Chemistry
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Earth
Buckyballs do antimicrobial magic
A new study shows that soccer-ball–shaped carbon nanoparticles can prevent biofilm from gunking up water filters.
- Humans
DOE wants to become more like Bell Labs
Steven Chus prizes DOE's research prowess, but not it's ability to marshall its discoveries into marketable innovations.
- Plants
Animals’ jaundice pigment found in plants
Bilirubin, a compound well known in animals, gives seed fuzz its intense orange.
- Life
Sponge’s secret weapon restores antibiotics’ power
A chemical from an ocean-dwelling sponge can reprogram antibiotic resistant bacteria to make them vulnerable to medicines again, new evidence suggests.
- Agriculture
AAAS: Stress Can Make Plants More Nutritious
People who aren't veggie lovers might want to seek out types of produce that deliver an especially big nutrient bang for the gram.
- Chemistry
Supergoo Erases ‘Monument-al’ Nuclear Fallout
From disposable diapers comes a technology that can be used to extract radionuclides off of the porous surfaces of buildings.
- Health & Medicine
Cancer fighting green tea may have a dark side
This herbal remedy can short-circuit one of the few useful therapies for largely incurable blood cancers.
- Health & Medicine
Melamine-tainted infant formula linked to kidney stones
Three new studies link the melamine tainting of infant formula in China with a greatly elevated risk that babies will develop potentially dangerous, symptom-free kidney stones.
- Chemistry
New money for undergraduate research
A new program will foster interdisciplinary physical-science research at predominantly undergraduate colleges.
- Chemistry
Nonstick chemicals linked to infertility
Featured blog: Infertility doubled in women who had high concentrations of commercially produced nonstick chemicals polluting their blood.
- Life
Whipping fluids along in microlabs
Researchers have detailed one way for hairlike structures to drive liquid in a "lab on a chip."
- Earth
Water-cleanup experiment caused lead poisoning
Featured blog: Lead concentrations spiked in many children living in the nation's capital after the local water authority altered the treatment used to disinfect drinking water.
