Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: chemistry – Page 110

Can the mealworm be the answer to Africa’s plastic waste problem?

In a paper published in Scientific Reports journal, the researchers report the potential of the lesser mealworm (the larvae of a darkling beetle species, known scientifically as Alphitobius), to consume plastic.

The icipe researchers tested the ability of the lesser mealworm to consume polystyrene, one of the major microplastics that is fast accumulating both in land and water bodies. Polystyrene waste comes from the commercial application of its most common form, styrofoam. This material is used in food storage containers, packaging of equipment, disposable plates and cups, and insulation in construction. Various methods, including chemical, thermal and mechanical, are used to recycle polystyrene. However, these approaches are expensive and they also produce toxic compounds that are harmful to human, environment and biodiversity.

“Our study showed that the mealworms can ingest close to 50% of the styrofoam. We aim to conduct further studies to understand the process through which mealworms consume polystyrene, and whether they gain any nutritional benefits from the material,” says Evalyne Ndotono, an icipe PhD scholar.

“We will also explore the mechanisms of the bacteria in the lesser mealworm in the degradation of plastic. We want to understand if the bacteria are inherent in the mealworms, or if they are a defence strategy acquired after feeding on plastic.”

Additionally, the scientists will research the ability of the lesser mealworm to degrade diverse types of plastics and to convert it into useful, safe products.

An easier-to-use technique for storing data in DNA is inspired by our cells

The new method, published in Nature last week, is more efficient, storing 350 bits at a time by encoding strands in parallel. Rather than hand-threading each DNA strand, the team assembles strands from pre-built DNA bricks about 20 nucleotides long, encoding information by altering some and not others along the way. Peking University’s Long Qian and team got the idea for such templates from the way cells share the same basic set of genes but behave differently in response to chemical changes in DNA strands. “Every cell in our bodies has the same genome sequence, but genetic programming comes from modifications to DNA. If life can do this, we can do this,” she says.

Qian and her colleagues encoded data through methylation, a chemical reaction that switches genes on and off by attaching a methyl compound—a small methane-related molecule. Once the bricks are locked into their assigned spots on the strand, researchers select which bricks to methylate, with the presence or absence of the modification standing in for binary values of 0 or 1. The information can then be deciphered using nanopore sequencers to detect whether a brick has been methylated. In theory, the new method is simple enough to be carried out without detailed knowledge of how to manipulate DNA.

The storage capacity of each DNA strand caps off at roughly 70 bits. For larger files, researchers splintered data into multiple strands identified by unique barcodes encoded in the bricks. The strands were then read simultaneously and sequenced according to their barcodes. With this technique, researchers encoded the image of a tiger rubbing from the Han dynasty, troubleshooting the encoding process until the image came back with no errors. The same process worked for more complex images, like a photorealistic print of a panda.

Impacts That Formed The Moon May Be Buried Deep Within Earth

Throughout their childhood, Earth and Theia lived in harmony but everything changed when gravitational disturbances attacked.

Scientists have proposed that two massive rock formations deep within Earth’s mantle, known as large low-shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs), might be the remnants of the protoplanet Theia, which collided with Earth 4.5 billion years ago to form the Moon. These formations, located beneath West Africa and the Pacific Ocean, are denser and chemically distinct from the surrounding mantle. Researchers are using new seismic and isotopic data to investigate whether Theia’s dense mantle survived and sank into Earth’s core. If true, this discovery could change our understanding of Earth’s structure and early history.

After reading the article, Marcus gained more than 529 upvotes with this comment: “I wonder where on Earth Theia hit. Is there even a way to determine this, or does the constant tectonic activity of Earth just erase that over time?” Don’t forget to share your thoughts about Theia and Earth’s mantle in the comment section below! For a long time, scientists have agreed that the Moon was formed after a protoplanet called Theia collided with the early Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. Now, a team of researchers has a new bold idea: The remains of Theia may be hidden in two massive layers of rock located deep within Earth’s mantle.

