Select Page ::

A nonantibiotic approach for treating urinary tract infections

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Danzig

Public release date: 15-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 202-872-6042 American Chemical Society

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2012 The latest episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS') award-winning Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions podcast series describes a potential new approach for treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) which affect millions of people annually without traditional antibiotics. Because it involves non-antibiotic compounds, the approach would not contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or "superbugs."

Based on a report by Beat Ernst, Ph.D., and colleagues in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, the new podcast is available without charge at iTunes and from http://www.acs.org/globalchallenges.

In the podcast, Ernst explains that antibiotics are the mainstay treatment for UTIs. Bacteria, however, are developing resistance to common antibiotics, with the emergence of superbugs that shrug off some of the most powerful new antibiotics.

Thus, the scientists decided to try a new approach developing substances that target bacteria virulence factors, inhibiting them from sticking to the inside of the urinary bladder. Hence, microbes are not able to launch an infection. In addition, this new class of antimicrobials is expected to have a reduced potential for the emergence of resistant microbes.

The scientists describe the development of anti-adhesion molecules that specifically interfere with the attachment of bacteria to human bladder cells. The most potent of the substances prevented a UTI from developing in mice (stand-ins for humans in this kind of experiment) for more than eight hours. In the in vivo treatment study, a very low dose reduced the amount of bacteria in the bladder of the animals by almost 10,000 times, which is comparable to the standard antibiotic treatment with ciprofloxacin.

###

Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions is a series of podcasts describing some of the 21st century's most daunting problems, and how cutting-edge research in chemistry matters in the quest for solutions. Global Challenges is the centerpiece in an alliance on sustainability between ACS and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Global Challenges is a sweeping panorama of global challenges that includes dilemmas such as providing a hungry and thirsty world with ample supplies of safe food and clean water, developing alternatives to petroleum to fuel society, preserving the environment and ensuring a sustainable future for our children and improving human health.

For more entertaining, informative science videos and podcasts from the ACS Office of Public Affairs, view Prized Science, Spellbound, Science Elements and Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions.

The rest is here:
A nonantibiotic approach for treating urinary tract infections

CW competition blog – Felicity Mellor

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Danzig

This is a guest post from one of our judges for the Chemistry World Science Communication Competition

What you say in a piece of science communication matters. Get the facts wrong, and the communication fails. Focus on an obscure technicality and omit to say why it is relevant, and the reader will stop. The communication fails again. But what to say is just one small part of the communicator’s task. How to say it is just as important. A good science communicator needs to think about form as well as content.

Among other things, that means thinking about the precise words you use, not just in terms of their clarity but also for the overtones they carry. For instance, using militaristic metaphors – fighting, killing, waging war and so on – to talk about a natural process might help explain certain features of the process but it might also make it harder to introduce those aspects of the system that interact in a cooperative manner. Or calling the Higgs boson the ‘God particle’ might be seen as threatening religion when that is not your intention. And it’s not just the words you use that need careful thought. Even trivial things like inserting a paragraph break or replacing a semi-colon with a full stop can make a difference to how well your piece flows.

Paying close attention to form also means thinking about how to craft a story out of the topic you have chosen. Who are the main characters? How will you describe them? What are the key events that drive the story forward? The main characters will not necessarily be the most prominent scientists involved – they may not be scientists at all – and the key events of the story are likely to be different from the key points in an explanation of the science.

In audio and video, there are additional aspects of form to consider. For instance, where do you film someone – in an office, a lab, an outside space, their home? This decision will influence what the viewer thinks about this person. Even in audio pieces, it makes a difference whether you record in a studio (which can emphasise the authority of the speaker but sounds flat and sterile) or on location (which risks a confusion of sounds but adds colour and texture to the piece).

Thinking about form also means thinking about what is not said. Artists often talk about the importance of white space – shapes are made by what surrounds them as well as by what they contain. The same is true for all types of communication. By leaving some things out, what is left in takes on a different meaning than if it were contextualised by additional information.

Similarly, leaving in a silence in an audio piece can generate a moment of emotional intensity or give an edginess to the piece. In video, holding a shot for a few moments before cutting away can signal a contemplative mood. But for upbeat fast-moving topics, such effects may be out of place.

