Solving challenges together

The emphasis on the second day was on bringing together expertise from a wide variety of companies, from start-ups to multinationals, to work together on some of the challenges facing chemists working in industry.

Future proofing your business, and cross-sector collaborations were key themes of the event, and these were addressed in a number of talks and panel discussions.

Ian Shott, from the Chemistry Growth Partnership, kicked off day two with a talk about his companys industrial strategy he highlighted the need to work across all sectors to build a strong UK chemistry industry.

He was followed by a panel discussion looking at where chemistry is going in the next 20 years, further highlighting the need for cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaborations. Attendees were then able to get a flavour of what this could be like by exploring industrial challenges spanning across food and drink, health, energy and environment, materials and enabling technologies.

Chemistry Means Business Project Manager Nazma Rahman was pleased with the enthusiasm and engagement of the delegates "The atmosphere was one of people really engaging with each other and making connections", she said. "There was a great energy and buzz throughout the two days."

Plans are underway for Chemistry Means Business 2018. Watch this space!

The Emerging Technologies Competition was judged by industry experts. Picture: Royal Society of Chemistry

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Chemistry Means Business - Royal Society of Chemistry

Ines Alves had just seconds to figure out what to take with her.

A few minutes earlier, her parents arrived home from dinner with friends to find Grenfell Tower on fire. Alves's father rushed up to their 13th-floor apartment, first by elevator, and then, when the smoke thickened, by stair.

The building was on fire, he told his two children, when he rushed through the door. They had to go. Now.

SoAlves, 16, threw on jeans and a T-shirt, then grabbed her phone and rushed down the fire escape.

She grabbed one other thing too her chemistry notes.

Once outside, the family watched the fire spread. I never thought it would escalate to the whole building, Alvestold the Guardian.

Even as this crisis unfolded, though, she modeled that most British of behaviors: She kept calm and carried on.I had my revision notes, so I was like, 'I may as well just sit down and read through my notes,' she told the Guardian. Later, she told theDaily Mirror that I want to do A-level chemistry and I need an A in science, so I was thinking of my future when I decided to sit the exam.

Not all of her neighbors were so lucky. According to police, at least 30 people perished in the fire. And that number may rise to 100, authorities warn. The cause of the fire that's captured the world's attention is unknown. But a slew of factors like a lack of working fire alarms and sprinklers, and cheap, flammable cladding on the building's exterior helped it spread quickly and account for the high death toll.

One issue seems to have been the poorly considered fire escape plan. According to Alves's brother, Tiago, firefighters told their mother thather family and others should remain inside their apartments. But because my mum had my dads phone, she didnt have any way to tell us, Tiago told the Guardian. It's a coincidence that probably saved their lives.

Finally, in the middle of the night, Alves left the scene to get a bit of sleep. At 8 a.m., just hours after she watched flames consume her family's home, she sat for her final exam in chemistry at Sacred Heart.

She decided to take the test, even though her school told her she didn't have to.Her brother told theIndependent thatwe had told her she didn't have to sit the exam because of the extenuating circumstances, but she had studied so hard for it she was determined she was going to take it.Her school had even contacted the exam board and told her she didn't have to come in.

She told the newspaper that she was devastated by the fire, but there was nothing else she could to.Everything was already burned, so there was really nothing to worry about, she said. It was at the back of my mind, but I managed to do the exam. There were a few questions where I didnt know the answer, so I thought about the fire, but I managed to complete the test.

Her school has offered Alves and her familyfood, clothing, travel expenses and dispensation from her other exams. She said that her family has been visiting others affected by the fire with donations of food, clothing and other gifts.

We're just trying to help other people as much as we can, Tiago told the Independent. The future is still uncertain and we will look to the future when it arrives.

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This girl watched her London apartment burn, then took her chemistry exam - Washington Post

Civilians in Syria were exposed to the nerve agent sarin in April, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed at the end of June. This was the second documented use of sarin in Syria, and follows cases of chlorine and mustard gas being used as weapons. So can the world expect to see more chemical warfare?

There is a lot of concern within the OPCW, says Alastair Hay, professor of environmental toxicology at the University of Leeds, UK. If the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) cant be upheld, and perpetrators held accountable, then that is a problem.

Syria crossed President Obamas red line in 2013 when it used chemical weapons in Ghouta, and, although the threatened US retaliation did not happen, the result was that Syria reluctantly joined the CWC. Hay doesnt think that Syria will use chemical weapons again, because it will be wary of triggering further US missile attacks following those ordered by President Trump in response to the April attack. The gains are marginal, while the outcry is huge, he says.

If the Chemical Weapons Convention cant be upheld, and perpetrators held accountable, that is a problem

Alastair Hay, University of Leeds

Tim Eaton, research fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, agrees that Trumps military response will make Syria hesitate before using chemical weapons again. Now Trump has threatened heavy retaliation if they use sarin again. This is the first time that the Assad regime has been punished materially for human rights abuses in this conflict.

However, security consultant Dan Kaszeta believes Syria will use chemical weapons again, eventually. Trump is a roulette wheel, the least predictable leader on the world stage at the moment, and so he has no deterrent value.

Weapons expert Richard Guthrie also worries that there are significant implications if no one is held to account for the use of sarin in Syria. As it stands today, one lesson of Syria that could be drawn by other dictatorships is that a chemical weapons programme may buy you time within a civil war. If fear of being deposed, or getting caught and brought to trial, are the major disincentives to using chemical weapons, then the Syria case has illustrated neither of them.

Another security threat, says Eaton, is the potential of non-state actors, such as terrorist organisations, to obtain chemical weapons technology, particularly in ungoverned or contested areas. This is seen as a greater threat than a state using chemical weapons.

Hay agrees that there are indications that some terrorist organisations are considering using chemical weapons, but so far there is only one instance verified by the OPCW which was ISIS using mustard gas.

While the threat of countries using chemical weapons has diminished, chemical terrorism is no longer a theoretical proposition or even imminent threat, but a stark reality, says OPCW Director General Ahmet zmc. The OPCW describes various scenarios for chemical terrorism including non-state actors acquiring chemical weapons through the black market, illicit trade or theft; acquiring or producing chemical agents then deploying them with improvised devices; finding ways to disperse industrial chemicals, or contaminating the food chain, for example with ricin.

chemical terrorism is no longer a theoretical proposition or even imminent threat, but a stark reality

Ahmet zmc, OPCW Director General

The organisation notes terrorists still need to overcome the challenges of producing chemical agents, which involves having the right expertise, equipment and facilities, and sufficient funds. The least scientifically demanding scenario involves the use of industrial toxic chemicals, such as chlorine, which is widely available on the commercial market in large quantities and is relatively easy to disperse.

Hay agrees that, in terms of making new weapons, such as nerve agents, there are several barriers. Turning them into weapons requires expertise that is not widely available outside the military. While chlorine is easier to obtain, non-state actors are limited by their lack of aircraft or weaponry with which to deliver it as a weapon. Whats more, it would be hard for them to get hold of sufficient quantities to have an effect. The OPCW has destroyed almost 95% of global stockpiles, and is working with the chemical industry to secure and police their stocks. Hay believes access to major stocks is now reasonably well controlled.

