News June 2011
Copper signals a colourful past
30 June 2011
Trace elements uncover the pigmentation patterns in soft tissues of fossils
EU considers 'professional' card for migrants
30 June 2011
Legislators in Europe are trying to simplify the movement of professionals between EU states
Chemically evolved bacteria
30 June 2011
New strain of E. coli uses alien DNA bases to the rest of life on Earth, and could improve the biosecurity of synthetic biology
Rust busting self-healing materials
30 June 2011
Polymer based materials that self-heal after scratching could be used in anticorrosion coatings
Surgeons and patients breathe easy during surgery
30 June 2011
Real-time breath monitors could give surgeons better information about a patient's status during a surgical operation
Dow boss to lead $500m US manufacturing initiative
29 June 2011
Dow chief executive Andrew Liveris will share leadership of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership with MIT president Susan Hockfield
Screening for Alzheimer's drugs in tandem
28 June 2011
By combining enzymes, a macrocyclic sensor and a dye, scientists may be able to find new drugs for Alzheimer's disease
A cool way to store hydrogen?
28 June 2011
Forget MOFs and carbon nanotubes - perhaps the best way to store hydrogen is already sitting in the freezer compartment
Photosystems made using '3D Tetris'
28 June 2011
Supramolecular structures from self-organising surface-initiated polymerisation (SOSIP) could lead to efficient solar power, experts say
Rollerball writes electronics straight to paper
27 June 2011
Pen-on-paper electronics approach developed by US researchers could make for cheap, flexible and disposable devices
Mystery of how plutonium enters cells solved
27 June 2011
Plutonium enters cells by hitching a ride on a protein which could lead to ways to block uptake
A step forward for space power
27 June 2011
Modifying the interface in polymer solar cells means that these lightweight materials could be used to power space shuttles
EU looks to expand ban on phosphates in detergents
24 June 2011
An EU push to ban phosphates in dishwasher detergents is facing opposition from industry
Pfizer to keep 350 jobs at Sandwich
24 June 2011
Pfizer has said it will retain some activity at its site at Sandwich, UK, to encourage fresh commercial interest in the site and its assets
Pharma pollution is out of control in China
24 June 2011
Pollution from the pharmaceutical sector in China is increasing as the industry booms, and it's getting harder to control
Nanogenerators for environmental sensors
24 June 2011
A wireless senor to detect mercury, powered by energy from the environment
An NMR machine in a fume hood
24 June 2011
A portable NMR spectrometer allows scientists to follow the progress of a reaction in situ
Dinosaur smile reveals secret to staying cool
23 June 2011
A novel technique based on rare isotopes in fossilised teeth sheds light on dinosaur body temperatures
Breaking the carbon-fluorine bond
23 June 2011
The bonds between alkyl carbon and fluorine atoms are notoriously tough to break - could an iridium complex be the answer?
One in the eye for diabetes
23 June 2011
A drug to treat retinal damage caused by diabetes could be delivered from a device implanted behind the eyes
Synthesising red wine's overlooked chemical secrets
22 June 2011
Chemists have synthesised resveratrol oligomers, polyphenols found in grapes, which might have medicinal properties
US approves cancer drugs twice as fast as Europe
22 June 2011
The US approves cancer drugs faster than Europe but future collaboration is likely to iron out differences
Nanotubes inject stroke therapy into rats' brains
21 June 2011
Damage caused by a stroke could be minimised by nanotubes that deliver small pieces of RNA directly into the brain
Making smell-o-vision a reality using a polymer matrix
21 June 2011
A polymer matrix that can release odours on command could enhance the cinematic or virtual reality experience
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Controversy over academy membership in China
20 June 2011
Criticism has arisen over the candidates short-listed for membership of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
Chatty nanoparticles signal the attack on tumours
20 June 2011
Nanoparticles that communicate with one another can work together to deliver large doses of drugs to tumour cells
Nanoboxes given optoelectronic function
17 June 2011
The boundaries of nano-engineering have been stretched a little further thanks to a 100nm hollow cube with gold patterning
Plasmon rulers measure in 3D
16 June 2011
Researchers in the US and Germany have used gold nano-rods to measure exact positions at the nano-scale
Nanomaterial dust no worse than the rest
16 June 2011
An industry study on mice suggests that dust from working nanomaterials is not more toxic than dust from regular materials
Forming the first sugars with formose reactions
16 June 2011
Self-condensation of formaldehyde under hydrothermal conditions could have produced the world's first sugars
Polymers nanobrushes 'paint' the Mona Lisa in 3D
14 June 2011
Masterpiece recreated using 3D polymer lithography technique that could improve advanced fabrication technologies
A new spin on protein NMR
14 June 2011
A new way to study proteins using NMR has been developed by Italian and German researchers
EPA discloses confidential chemical information
13 June 2011
US chemical industry expresses concern as EPA publicises identities of more than 150 chemicals in health and safety studies
Cells turned into living lasers with fluorescent protein
13 June 2011
Physicists have made a laser that uses a fluorescent cell as the gain medium to amplify the light beam
Traditional Chinese medicines hampered by EU regulations
10 June 2011
The strict registration process in the EU for traditional Chinese medicines could lead to medicine shortages in clinics across Europe
Quantum tunnelling creates the 'wrong' molecule
10 June 2011
Transition state theory may have to be rethought as quantum tunnelling affects products of an organic reaction
Asbestos linked to ovarian cancer
09 June 2011
A meta-analysis of 18 studies has confirmed that asbestos can cause ovarian cancer
Chemical 'Scotch Tape' separates carbon nanotubes
09 June 2011
Metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotubes can be peeled apart using a tape that has either amine or phenyl groups
Sensitive sugar sensor
09 June 2011
A heat detecting point-of-care sensor for glucose level monitoring
A solution to a sticky problem
09 June 2011
New synthetic surgical sealants could prevent complications that arise when using current sealants
MPs warn funding reform threatens university places
08 June 2011
Cross party committee warns that student places could be cut to counter a funding gap in UK higher education
Probing cells' power generators
07 June 2011
A probe to monitor bicarbonate ion levels in mitochondria could aid in understanding its role in cell reactions
A textile bag for bomb blast protection
06 June 2011
An unconventional approach to aircraft safety that incorporates fluids that thicken under impact is being tested
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Nanoparticles scrub up a treat in hot water bath
05 June 2011
A wash in hot water is all it takes to clean up gold nanoparticles and improve their catalytic activity
US demands inquiry into isotope management
03 June 2011
US lawmakers launched an inquiry into isotope management after revelations that the DOE failed to foresee a helium-3 shortage
Ionic liquid advance over saline-based lenses
03 June 2011
Exchanging conductive fluid boosts performance of variable focus lenses
Across the barrier for tumour imaging
03 June 2011
A probe for pinpointing the location of a tumour and image-guided tumour removal
Methane activation by organometallic reagent
02 June 2011
A metal-carbon bond can activate methane to produce useful hydrocarbons
An electric partnership
02 June 2011
Unlikely pairing of bacteria provides each one with chemicals to their mutual current-generating benefit in a bioelectrochemical reactor
Fooling mosquito CO2 sensors to tackle malaria
01 June 2011
New chemicals can fight mosquito-borne diseases by interfering with the insects' carbon dioxide receptors
