Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Injury dressings in first-aid kits provide a new technique to reveal shark species after bite incidents      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have revealed that injury dressings found in first-aid kits can reliably be used to identify shark species involved in bite incidents by deploying medical gauze to gather DNA samples from aquatic equipment, such as surfboards.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Organic nanozymes have broad applications from food and agriculture to biomedicine      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Nanozymes are tiny, engineered substances that mimic the catalytic properties of natural enzymes, and they serve a variety of purposes in biomedicine, chemical engineering, and environmental applications. They are typically made from inorganic materials, including metal-based elements, which makes them unsuitable for many purposes due to their toxicity and high production costs. Organic-based nanozymes partially overcome some of these problems and have the potential for a broader range of applications, including food and agriculture, but they are still in the early stages of development. A new paper provides an overview of the current state of organic nanozymes and their future potential.

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Shape-shifting 'transformer bots' inspired by origami      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Inspired by the paper-folding art of origami, engineers have discovered a way to make a single plastic cubed structure transform into more than 1,000 configurations using only three active motors.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

New additive process can make better -- and greener -- high-value chemicals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have achieved a significant breakthrough that could lead to better -- and greener -- agricultural chemicals and everyday products. Using a process that combines natural enzymes and light, the team developed an eco-friendly way to precisely mix fluorine, an important additive, into chemicals called olefins -- hydrocarbons used in a vast array of products, from detergents to fuels to medicines. This groundbreaking method offers an efficient new strategy for creating high-value chemicals with potential applications in agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, renewable fuels, and more.

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New understanding of fly behavior has potential application in robotics, public safety      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have identified an automatic behavior in flies that helps them assess wind conditions -- its presence and direction -- before deploying a strategy to follow a scent to its source. The fact that they can do this is surprising -- can you tell if there's a gentle breeze if you stick your head out of a moving car? Flies aren't just reacting to an odor with a preprogrammed response: they are responding in context-appropriate manner. This knowledge potentially could be applied to train more sophisticated algorithms for scent-detecting drones to find the source of chemical leaks.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Nuclear Energy: Technology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Fresh light on the path to net zero      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have used magnetic fields to reveal the mystery of how light particles split. Scientists are closer to giving the next generation of solar cells a powerful boost by integrating a process that could make the technology more efficient by breaking particles of light photons into small chunks.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

Pioneering measurement of the acidity of ionic liquids using Raman spectroscopy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study has made it possible to estimate experimentally the energy required to transfer protons from water to ionic liquids.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

'Miracle' filter turns store-bought LEDs into spintronic devices      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists transformed existing optoelectronic devices into ones that can control electron spin at room temperature, without a ferromagnet or magnetic field. Researchers replaced the electrodes of store-bought LEDs with a patented spin filter made from hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskite.

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Chemical analyses find hidden elements from renaissance astronomer Tycho Brahe's alchemy laboratory      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Danish Tycho Brahe was most famous for his contributions to astronomy. However, he also had a well-equipped alchemical laboratory where he produced secret medicines for Europe's elite.

Chemistry: General Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Indoor solar cells that maximize the use of light energy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Chemists have synthesized materials that can improve solar elements for indoor use. Such photovoltaic cells, which can also be integrated into various electronic devices, generate electricity even in low-light conditions.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
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A recipe for zero-emissions fuel: Soda cans, seawater, and caffeine      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers discovered that when the aluminum in soda cans is purified and mixed with seawater, the solution produces hydrogen -- which can power an engine or fuel cell without generating carbon emissions. The reaction can be sped up by adding caffeine.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: General Energy: Technology Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Next-gen cooling system to help data centers become more energy efficient      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is hot right now. Also hot: the data centers that power the technology. And keeping those centers cool requires a tremendous amount of energy. The problem is only going to grow as high-powered AI-based computers and devices become commonplace. That's why researchers are devising a new type of cooling system that promises to dramatically reduce energy demands.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Tackling industrial emissions begins at the chemical reaction      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers are proposing a new way to curb industrial emissions, by tapping into the 'atomic intelligence' of liquid metals to deliver greener and more sustainable chemical reactions.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry
Published

Researchers discover faster, more energy-efficient way to manufacture an industrially important chemical      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The reactivity of zirconium on silicon nitride enhances the conversion of propane into propylene, a key commodity chemical needed to make polypropylene. This finding hints at the reactivity researchers might achieve with other nontraditional catalysts.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Batteries Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Researchers develop innovative battery recycling method      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team is tackling the environmental issue of efficiently recycling lithium ion batteries amid their increasing use.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

It's got praying mantis eyes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The praying mantis is one of the few insects with compound eyes and the ability to perceive 3D space. Engineers are replicating their visual systems to make machines see better.

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Published

Foam fluidics showcase lab's creative approach to circuit design      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers have shown that something as simple as the flow of air through open-cell foam can be used to perform digital computation, analog sensing and combined digital-analog control in soft textile-based wearable systems.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

A single-molecule-based organic porous material with great potential for efficient ammonia storage      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Novel porous crystalline solid shows promise as an efficient and durable material for ammonia (NH3) capture and storage, report scientists. Made through a simple reprecipitation process, the proposed organic compound can reversibly adsorb and release NH3 via simple pressurization and decompression at room temperature. Its stability and cost-effectiveness make this material a promising energy carrier for future hydrogen economies.