For Kaszeta, the main reasons that both states and non-state actors are unlikely to use chemical weapons in future are because they are impractical, unaffordable and ineffective. To make one ton of nerve agent you need 9-10t of precursors which OPCW control and then youre left with 8t of toxic waste. You need a testing and evaluation programme, and military-trained personnel Chemical weapons are obsolete for a reason. The message should be: they just arent worth the bother.

But Guthrie is not so positive. He highlights four key risks and threats around future chemical weapon use: governments outside of the CWC possessing weapons (Egypt, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan are all non-signatories); national controls on relevant materials and technologies varying between countries; lack of capacity to attribute attacks to the perpetrators; and a complacency that international conventions will deal with problems.

But perhaps the greatest political challenge, he says, is maintaining political focus. [Syrias sarin attacks] brought a huge amount of political attention, but most of this has faded now.

The challenge of preventing the use of [chemical weapons] will go on for longer than the lifetime of individual governments.

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The return of chemical weapons? - Chemistry World (subscription)

moviesFriday, June 16 2:58pmBy Amber Sampson

(L to R) Blair (Zo Kravitz), Alice (Jillian Bell), Jess (Scarlett Johansson), Frankie (Illana Grazer) and Pippa (Kate McKinnon). Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Theres no denying Rough Night draws inspiration from a number of successful comediesVery Bad Things, Bridesmaids and The Hangover among them. But its the chemistry among the films cast that generates something special and downright hilarious.

The story follows five friends on a bachelorette weekend for the prim and proper Jess (Scarlett Johansson), whos traded her party days for politics and the incredibly sensitive Peter (film co-writer Paul W. Downs). Joined by the lethally horny Alice (Jillian Bell), well-off Blair (Zo Kravitz), fuck the man Frankie (Ilana Glazer) and Australian sensation Pippa (Kate McKinnon), Jess and crew do what anyone in Miami would do: Snort a bunch of cocaine, perform synchronized dances to My Neck, My Back and accidentally kill a stripper.

Shenanigans, of course, ensue when they try to hide said strippers body. Farce is expected, but Rough Night takes much of what audiences have seen in similar comedies and flips it on its head (youll never hear pizza or see wax strips the same way again).

Broad Citys Lucia Aniellos writing brings just the right amount of femininity and relatability to each scene with sharp, punchy and well-timed dialogue. Chemistry is evident between these women and their camaraderie is believablenot a glance nor a wink is mistimed or misrepresented. And thats even before Demi Moore and Modern Familys Ty Burrell show up as the very open couple Pietro and Lea.

Even with such star power, McKinnon swoops in to steal the spotlight with her rib-shakingly funny Australian accent, rivaled only by Bells shameless fixation with stripper peen. Johanssons performance is another pleasant surprise, her deadpan delivery just right. And if were talking package deals, Glazer and Kravitz make the ultimate one. The actresses communicate so naturally, youd think they spent years bickering as much as their characters do in the movie.

Overall, Rough Night might not break any new ground, but it does expand well on whats already been done.

Chemistry Makes Rough Night Surprisingly Smooth

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Chemistry Makes Rough Night Surprisingly Smooth - Vegas Seven

MSUToday

MSU soil scientist honored with prestigious Jackson Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy Award MSUToday Hui Li, an associate professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences is the recipient of the 2017 Jackson Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy Award. The honor, presented by the Soil Science Society of America, is given to a midcareer ...

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MSU soil scientist honored with prestigious Jackson Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy Award - MSUToday

STEM and VR

MEL Science, based in London, has launched a series of virtual reality (VR) chemistry lessons for K12. The 3-year-old company this week released a MEL Chemistry VR app, featuring a virtual chemistry lab, for free on Google Daydream. This free version, which contains the first six chemistry lessons, is available at this MEL Science site.

According to MEL Science, chemistry is filled with abstract concepts that may prove difficult for young students to understand. The best method for kids to learn is through hands-on interaction, so MEL Science developed these VR chemistry lessons to enliven molecular-level science and illustrate it on an immersive, enlarged level.

The lessons follow K12 curricular guidelines, and are designed to be used in the classroom or at home. A special version for educators will be released soon, the company said.

In these first six lessons, students should be able to see what its like to dive into a pencil (graphite) or a diamond and discover what these objects look like on an atomic level.

Students should be able to learn about basic chemistry principles in an interactive, friendly way, including topics such as:

Students will also get the opportunity to build an atom of any known element with their hands and/or a guiding tool. Anything that appears on the modern periodic table should be available to build, said Vassili Philippov, CEO of MEL Science.

MEL Science aims to release more than 150 lessons covering all the main topics included in K12 schools chemistry curriculum. Later this year, MEL Science also aims to add support for other VR platforms, including Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR.

MEL Science is known for its subscription service, offering educational science sets through the mail. Through this service, parent subscribers get two new chemistry sets every month, allowing them to perform engaging educational experiments at home with their children.

Wed like to change science education, Philippov said in an interview. Virtual reality is the perfect language for science, because you can see what is happening on the micro level. You cant see molecules. But with virtual reality, you can be inside a chemical reaction. You can memorize facts and forget later, or I can put you inside a chemical reaction. Then youll really understand what is happening there. So fundamentally, its a better way to teach science.

Philippov continued, If you understand how to motivate kids, youll really teach them. In science, there is one trick hands-on experience. They have to see it with their eyes. Then theyll really fall in love, and youll inspire their natural curiosities. If you combine those two together engagement and using VR theyll understand what is happening on a fundamental level. Thats the way to teach science.

To witness the MEL Chemistry VR app in action, view the video below:

More information on MEL Chemistry VR can be found at the companys site.

About the Author

Richard Chang is associate editor of THE Journal. He can be reached at rchang@1105media.com.

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MEL Science Launches Virtual Reality Chemistry Lessons - T.H.E. Journal

A reusable face mask initiativeattempts to address a pressing local problem by offering a global solution: The design should be universal so Im not charging for the patent. Everyone can download the template and tailor their own masks, said Dr Kenneth Kwong, the mastermind behind the HK MASK project an efforttotackle Hong Kongs shortage of surgical masks amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

Thanks to filters manufactured by a local company and a textile workshop organised by a local social enterprise, the reusable masks were launched on February 21 and an open day for the media to view the production line was held the Sunday before.

K Kwong holding metal wire and fabric used in making the face masks. Photo: Rachel Wong/HKFP.

Kwong, widely known as K Kwong,holds a PhD in chemistry: Some people online question whether Im qualified to pull off thisproject. I am no face mask expert but I know a lot of the experts, he said.

Having been a celebrity tutor for more than 30 years and a former lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Kwong estimated that he has taught around 100,000 students: I maintain good relationships with a lot of [former students] who hold important positions in various industries, he said, adding that the project was a collaborative effort made possible bycrowdsourcing talent.

Each mask consists of cloth pieces manufactured by social enterprise Sew On Studio. The material is then sewn together to create a hollow pocket, filled withreplaceable filters made by local company FOCUS Filtration and Engineering Limited.

Kwong said he does not mind if other factories mass-produced his design: No one should monopolise healthcare businesses I got requests for printing Hongkongers, keep it up!. Everyone can customise their masks so long as they fit on faces with a good seal, he said.

Volunteer cutting fabrics under the face mask design template. Photo: Rachel Wong/HKFP.