Breaking Atomic Barriers: The Race To Discover the World’s Heaviest Element

Advancements in nuclear physics suggest the possibility of discovering stable, superheavy elements.

Researchers have found an alternative way to produce atoms of the superheavy element livermorium. The new method opens up the possibility of creating another element that could be the heaviest in the world so far: number 120.

The search for new elements is driven by the goal of finding versions that are stable enough to exist beyond a fleeting moment. In nuclear physics, there is a concept known as the “island of stability”—a hypothetical region in the upper reaches of the periodic table where as-yet-undiscovered superheavy elements could potentially last longer than just a few seconds. Scientists are working to explore how far the stability of atomic nuclei can extend.

AI training method can drastically shorten time for calculations in quantum mechanics

The close relationship between AI and highly complicated scientific computing can be seen in the fact that both the 2024 Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry were awarded to scientists for devising AI for their respective fields of study. KAIST researchers have now succeeded in dramatically shortening the calculation time of highly sophisticated quantum mechanical computer simulations by predicting atomic-level chemical bonding information distributed in 3D space using a novel approach to teach AI.

Predicting Droplet Size in Sprays

A new model of liquid sprays reveals the mechanisms behind droplet formation—providing important information for eventually controlling the droplet sizes in, for example, home cleaning sprays.

Spraying a cleaning product on a kitchen counter may be a mundane task, but it embodies a wide-reaching environmental problem. In atomized sprays like these, the largest droplets land on the surface as desired, while the smallest ones drift away and evaporate, wasting liquid and contaminating the surroundings. As Isaac Jackiw of the University of Alberta, Canada, says, “If you have an intuitive understanding of where the different sizes come from, then you can start to imagine specific targeted approaches for preventing unwanted sizes.” He and his colleagues have now developed a physics-based model that predicts the distribution of droplet size in sprays emitted from a nozzle. Jackiw presented the work at the Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference in Toronto this month.

In classical models of aerodynamic droplet breakup, airflow hits a liquid and causes it to explode into droplets. To explain the average droplet size, theorists have often focused on a single, dominant mechanism. But these methods have not been able to directly predict the distribution in droplet sizes, Jackiw says. His approach can estimate the size distribution by incorporating several different mechanisms, each of which contributes droplets in a particular size range.

Measurement of Ascorbic Acid Samples’ Optical Rotation via an Improvised Polarimeter for Purity Assessment

The polarization of light finds practical application in physics and chemistry through the optical activity phenomenon, where polarimeters play a crucial role. This research builds on the improvised polarimeter designed by Kvittingen and Sjursnes, implemented with relevant modifications, to measure optical rotations of over-the-counter ascorbic acid samples. The study aims to assess the purity of two brands of ascorbic acid through polarimetry, comparing the calculated specific rotation with the literature values and supplementing the characterization with melting point determination. The constructed polarimeter, assembled using Lego bricks, provides an affordable alternative for educational purposes, addressing the challenges observed in the accessibility of commercial polarimeters for classroom demonstrations. The methodology encompasses pre-experiment steps involving polarimeter construction, the experiment utilizing polarimetry and complementary melting point determination, and post-experiment analysis to determine specific rotation from the measured optical rotations. Results indicate that Brand X exhibited specific rotations close to theoretical values, inferring high purity. Conversely, Brand Y shows significant deviations, suggesting potential impurities. These conclusions are supported by melting point data. The comprehensive approach combining polarimetry and melting point determination enhances the reliability of purity assessments, showcasing the effectiveness of the improvised polarimeter in practical applications.

R J M Felicidario and R M delos Santos 2024 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 2,871 012009.

Unlocking Nature’s Secret Weapon: Fungus That Fights Cancer

New research into a chemical from a caterpillar fungus, known for its potential as a cancer treatment, has shown how it interacts with genes to disrupt cell growth signals. This finding marks a promising step toward developing new cancer drugs.

The chemical, called cordycepin, interrupts overactive cell growth signals common in cancer, potentially offering a treatment approach that could be gentler on healthy tissues compared to many existing therapies.

Caterpillar fungus: a potential cancer treatment.

/* */