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InternetChemistry - Current Chemistry News of the Week

Week 48: 24-Nov-2008 to 30-Nov-2008



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Chemistry


 

The battered polymer particles

Polymers 'battered' with nanoparticles could create self healing paints and clever packaging

Researchers have devised an elegant process which simply and cheaply covers small particles of polymer with a layer of silica-based nanoparticles.

Image:
The battered polymer particles
[Credit: University of Warwick]

 

3D porous silicon

Coming Soon: Improved Lithium Ion Batteries?

Three-dimensional porous silicon is a highly efficient lithium-storing anode.

[Image by Wiley]

 

Quantum computers could excel in modeling chemical reactions
Futuristic devices would likely outperform conventional computers in chemical simulations.

 

Model of a hypothetical species containing He chemically bound to O

Collapse of helium’s chemical nobility predicted by Polish chemist

140 years since its discovery, and despite the best endeavours of many scientists, helium, the lightest of the 'noble' gases, still stubbornly refuses to enter into any chemical alliance. Now a new glimmer of hope has emerged from poland as a chemist at the university of warsaw has calculated that two new compounds containing a helium-oxygen bond could be formed.

[Image by The Polish Journal of Chemistry / University of Warsaw]

 

New nanocluster to boost thin films for semiconductors
University of Oregon, Oregon State discovery speeds production and yields; may lead to greener process.

 

Researchers shed new light on catalyzed reactions
Technique lets scientists view step-by-step breakdown of water pollutant.

 

Electronic nose

Sniffing out a better chemical sensor

Bioinspired Methodology for Artificial Olfaction.

[Image by NIST]



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Physics - Fundamental Research


 

Putting an end to turbulence
Whether in oil pipelines or city water mains - scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization have discovered that turbulent flow is not stable.

 

4-D electron microscopy used to visualize the nanodrumming phenomenon

Caltech 4-D microscope revolutionizes the way we look at the nano world

More than a century ago, the development of the earliest motion picture technology made what had been previously thought "magical" a reality: capturing and recreating the movement and dynamism of the world around us. A breakthrough technology based on new concepts has now accomplished a similar feat, but on an atomic scale by allowing, for the first time, the real-time, real-space visualization of fleeting changes in the structure and shape of matter barely a billionth of a meter in size.

[Credit: Nano Letters; images and diagram produced at Caltech.]

 

Los Alamos Scientists See New Mechanism for Superconductivity
Laboratory researchers have posited an explanation for superconductivity that may open the door to the discovery of new, unconventional forms of superconductivity.



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Chemistry & Biology


 

Scientists Present 'Moving' Theory Behind Bacterial Decision-Making
Insights into the Nature of DNA Binding of AbrB-like Transcription Factors.

 

New chemical key that could unlock hundreds of new antibiotics
Chemistry researchers have found a novel signalling molecule that could be a key that will open up hundreds of new antibiotics unlocking them from the DNA of the Streptomyces family of bacteria.

 

New gene silencing pathway found in plants
Shedding light on the 'dark matter' of genetics.



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Chemistry & Medicine


 

Simple chemical procedure augments therapeutic potential of stem cells
Bioconjugate Chemistry: Chemical Engineering of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Induce a Cell Rolling Response.

 

Researchers define new painkilling chemical pathway
Discovery could lead to new pain treatments.

 

New platinum-phosphate compounds kill ovarian cancer cells
Agents bind to different targets than conventional drugs.



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Chemistry & Materials


 

Molecular memory a game-changer
James Tour’s graphene device may make massive storage practical.

 

Progress Toward New Storage Media
Switchable nanostripes: spin-transition compound can be deposited in ordered crystalline microstructures.

 

 Gaps in adhesion

Adhesive shellfish proteins bind regardless of how many binding elements they contain. This has potential for the development of new kinds of binding agents.

[Image: Creative Commons / Andreas Trepte, Marburg]



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Chemistry & Nanotechnology


 

Liquid or solid?
Charged nanoparticles in lipid membrane decide.