Most cloth face masks dont work. It is true that they start off as anti-bacterial fabric, but you need to disinfect the mask after each use, Kwong said.

The outer cloth jacket of the HK MASK can be sterilised at high temperatures by boiling or microwaving the material at home, although the filter needs to be replaced, Kwong added. Each bundle sold contains one cloth mask with20 to 50 filters, costing HK$1-2 per use, which may be lowered depending on future circumstances.

Elastic straps used in the face masks. Photo: Rachel Wong.

There are many reusable face masks with replaceable filters on the market but I doubt their effectiveness, Kwong said. During the design stage, he and his team prioritised having themask fit tight around users faces to ensure all air breathed would pass through the filter: You need to weigh up every fine detail when assessing its effectiveness, he said.

Elastic straps age the quickest and need to be replaced after approximately 100 uses: Or else it will loosen up and allow unfiltered air to enter from the sides, Kwong said. We tested a mask using airtight fabric. It felt tight so it meant the design worked and hence safely covered the face.

Volunteer sewing the face masks. Photo: Rachel Wong/HKFP.

Kwong invited English and Japanese simultaneous interpreters and foreign media to his product launch event: I hope to export the idea and attract talent in order to refine our design. This version needs to be perfected and I am open to teaming up with people on ideas, he said.

Social enterprise collaboration

Forty volunteers from Sew On Studio have been working relentlessly for weeks on each stage of production, fromits design to cutting fabrics and sewing them using machines.

[The studio] approached Dr Kwong to collaborate after we saw his Facebook post, founder of Sew On Studio, Winsome Lok, said.

Founded in 2016, the studio mostly serves the elderly: Some of them become reclusive and introverted because they feel embarrassed about their out-of-fashion and ill-fitting clothing. They think of themselves as socially unacceptable and become reluctant to go out. We are dedicated to rebuilding their dignity with better clothing, Lok said.

Founder of Sew On Studio Winsome Lok and K Kwong. Photo: Rachel Wong/HKFP.

Kwong said he enjoyed working with the Studio: Our discussion time added up to no more than one hour. There was no hesitation. We have been [working] with full force, he said.

The original design attached one long piece of string but it was later modified to several shorter sections to prevent misuse, Kwong wrote in a Facebook post describing his collaboration with the Studio, which helped to refine the design by taking its user base into consideration.

Sew On Studio. Photo: Rachel Wong/HKFP.

We have a network of talent made up of old tailor masters, textiles and fashion graduates, and volunteers like housewives good to go for K Kwongs master plan, Lok said.

Mask shortage solution?

Amid the virus outbreak, face mask supplies have dwindled, with long queues forming outside pharmacies as people scramble to buy the in-demand product.The government said in a press release last Monday that it would be counterproductive to control mask distribution and prices through legislation because the problem was about inadequate supply.

Tuen Mun District Councillor Sam Cheung said the city has been struggling with the shortage: Even if I could secure 40,000 face masks, that would only be enough for 20,000 residents to consume in one day, he said at a visit to Kwongs face mask workshop.

Citizens are very anxious about the scarcity of face masks. Even as district councillors, we dont have exclusive access to face masks. We shop like everyone else. I was Dr Kwongs past student and contacted him for further information, hoping that this could be the solution to the shortage of mask supplies.

Tuen Mun District Councillor Sam Cheung and K Kwong. Photo: Rachel Wong/HKFP.

The Tuen Mun District Council approved HK$1 million for purchasing and distributing free face masks but the project has been beset by problems: Our orders oftengot rejected. We have encountered incidents of shipments being stolen. There have been too many uncertainties. We never post about face masks until we have the actual stock in hand. We dont want to give people false hope, Cheung added.

In response to Chief Executive Carrie Lams announcement last Friday of an HK$30 billion fund a portion of which will go to supporting local face mask manufacturers Kwong said in a Facebook post on Friday that he had not received any support from the government yet.

Regardless of whether you are yellow or blue, masks are what save Hong Kong, reads Kwongs Facebook page cover photo. Photo: Facebook.

Kwongs Facebook page cover photo reads: Regardless of whether you are yellow or blue, masks are what save Hong Kong, with the two colours vaguely representing pro-democracy and pro-government political stances.

Ive said this multiple times. Masks for all comes before anything, profit or politics, Kwong said.

Visit link:
Coronavirus: Made in Hong Kong face masks a joint effort by 'chemistry godfather' and social enterprise - Hong Kong Free Press

June 15, 2017, 6:00 a.m.

Phil Janowicz might have been your favorite chemistry teacher in college. His youthful enthusiasm, sense of humor and willingness to chat are all as clear as the safety glasses on his nose.

But this former Cal State Fullerton chemistry professor is now looking to form a different kind of bond with the Orange County voters he hopes to represent in Washington, D.C.

The 33-year-old Janowicz is going after a big target: Republican Congressman Ed Royce of Fullerton, who was first elected to represent Californias 39th District in 1992 and is chairmanof the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Janowicz, a Democrat, announced his candidacy in April at an amphitheater in the heart the universitys campus. His chemistry background (and love of puns) are evident in his campaign slogan: Solutions for Congress.

It was something hehad been mulling for a long time, and the turning point came on Nov. 8, 2016. Janowicz and his wife were watching the election returns together. Angela Janowicz, an English teacher, was wearing her Nasty woman T-shirt, and the two were geared up for a Hillary Clinton victory.

But as it became clear that Donald Trump had won, Angela turned to Phil and told him he should go for it.

Be the change you want to see in the world, she said. Itll be our next adventure.

To ready himself for a run, Janowicz reluctantly left his tenured teaching position at Cal State Fullerton. Jumping in head firstwas the only proper way to take on a challenge like this, he said.

There were so many things I wanted to do to help in this community, he said. Teaching chemistry only went so far.

But Janowicz said he wouldcontinue to think like a scientist a habit that will protect him from succumbing to ideological rigidity.

My mind can be changed by data, he said. Science will work, whether we believe in it or not.

Minutes after he declared his candidacy, the National Republican Congressional Committee issued a statement that mocked his academic background: Liberal professor Janowicz may hypothesize he has a snowballs chance challenging Royce, but in the real world, hell find Royces support runs deep and wide in Orange County.

Janowicz, who studied cognitive psychology at MIT before earning a doctoratein chemistry at University of Illinois, was quick to pick up on the Republican committee'scode for elitist. He had his comeback ready.

Theres nothing wrong with being a professor, Janowicz said. Its teaching the next generation how to be good, functioning members of society and get good jobs to support their families.

By early June, Janowicz had hired a campaign manager, a communications consultant, a fundraising specialist and a firm to keep his electoral paperwork in order.

Janowicz has been critical of Royces positions on healthcare, education and the environment. He says at least 1 in 5students in the Cal State system struggles with food or shelter insecurity, and many are afraid their parents could be apprehended by immigration officials if they show up for graduation.

Im so inspired that theyre working so hard, he said. We need a system that works as hard for them.

The rest is here:
Phil Janowicz, a chemistry professor-turned-candidate who says he ... - Los Angeles Times

A team of MIT chemists has discovered the structure of a key influenza protein, a finding that could help researchers design drugs that block the protein and prevent the virus from spreading.

The protein, known as BM2, is a proton channel that controls acidity within the virus, helping it to release its genetic material inside infected cells.

