News articles
‘One MOF particle to rule them all’
Science communication takes many forms. One very special form remains the annual ‘Dance your PhD’ competition, with this year’s chemistry winner depicting Metal Organic Framework research to rap music.
Mitochondria struggle with crowding
Researchers from Nijmegen can now experimentally show that macromolecular crowding occurs in mitochondria.
Warm star cloud shows water’s missing link
Leiden astronomers find evidence that water on Earth outdates than the Sun.
Cryo-EM reveals new details about RNA origami
Researchers at Aarhus University have used cryo-EM to gain a better understanding of the folding process that dictates RNA origami.
Synthetic immune receptors speed disease resistance in crops
Plants lack the ability to develop antibodies against a new virus. British researchers present a new concept: synthetic immune receptors ‘on demand’.
Iron complex excited for longer
When cyclometallation ligands are used around iron(III), it has an excited state that lasts a thousand times longer.
No Bison kit, but mussel glue
Groningen researchers have elucidated the polymerisation of polydopamine, which is similar to the substance that mussels use to stick to anything.
Bonding model fails to explain reality
The model behind hydrogen bonds and similar complexes is fundamentally flawed.
Mummies long preserved by terpenoids from far beyond Egypt
To preserve their mummies, the ancient Egyptians imported resins from Southeast Asia. An early example of globalisation.
Searching for optimal conditions for silicate weathering
A European consortium is investigating whether it is possible to accelerate the weathering of silicate rocks in a reactor.
Plants take up chemical weapons
If there has been an attack with chemical weapons somewhere, you should be able to see it in the leaves of plants.
Bacteria digest plastic
Texel researchers demonstrate via carbon isotopes that the bacterium Rhodococcus ruber can eat polyethylene.
Metamaterial computes more efficiently than electronics
AMOLF researchers describe their nanostructured metamaterials that can perform mathematical operations.
Pregnant PhD students get automatic contract extension
PhD students and postdocs working in chemical laboratories at WUR will find it much easier to extend their contracts from this year onwards.
Synthesis brings alkenes zusammen
Groningen researchers have found an easier way to make alkenes where the functional groups are on the same side.
Mushroom synthesis unstable
For the first time, a number of substances from the mushroom family Ganoderma have been produced via total synthesis.
Zeolite membrane sifts CO2 from gas mixtures
Leuven researchers combine polymers and zeolite in a membrane matrix for superefficient gas separation.
Making lignin branches easier to visualise
Despite the fact that lignin has been analysed for quite some time, it is still a considerable challenge to map the branches properly.
Measuring polymer stress with mechanophores
Delft duo plots polymer stress at the molecular level.
Cowless cheese is a reality
Those Vegan Cowboys managed to make casein with precision fermentation.