 

Nanotube Construction Set
Molecular trees and sugar cuffs are components for nanotubes with tailored surfaces.

 

Nanoscale coating protect products - and the economy
UWM researcher creates smart coatings that fortify materials.



|

Chemistry & Environment


 

New method for tracing metal pollution back to its sources
A new way of pinpointing where zinc pollution in the atmosphere comes from could improve pollution monitoring and regulation, says research out in the journal Analytical Chemistry.

 

Carbon dioxide already in danger zone, warns study
Revised theory says levels in air must decline, not just stabilize.



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ACS News (open access articles):

 

 

Microcapsules act as "roach motel" to kill harmful bacteria

Antibacterial microcapsules

Researchers are reporting development of antibacterial microcapsules that attract, capture, and kill harmful bacteria.

Credit: Queensland Government

Researchers in New Mexico and Florida are reporting development of microscopic particles that act as chemical booby traps for bacteria. The traps attract and kill up to 95 percent of nearby bacteria, including microbes responsible for worrisome hospital-based infections. The scientists describe their discovery as micro-sized "roach motels" for harmful bacteria. Their study went online November 24 in the premiere issue of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces,a new monthly journal. It is scheduled for the January 28 print edition.

In the report, David G. Whitten of the University of New Mexico and Kirk S. Schanze of the University of Florida, working together with a team of faculty and graduate student collaborators, point out that bacterial contamination of medical devices causes up to 1.4 million deaths per year. In addition, bacteria are becoming more resistant to standard disinfection methods. Scientists also are increasingly concerned about the possibility of intentional release of harmful bacteria by terrorists. As a result, researchers are attempting to develop new and improved methods of disinfection.

The New Mexico and Florida groups describe an advance toward this goal. It involves the development of light-activated, hollow microcapsules composed of an organic conducting polymer. The antibacterial microcapsules can attract, capture, and kill bacteria. In controlled laboratory tests, the researchers exposed the capsules to either Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one of the deadliest and most common hospital-based pathogens, or Cobetia marina, a type of bacterium that fouls the hulls of ships and other marine equipment. After one hour of light exposure, the light-activated capsules killed more than 95 percent of the exposed bacteria, the researchers say. The microcapsules can be applied to a variety of surfaces, including medical equipment, they add. - MTS

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces: "Conjugated Polyelectrolyte Capsules: Light-Activated Anti-microbial Micro 'Roach Motels'".

 

Key advance toward treatment for most common adult form of muscular dystrophy

Myotonic muscular dystrophy, MMD

Scientists are reporting a critical first step toward development of a long sought drug for myotonic muscular dystrophy (MMD).

Credit: American Chemical Society

Scientists in New York are reporting a critical first step toward development of a long-sought drug to treat myotonic muscular dystrophy (MMD), the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults. MMD affects about 1 in 8,000 people. Their findings are scheduled for publication in the November 8 issue of ACS' weekly Journal of the American Chemical Society.

In the study, Benjamin Miller and colleagues point out that MMD differs from typical hereditary diseases. They result from mutated DNA in genes that encodes an erroneous message that RNA picks up and passes along. As a result, cells produce faulty proteins. Those proteins disrupt cells' activity and cause symptoms of the disease. Rather, MMD is caused by wayward or "toxic" strands of RNA.

The researchers describe discovery of a family of drug-like molecules that target the errant strands of RNA, preventing production of the defective protein. The discovery, they said, provides scientists for the first time with substances that target the root cause of MMD and represent molecules that could be developed into drugs. They note that drugs more commonly target DNA or proteins, with the RNA approach offering a different and potentially valuable route to developing new medications for certain diseases. - JS

Journal of the American Chemical Society: "Dynamic Combinatorial Selection of Molecules Capable of Inhibiting the (CUG) Repeat RNA-MBNL1 Interaction In Vitro: Discovery of Lead Compounds Targeting Myotonic Dystrophy (DM1)".