If you can block this proton channel, you have a way to inhibit influenza infection, says Mei Hong, an MIT professor of chemistry and senior author of the study. Having the atomic-resolution structure for this protein is exactly what medicinal chemists and pharmaceutical scientists need to start designing small molecules that can block it.

MIT graduate student Venkata Mandala is the lead author of the paper, which appears today in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. Other authors include graduate students Alexander Loftis and Alexander Shcherbakov and associate professor of chemistry Bradley Pentelute.

Atomic-scale resolution

There are three classes of influenza virus A, B, and C and each of them produces a different version of the M2 protein. M2 is an ion channel that carries protons through the viruss outer membrane, known as the lipid envelope. These protons usually flow into the virus, making the interior more acidic. This acidity helps the virus to merge its lipid envelope with the membrane of a cellular compartment called an endosome, allowing it to release its DNA into the infected cell.

Until now, most structural studies of the M2 protein have focused on the version of M2 found in influenza A, which is usually the most common form, especially earlier in the flu season. In this study, the researchers focused on the version of M2 found in influenza B viruses, which usually dominate in March and April. However, in contrast to previous patterns of seasonal flu infections, this winter, influenza B has been unusually dominant, accounting for 67 percent of all flu cases reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control since last September.

The A and B versions of M2 vary significantly in their amino acid sequences, so Hong and her colleagues set out to study what structural differences these proteins might have, and how those differences influence their functions. One key difference is that the BM2 channel can allow protons to flow in either direction, whereas the AM2 channel only allows protons to flow into the viral envelope.

To investigate the structure of BM2, the researchers embedded it into a lipid bilayer, similar to a cell membrane, and then used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to analyze the structure with atomic-scale resolution. Very few ion channels have been studied at such high resolution because of the difficulty of studying proteins embedded within membranes. However, Hong has previously developed several NMR techniques that allow her to obtain accurate structural information from membrane-embedded proteins, including their orientation and the distances between atoms of the protein.

This model depicts an M2 protein channel embedded in the viral envelope of an influenza B virus.Credit: Venkata Shiva Mandala

The M2 channel is made of four helices that run parallel to each other through the membrane, and Hong found that the alignment of these helices changes slightly depending on the pH of the environment outside the viral envelope. When the pH is high, the helices are tilted by about 14 degrees, and the channel is closed. When the pH goes down, the helices increase their tilt to about 20 degrees, opening up like a pair of scissors. This scissoring motion creates more space between the helices and allows more water to get into the channel.

MIT chemists created this model of how the four helical proteins that make up the BM2 channel tilt when the channel is open. Credit: Venkata Shiva Mandala

Previous studies have found that as water flows into the M2 channel, the amino acid histidine grabs protons from the water in the top half of the channel and passes them to water molecules in the lower half of the channel, which then deliver the excess protons into the virion.

Unlike the AM2 channel, the BM2 channel has an extra histidine at the virion-facing end of the channel, which the MIT team believes to explain why protons can flow in either direction through the channel. More study is needed to determine what kind of advantage this may provide for influenza B viruses, the researchers say.

Blocking the channel

Now that chemists know the structure of both the open and closed states of the BM2 channel at atomic resolution, they can try to come up with ways to block it. There is precedent for this type of drug development: Amantadine and rimantadine, both used to treat influenza A, work by wedging themselves into the AM2 channel pore and cutting off the flow of protons. However, these drugs do not affect the BM2 channel.

Hongs research group is now investigating another one of BM2s functions, which is generating curvature in lipid membranes in order to allow progeny viruses to be released from cells. Preliminary studies suggest that a portion of the protein that sticks out from the membrane forms a structure called a beta sheet that plays a role in inducing the membrane to curve inward.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

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Chemists unveil the structure of an influenza B protein - MIT News

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Cool couples in Bollywood always attract attention. Be it a movie or a brand filming, every time two beloved stars come together for the first time, a lot of buzz is generated among their fans. The last to join this group are Disha Patani and Varun Dhawan, who collaborated for the first time today for a brand. The two joined in California to film a special announcement. Disha turned to social networks to publish several stories with Varun and the result was nothing but surprising.

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The chemistry of Disha Patani and Varun Dhawan in these images is adorable - Up News Info

A groovy science activity from Science Buddies

February 8, 2018 Science Buddies and Ben Finio

Simple processes can make wood tough, impact-resistantor even transparent

February 7, 2018 Sid Perkins

Methane that leaks from fracking wells can be captured and converted into a productused in plastics manufacturing

February 6, 2018 Scott Waldman and ClimateWire

During feel-good holiday periods like Christmas and Eid-al-Fitr, romance strikesleading to a boom in births nine months later. Karen Hopkin reports.

February 1, 2018 Karen Hopkin

Chemists are working on ways for wildfire-affected winemakers to avoid creating smoky wines. Christopher Intagliata reports.

January 30, 2018 Christopher Intagliata

Drugs modified by chemistry Nobel laureate Ben Feringa can be turned on and off by light, which could help keep bacteria from developing antibiotic resistance.

January 25, 2018 Mariette Dichristina and Steve Mirsky

An Ice-Cold Activity from Science Buddies

January 25, 2018 Science Buddies and Sabine de Brabandere

One promising candidate is eco-friendly and poses no known risks to human health

January 24, 2018 Congrui Jin and The Conversation US

Researchers hope their new approach, which works well in lab animals, may save more lives

January 18, 2018 Dina Fine Maron

Ecologists needed a way to more easily keep track of populations of amphibians, and green glow sticks lit the way.

January 9, 2018 Annie Sneed

A shock collision experiment maps their transition from graphite in real time

December 25, 2017 RachelBerkowitz

Is the government really stockpiling materials in a Nevada building that scientists cannot identify?

December 22, 2017 Rafi Letzter

A foamy science project from Science Buddies

December 14, 2017 Science Buddies and Svenja Lohner

Biochemist Sylvia Tara talks about her book The Secret Life of Fat: The Science behind the Body's Least-Understood Organ and What It Means for You.

December 11, 2017 Steve Mirsky

A hot new kitchen science activity from Science Buddies

November 30, 2017 Science Buddies and Megan Arnett

Wildfires can contaminate grapes and ruin the beverage's flavor

December 1, 2017 Doug Main

Scientists link common flavor compounds across the world's favorite ingredients

September 1, 2013 Michael Moyer and Jan Willem Tulp

Researchers have found that engineered sugarcane could yield more than 2,500 liters of bio-jet fuel per acre of land

November 23, 2017 Deepak Kumar, Stephen P. Long, Vijay Singh and The Conversation US

Dont settle for limp, soggy turkey skinuse science when you roast your bird to get that perfect, crackling bite.

November 22, 2016 Lydia Chain and Carmen Drahl

Shape up your kitchen chemistry skills with this science activity from Science Buddies

November 16, 2017 Science Buddies and Megan Arnett

Neuroscience. Evolution. Health. Chemistry. Physics. Technology.

Originally posted here:
Chemistry - Scientific American

Where were you when you heard about the My Chemical Romance reunion? I was half-listening to an important business call, furiously refreshing Twitter following a tip-off earlier in the day. MCR fans had suffered enough false starts and rumours, so I tried not to get my hopes up.

