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Common chemical exposures in pregnancy may be linked to early attention and memory

Researchers examined whether prenatal exposure to aromatic amines and cotinine was associated with attention, processing speed, and memory in 250 infants assessed at 7.5 months. The study found mixed patterns across cognitive measures, with several estimates suggesting poorer attention or memory but carrying substantial statistical uncertainty.

23 Sep 2026

Why scientists still cannot say how much plastic infants are actually consuming

A systematic review of 22 primary studies and four reviews found plastic-derived contaminants across infant foods and feeding equipment, but major differences in sampling, analytical methods, and quality control made exposure estimates difficult to compare. The authors found substantial evidence gaps for nanoplastics and oligomers and concluded that better-standardized exposure assessment is needed before infant health risks can be reliably evaluated.

22 Sep 2026

Ascensus Specialties announces appointment of Dr. Emma Sceats as Chief Executive Officer

Ascensus Specialties today announced the appointment of Dr. Emma Sceats as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, succeeding Paul Burlingame, who will transition to an advisory role supporting the Board and leadership team.

From Ascensus Specialties LLC 17 Sep 2026

Rice, seafood and water may help explain striking differences in metal exposure across US communities

Researchers compared urinary trace-metal profiles across 666 adults from six ethnic groups in three US cohorts, with up to 19 elements measured and paired serum measurements available for the Asian Indian MASALA cohort. Distinct metal patterns emerged across populations, with the findings suggesting that diet, drinking-water sources, regional hydrogeology, urban-rural conditions, smoking, and physiological handling may all contribute to differences in exposure profiles.

8 Sep 2026

Could one amino acid help explain why men tend to live shorter lives?

A UK Biobank cohort and Mendelian randomization study involving 272,475 participants linked higher circulating tyrosine with greater all-cause mortality and genetically predicted higher tyrosine with shorter lifespan. After accounting for phenylalanine, the relationship with shorter lifespan was clearest in men, while findings in women were less consistent, suggesting a potential sex-specific role for tyrosine in longevity.

7 Sep 2026

Microplastics transport toxins and antibiotic resistance across ecosystems

Microplastics are often viewed as pollutants in their own right, but their environmental impact may extend far beyond the plastic particles themselves.

4 Sep 2026

Healthy ageing shaped by more varied biology than previously thought

Molecular changes of ageing are far more unique than previously thought, meaning two healthy individuals of identical age can experience significantly different ageing journeys.

2 Sep 2026

Study uncovers cause of abnormal breathing in Rett syndrome

Hyperventilating. Breath holding until they turn blue. This abnormal breathing is frequent and disturbing in people with Rett syndrome, a rare genetic disease.

1 Sep 2026

DARPA funds project to build wireless yeast DNA printer

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has tasked scientists with developing a system that can receive instructions and synthesize a sequence of DNA or RNA without any chemical input. Think wireless DNA printer.

1 Sep 2026

Study links human gut bacteria to levels of key chemicals in the brain

The neuroactive potential of bacteria living in the human gut is associated with levels of key chemicals in the brain, according to a new study from the University of Surrey and the University of Roehampton.

1 Sep 2026

New grants support biotechnology and cancer research projects at KIT

In its CZS Nexus program, the Carl Zeiss Foundation has awarded grants to two young scientists from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The researchers will each receive EUR 1.5 million to establish their own interdisciplinary working groups at KIT.

26 Aug 2026

New APIs extend Wiley's gold-standard spectral data and analytical intelligence directly into lab, vendor, and platform workflows

Wiley, a global leader in authoritative content and research intelligence, today announced the launch of its spectral analysis application programming interface (API) portfolio, providing users with a new, faster way to access its trusted spectral data, analytical algorithms, and predictive models–within their own workflows.

From John Wiley and Sons - Scientific Publishers 26 Aug 2026

Nicotine e-cigarettes help more smokers quit than conventional methods

Nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective in helping people quit smoking than many conventional methods such as nicotine gums and patches and quitting with behavioural support or no support at all, an updated Cochrane review finds.

25 Aug 2026

Scientists discover how neutrophils travel to infection sites without damaging healthy tissue

UMass Chan Medical School scientist Beth McCormick, PhD, and her team collaborated with researchers at the University of Bath to discover how neutrophils, the body's most abundant type of white blood cells, travel to infection sites without damaging healthy tissue.

25 Aug 2026

NIH grants support research on whether PFAS exposure increases risk of liver and endometrial cancers

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center have received two grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) totaling $7.5 million to study whether exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the synthetic compounds known as "forever chemicals," increases the risk of liver cancer and endometrial cancer.

25 Aug 2026

The certification illusion: Why safety seals miss hidden chemical hazards

None of the certification programs consumers rely on to find safer personal care products require laboratory testing of the products they certify, according to a new peer-reviewed analysis.

25 Aug 2026

Higher BPA exposure tracked with higher estrogen and progesterone in women

Researchers found that higher urinary concentrations of BPA and several phthalate metabolites were associated with higher serum estrogen and progesterone levels in 90 premenopausal women from Iran. The cross-sectional study also identified positive associations for combined chemical exposures, although the authors cautioned that the mixture findings are exploratory and cannot establish causality.

24 Aug 2026

Nanoparticle vaccine offers long-lasting protection against multiple flu strains

A new, nanoparticle vaccine could one day grant patients immunity to the flu with fewer trips to the doctor and without health officials correctly guessing which flu strains will become dominant each year.

24 Aug 2026

Neurogenesis stalls in the brains of adults with major depressive disorder, study shows

Most of our brain's 100 billion neurons are created before we're born, but the trickle of neurons created in the adult brain hippocampus could be instrumental in preventing depression, suggest findings from a new study by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

21 Aug 2026

Oxford study identifies brain mechanisms behind our sense of control

A study led by the University of Oxford has identified the brain mechanisms that help us work out whether the consequences we experience are caused by our own actions or by circumstances beyond our control.

21 Aug 2026

Chemicals News and Research

Common chemical exposures in pregnancy may be linked to early attention and memory

Why scientists still cannot say how much plastic infants are actually consuming

Ascensus Specialties announces appointment of Dr. Emma Sceats as Chief Executive Officer

Rice, seafood and water may help explain striking differences in metal exposure across US communities

Could one amino acid help explain why men tend to live shorter lives?

Microplastics transport toxins and antibiotic resistance across ecosystems

Healthy ageing shaped by more varied biology than previously thought

Study uncovers cause of abnormal breathing in Rett syndrome

DARPA funds project to build wireless yeast DNA printer

Study links human gut bacteria to levels of key chemicals in the brain

New grants support biotechnology and cancer research projects at KIT

New APIs extend Wiley's gold-standard spectral data and analytical intelligence directly into lab, vendor, and platform workflows

Nicotine e-cigarettes help more smokers quit than conventional methods

Scientists discover how neutrophils travel to infection sites without damaging healthy tissue

NIH grants support research on whether PFAS exposure increases risk of liver and endometrial cancers

The certification illusion: Why safety seals miss hidden chemical hazards

Higher BPA exposure tracked with higher estrogen and progesterone in women

Nanoparticle vaccine offers long-lasting protection against multiple flu strains

Neurogenesis stalls in the brains of adults with major depressive disorder, study shows

Oxford study identifies brain mechanisms behind our sense of control

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