So form needs to match content. Pay attention to form, but the ultimate aim is to make the form of your communication seem so natural that it disappears from view. As Philip Ball says in his blog, don’t strain for effect. Don’t try so hard that it shows that you are trying. A good communicator thinks about form to ensure that the audience doesn’t.

Felicity Mellor is a senior lecturer in science communication at Imperial College London

You can also read Lesley Yellowlees‘, Adam Hart-Davis’ and Philip Ball’s tips on science writing.

And you can find out about the Chemistry World Science Communication Competition and submit your entry here.

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/?feed=rss2

The bio games

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Danzig

Gamers could put their skills to use to diagnose diseases in the future. A set of digital games, for example BioGames, would allow users to make decisions or label microscopic images of specimens on their PCs, tablets and mobile phones. This solution to sorting through large quantities of medical data was thought up by Aydogan Ozcan and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles, US.

With more and more cheap and portable digital imaging and sensing devices being developed, huge amounts of biomedical data from all over the world are going to be generated. The data will provide an opportunity to understand disease patterns in different parts of the world, for example. But there aren’t enough medical experts to sort through all this data.

That is why Ozcan is turning to gamers for help. In their latest experiment, Ozcan’s team asked 1000 people from over 60 countries to look at grids containing microscope images of red blood cell samples to pick out the cells infected with malaria. They used a stain that makes the cells infected with malaria appear blue. The gamers’ job was to kill or bank infected and healthy cells, respectively. Ozcan’s team measured the diagnostic accuracy of the responses and found that the accuracy level was comparable to those of expert medical professionals. To ensure that accuracy was maintained, the gamers were assessed individually based on their responses.

— The BioGames programme

The BioGames interface was made available on the internet in May 2012 and Ozcan reports that more than 2150 gamers from 77 countries have registered on their servers. They have already generated more than 1.5 million individual cell diagnoses.

Of course the idea isn’t new. In 2011, Chemistry World featured a piece about using people’s computers for drug discovery and simulating the way proteins fold. Gamers weren’t needed this time though as the work was happening in the background while the computers were in idle mode.

Other crowd-sourcing websites include Fold it, which enables the user to contribute to research into diseases by folding proteins and Galaxy Zoo, where the user can help astronomers explore the universe.

You don’t always have to wear a lab coat to contribute to science.

Elinor Hughes

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/?feed=rss2

Aeterna Zentaris to Present Preclinical Data for PI3K/Erk 1/2 Inhibitor, AEZS-136, at ACS National Meeting

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Danzig

QUBEC CITY, Aug. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (AEZS) (TSX:AEZ) (the"Company") today announced that its V.P., Medicinal Chemistry, Matthias Gerlach, PhD, will be making a poster presentation on preclinical results for the Company's novel orally active anticancer PI3K/Erk 1/2 inhibitor, AEZS-136, during the 244th National Meeting of the American Chemistry Society which will be held August 19-23, 2012, in Philadelphia.

About AEZS-136

AEZS-136 is an integral part of the Company's kinase research program comprising the investigation of different compounds for single Erk inhibition, single PI3K inhibition and dualErk/PI3K kinase inhibition. AEZS-136 selectively inhibits the kinase activity of Erk 1/2 and class 1 PI3Ks, enabling simultaneous inhibition of the Raf-Mek-Erk and the PI3K-Akt signaling cascades. AEZS-136 was discovered using the Company's proprietary compound library and high throughput screening technology.

About Aeterna Zentaris

Aeterna Zentaris is an oncology and endocrinology drug development company currently investigating treatments for various unmet medical needs. The Company's pipeline encompasses compounds at all stages of development, from drug discovery through to marketed products. For more information please visit http://www.aezsinc.com.

More here:
Aeterna Zentaris to Present Preclinical Data for PI3K/Erk 1/2 Inhibitor, AEZS-136, at ACS National Meeting

Chemistry could be key to Angels' lofty aspirations

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Danzig

The journey began with a brief, euphoric rush down Thunder Road. Then came a wreck on the highway, testing the Angels' spirit in the night.

Is this season a brilliant disguise? Or can the Angels start to prove it all night, no surrender, and show that better days -- perhaps even the Promised Land -- lie ahead?

At trying times such as these, Mike Scioscia and Jerry Dipoto surely would agree that a heavy dose of Bruce Springsteen can't hurt.