But this time, it seemed like Joe Jonas was actually right, and after dropping a few cryptic Instagram stories, the band announced an LA show for December. Fans everywhere started to offer up their organs for a $150 (!) ticket and a flight, and after even more shows were announced, those whose inner emo had been lying dormant started to shout it from the rooftops: emo is back.

Of course, those of us who are still committed know that its already been back. After its brief, tumultuous flirtation with mainstream status in the mid-00s, emo arguably did retreat back to the shadows. It didnt disappear entirely, but its remaining fans were the diehards. Ageing male purists will dispute whether or not the scene thats returning is even real emo, but even if it isnt, its clearly the only iteration that means enough to enough people to enjoy a meaningful comeback.

Its been a few years since mid-00s emo started to make a serious return into the public consciousness. From First To Last reunited at Emo Nite in 2017. Paramore released Hard Times that same year. Lil Peep reinvented the genre, combining sad lyrics with rap. New bands, like the recently reformed Creeper, are experimenting with the sound and look for a new era.

This year alone, Fall Out Boy announced the Hella Mega Tour with Weezer and Green Day, Funeral For a Friend played shows, and Motion City Soundtrack announced a reunion for next year. Thats just the tip of the iceberg: every day, emo bands are putting on anniversary shows, bringing out new albums, and headlining festivals.

Regardless of where you stand on what "real" emo is, the chances are if it had guitars and pained lyrics and you were listening to it in 2006, its back with a vengeance.

But why? Cynics will say that the 2010s emo revival is solely about nostalgia, and sure, thats part of it. When the world is so terrifying, so out of control and so miserable, why wouldnt you want the warm embrace of the things that made you happy 10, 15 years ago? They may also say that this comeback is solely finance and clout-motivated. Again, if you were in a popular band 10 or more years ago, it makes business sense to jump on the comeback and make some money.

Its a respectable decision. But it isnt that simple.

In our adolescence and young adulthood, we were sold a lie that we would grow out of the things we genuinely enjoyed. I believed it, too, attempting to grow up in 2008, aged 15, and discover other music. But at 18, in a club that strictly played mid-00s emo and pop punk, I realised how wrong I was. The things that we enjoy, the things that form us, will always give us something back. With emo, it goes deeper than nostalgia. That night saw me truly enjoying music for the first time in years and kick-started my own personal emo revival.

Many would (and do) argue that emo never went anywhere, that it just disappeared from the mainstream or public consciousness, going back to being actually alternative. Maybe thats true, but its one thing enjoying the music you used to love quietly at home or in your car or at low-key shows. Its another thing entirely to experience a complete mainstream takeover by the culture.

I never thought I would see a world where emo was once again on general news websites and discussed by people outside of the culture. Last week, Saturday Night Live aired a sketch about Paramore starring Kristen Stewart. It felt wildly anachronistic, but made perfect sense: if something is happening right now, SNL will be making fun of it. While mid-00s emo artists have performed on SNL in previous years, the show mocking Paramore in 2019 perfectly encapsulates just how at the forefront of public consciousness emo is right now.

In the first place, maybe emo touched us because we were going through a tumultuous adolescence. Thats why it still resonates with teenagers today, because the music of the 00s speaks directly to their difficult growth. But as artists come back and evolve, it isnt enough to attach it to nostalgia. We still love emo, long after our own teenage years, because it still touches us. As our favourite bands have aged, so have we as theyve experienced grief and divorce and ageing, so have we. Contrary to what we may believe, there is no time limit on wanting to feel understood.

Emo is about community; its about finding friends in people who also struggle with their mental health or their sexuality. Its about going to shows, going to emo nights, sharing in the togetherness that the scene can bring. If theres a mainstream revival, that means even more people to share the culture with in 2019, we have people to do that with all over the world. For many of us, listening to emo and making friends through the community helped to form who we are. It was a support system, guiding us through difficult years.

There is no time limit on wanting to feel understood

Arguably, its the best time to be emo since the actual mid-00s. Back then, the culture was sidelined and derided by both mainstream media and, if I recall correctly, basically all of my peers. We know better now, and with the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia, we can admit that emo is pretty good. If youre a teenager, you have all of the bands youve never gotten to see reforming before your very eyes. And if youre an adult, well, you both have the money to indulge your fandom and dont have to go to school to get bullied. Its perfect.

Plus, fucking hell, we live in hard times. With the planet burning down, politics in a complete state and the economy in perpetual crisis, why wouldnt we want to seek solace and community in something we enjoy? We cant afford homes or stability, but we can maybe just about afford the exorbitant prices for comeback shows and merch.

The catharsis that can be found through emo continues to bring many of us comfort, reminding us of what we loved about the past while guiding us through the present. I, too, wrongly believed that emo was something I should have left in my teen years. But hugging my friends backstage at a Creeper show on Friday, anxiously babbling about the MCR reunion, I realised: for better or for worse, I will always be a dirty emo. Im just so glad everyone is on board to share this time together.

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My Chemical Romance are back and there's never been a better time to be emo - Louder

Medicinal chemistry professor Ashraf Abadi was speechless when he first saw his likeness in Chemdraw, a software package typically used for sketching molecular structures and reactions, says the artist, Lina El-Sharkawy. The drawing at is made up of chemical bonds, space-filling atomic models, stereochemical indicators, and other items from the chemistry palate. Now a PhD student at the University of Manchester, at the time she was a masters student working under Abadi at the German University of Cairo. El-Sharkawy had long made pencil drawings, a hobby she picked up from her mother, a medical doctor who also had a flair for visual art. It was Abadi who first suggested she try using Chemdraw to showcase her artistic abilities. But he was not expecting a portrait of himself. He stared at the portrait for a while then said It is fantastic, this guy is more elegant than what I look like, she says.

Submitted by Lina El-Sharkawy

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Chemistry in Pictures: The bonds of academic mentorship - Chemical & Engineering News

A tiny robot that can capture a single cell has been made by scientists in the US. The microbot is made of metal-coated plastic cubes, which allow it to open and close using magnetic energy.

Microrobotic devices could one day perform surgery in places where large instruments cant reach, like inside the smallest blood vessels. [It] is one of the dreams in translational medicine, to assemble microsurgeons in vivo, says microrobot researcher Mahmut Selman Sakar from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, who wasnt involved in the study.

While the team led by Gabriel Lpez from Duke University and Orlin Velev from North Carolina State University has not yet achieved this, their modular microbots are already agile enough to trap a 4m yeast cell, move and then release it again. Made out of individual polymer cubes coated on one side with metallic cobalt, the microbots store energy from an external magnetic field and release it when the field is switched off.

The cube shape means that you can have two different configurations two cubes have their coating either on the same [AA] or on opposite [AB] sides, explains Velev. Depending on the cubes sequence, the microbot can carry out different tasks an ABBA bot, for example, is the simplest grabber. It opens when a magnetic field is applied and closes when the field is switched off. The fields gradient and orientation then control the bots movement and rotation.

In the future, the microbots could do more than simply trap objects. We now have a microtool to investigate mechanical properties on the microscale, Velev says. His team has started investigating liquid crystals, using the grabber to squeeze them and establish microscale mechanical forces.

