American Chemical Society

Kitchen exhaust fans vary in effectiveness in reducing indoor air pollution

Here’s the recipe from a new study for minimizing indoor air pollution from cooking – which can produce levels of indoor air pollution higher than those encountered in heavily polluted outdoor air: Turn on the range exhaust fan and cook on the back burners. The study appears in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Enhanced royal jelly produces jumbo queen bee larvae

Scientists have discovered a way to make worker bees produce an enhanced version of royal jelly (RJ) – the super-nutritious substance that dictates whether larvae become workers or queens, and that is also renowned as a health supplement for people. Their study, which found that the super RJ that makes queen bee larvae grow 2-3 times larger than normal, appears in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

All-they-can-eat diet for lab mice & rats may foster inaccurate test results

The widespread practice of allowing laboratory rats and mice to eat as much as they want may be affecting the outcome of experiments in which scientists use these “test-tubes-on-four-feet” to test new drugs and other substances for toxicity and other effects. That’s the conclusion of a new analysis published in ACS’ journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.

Green plants reduce pollution on city streets up to eight times more than previously believed

Trees, bushes and other greenery growing in the concrete-and-glass canyons of cities can reduce levels of two of the most worrisome air pollutants by eight times more than previously believed, a new study has found. A report on the research appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Rio+20 sustainability conference gets mixed reviews

Chemical & Engineering News Although a walkout by disgruntled activists may have grabbed headlines, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro last month did produce hundreds of individual commitments from participants with potential for having major impacts. That’s the topic of the cover story of this week’s Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

Unmasking black pepper’s secrets as a fat fighter

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry A new study provides a long-sought explanation for the beneficial fat-fighting effects of black pepper. The research, published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, pinpoints piperine — the pungent-tasting substance that gives black pepper its characteristic taste, concluding that piperine also can block the formation of new fat cells.

White rot fungus boosts ethanol production from corn stalks, cobs and leaves

Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research Scientists are reporting new evidence that a white rot fungus shows promise in the search for a way to use waste corn stalks, cobs and leaves – rather than corn itself – to produce ethanol to extend supplies of gasoline. Their study on using the fungus to break down the tough cellulose and related material in this so-called “corn stover” to free up sugars for ethanol fermentation appears in the ACS’ journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

Widespread exposure to BPA substitute is occurring from cash register receipts, other paper

Environmental Science & Technology People are being exposed to higher levels of the substitute for BPA in cash register thermal paper receipts and many of the other products that engendered concerns about the health effects of bisphenol A, according to a new study. Believed to be the first analysis of occurrence of bisphenol S (BPS) in thermal and recycled paper and paper currency, the report appears in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Toward new drugs for the human and non-human cells in people

Journal of Proteome Research Amid the growing recognition that only a small fraction of the cells and genes in a typical human being are human, scientists are suggesting a revolutionary approach to developing new medicines and treatments to target both the human and non-human components of people. That’s the topic of an article, which reviews work relating to this topic from almost 100 studies, in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research.

The Chemistry of Fireworks

WASHINGTON, — From the hiss of the fuse to the boom and burst of colors, an American Chemical Society (ACS) video , available again this year, explains the science behind the exciting sights and sounds of Fourth of July fireworks. The video is available at [url=http://www.bytesizescience.com]http://www.bytesizescience.com[/url].

Efforts to develop new drugs that hopefully will never be used

Concerns about terrorist attacks, the prospect of a rogue nation using nuclear weapons and the Fukushima power plant accident in Japan are fostering efforts to develop a new family of drugs that everyone hopes will never be used, according to an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

A new “Achilles’ heel” in fungus that causes dandruff

Research on the fungus that ranks as one cause of dandruff — the embarrassing nuisance that, by some accounts, afflicts half of humanity — is pointing scientists toward a much-needed new treatment for the condition’s flaking and itching. The advance is the topic of a report in ACS’ Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Most new pesticides have roots in natural substances

Scientists who search for new pesticides for use in humanity’s battle of the bugs and other threats to the food supply have been learning lessons from Mother Nature, according to a new analysis. It concludes that more than two out of every three new pesticide active ingredients approved in recent years had roots in natural substances produced in plants or animals. The article appears in ACS’ Journal of Natural Products.

Summer science reading

With millions of people stocking up on books — old-fashioned paper and digital — for summertime reading, one of the nation’s leading journals for science educators is publishing its annual list of book and media recommendations that would delight and dazzle readers at any level of science knowledge. It appears in ACS’ Journal of Chemical Education.

A step toward minute factories that produce medicine inside the body

Scientists are reporting an advance toward treating disease with minute capsules containing not drugs — but the DNA and other biological machinery for making the drug. In an article in ACS’ journal Nano Letters, they describe engineering micro- and nano-sized capsules that contain the genetically coded instructions, plus the read-out gear and assembly line for protein synthesis that can be switched on with an external signal.

Ancient effect harnessed to produce electricity from waste heat

WASHINGTON, — The latest episode in the American Chemical Society’s (ACS’) award-winning Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions podcast series describes the world’s first “electrified snail,” which now joins the menagerie of cockroaches, rats, rabbits and other animals previously implanted with biofuel cells that generate electricity — perhaps for future spy cameras, eavesdropping microphones and other electronics — from natural sugar in their bodies.

“Flavor pairing” engenders strange plate-fellows and scientific controversy

Wine and cheese. Sour cream and salsa. A burger and fries. Humanity’s age-old preoccupation with food pairing is turning a new corner — and fostering some very strange new plate-fellows — as scientists and chefs try to make sense of an idea called “flavor-pairing theory.” That controversial theory about why some foods taste good together is the topic of an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

Beyond stain-resistant: New fabric coating actively shrugs off gunk

Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of a fabric coating that would give new meaning to the phrase “stain-resistant” — a coating that would take an active role in sloughing off grease, dirt, strong acids and other gunk. The report, which shows that the coating is even more water-repellent than car wax or Teflon, appears in ACS’ journal Langmuir.

A non-antibiotic approach for treating urinary tract infections

A potential new approach for treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) — which affect millions of people annually — without traditional antibiotics is being reported in ACS’ Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. It involves so-called FimH antagonists, which are non-antibiotic compounds and would not contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance bacteria.

Simple new way to clean traces of impurities from drug ingredients

Scientists are reporting development of a simple new procedure for removing almost 98 percent of an important impurity that can contaminate prescription drugs and potentially increase the risk for adverse health effects in patients. Their report appears in ACS’ journal Organic Process Research & Development.