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Category: chemistry – Page 79

Finding Could Help Turn Trees Into Affordable, Greener Industrial Chemicals

Lignin, a…

Trees are the most abundant natural resource living on Earth’s land masses, and North Carolina State University scientists and engineers are making headway in finding ways to use them as sustainable, environmentally benign alternatives to producing industrial chemicals from petroleum.

Lignin, a polymer that makes trees rigid and resistant to degradation, has proven problematic. Now those NC State researchers know why: They’ve identified the specific molecular property of lignin — its methoxy content — that determines just how hard, or easy, it would be to use microbial fermentation to turn trees and other plants into industrial chemicals.

The findings put us a step closer to making industrial chemicals from trees as an economically and environmentally sustainable alternative to chemicals derived from petroleum, said Robert Kelly, the corresponding author of a paper in the journal Science Advances detailing the discovery.

Discover the V-Score: The Secret Weapon in Quantum Problem Solving

Predicting the behavior of many interacting quantum particles is a complex task, but it’s essential for unlocking the potential of quantum computing in real-world applications. A team of researchers, led by EPFL, has developed a new method to compare quantum algorithms and identify the most challenging quantum problems to solve.

Quantum systems, from subatomic particles to complex molecules, hold the key to understanding the workings of the universe. However, modeling these systems quickly becomes overwhelming due to their immense complexity. It’s like trying to predict the behavior of a massive crowd where everyone constantly influences everyone else. When you replace the crowd with quantum particles, you encounter what’s known as the “quantum many-body problem.”

Quantum many-body problems involve predicting the behavior of numerous interacting quantum particles. Solving these problems could lead to major breakthroughs in fields like chemistry and materials science, and even accelerate the development of technologies like quantum computers.

Stretchable transistors used in wearable devices enable in-sensor edge computing

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are neuromorphic transistors made of carbon-based materials that combine both electronic and ionic charge carriers. These transistors could be particularly effective solutions for amplifying and switching electronic signals in devices designed to be placed on the human skin, such as smart watches, trackers that monitor physiological signals and other wearable technologies.

In contrast with conventional neuromorphic transistors, OECTs could operate reliably in wet or humid environments, which would be highly advantageous for both medical and wearable devices. Despite their potential, most existing OECTs are based on stiff materials, which can reduce the comfort of wearables and thus hinder their large-scale deployment.

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have developed a new wearable device based on stretchable OECTs that can both perform computations and collect signals from the surrounding environment. Their proposed system, presented in a paper published in Nature Electronics, could be used to realize in-sensor edge computing on a flexible wearable device that is comfortable for users.

How Cells Resist the Pressure of the Deep Sea

Just as we mimicked birds and fish to model cars and planes, we may gain inspiration for deep dive vehicles.

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine.

The bottom of the ocean is cold, dark, and under extreme pressure. It is not a place suited to the physiology of us surface dwellers: At the deepest point, the pressure of 36,200 feet of seawater is greater than the weight of an elephant on every square inch of your body. Yet Earth’s deepest places are home to life uniquely suited to these challenging conditions. Scientists have studied how the bodies of some large animals, such as anglerfish and blobfish, have adapted to withstand the pressure. But far less is known about how cells and molecules stand up to the squeezing, crushing weight of thousands of feet of seawater.

“The animals that live down in the deep sea are not ones that live in surface waters,” said Itay Budin, who studies the biochemistry of cell membranes at the University of California, San Diego. “They’re clearly biologically specialized. But we know very little, at the molecular level, about what is actually determining that specialization.”

All electric without batteries: Are flow batteries the future of EVs?

A flow battery, also known as a reduction-oxidation (Redox) flow battery, is an electrochemical cell that uses two moving liquid electrolytes to generate electricity.

Ion transfer occurs across the cell membrane, accompanied by current flow through an external circuit, while the liquids circulate in their respective spaces. The liquids required are stored in separate tanks until required.

Flow batteries have existed for some time, but earlier versions had low energy density, making them impractical for cars. However, recent advancements in the technology have improved energy density, making it increasingly viable for long-duration energy storage and potentially for electric vehicles.

Various types of flow batteries, including inorganic and organic forms, have been demonstrated. Flow battery design can be classified into full flow, semi-flow, and membranesless variants.

Engineers develop scalable process to decarbonize cement production

Researchers from UCLA’s Institute for Carbon Management have developed a method that could eliminate nearly all of of the carbon dioxide emitted during the process of cement production, which accounts for about 8% of global atmospheric CO2 emissions.