Sakar suggests that the microbots could find applications in microfluidics: You could inject microscale particles into a microchannel and then, using external magnetic fields, bring them together and make a little rotor-shaped object, and spin it to create a fluidic flow for mixing mixing is a hard task at small scale due to low Reynolds number.

Currently, Velev and Lpez make each microbot by adding one cube at a time. Velev suggests that templating using a functionalised surface to direct the cubes into place could speed up fabrication. Eventually, microbots might even be able to replicate on their own. Right now, we have to design and build every single tool ourselves, says Sakar, but it would be fascinating if the tools could then build more tools by themselves.

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Magnetic microbot traps single cell - Chemistry World (subscription)

QB Eli Manning has been establishing a connection with newcomers in the receiving corps: EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. Eli Manning is establishing a clear connection with the Giants newcomers who will be two of his most frequent targets this season.I think were doing some good stuff, Brandon (Marshall) and I, getting on the same page, Manning said today. Every day theres something new that comes up, though. A route here, a concept, just getting on the same timing. You can kind of talk about everything, but youve got to get in as many live reps, one-on-ones, get running different routes, getting on the same timing with things will be good. Same with (tight end) Evan (Engram, the teams first-round draft choice). Hes making some plays, doing a lot of good things, but the more one-on-ones, the more situations, different things coming up every practice. Theres something to learn from it every day.

>> VIEW GIANTS FIRST UNOFFICIAL DEPTH CHART

Marshall, a 12-year veteran, is already a major presence in the wide receivers and offensive meeting rooms.

Brandons been great, Manning said. Every day trying to learn, always has questions for me and were trying to figure out what he can do better, how we can get on the same page. So I think hes been dialed in and been a great leader and just setting the example for how to be prepared for every practice.

I think hes a tremendous communicator, coach Ben McAdoo said of Marshall. I found that out the first time I met with him, we had a nice conversation, we sat down one-on-one and talked about what we wanted to get out of this, on both sides. Hes a guy that speaks from the heart and hes a tremendous communicator and I think thats rubbing off on some guys in the room.

One thing Marshall cant give to the other receivers is his size. At 6-5, he stands two inches above the next-tallest receiver, rookie Jerome Lane. The other starters are 5-11 Odell Beckham, Jr. and 5-10 Sterling Shepard.

Manning hasnt had such a tall wideout to throw to regularly since 6-5 Plaxico Burress, who was a Giant from 2005-08. In his first season here, Burress caught 76 passes for 1,214 yards and seven touchdowns, figures Marshall certainly hopes to exceed this year.

Theyre both similar height, Manning said. And just smarts on football, body control, being able to go up and get the ball. So yeah, Id say some definite similarities there. Obviously, Plaxico, had a number of years playing with him, so I knew what he was going to do, knew how to read his body. I knew whether it was going to be a back shoulder versus a fly or a jump ball. So we need more live reps doing that.

Those big guys, you have an opportunity to throw them open. They can be physical at the line of scrimmage and get some separation that way, where the quick guys make moves. So Brandon does a good job finding ways to get open. Whether its being physical with the DBs, or throwing the back shoulders, throwing the fly routes, going up and get the ball. I can always just have separation with the quick guys, but theyre still getting open in a different way.

Engram is no slouch in the height department at 6-3. But in addition to picking up the offense, he is learning how to be a successful NFL player, which Marshall learned years ago. Manning tries to help his fellow Ole Miss alum without oiling on too much information.

I think its a little bit of both, he said. You dont want to baby him too much, you want to see what he can gather. You want to give him a little heads up of what might be coming, though. Dont just surprise a bunch of things on him, so in practice hes scared, or a little lost, or indecisive. So give him a heads up of what might be coming, talk a lot through to him and then see what he can handle. You want to be prepared for the upcoming season, you dont want to be held back and say, Hey, I cant check into a certain play because you might not know what it is. You need to know what everything is, based on whats in the system.

*Other Manning musings four days before the Giants preseason opener vs. Pittsburgh:

*He did not play in the first and last preseason games in 2016. Did he get enough action to prepare for the season?

I think I got enough action over the last 14 years to get me ready for the upcoming season, he said.

*Was it an adjustment to get fewer preseason snaps?

Whatever Coach wants to do, what he thinks is best for me, the team, Im going to do, Manning said. Again, for the first preseason game, you might take six or seven snaps. So its not like its going to make a difference for that upcoming season. I think youve got enough reps in practice, enough reps in the second and third (preseason games) and obviously 13 other years of preseason and regular season games should get me in good rhythm.

*On whether the videos that have surfaced of the players dancing in the locker room is a sign that players are loose and close with one another:

Theyre having fun, Manning said. Thats always training camp, theres going to be different things. Youve got to enjoy this time, it is a lot of practice, its a lot of meetings, it is hard work and there are hot days and those things. But theres always those little 30-minute stretches where you have down time and guys get to mess around. It used to be, you did it at night, or you did it when you were in the dorm rooms, or hanging out, or playing pranks. Now, theres not much time at the hotel. You get done late and youre kind of back in your room. So, that time has kind of come into the locker room during the day, where you get little breaks, where I guess theyve turned into dance parties now. So thats the new thing.

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Eli building chemistry with new targets - Giants.com (blog)

Alternative Press

Modern Chemistry announce debut album and other news you ... Alternative Press Plenty of new music videos today from bands like Fit For A King and Minus The Bear, plus don't forget to check out Modern Chemistry's debut album! Check out ... and more »

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Modern Chemistry announce debut album and other news you ... - Alternative Press

Although continuous flow chemistrywherein molecules are made in a continuous process rather than in batcheshas gained ground in academic labs, its adoption by industry and contract manufacturing labs has been comparatively slow. Now, chemists at Eli Lilly & Co. report a continuous manufacturing process for the chemotherapy drug candidate prexasertib monolactate monohydrate. Notably, the synthesis uses current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), linking each stage in the continuous manufacturing process to quality-control systems (Science 2017, DOI: 10.1126/science.aan0745).

Kevin P. Cole, the reports lead author, explains that the chemists used continuous manufacturing because they needed to make only 24 kg of the compound. Making the drug candidate in batch equipment would have required an extensive cleanup afterward because the compound is potent and cytotoxic. The small flow setup can be dedicated to making this single compound and discarded, if necessary, at no great cost.

Also, the flow process included a step involving hydrazinea compound used in rocket fuelthat would have been too dangerous to run in a batch reactor. Because flow chemistry uses a small amount of the reagent continuously instead of a large amount all at once in a batch process, the chemists could run the step safely at high temperature and pressure.

Efforts like this are beginning to highlight the potential of continuous manufacturing in pharmaceuticals, says Aaron Beeler, a Boston University chemist and cofounder of the continuous flow technology firm Snapdragon Chemistry. In a cGMP setting, each of the continuous flow steps would have been noteworthy on their own. But as a multistep process this really is a substantial step forward.

Hopefully, this report will change the way that fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals are made, Cole says, by modernizing the manufacturing process and bringing it into the 21st century.

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Flow chemistry reaches manufacturing milestone - Chemical & Engineering News

You obviously made the decision to go two practices instead of three, why?