Scioscia, the manager, and Dipoto, the general manager, grew up in Springsteen country as serious fans of the king of Jersey rock. They know that it's time for the Angels to roll up their sleeves, Bruce style, and go to work, starting with the Mariners on Friday night, opening a three-game series and 10-game Angel Stadium homestand.

A 4-6 journey through North Texas, Chicago and Oakland dimmed the strong vibes that had been building. Particularly harmful were back-to-back losses to the Rangers in triple-digit heat, rocking the Angels at a time when they were sensing the opportunity to seize control of the American League West.

They went on to drop two of three against the White Sox, undone by physical and mental errors, and two of three against the A's, who suddenly turned into Murderers' Row. Two impressive wins in Texas followed by six losses in eight games.

It is baffling the best of minds. Persuasive arguments can be made that the Angels employ baseball's best player (Mike Trout), best pitcher (Jered Weaver), most feared hitter (Albert Pujols), strongest slugger (Mark Trumbo), best leader (Torii Hunter) and most respected manager (Scioscia) among his peers.

With this stockpile of weapons and assets, why in the world, fans wonder, are they chasing not only the two-time defending AL champion Rangers, but also the A's, who were projected to lose many more games than they'd win?

Consistency is the Angels' big issue. There have been dominant stretches accompanied by slumps and underachievement.

While they still own the league's best record (53-39) since the April 28 arrival of Trout, they've been spinning their wheels since the Rangers stalled all their momentum on Aug. 1, coming back twice late for an 11-10 victory followed by a 15-9 thumping to earn a series split.

Visit link:
Chemistry could be key to Angels' lofty aspirations

Edinburgh gets gold

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Danzig

We realise that gold means only one thing to most people at the moment (and believe you me Chemistry World towers has been as gripped by the Olympics as everyone else) but we also need to congratulate the University of Edinburgh’s school of chemistry for getting a gold Athena SWAN Charter award. That’s the UK’s top accolade for good practice in recruiting, retaining and promoting women in science, engineering, technology, maths and medicine in higher education. Only two departments in the country have been judged to be gold standard: Edinburgh’s chemistry department and the University of York’s chemistry department (yay chemistry, etc).

This is especially relevant as Lesley Yellowlees, of the University of Edinburgh, begins her term as RSC President, pledging to identify and remove the barriers that prevent women from staying in chemistry. Hopefully more chemistry departments (as well as those in other disciplines) can rise up the ranks. And then, maybe one day, these sorts of awards won’t be needed at all.

Laura Howes

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/?feed=rss2

Chemistry in its element – saccharin

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Danzig

So sweet, it’s in the dictionary. A classic accidental discovery, the whiff of betrayal between its co-discoverers makes the story behind saccharin less than sickly sweet in this week’s Chemistry in its element podcast.

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/?feed=rss2

Research and Markets: Bioisosteres in Medicinal Chemistry. Methods and Principles in Medicinal Chemistry

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Danzig

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2z77rz/bioisosteres_in_me) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Bioisosteres in Medicinal Chemistry. Methods and Principles in Medicinal Chemistry" to their offering.

Written with the practicing medicinal chemist in mind, this is the first modern handbook to systematically address the topic of bioisosterism. As such, it provides a ready reference on the principles and methods of bioisosteric replacement as a key tool in preclinical drug development.

The first part provides an overview of bioisosterism, classical bioisosteres and typical molecular interactions that need to be considered, while the second part describes a number of molecular databases as sources of bioisosteric identification and rationalization. The third part covers the four key methodologies for bioisostere identification and replacement: physicochemical properties, topology, shape, and overlays of protein-ligand crystal structures. In the final part, several real-world examples of bioisosterism in drug discovery projects are discussed.

With its detailed descriptions of databases, methods and real-life case studies, this is tailor-made for busy industrial researchers with little time for reading, while remaining easily accessible to novice drug developers due to its systematic structure and introductory section.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2z77rz/bioisosteres_in_me

Source: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Link:
Research and Markets: Bioisosteres in Medicinal Chemistry. Methods and Principles in Medicinal Chemistry

Which came first: chemistry or winning?

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Danzig

CHICAGO -- White Sox players have frequently talked about the special bond running throughout this clubhouse back to the start of the 2012 season. So in this particular instance, the team winning might have only enhanced that tight-knit chemistry already in place.