In a new study published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, the researchers describe how the new approach could be easily incorporated into existing cement-production processes, providing a more affordable alternative to existing solutions to decarbonize the industry.

Space Force funds $35M institute for versatile propulsion at U-M

This sounds very promising! The researchers are investigating the use of nuclear microreactors to power faster and more efficient electric propulsion systems.☢️🚀

To develop spacecraft that can “maneuver without regret,” the U.S. Space Force is providing $35 million to a national research team led by the University of Michigan. It will be the first to bring fast chemical rockets together with efficient electric propulsion powered by a nuclear microreactor.

The newly formed Space Power and Propulsion for Agility, Responsiveness and Resilience Institute involves eight universities, and 14 industry partners and advisers in one of the nation’s largest efforts to advance space power and propulsion, a critical need for national defense and space exploration.

Right now, most spacecraft propulsion comes in one of two flavors: chemical rockets, which provide a lot of thrust but burn through fuel quickly, or electric propulsion powered by solar panels, which is slow and cumbersome but fuel efficient. Chemical propulsion comes with the highest risk of regret, as fuel is limited. But in some situations, such as when a collision is imminent, speed may be necessary.

New technique enhances absorptivity of powders for metal 3D printing

A team from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania introduced a novel wet chemical etching process that modifies the surface of conventional metal powders used in 3D printing.

In a significant advancement for metal additive manufacturing, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and their academic partners have developed a groundbreaking technique that enhances the optical absorptivity of metal powders used in 3D printing.

The innovative approach, which involves creating nanoscale surface features on metal powders, promises to improve the efficiency and quality of printed metal parts, particularly for challenging materials like copper and tungsten, according to researchers.

Additive manufacturing (AM) — more commonly known as 3D printing — has transformed the way products are designed and produced, allowing for the creation of complex geometries and customized components that traditional manufacturing methods struggle to achieve. However, one of the persistent challenges in laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) metal 3D printing is the high reflectivity of certain metals, which can lead to inefficient energy absorption during the printing process and can even damage some printing machines. This inefficiency often results in inadequate print quality and increased energy consumption, according to researchers.

Frontiers: To date, the most studied drug in anti-aging research is the mTOR inhibitor – rapamycin

Despite its almost perfect anti-aging profile, rapamycin exerts one significant limitation – inappropriate physicochemical properties. Therefore, we have decided to utilize virtual high-throughput screening and fragment-based design in search of novel mTOR inhibiting scaffolds with suitable physicochemical parameters. Seven lead compounds were selected from the list of obtained hits that were commercially available (4, 5, and 7) or their synthesis was feasible (1, 2, 3, and 6) and evaluated in vitro and subsequently in vivo. Of all these substances, only compound 3 demonstrated a significant cytotoxic, senolytic, and senomorphic effect on normal and cancerous cells. Further, it has been confirmed that compound 3 is a direct mTORC1 inhibitor. Last but not least, compound 3 was found to exhibit anti-SASP activity concurrently being relatively safe within the test of in vivo tolerability. All these outstanding results highlight compound 3 as a scaffold worthy of further investigation.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Dr. Leonard Tender, Ph.D. — Biological Technologies Office, DARPA — Next Generation Biomanufacturing

Next Generation Biomanufacturing Technologies — Dr. Leonard Tender, Ph.D. — Biological Technologies Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency — DARPA

Dr. Leonard Tender, Ph.D. is a Program Manager in the Biological Technologies Office at DARPA (https://www.darpa.mil/staff/dr-leonar…) where his research interests include developing new methods for user-defined control of biological processes, and climate and supply chain resilience.

Prior to coming to DARPA, Dr. Tender was a principal investigator and led the Laboratory for Molecular Interfaces in the Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. There, among other accomplishments, he facilitated numerous international collaborations with key external stakeholders in academia, industry, and government and his highly interdisciplinary research team, comprised of electrochemists, microbiologists, and engineers, is widely recognized for its many contributions to the field of microbial electrochemistry.

Dr. Tender earned a doctorate degree in analytical chemistry from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley; and served as a visiting scientist in the Stanford University Department of Chemistry.

Dr. Tender co-founded the International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and Technology and is a recipient of the Arthur S. Flemming Award, which honors outstanding federal employees, by the George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.

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