Its tough for me to do that. I would rather practice every day. But, just trying to be smart. Ive been a part of a lot of, many years of that last practice before you get a month off, before everyone goes on vacation, and then you come back for training camp. I just havent had a lot of, that practice hasnt ever been very productive. Usually, and when its the last day of school, schools not always that productive and that wouldnt be that big of a deal if that was the only thing you were risking. But, youre risking injuries and I have just always gotten worried. Most teams Ive been on you always cut it short. You end up just trying to get off the field and not have an injury. So, even though I would much rather practice, I just dont think its the right thing to do. Id rather end the camp healthy. The guys have been working hard. Im going to try to get the families up here, give guys wives and kids a chance to meet each other before just showing up to game day and meeting at the stadium. So, I think thats important and I do think, as I always say, the main thing in OTAs and minicamp is to get out healthy. And, by stopping that last day it gives you the best chance to do that.

Whats the plan then for Thursday?

Thursday, were going to come in and meet. Were going to work out hard with [head strength & conditioning coach] Ray Wright. Theyve got like two hours designated to Ray. When I told them that, they asked, they said theyd rather have practice. So, they have mixed feelings about having two hours with Ray, but it will be good for them. And, then were going to watch film, watch everything weve done. We have about two hours of meeting time. So, were going to get a good days work in. its just not going to be out on the practice field. Then were going to have all the families come up here, spend a couple hours, get some jumpy castles and stuff for the kids and just have a little barbeque.

How do you deal with retention? Youve got like a five week period before training camp starts. What is your advice, your instructions to players to keep all that in their heads?

I think everyone is different. I think sometimes its good for guys to get away from it just for a little bit. I dont think you can ever get away from the routine of working out and staying in shape and things like that. Once you get away from that, then youre just fighting to get back. So, I think those guys have got to stay into that consistently. I think the Xs and Os theyve hit it so hard here through these three phases, I think its good to just not think about it for like 10 days, two weeks at the most, and then get back into the book. The thing that I find out most with guys with the new staff or a new scheme like we have now or even rookies, its why you try not to judge people too hard through OTAs. Guys come in, you throw everything at them. They go through waves in OTAs, but usually they get away for a month, they come back, and then you actually get to see who guys are, if theyre more confident, they know the playbook better and they have a better chance to compete.

What are your expectations for LB Elvis Dumervil this week? Is he going to observe practice, is he going to get reps?

Yeah, I just want Elvis to come in here, learn the schemes, and really get a chance to meet everyone. I talked about Elvis about this week before we signed and him not being in the camp, him not going through OTAs and stuff, I did want to get him signed fast to get him in here, but we didnt think getting him involved in the work and everything was important at least for now. I think hes in very good shape, but until you train and go through that process, were just a little bit more worried about the football shape. I think itd be better for him to not have him out there until training camp.

Thats the plan--?

Yeah, thats the plan.

But, hes here?

Yeah, hes here. Hes going to do everything, except hes not going to do anything on the field.

Is everybody here? Is there anybody missing?

No. Yeah, everyone is here.

Thats been pretty much the theme throughout this whole offseason program. How reassuring has that been for you to have so many people participate?

Its been good. You never know how its going to work out, especially when you dont know everyone, when youre new. We had everyone show up the first day, which I think with a new staff, usually that happens, but you like to see how it ends up throughout the whole time. Our turnout has been great. Ive been very excited with our players, not just from a talent standpoint, but the type of people they are. Guys have been consistent working every day, which is how our team has been. Its only been a few months, but its been very encouraging so far.

What did you like about Elvis and what role do you kind of envision for him long-term?

Just playing against Elvis over the years, hes very hard to block. He knows how to get to the quarterback. Hes got extremely long arms. He doesnt have the height, which people could say is a disadvantage, but when you have those arms, I think its an advantage because hes always under people. Hes got power to him that way with his lower center of gravity, but hes got the length in his arms to still keep those tackles away from him. I think thats why Elvis has had such a good career. I think thats why hes had the numbers with the sacks and Im hoping he can bring that here.

Can he also bring sort of a mentorship role? You guys have added a lot of veterans familiar with your scheme and it would seem that he would fit in that LEO role working with--?

Yeah, totally. We would never bring in a guy just to be a mentor, but in Elviss case its a huge bonus. I still believe Elvis can play. I think he put it on tape at the end of last year when he started to get more over his injury. Hes had a hell-of-a career, but Elvis is a pro. I think Elvis lives and dies getting to the quarterback. Hes thinking about it all the time, every day, when hes in the building, when hes outside the building. Anytime you can have a guy who thinks that way, who has also had the success, it rubs off on people. What [free agent DE] Dwight Freeney did last year for [Atlanta Falcons LB] Vic Beasley I thought was huge, and I think when you bring in veterans like this who have had success, who know how to do it the right way, everyone learns from that.

What did he express to you guys in terms of where he feels hes at in his career, how much hes got left, how many years he wants to play, etcetera?

We talked to Elvis on the phone and then we flew him down here and talked to him. He looked good and they always tell you they feel good and theyre ready to go, but then when I saw him he looked that way. Elvis looks like hes in the best shape that he can be. He says he feels great. He explained to us what hes gone through over the last couple of years with some injuries and stuff. What he said matched on tape, games he felt better, games he felt worse. We believe hes healthier. We believe were getting a pretty good player. Were excited to get him out here and compete with the guys.

Is DL Solomon Thomas going to be able to get here today or tomorrow?

No, we're going to have to wait for Solomon until Thursday.

We talked to offensive line coach John Benton the other day and he said that there were three guys at the guard position he thought that were going to be competing for those two spots. We talked about inside linebackers with the guys you have there. Are you overall happy with the competitions that are shaping up for training camp? Do you think that thats how you sort of envisioned it, to have three guys competing for a couple of spots at a number of different positions?

Yeah, I think that's the goal. That's really the goal, to me, for every organization and every position. When you're having good competition battles and you know at the end of training camp you might
have to cut someone who you consider an NFL player, then good things are happening. I've been on teams where I've gone out and it's the second day of OTAs and I kind of already know who the offense is or who the defense is and you can see it. When you go out there and you finished OTAs and you're going into minicamp and you're still not quite sure, it means you've added good competition and you've done as good with the personnel situations as you can. That's the goal that we are going to try to get here every year, to where it brings the best out of everybody, coaches and players. If nothing is going to be handed to you, you know that the guy behind you is just waiting for you to slip up, it's going to raise both of your game, and we are going to try always to get that at every position."

How do you feel the chemistry has been developing amongst the offense?

I think it has been really good. Just watching guys, it's kind of important to me here, we're trying to establish a culture that guys like to be here. I feel our team has gotten tight. We finished in phase two, we finished about one o'clock and I go in there at about four o'clock in the locker room and guys are still in there playing cards, playing ping pong and hanging out. It seems like guys are getting closer. I think that's one of the things why you want people to be in an offseason together. It's not just so you can teach your schemes and everything and get everyone on the same page, but you want to try to build a common goal. I think, special organizations and special teams, the only way that you build that is through shared sacrifice. When youve got all of the guys, the 100-percent turnout we've had, going through this long offseason and guys grinding together, competing hard and then still not running out the door as soon as they're done, spending time hanging out, you start to build that brotherhood that you want. To me, that's what is going to get you through adversity that everyone is bound to face at some time in the year.

WR Pierre Garon said last week that he was kind of frustrated because the offense hadn't been able to get into a rhythm in these practices. Is that something that is important to you this week for the offense to put some things together and string some passes against the defense?

