Microbes can help break down lignin

22-Feb-2021

Wheat straw, the dried stalks left over from grain production, is a potential source of biofuels and commodity chemicals. But before straw can be converted to useful products by biorefineries, the polymers that make it up must be broken down into their building blocks. Now, researchers reporting ...

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The new administration has inherited a global pandemic and worsening climate change, among other science-related issues

10-Feb-2021

The inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris marks a new era for science policy in the U.S. and beyond. The new administration has inherited a global pandemic and worsening climate change, among other science-related issues. A cover story in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly ...

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Sustainable and affordable: Using plant waste, air and light to produce an active substance against malaria

13-Jan-2021

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has awarded Peter H. Seeberger and two colleagues the "ACS Award for Affordable Green Chemistry" for developing a particularly efficient chemical process for producing artemisinin. All the components needed to produce the active ingredient come from nature: ...

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An initial step toward a test to pinpoint athletes trying to gain an unfair advantage

11-Jan-2021

All athletes want to be at the top of their game when they compete, but some resort to nefarious approaches to achieve peak muscle growth, speed and agility. Recent developments in gene editing technology could tempt athletes to change their DNA to get an edge. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' ...

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Results lay the foundation for new strategies to fight the pandemic threat

25-Sep-2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, researchers are working overtime to develop vaccines and therapies to thwart SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the disease Many efforts focus on the coronavirus spike protein, which binds the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on human cells to allow ...

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A nanoparticle decoy with the virus' natural targets lure SARS-CoV-2 away from cells

22-Jun-2020

Scientists are working overtime to find an effective treatment for COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Many of these efforts target a specific part of the virus, such as the spike protein. Now, researchers reporting in Nano Letters have taken a different approach, ...

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Approach could provide a small, inexpensive alternative to expensive, sophisticated instruments in labs

22-Jun-2020

To defend the body, the immune system makes proteins known as antibodies that latch onto the perceived threat, be it HIV, the new coronavirus or, as is the case in autoimmune disease, part of the body itself. In a new proof-of-concept study in ACS Sensors, researchers describe a new system for ...

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Artificial red blood cells could carry oxygen, therapeutic drugs and other cargo in the bloodstream

05-Jun-2020

Scientists have tried to develop synthetic red blood cells that mimic the favorable properties of natural ones, such as flexibility, oxygen transport and long circulation times. But so far, most artificial red blood cells have had one or a few, but not all, key features of the natural versions. ...

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Polystyrene waste to break down with enzymes or bacteria?

02-Jun-2020

Resembling giant mealworms, superworms (Zophobas atratus) are beetle larvae that are often sold in pet stores as feed for reptiles, fish and birds. In addition to their relatively large size (about 2 inches long), these worms have another superpower: They can degrade polystyrene plastic. Now, ...

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New test analyzes patient samples without any sample preparation steps

24-Apr-2020

According to many experts, early diagnosis and management are critical for slowing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Therefore, the race is on to develop diagnostic tests for the virus that are faster, easier and more accurate than existing ones. Now, researchers ...

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