"It has to have a combination," manager Robin Ventura said of the chemistry debate. "Anyone who is in first place or near the top talks about how great it is in the clubhouse. But winning usually does that. I've been on teams that were very bad that had a good chemistry and in the end, it didn't work so well. Guys got along and it was fine. Winning just kind of promotes that."

"You're in first place. First place is where your good chemistry is," third baseman Kevin Youkilis said. "I've been on teams where there have been a few things and we won a World Series. The biggest thing is when you're winning games and in first place, chemistry is highlighted a lot more so hopefully we can have great chemistry the rest of the way."

More important than the chemistry factor is the White Sox maintaining the same singular focus from Spring Training moving forward. Take one game at a time and hope all of those good daily efforts add up to a playoff berth by the time October rolls around.

"When you feel like you are playing to accomplish your goal and that goal is to play in the playoffs, it's fun to come here and try to win every night," said right fielder Alex Rios, who has never played in the postseason. "You have a purpose for coming to the field. It has been one of the most fun seasons I have had."

CHICAGO -- For a brief period on Wednesday morning, manager Robin Ventura and his staff tried to put together a starting lineup to face the Royals in their series finale loss without Alejandro De Aza, Kevin Youkilis, Paul Konerko and Alex Rios.

"It was creative," said Ventura with a smile. "It was a fun morning."

Ventura never had to make public that lineup card, as Youkilis and De Aza came to U.S. Cellular Field ready for action. Youkilis was scratched from Tuesday's contest with a sore right knee, while De Aza missed the first two games of the series with back stiffness.

But Rios and Konerko were sidelined, giving them two days of inactivity thanks to Thursday's scheduled off-day. Ventura announced postgame on Wednesday that Konerko sustained a mild concussion in the seventh inning of Tuesday's loss, when Jarrod Dyson's left elbow connected with the right side of Konerko's head as Dyson beat out an infield hit. Rios was absent due to back stiffness.

"This has been going on for a few days, but [Tuesday], it got stiffer," Rios said. "I don't think it's something that's going to keep me out of that lineup for more than a day or so. I'll be fine."

The rest is here:
Which came first: chemistry or winning?

Viewpoint: United by chem

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Danzig

The Olympic Games are filled with chemistry. Metaphorically speaking, chemistry is felt both on and off the playing field, while literally the chemicals used in different medicines help athletes overcome pain and injury. And lets not forget the inorganic, metal-based chemistry displayed during the award ceremonies. Medallions of gold, silver and bronze (a copper-tin alloy) are draped around the necks of Olympic champions, recognizing their achievement on a global stage.

Chemistry, figuratively and literally, plays a significant role in the Olympic Games. However, the goal of Olympism is to place sports at the service of the harmonious development of humankind. The XXX Olympiad which began on July 27 exemplifies this mission statement as athletes from 205 countries unite for 17 days of global competition.

I didnt have to wait until the Opening Ceremony in London to feel this sense of unity. Since June, Ive been spending my time in a different sort of international community: the chemistry laboratory. Under Chemistry Prof. Melanie Sanford, Ive been working on my honors thesis. Together the undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who conduct research in Sanfords lab represent nine nations and three of the five continents depicted by the Olympic rings.

United by our curiosity in the chemical sciences, my lab-mates and I speak two mutual languages, English and chemistry. English is the second, or even third, language spoken by half my lab-mates, but by drawing out reaction mechanisms, we have the ability to transcend language barriers. Nonetheless, its still not uncommon to walk into my lab and not always understand the conversation at hand.

While my German is limited to a few phrases, my fluency in the language of chemistry has flourished during my research experience. Working in a multi-cultural environment has allowed me to view chemistry from many different perspectives. We all approach our research from diverse educational and personal backgrounds. The exchange of ideas from these distinct viewpoints enrich and broaden the path toward the overall solution. In the case of my thesis, these questions deal with the development of reactions used to change carbon-hydrogen bonds into carbon-carbon bonds using palladium as a catalyst.

Working in this lab has not only increased my knowledge in the field of chemistry, but provided me with the opportunity to learn about a diverse range of cultures. Taking advantage of my past Spanish classes, Ive been able to get to know my Guatemalan lab-mate through speaking all three of the languages we share. Different aspects of our personalities and past knowledge flourish depending on the language were using. Nine years of studying Spanish, including a semester abroad in Seville, Spain, have provided me with a solid understanding of the language. My fluency and comfort level, however, continue to improve during these shared conversations.

