Chemicals News and Research

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Chemists develop two-minute water quality monitoring method

Space is not a fun place to get a stomach bug. To ensure drinking water is adequately disinfected, University of Utah chemists developed a two-minute water quality monitoring method that just started six months of tests aboard the International Space Station.

14 Sep 2009

Death stench is a warning sign to prevent diseases

The smell of recent death or injury that repels living relatives of insects has been identified as a truly ancient signal that functions to avoid disease or predators, biologists have discovered.

14 Sep 2009

Color sensor array helps identify and quanitfy toxic industrial chemicals

Support for the development and application of this electronic nose comes from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health. The new technology is discussed in this month's issue of Nature Chemistry and exemplifies the types of sensors that are being developed as part of the NIH Genes, Environment and Health Initiative (GEI).

14 Sep 2009

Elderberry extract prevents H1N1 infection in vitro

A recent research study has given new scientific evidence to the long-held empirical belief that elderberries possess antiviral activities. The research involved a specific, reproducible elderberry extract developed by HerbalScience Group LLC, and succeeded in identifying key chemical components of the extract that inhibited in vitro infection and were shown to bind directly to Human Influenza A (H1N1) virus particles. The binding blocked the ability of the viruses to enter host cells, and thereby effectively preventing H1N1 infection in vitro.

11 Sep 2009

Study: Brain circuits may influence binge eating

Scientists led a rat to the fatty food, but they couldn't make it eat. Using an animal model of binge eating, University of Missouri researchers discovered that deactivating the basolateral amygdala, a brain region involved in regulating emotion, specifically blocked consumption of a fatty diet. Surprisingly, it had no effect on the rat wanting to look for the food repeatedly.

9 Sep 2009

Dr. Terry Collins offers public lecture on the growing field of green chemistry

Consumer concerns over hazardous chemicals in the air and water have led scientists to find solutions in the new field of green chemistry. "The most troubling health effects are associated with endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that may interfere with cellular development in humans and animals," says Dr. Terry Collins, a champion in the field.

9 Sep 2009

Merck KGaA acquires Suzhou Taizhu Technology Development for € 28 million

Merck KGaA announced today that it has acquired Suzhou Taizhu Technology Development Co. Ltd. ("Taizhu"), a leading supplier of effect pigments located in Taicang near Shanghai, China. With total revenues of more than € 14 million in 2008 and 300 employees Taizhu is one of the biggest effect pigments companies in the Chinese market. The acquisition is of high strategic importance to the Merck pigments business.

9 Sep 2009

Research study examines the depression rate in chronic kidney disease patients

One in five patients with chronic kidney disease is depressed, even before beginning long-term dialysis therapy or developing end-stage renal disease, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

9 Sep 2009

Active cannabis chemicals halt prostate cancer cell growth

ACTIVE chemicals in cannabis have been shown to halt prostate cancer cell growth according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer today.

8 Sep 2009

Insects can be used to test the efficiency of new drugs

Insects, such as some moths and fruit flies, react to microbial infection in the same way as mammals and so can be used to test the efficiency of new drugs, thereby reducing the need for animal testing. Dr Kevin Kavanagh from the National University of Ireland - Maynooth, presented his research findings at the Society for General Microbiology's meeting at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, today (8 September).

7 Sep 2009

Iterative in situ click chemistry creates antibody-like protein-capture agents

Chemists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and The Scripps Research Institute (SRI) have developed an innovative technique to create cheap but highly stable chemicals that have the potential to take the place of the antibodies used in many standard medical diagnostic tests. James R. Heath, Ph.D., principal investigator of the Nanosystems Biology Cancer Center at Caltech, one of eight Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence, and K. Barry Sharpless, Ph.D., SRI, and their colleagues describe the new technique in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

7 Sep 2009

NAS selected for the CAAT Recognition Award for 2009

The Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has selected the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the authors of the groundbreaking report, Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy, to receive the CAAT Recognition Award for 2009. The award was presented on September 3 at the 7th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in Rome.

4 Sep 2009

Optimized turmeric extracts may prevent memory loss

scientists with HerbalScience Group LLC, working with researchers from other organizations and medical institutions, conducted an in-depth study of optimized turmeric extracts, demonstrating that key bioactives in the botanical extracts inhibit aggregation and release of amyloid, a protein fragment considered a prime causal suspect in Alzheimer's disease.

3 Sep 2009

Scientists demonstrate the link between cancer and diesel fumes

Scientists here are the first to demonstrate that the link between diesel fume exposure and cancer lies in the ability of diesel exhaust to induce the growth of new blood vessels that serve as a food supply for solid tumors.

2 Sep 2009

Public-private collaboration to fund research on health, diet and green technology

A total of £7M funding has been announced today by two public-private collaborations led by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

2 Sep 2009

Rapid progression of multiple sclerosis linked to smoking

Patients with multiple sclerosis who smoke appear to experience a more rapid progression of their disease, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 Sep 2009

HAPPYBABY guide for new and expectant parents focuses on green parenting

Green parenting -- more than just a trendy movement -- is the best way to raise healthy babies with lasting results. Parents today feel overwhelmed by all the choices and conflicting information when starting a family.

2 Sep 2009

Ariba podcast to help pharmaceutical companies conduct cost-effective sourcing

With expiring patents and growing gaps in revenue a reality in today’s global pharmaceutical industry, an increasing number of drug manufacturers are beginning to evaluate their supply chains to identify any and all opportunities for savings so that they can continue to bring innovative products to market and remain competitive.

1 Sep 2009

Chemists design polymer-coated nanorods for drug manufacturers

Nanoparticles combining platinum and gold act as superefficient catalysts, but chemists have struggled to create them in an industrially useful form. Rice University chemists have answered the call this week with a polymer-coated version of gold-platinum nanorods, the first catalysts of their kind that can be used in the organic solvents favored by chemical and drug manufacturers.

1 Sep 2009

Intertek expands its REACH services portfolio

Intertek, (www.intertek.com), the leading provider of quality and safety services to a wide range of industries, has expanded its REACH services portfolio by providing comprehensive solutions to assist companies in complying with CLP, REACH, and GHS regulation requirements.

31 Aug 2009