Yeah, it's important to me to see both sides improve. I want to see the defense do good. I want to see the offense do good. I'm getting used to that as a head coach. Being on offense my whole life, when the offense gets their butt kicked usually I'm very upset with it and I need to be halfway happy with it now. I'm trying to balance that with myself. What I was excited last week, whether it was Tuesday or Wednesday, I forget when we practiced, I think it was Tuesday, but I thought the offense had the best practice of the year so far. I thought the offense did a really good job. Right when you feel good about yourself, the NFL will humble you fast. When we came out Thursday, I thought the defense had their best practice of the year. I thought last week was one of our better deals as a team. Each had their day. It's kind of fun when it's like that going into the final minicamp you kind of see who wins the battle.

When you say the offense had that good day, what did you see that maybe hasn't been apparent in the other practices?

We've had a few. Unfortunately for you guys and Pierre, I think we've struggled the most when you guys are watching. When youre moving the ball. When you're moving the ball and scoring points, and hitting stuff in rhythm people can feel it. It's usually contagious and it gets going. Then usually you go in and human nature, you feel good about yourself and the other team doesn't and they come out and kick your ass the next day. That's something else that youve got to go through that is staying humble, never being too high, never being too low. It's what you do every single second.

You guys announced your coaching interns for training camp and one of them is Katie Sowers. Can you describe what the significance is in bringing the first female coach onto the staff here and then just what her coaching style was like when she was with the Falcons and you?

Yeah, I didn't know Katie in Atlanta. I think [Falcons Assistant General Manager] Scott Pioli knew her. He asked if we would be good with her in our rooms and we were fine. She came in and worked with the receivers and did as good of a job as anyone I've had in the internship. She worked with [Falcons Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers/Passing Game Coordinator] Raheem [Morris] and [Wide Receivers/Passing Game Specialist] Mike LaFleur last year in Atlanta. We loved having her around. She was eager to learn it, she has played professional football in a women's league in the United States for a while and she's passionate about it. Us spending a whole training camp with her, she did a great job and she ended up helping out in Atlanta in personnel throughout the year. She just hit me up a few months ago and said her internship was up over there and asked if we would want to have her here. There was no doubt. She does a good job and we're excited to have her.

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Kyle Shanahan talks minicamp schedule, Elvis Dumervil, offensive chemistry - Niners Nation

New York Times

How Pasteur's Artistic Insight Changed Chemistry New York Times In a paper published last month in Nature Chemistry, Dr. Gal explains how a young Pasteur fought against the odds to articulate the existence of chirality, or the way that some molecules exist in mirror-image forms capable of producing very different ...

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How Pasteur's Artistic Insight Changed Chemistry - New York Times

Moonlight Stage Production opened its 2017 season Wednesday with a series of firsts. The Disney-born rock opera Aida is the first show of the summer season; this is the musicals first staging at the Vista amphitheater; and its the first Moonlight production to feature a cast made up almost exclusively of people of color.

But the opening night audience on Wednesday clearly witnessed another first: the sexiest onstage coupling in a Moonlight production this reviewer has seen in more than 20 years. Co-stars Daebreon Poiema and Richard Bermudez, who play the star-crossed lovers Aida and Radames, steam up the stage with their romantic chemistry. One passionate kissing scene conducted near the front rows brought gasps, embarrassed giggles and hearty hoots of encouragement from the crowd.

Credit: Ken Jacques Photography

Daebreon Poiema, center, as Aida with the company in Moonlight Stage Productions "Aida" at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista.

Daebreon Poiema, center, as Aida with the company in Moonlight Stage Productions "Aida" at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista. (Credit: Ken Jacques Photography)

First produced in 1999, Aida is based on the 1871 Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The victorious Egyptian general Radames is betrothed to the princess Amneris, but falls in love instead with her slave, Aida, who is secretly the princess of Nubia, a rival African country. The musical adaptation features a score by Elton John and Tim Rice. Johns signature songwriting style start quiet with piano, then sweep to a high-note crescendo can be heard in many of the numbers. And the more dramatic talk/sung numbers bear a strong lyrical resemblance to Rices work with Andrew Lloyd Webber in Jesus Christ Superstar.

The ballads and duets have fared well with time, but some of the ensemble numbers and orchestration feel like theyre stuck in the 80s. Director/choreographer John Vaughan has modernized what he can, particularly with his African- and Middle Eastern-inspired choreography and his cast, which is almost entirely actors of color.

Aida is rarely staged because its vocal demands are so specific. You need multi-octave, rock-trained voices that can belt to the extreme. Fortunately, Poiema and Bermudez are more than up to the task. Virtually unrecognizable from her starring turn in last seasons Sister Act, Poiema acts with subtlety and naturalism and her vocal beauty is unmatched. The ultra-fit (and often bare-chested) Bermudez a Moonlight veteran who continues to grow in vocal power and technique easily navigates the tortuous score and never misses a note. Theyre well-matched in song and romance.

Credit: Ken Jacques Photography

Daebreon Poiema, left, as Aida and Bets Malone as Amneris in Moonlight Stage Productions "Aida" at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista.

Daebreon Poiema, left, as Aida and Bets Malone as Amneris in Moonlight Stage Productions "Aida" at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista. (Credit: Ken Jacques Photography)

Vista-raised Bets Malone stars in the tricky role of Amneris, a character who transitions in two hours from ditzy, fashion-obsessed teen to mature, benevolent queen. Malone is a fine actor and vocal interpreter and shes very funny in her characters comic scenes. Yet while she sings well in the lower-range solo Every Story is a Love story that opens and closes the show, some of the higher notes in her first-act number My Strongest Suit sounded shrill.

Theres nice support work from vocalists Terrance Spencer and Gabrielle Jackson as the Nubian slaves Mereb and Nehebka, as well as big-voiced Bill Ledesma as Radames father, Zoser. Conductor and musical director Lyndon Pugeda had his work cut out for him with the hard-charging score, but the orchestra and vocal ensemble sounded crisp.

The productions design team includes lighting by Jean-Yves Tessier and sound by Jim Zadai. The rented costumes (coordinated and executed by by Carlotta Malone, Roslyn Lehman and Renetta Lloyd) and sets have a look that blends antiquity with futurism.

Aida isnt a perfect musical. Although much of the music is beautiful, some numbers are cheesy and over-dramatic. Still, theres no denying the talent onstage and the progressive thinking of Moonlights artistic team, which continues to push boundaries with new musicals and fresh ideas.

Every show this season, and the just-announced 2018 season, are new to the Moonlight stage. Still to come this summer: Disneys The Little Mermaid (July 19-Aug. 5), Andrew Lloyd Webbers Sunset Boulevard (Aug. 16-Sept. 2) and Lin-Manuel Mirandas In the Heights. Next summers shows are Mamma Mia, Disneys Newsies, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Chicago.

When: 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays, through July 1.

Where: Moonlight Amphitheatre, Brengle Terrace Park, 1200 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista.

Tickets: $23-$55, reserved. $17-$22, lawn seating.

Phone: 760-724-2110

Online: moonlightstage.com

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com. Twitter: @pamkragen

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Actors' chemistry heats up Moonlight's 'Aida' - The San Diego Union-Tribune