Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

Membrane protein analogues could accelerate drug discovery      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have created a deep learning pipeline for designing soluble analogues of key protein structures used in pharmaceutical development, sidestepping the prohibitive cost of extracting these proteins from cell membranes.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: General Space: The Solar System
Published

Iron meteorites hint that our infant solar system was more doughnut than dartboard      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Iron meteorites are remnants of the metallic cores of the earliest asteroids in our solar system. Iron meteorites contain refractory metals, such as iridium and platinum, that formed near the sun but were transported to the outer solar system. New research shows that for this to have happened, the protoplanetary disk of our solar system had to have been doughnut-shaped because the refractory metals could not have crossed the large gaps in a target-shaped disk of concentric rings. The paper suggests that the refractory metals moved outward as the protoplanetary disk rapidly expanded, and were trapped in the outer solar system by Jupiter.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: General Space: The Solar System
Published

Titan's lakes may be shaped by waves      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Geologists studied Titan's shorelines and showed through simulations that coastlines of the moon's methane- and ethane-filled seas have likely been shaped by waves. Until now, scientists have found indirect and conflicting signs of wave activity, based on Cassini images of Titan's surface.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Exploration Space: General Space: The Solar System
Published

Jupiter's great red spot is not the same one Cassini observed in 1600s      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Jupiter's iconic Great Red Spot has persisted for at least 190 years and is likely a different spot from the one observed by the astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1665, a new study reports. The Great Red Spot we see today likely formed because of an instability in the planet's intense atmospheric winds, producing a long, persistent atmospheric cell, the study also finds.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

Mirror-image chemicals may revolutionize drug delivery      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

More than 130 years after cyclodextrins were first discovered and reported, a team of scientists has created chemical mirror images of these complex carbohydrates in the laboratory. This discovery may revolutionize how medications are delivered to patients.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Computer Science: Quantum Computers Energy: Alternative Fuels Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

New material puts eco-friendly methanol conversion within reach      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed innovative, eco-friendly quantum materials that can drive the transformation of methanol into ethylene glycol. This discovery opens up new possibilities for using eco-friendly materials in photocatalysis, paving the way for sustainable chemical production.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Mathematics: Modeling Physics: Optics
Published

Custom-made molecules designed to be invisible while absorbing near-infrared light      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers used theoretical calculations assessing electron orbital symmetry to synthesize new molecule designed to be both transparent and colorless while absorbing near-infrared light. This compound demonstrates the first systematic approach to producing such materials and have applications in advanced electronics. This compound also shows semiconducting properties.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Golden ball mills as green catalysts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A gold-coated milling vessel for ball mills proved to be a real marvel: without any solvents or environmentally harmful chemicals, the team was able to use it to convert alcohols into aldehydes. The catalytic reaction takes place at the gold surface and is mechanically driven. The vessel can be reused multiple times. 'This opens up new prospects for the use of gold in catalysis and shows how traditional materials can contribute to solving modern environmental problems in an innovative way,' says Borchardt.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Physics: General
Published

Molecular sponge for the electronics of the future      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international research team has succeeded in developing a new type of material in the rather young research field of covalent organic frameworks. The new two-dimensional polymer is characterized by the fact that its properties can be controlled in a targeted and reversible manner. This has brought the researchers a step closer to the goal of realizing switchable quantum states.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Physics: Optics
Published

Reduction of esters by a novel photocatalyst      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A ubiquitous compound, called ester can be broken down to produce desirable alcohols and other chemicals for use across industries including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, but the process can be costly, both financially and in terms of the environment. Researchers developed a novel photocatalyst 'N-BAP.' When irradiated with blue light, the photocatalyst reduces esters in the presence of oxalate, a negatively charged molecule found widely in nature, resulting in the desired alcohols.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Nanotechnology Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Self-assembling and disassembling swarm molecular robots via DNA molecular controller      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have succeeded in developing a DNA-based molecular controller. Crucially, this controller enables the autonomous assembly and disassembly of molecular robots, as opposed to manually directing it.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Scientists preserve DNA in an amber-like polymer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

With their 'T-REX' method, researchers developed a glassy, amber-like polymer that can be used for long-term storage of DNA, such as entire human genomes or digital files such as photos.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Watery planets orbiting dead stars may be good candidates for studying life -- if they can survive long enough      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The small footprint and dim light of white dwarfs, remnants of stars that have burned through their fuel, may make excellent backdrops for studying planets with enough water to harbor life. The trick is spotting the shadow of a planet against a former star that has withered to a fraction of its size and finding that it's a planet that has kept its water oceans for billions of years even after riding out the star's explosive and violent final throes. A new study of the dynamics of white dwarf systems suggests that, in theory, some watery planets may indeed thread the celestial needles necessary to await discovery and closer scrutiny.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Mysterious mini-Neptunes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

This study discovered mini-Neptunes around four red dwarfs using observations from a global network of ground-based telescopes and the TESS space telescope. These four mini-Neptunes are close to their parent stars, and the three of them are likely to be in eccentric orbits.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

'Synthetic' cell shown to follow chemical directions and change shape, a vital biological function      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In a feat aimed at understanding how cells move and creating new ways to shuttle drugs through the body, scientists say they have built a minimal synthetic cell that follows an external chemical cue and demonstrates a governing principle of biology called 'symmetry breaking.'

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Batteries Energy: Fossil Fuels Energy: Technology
Published

A 'liquid battery' advance      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team aims to improve options for renewable energy storage through work on an emerging technology -- liquids for hydrogen storage.

Space: Astronomy Space: Exploration Space: General Space: The Solar System
Published

New biomarker database designed to improve astronaut health may also be useful to earthlings      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

As space travel becomes more frequent, a new biomarker tool was developed by an international team of researchers to help improve the growing field of aerospace medicine and the health of astronauts.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Computer Science: General Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Algae offer real potential as a renewable electricity source      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The need to transition away from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy production is critical. That's why a team of researchers is looking at a potential power source that not only produces no carbon emissions but removes carbon as it works: algae.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Exploration Space: General Space: The Solar System
Published

Would astronauts' kidneys survive a roundtrip to Mars?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The structure and function of the kidneys is altered by space flight, with galactic radiation causing permanent damage that would jeopardise any mission to Mars, according to a new study led by researchers from UCL.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

How did a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way come to be?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Crater 2, located approximately 380,000 light years from Earth, is one of the largest satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. Extremely cold and with slow-moving stars, Crater 2 has low surface brightness. How this galaxy originated remains unclear. A team of physicists now offers an explanation.