 

Toward healthier bread and other whole grain foods

Bread, pasta, and other foods made from whole grains - known to help protect against heart disease, cancer and diabetes - may get even healthier in the future. Scientists in Europe collaborating in the European Union HEALTHGRAIN project are reporting the largest study to date comparing nutrient levels in the world's different grain varieties, which could lead to the development of healthier varieties of grain and grain-based foods, they say. Their findings will be described in a group of papers scheduled for the November 26 issue of the ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.

In the new study, Peter R. Shewry and colleagues point out that whole grain foods, including wheat, rye and oats, have been widely touted in recent years for having greater health benefits than refined grains. Health-promoting ingredients in whole grains include fiber, antioxidants, folate, and other plant chemicals. As nutrient levels can vary from grain to grain, however, it is unclear which grain varieties pack the most nutritional punch, the researchers note.

To find out, the scientists grew 150 wheat varieties used for bread-making and 50 other small-grain varieties (including oats, rye, and barley) on a single farm in Hungary over a one year period. The grains, grown from lines originating worldwide, were then harvested, milled, and analyzed for a range of plant chemicals and fiber components considered to have health benefits. The researchers identified grain varieties with high levels of healthy components that could be used to breed new, nutrient-rich varieties of grain for healthier whole grain foods.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: "The HEALTHGRAIN Cereal Diversity Screen: Concept, Results, and Prospects".

 

Gene "silencing" may improve success of islet cell transplants for diabetes

Gene silencing

Gene silencing shows promise for improving the effectiveness of islet cell (shown) transplants for diabetes.

Credit: Wikipedia

Scientists in Tennessee are reporting that a gene therapy technique called "gene silencing" shows promise for improving the effectiveness and expanded use of transplants of insulin-producing cells to treat diabetes. The study is scheduled for the December 1 issue of ACS' Molecular Pharmaceutics, a bi-monthly journal.

In the new study, Ram Mahato, Guofeng Cheng, and Lin Zhu point out that transplantation of the pancreas's insulin producing cells, called islet cells, has great potential for treating patients with insulin-dependent diabetes. However, the procedure currently is ineffective for most people due to a tendency of the body's immune system to reject transplanted cells. Studies by others indicate that a specific enzyme, caspase-3, plays a key role in carrying-out this destructive process.

To address this problem, the scientists genetically modified islet cells in the laboratory to turn off, or "silence" the gene responsible for producing caspase-3. When the modified cells were transplanted into the kidneys of mice with insulin-dependent diabetes, the blood glucose levels of the mice became normal for up to 32 days, the scientists say. When the cells were removed, the blood glucose levels of the mice returned to high levels similar to pre-transplantation levels, confirming that the transplanted cells were functional and effective, the researchers say. - MTS

Molecular Pharmaceutics: "Caspase-3 Gene Silencing for Inhibiting Apoptosis in Insulinoma Cells and Human Islets".

 

Concerns on mercury emissions may foster new $500 million per year industry

Proposed government regulations limiting emissions of mercury from electricity-generating stations may foster development of a new half-billion-dollar per year industry offering technology for removing mercury from power plant smokestacks, according to an article scheduled for the November 24 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

In the article, C&EN Senior Correspondent Marc Reisch points out that mercury is a toxic metal that can cause nerve damage and birth defects in humans. The nation's 1,100 coal-burning power plants spew 48 tons of mercury into the air each year, posing an invisible but serious public health hazard, the article notes.

To reduce that threat, federal regulators have proposed new restrictions on mercury emissions from electric power plants. When they do go into effect, suppliers of environmental technologies designed to reduce mercury emissions expect a future market of $500 million a year or more. One of the most promising mercury removal technologies is activated carbon, which can reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent or more, according to the article. But new and improved technologies for mercury removal are under development, including catalysts made of gold, platinum, or titanium dioxide. The payoff could mean a sizable new source of sales and income for some suppliers, the article notes.

Chemical & Engineering News: "Getting Rid of Mercury".




 


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