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Latest news from laboratory, environment, chemistry, life science and quality control

• Using the Tokyo Skytree to test Einstein's theory of general relativity
  In another verification of the validity of Einstein's theory of general relativity, published in Nature Photonics, scientists from the RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics and Cluster for Pioneering...
• Dynamically-driven Cu surfaces catalyze the electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to ethanol
  A team of scientists in the Department of Interface Science was able to exploit the dynamic structural and chemical nature of Cu surfaces under pulsed electrocatalytic reaction conditions to conver...
• New chemical tools can control the concentration of lipids in living cells
  Lipids, or fats, have many functions in our body: They form membrane barriers, store energy or act as messengers, which regulate cell growth and hormone release. Many of them are also biomarkers fo...
• Coronavirus: Data sharing platform for researchers
  the European Commission together with several partners launched a European COVID-19 Data Platform to enable the rapid collection and sharing of available research data. The platform, part of the ER...
• Listeria in frozen vegetables: how to reduce risks
  EFSA has assessed the risks to public health from Listeria contamination of vegetables that are blanched - scalded in hot water or steam for a short time - before they are frozen. They conclude tha...
• New biosensor for COVID-19 virus
  A team of researchers from Empa, ETH Zurich and Zurich University Hospital has succeeded in developing a novel sensor for detecting the new coronavirus. In future it could be used to measure the co...
• Coronavirus: Commission issues guidelines on testing
  As part of the European Roadmap towards lifting coronavirus containment measures, the Commission is presenting guidelines on coronavirus testing methodologies. The guidance aims to support Membe...
• A new way to fine-tune exotic materials: Thin, stretch and clamp
  One way to change the properties of a material is to stretch it just a wee bit, so its atoms are farther apart but the bonds between them don't break. This extra distance affects the behavior of el...
• Continuous biopharmaceutical production with single-use equipment
  Continuous processes are becoming increasingly important in biopharmaceutical production. Experts have now analysed a continuous biopharmaceutical model process with single-use systems in a paper d...
• A friendlier way to deal with nitrate pollution
  Learning from nature, scientists from the Center for Sustainable Resource Science in Japan and the Korean Basic Science Institute (KBSI) have found a catalyst that efficiently transforms nitrate in...
• Fighting cancer with slime chemistry and BNCT
  Expectations are growing for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT), a new cancer treatment, with few side effects, that combines thermal neutron irradiation and drug delivery. In BNCT, drugs are use...
• How the chemical industry can meet the climate goals
  ETH researchers analysed various possibilities for reducing the net CO₂ emissions of the chemical industry to zero. Their conclusion? The chemical industry can in fact have a carbon-neutral future....
• Atomic force microscopy reveals high heterogeneity in bacterial membrane vesicles
  Researchers at Kanazawa University and Tsukuba University report in Nanoscale that the physical properties of extracellular bacterial membrane vesicles are significantly diverse. The properties fo...
• Brilliant white without pigments
  Nanostructured polymer foil appears white without environmentally hazardous Titanium Dioxide using beetle's chitin scales as a model. Polymer foils that are extremely thin and characterized by a hi...
• Reduced off-odor of plastic recyclates via separate collection of packaging waste
  More than 60 odorous substances were identified using combined chemo-analytical methods. The information gained provides a targeted strategy for avoiding off-odors. The results of this collaborativ...
• Using chemistry to unlock the difference between cold- and hot-brew coffee
  Cold brew may be the hottest trend in coffee-making, but not a lot is known about how this process alters the drink's chemical characteristics. Scientists now report that the content of potentially...
• An all-organic proton battery energized for sustainable energy storage
  Sustainable energy storage is in great demand. Researchers at Uppsala University have therefore developed an all-organic proton battery that can be charged in a matter of seconds. The battery c...
• Single-molecule resonance Raman effect in a plasmonic nanocavity
  Scientists at RIKEN have been able to detect vibrations of a single molecule, allowing them to produce different maps of the molecule for different vibrations. This technique is promising for probi...
• Reducing the off-odour of plastic recyclates
  Plastic recyclates produced from waste packaging have to meet high sensory requirements for them to be used for new products. Plastic recyclates often have off-odours, some of which have yet to be ...
• A funnel of light
  Physicists of the University of Würzburg, in a joint collaboration with colleagues from the University of Rostock, have developed a light funnel apparatus. It could serve as a new platform for hype...
• Lifting the lid on beta-barrels
  The interaction between biotin and streptavidin is a well-established experimental tool in bionanotechnology. LMU physicists have now shown that the mechanical stability of the complex is dependent...
• Just how virtual can research be?
  Even at the best of times, it can be difficult coordinating joint projects and research, especially if partners are spread across different countries - or unable to travel because of a major intern...