Though the 2012 Summer Olympic Games come to a close on Aug. 12, the sense of international unity promoted by the Games will continue in my everyday life. While I dont compete for gold on a daily basis, my research in palladium-based chemistry allows me to work with chemists from around the globe. Chemistry, like the Olympics, unites people from all over the world and acts as a catalyst for multicultural exchange.

Cydney Seigerman is a LSA senior.

Excerpt from:
Viewpoint: United by chem

Research and Markets: The Plasma Chemistry of Polymer Surfaces

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Danzig

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/w7vgdb/the_plasma_chemist) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "The Plasma Chemistry of Polymer Surfaces" to their offering.

More than 99% of all visible matter in the universe occurs as highly ionized gas plasma with high energy content. Electrical low- and atmospheric-pressure plasmas are characterized by continuous source of moderate quantities of energy or enthalpy transferred predominantly as kinetic energy of electrons. Therefore, such energetically unbalanced plasmas have low gas temperature but produce sufficient energy for inelastic collisions with atoms and molecules in the gas phase, thus producing reactive species and photons, which are able to initiate all types of polymerizations or activate any surface of low reactive polymers. However, the broadly distributed energies in the plasma exceed partially the binding energies in polymers, thus initiating very often unselective reactions and polymer degradation. The intention of this book is to present new plasma processes and new plasma reactions of high selectivity and high yield.

This book aims to bridge classical and plasma chemistry, particularly focusing on polymer chemistry in the bulk and on the surface under plasma exposure. The stability of surface functionalization and the qualitative and quantitative measurement of functional groups at polymer surface are featured prominently, and chemical pathways for suppressing the undesirable side effects of plasma exposure are proposed and illustrated with numerous examples. Special attention is paid to the smooth transition from inanimate polymer surfaces to modified bioactive polymer surfaces. A wide range of techniques, plasma types and applications are demonstrated.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Interaction between Plasma and Polymers

3 Plasma

4 Chemistry and Energetics in Classic and Plasma Processes

5 Kinetics of Polymer Surface Modification

Continue reading here:
Research and Markets: The Plasma Chemistry of Polymer Surfaces

Research and Markets: Discovering Chemistry With Natural Bond Orbitals

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Danzig

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/sjpm9h/discovering_chemis) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Discovering Chemistry With Natural Bond Orbitals" to their offering.

This book explores chemical bonds, their intrinsic energies, and the corresponding dissociation energies which are relevant in reactivity problems. It offers the first book on conceptual quantum chemistry, a key area for understanding chemical principles and predicting chemical properties. It presents NBO mathematical algorithms embedded in a well-tested and widely used computer program (currently, NBO 5.9). While encouraging a "look under the hood" (Appendix A), this book mainly enables students to gain proficiency in using the NBO program to re-express complex wavefunctions in terms of intuitive chemical concepts and orbital imagery.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Getting Started

2 Electrons in Atoms

3 Atoms in Molecules

4 Hybrids and Bonds in Molecules

5 Resonance Delocalization Corrections

6 Steric and Electrostatic Effects

See original here:
Research and Markets: Discovering Chemistry With Natural Bond Orbitals

The science of the perfect sandcastle

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Danzig

There’s something very summery about building a sandcastle. From my first attempts with a simple bucket, and my Dad hydro-engineering sea-filled moats, I was hooked and these days no trip to the beach is complete without some sort of sand sculpture. From those early days and experiments I learnt how the sand had to be wet, but not too wet. Goldilocks sandcastle sand is wet enough to hold the grains of sand together but not so wet as to cause the walls to become unstable, crumbling to the ground and leaving you with a sand ruin. But how was I to know you could pursue a scientific career in sandcastle science?

— Not one of mine

Daniel Boon from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and colleagues, has shown that the Goldilocks recipes for sandcastle uses just 1% water (however, he investigated this with beach sand and deionized water, I do wonder if the saltiness of sea water makes a noticeable difference). This is enough water to form the capillary bridges between grains of sand, pulling them together and making wet sand such a good building material for complex structures.

