Chemistry
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Chemistry
A sweet way to replace petroleum?
Thanks to a new chemical process, many products now manufactured from petroleum could one day be made from sugar molecules.
- Chemistry
Beyond Ethanol: Synthetic fuel offers promising alternative
A faster, simpler manufacturing technique could make a synthetic biofuel into an even stronger competitor to ethanol.
- Chemistry
In a Fix: Agricultural chemicals disturb a natural relationship
Several pesticides can disrupt a partnership that enables certain plants to take up nitrogen by enlisting the help of bacteria.
- Chemistry
Packaging Peril: Chemicals in food wrapping turn toxic
Chemicals that prevent grease from seeping through food packaging can transform into a suspected carcinogen.
- Chemistry
Onward, microbes
With a tweak to their genetic codes, bacteria have been coaxed to follow a chemical trail of a researcher's choosing.
- Chemistry
Cleaning Treasures: Safer solvents for restoring frescoes
Solvents in nanoscale droplets can be used to clean centuries-old frescoes, saving them from the unintended consequences of previous restorations.
- Chemistry
Gene dispensers
A new gene therapy technique releases genetic material from successive nanoscale layers of DNA as sheets of polyester that hold them in place slowly degrade.
- Chemistry
Enzymes release caged chemicals
A new controlled-release technology relies on enzymes to unshackle a chemical only when and where it's needed.
- Chemistry
That’s a Wrap: Polymer coatings fortify pancreas cells
A technique that encapsulates cells in polymer might one day benefit people who receive pancreas-cell transplants for diabetes.
- Chemistry
Waistline Worry: Common chemicals might boost obesity
A family of chemicals implicated in testosterone declines may also be contributing to recent spikes in obesity and diabetes.
- Chemistry
Scrubbing troubles
Triclosan, an antibacterial agent found in many soaps, may increase a person's exposure to a potentially toxic chemical.
- Chemistry
Lighting up for uranium
A portable sensor could make it possible to rapidly detect environmental uranium contamination.
