry

Magnetic Catalysts Boost Tumor Treatment with Electronic Density

Recently, a collaborative research team led by Professor WANG Hui and Professor ZHANG Xin from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, successfully developed a novel carbon-coated nickel ferrite (NFN@C) nanocatalyst with significant potential in cancer therapy. The results have been published in Advanced Functional Materials. Cancer therapy has always struggled with targeting tumor cells effectively while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation often have limited precision and serious side effects….

Illustration of catalysis reaction of phosphate cleavage by iron oxides. Image Credit: Ludmilla Aristilde/Northwestern University.
Life & Chemistry

Iron Oxides Boost Phosphorus Release for Enhanced Plant Growth

New study finds minerals drive phosphorus release at enzyme-like rates Northwestern University researchers are actively overturning the conventional view of iron oxides as mere phosphorus “sinks.” A critical nutrient for life, most phosphorus in the soil is organic — from remains of plants, microbes or animals. But plants need inorganic phosphorus — the type found in fertilizers — for food. While researchers traditionally thought only enzymes from microbes and plants could convert organic phosphorus into the inorganic form, Northwestern scientists previously…

Poly-Fe5-PCz is a promising and efficient catalyst for water oxidation, offering a viable solution for hydrogen production and energy storage. Image Credit: Science Tokyo
Life & Chemistry

Sustainable Iron Catalyst Boosts Water Oxidation in Renewables

A breakthrough iron-based catalyst achieves near-perfect efficiency for water oxidation, offering a sustainable solution for hydrogen production A newly developed pentanuclear iron complex (Fe5-PCz(ClO₄)₃) can offer an efficient, stable, and cost-effective solution for water oxidation. By electrochemically polymerizing the complex, researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo obtained a polymer-based catalyst, poly-Fe5-PCz, and achieved water oxidation with up to 99% Faradaic efficiency and exceptional stability, even under rigorous conditions. This breakthrough offers a scalable alternative to rare metal catalysts, advancing hydrogen…

Evan Saitta with an emperor penguin specimen in the Field Museum's collections. Image Credit: Field Museum, Kate Golembiewski
Life & Chemistry

Birds Adapt Quickly After Losing Flight Ability

More than 99% of birds can fly. But that still leaves many species that evolved to be flightless, including penguins, ostriches, and kiwi birds. In a new study in the journal Evolution, researchers compared the feathers and bodies of different species of flightless birds and their closest relatives who can still fly. They were able to determine which features change first when birds evolve to be flightless, versus which traits take more time for evolution to alter. These findings help…

A team at UNSW produced a gas mixture at various pressures to simulate the atmosphere and observe the chemical reaction. Image Credit: Photo: Supplied to UNSW
Life & Chemistry

Are Refrigerants Safe? Addressing Concerns About Coolants

A team of scientists at UNSW has discovered that some of the most important new refrigerants break down, in part, into persistent greenhouse gas pollutants, including compounds that have been banned internationally. Refrigerants are chemicals that turn from a liquid to a gas – and vice-versa – and transfer heat in the process, that are used for refrigeration and indoor heating and cooling. The chemicals are also used as aerosol propellants, fire retardants and in the manufacture of foamed plastics….

Life & Chemistry

Giant Ice Bulldozers: Ancient Glaciers Shaping Life Evolution

New Curtin University research has revealed how massive ancient glaciers acted like giant bulldozers, reshaping Earth’s surface and paving the way for complex life to flourish. By chemically analysing crystals in ancient rocks, the researchers discovered that as glaciers carved through the landscape, they scraped deep into the Earth’s crust, releasing key minerals that altered ocean chemistry. This process had a profound impact on our planet’s composition, creating conditions that allowed complex life to evolve. Lead author Professor Chris Kirkland…

Researchers monitored the nanoparticles produced from scented wax melts using lab equipment set up inside a model home. Image Credit: Purdue University/Kelsey Lefever
Life & Chemistry

Scented Wax Melts: Indoor Air Safety Concerns Revealed

As traditional candles burn, they can contribute to indoor air pollution by emitting volatile compounds and smoke, which may pose inhalation risks. Scented wax melts are often marketed as safer alternatives to candles because they’re flame- and smoke-free. But in a study in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters, researchers describe how aroma compounds released from the melted wax can react with ozone in indoor air to form potentially toxic particles. Previous research has shown that scented wax melts emit…

Purdue University professor Pablo Zavattieri holds a 3D-printed mosquito head. His team is recreating mosquito antennae to better study their sensitivity to vibrations, which may improve how natural disasters are monitored and detected. Image Credit: Purdue University photo/Drew Stone
Life & Chemistry

Mosquito Hearing Insights Could Enhance Disaster Detection

One of nature’s most disliked creatures may very well unlock a breakthrough in disaster response. A multidisciplinary Purdue University research team is recreating mosquito antennae to better study their sensitivity to vibrations. Should the research prove fruitful, it could lead to improvements in monitoring and detecting natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Research groups under Purdue professors Pablo Zavattieri and Ximena Bernal conducted this work, which is published in the journal Acta Biomaterialia. “We’re still in the early stages but…

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