As Boon notes in his paper (Scientific Reports, DOI: 10.1038/srep00549), the literature has previously claimed that sandcastles can only be built to around 20 cm, due to the capillary rise of the sand, but you can get much bigger sand structures than that so what’s going on? Well, more painstaking research building sandcastles, or rather sandcylinders, showed that sand buckles under its own weight at a critical height which is proportional to the cylinder’s radius to the power of two thirds. Using his calculations, with the best sand-water mix, a castle with a base with a radius of 20 cm should be as tall as 2.5 m. Compacting the mix (or tapping the sand with the back of the spade, as my Dad calls it) also helps, according to Boon.

Of course, these findings can be used by civil engineers and people working in soil mechanics, but will you be taking your calculator to the beach this summer? I think I’ll just stick with guesstimates, but might see if a drier sand than I expect will give better results.

Laura Howes

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/?feed=rss2

You have to have chemistry with the networking group, too

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Danzig

We've all run into this situation. We meet someone. On paper we have everything in common. We should hit it off right away. For some reason, though, we just don't click. The chemistry isn't there. Our personalities clash for some reason and sometimes you don't even know exactly why.

OK, sometimes the guy is just a jerk, but you get the idea.

The same thing can be true of the networking events we attend.

We carefully select the event. The people who go there are either our target market or serve our target market. The location is near our office. The timing is a perfect fit for our schedule. It even has the style of networking we prefer.

And for some reason it just doesn't work.

Sometimes it's just a matter of time. We think it's not working, but we actually haven't put in enough time to allow people to get to know us. Sometimes we're not really participating. It's our effort we need to improve. Sometimes, though, it's just the "personality" of the event. For whatever reason, maybe something we can't even put a finger on, we just never feel like we fit in.

When that happens, we should probably look for a new event to attend. If we aren't making the connection to the folks at this event, no matter how hard we've tried (and we have to be honest about how hard we're trying), then the event isn't doing anything to help us extend our network. If it isn't doing that, then we are wasting our time and money both better spent at a different venue.

If you've been attending a particular networking gathering for a while, and you aren't achieving the goals you set for the event, maybe it's not you. Maybe it's not the event either. Maybe there's just no chemistry.

See more here:
You have to have chemistry with the networking group, too

Chemistry in its element – putrescine

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Danzig

Once sniffed, never forgotten. That’s many people’s verdict on the smell of death, for which putrescine is partly responsible. You might have to hold your nose while listening to this week’s Chemistry in its element podcast.

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/?feed=rss2

August podcast now online

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Danzig

We’ve got a bumper August podcast for you all! Phil, Laura and Phillip talk to Meera about two different new ways to make graphene, the latest developments about open access to scientific papers and the retraction of some Science and JACS papers that claimed to break the ‘oxo wall’.

Plus Andrew Harrison, director of the ILL, tells us all about the amazing work they do with neutrons, and Robert West of UCL explains why giving up smoking is so difficult – and why making drugs to help is too. Phil also provides the answer to the burning question “How are the Olympics like a ready meal?” You’ll just have to listen to find out.

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/?feed=rss2

CW competition blog – Lesley Yellowlees

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Danzig

This is a guest post from one of our judges for the Chemistry World Science Communication Competition

Robert Winston recently said ‘If you cannot communicate science it may as well have not been carried out’. I rather agree.

Communicating science is important because, to paraphrase Alan Alda, science surrounds us. Alda’s ‘flame challenge’ recently illuminated the importance of communicating science by challenging Science readers to explain what a flame is to a class of 11-year-olds. Of course, it helps if you’re a famous actor, but both Alda and Winston make the same point: science cannot be separated from society. Each supports and improves the other. The problem is that science journalism is often outside the mainstream, appearing further down newslists than it we would otherwise like it to be, Higgs and Dolly the sheep-type stories excepted.

There are consequences to this. In the most recent Public Attitudes to Science survey, just over half of those who took part said they hear and see too little information about science. The research also highlighted the challenge of public engagement with science. The majority of people surveyed said they did not feel informed about science, and scientific research and developments.

And not every scientist is an excellent communicator – that’s where you can step in.

So how do you go about telling a science story? Well, try and imagine you’ve a good tale on your hands and you’re itching to tell someone – now imagine you’re face to face with that person and you’re telling them about it: the most important part of the story will naturally come out first, then the next and so on until you’ve got it all out. Your friend will no doubt have some questions – if they don’t, then well done, you’ve explained it perfectly. When you’re writing the story, follow the same format. Go back and read it again – ask yourself whether any questions remain unanswered. If so, get answering them. You can do this for an article or script: both need to convey the facts and detail without leaving people scratching their heads.

Let your enthusiasm for the story shine through the copy and remember you’re writing for a wide audience so avoid jargon that can be confusing to non-specialists. There will be times when a particularly long sentence is necessary and you have to cram as much detail in a single line as you possibly can, at which time bear in mind that using a shorter one to follow on is often the best way to balance the paragraph. Just like this one.

I’m looking forward to seeing your efforts.

Good luck.

Lesley Yellowlees is professor of chemistry at the University of Edinburgh and president of the RSC

You can also read Adam Hart-Davis’ and Philip Ball’s competition blog posts.

And you can find out about the Chemistry World Science Communication Competition and submit your entry here.

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/?feed=rss2

Chemistry on Mars video with Curiosity Rover from the American Chemical Society

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Danzig

WASHINGTON, July 31, 2012 -- After an epic 354-million-mile trek through space, the Mars Curiosity Rover is zooming along at 13,000 miles per hour toward a scheduled August 6 landing on the Red Planet to search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. The newest episode of the American Chemical Society's (ACS') award-winning Bytesize Science video series highlights Curiosity Rover's mission, scientific instrumentation and the role that chemistry plays in the search for life on other planets. The video, produced by the ACS Office of Public Affairs, is available at http://www.BytesizeScience.com.

It features Mars Science Laboratory Deputy Science Manager Ashwin Vasavada, Ph.D., of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Vasavada takes viewers "under the hood" of the rover, explaining the role of the analytical chemistry instruments found onboard the Curiosity. The use of analytical chemistry techniques will aid in Curiosity's primary mission goal: to determine the habitability of the Gale Crater, which scientists believe was once filled with water.

The video explains several chemical processes that Curiosity is equipped to perform, including laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, mineralogy tests and X-ray spectroscopy. Test results from these instruments will pave the way for future Mars missions and may provide insight in the search for life on other planets.

For more entertaining, informative science videos and podcasts from the ACS Office of Public Affairs, view Prized Science, Spellbound, Science Elements and Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 164,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.

Whatever happened to kids' chemistry sets?

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Danzig

1 August 2012 Last updated at 07:27 ET By Alex Hudson BBC News

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Royal Institution's Dave Porter tries experiments from sets past and present

The first chemistry sets for children included dangerous substances like uranium dust and sodium cyanide, but all that has changed.

Talk to people of a certain age about chemistry sets and a nostalgic glaze comes over their eyes.

Stories of creating explosions in garden sheds and burning holes in tables are told and childhood is remembered as a mischievous adventure.

Portable chemistry sets were first used in the 18th Century but it took more than 100 years before they became popular with children, partly prompted by a desire to recreate the coloured puffs of smoke used by conjurors.

"It was part of a craze for what we call stage magic," says Salim Al-Gailani, historian of science at the University of Cambridge.

Dr Kat Amey asks what happened to the chemistry set, Wednesday 1 August, 2100 BST on Radio 4

The early chemistry sets for children played on the idea of impressing school friends with a magic performance.

Research and Markets: Proteomic Profiling and Analytical Chemistry: The Crossroads

Posted on August 4, 2012 by Danzig

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/53z9xh/proteomic_profilin) has announced the addition of Elsevier Science and Technology's new report "Proteomic Profiling and Analytical Chemistry. The Crossroads" to their offering.

This book is designed to help scientists without a strong background in analytical chemistry to understand basic analytical principles so they can apply them to proteomics profiling. It will also help researchers with an analytical chemistry background to break into the proteomics field. The title focuses on practical applications for proteomic research so readers are guided to design better experiments and to more easily interpret the resulting data.

- filling gap between many specialized courses and book in mass spectrometry, proteomics and analytical chemistry.

- real life examples illustrating importance of problems in quantitation and validation of biomarkers from perspective of analytical chemistry with reference to sources. Problems for further discussion at the end of each chapter.

- help in designing and executing proteomic experiments with sound analytics.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Biomolecules

2. Sample preparation, fractionation and clean-up.

3. Electrophoresis

Continued here:
Research and Markets: Proteomic Profiling and Analytical Chemistry: The Crossroads

Select Page ::