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A controversial group of chemicals commonly found in lotions and other personal care products may be more dangerous at low doses than previously thought, according to a new study. The chemicals, called parabens, are preservatives widely used in everything from shampoos and cosmetics to body lotions and sunscreens.

The mechanism behind a process known as singlet fission, which could drive the development of highly efficient solar cells, has been directly observed by researchers for the first time. Harnessing the process of singlet fission into new solar cell technologies could allow tremendous increases in energy conversion efficiencies in solar cells Alex Chin An international team of scientists have observed how a mysterious quantum phenomenon in organic molecules takes place in real time, which could aid in the development of highly efficient solar cells.

Thanks to their unique properties, ionic liquids are all in the rage as solvents as, for instance, "green" sustainable chemical processes. Recently, two research teams at Umeå University discovered how enzymes can perform their catalytical processes in a switchable ionic liquid. The discovery paves way for enzymatic refinement of cellulose to precious molecules and industrial products.

Textbooks on methane-metabolising organisms might have to be rewritten after researchers in a University of Queensland- led international project today (23 October) announced the discovery of two new organisms. Deputy Head of UQ's Australian Centre for Ecogenomics in the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences Associate Professor Gene Tyson said these new organisms played an unknown role in greenhouse gas emissions and consumption.

A study has been launched to identify small molecules secreted by the skin that are believed to emit a subtle but unique scent in people in the early stages of Parkinson's. Researchers believe that Parkinson's may affect a change in the sebum - an oily substance in the skin - of people with the condition that results in a unique and subtle odour on the skin only detectable by people with an acute sense of smell.

The researchers demonstrated that social insects, including bees, ants and wasps, are more complex than previously was thought. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Chemical signaling among social insects, such as bees, ants and wasps, is more complex than previously thought, according to researchers at Penn State and Tel Aviv University, whose results refute the idea that a single group of chemicals controls reproduction across numerous species.

Renewable sources of energy including solar and wind are fast gaining ground on fossil fuels, in part because of their sustainability and environmental benefits. A major issue, however, has been finding efficient ways to store the energy that renewables generate for use when the demand for energy is high.

Our immune system is vital to us and can sometimes overreact causing chronic illnesses, such as for instance rheumatism and allergy. Now, researchers from Umeå University and University of Gothenburg have identified a molecular switch - MYSM1 - that can suppress such an overreaction and avoid inflammation.

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have found a new way to capture energy from sunlight - by using molecules that contain iron. The results are presented Chemistry. The hope is to develop efficient and environmentally friendly solar energy applications. Solar energy is an inexhaustible resource that we currently only utilise to a very limited extent.

In the largest study of its kind, a Yale-led investigation found no evidence that trace contamination of organic compounds in drinking water wells near the Marcellus Shale in northeastern Pennsylvania came from deep hydraulic fracturing shale horizons, underground storage tanks, well casing failures, or surface waste containment ponds.

The Colorado River canyon, just above Grand Canyon (left), and Nanedi Vallis on Mars (right) pictured at the same scale shows how both canyons were formed by rivers that appear to have been approximately the same width. The river channel on Earth looks darker because it is filled with water, whereas Nanedi Vallis has been dry for billions of years.

Resonators are an important tool in physics. The curved mirrors inside the resonators usually focus light waves that act, for instance, on atoms. Physicists at ETH Zurich have now managed to build a resonator for electrons and to direct the standing waves thus created onto an artificial atom. More than two thousand years ago the Greek inventor and philosopher Archimedes already came up with the idea of using a curved mirror to reflect light in such a way as to focus it into a point - legend has it that he used this technique to set fire to the ships of the Roman enemies.

New research out of the Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health at UC Berkeley shows that switching from conventional to organic fruits and vegetables, even for just a few days, significantly reduces pesticide levels in children's bodies. The study, co-led by Asa Bradman, associate director at the center, was spotlighted in the New York Times ' Well blog this week.

Catalytic nanoparticles contain various sites: for instance, the sites C (center of a hexagonal facet; nine neighbors marked in yellow), E (edge between two hexagonal facets; seven neighbors in green) and K (kink, at the corner between three facets; six neighbors in purple). Atoms at edges and terraces appear in light and dark blue, respectively.

The first official experimental results since the National Graphene Institute (NGI) opened in March have been produced. The novel collaboration between industry and academia is exploring the production of graphene in the first stage of a long-term project. Morgan Advanced Materials joined forces last year with The University of Manchester - where graphene was first isolated a decade ago - to explore the potential of the material, with a full-time team based at the University's National Graphene Institute (NGI) .

While the cleaning of car exhausts is among the best known applications of catalytic processes, it is only the tip of the iceberg. Practically the entire chemical industry relies on catalytic reactions. Catalyst design plays a key role in improving these processes. An international team of scientists has now developed a concept that elegantly correlates geometric and adsorption properties.

Scientists have developed a new form of 'chemical search engine' which could provide clues to the origins of life on Earth. In a new paper published today (Wednesday 7 October) in the journal Nature , a team from the University of Glasgow's School of Chemistry describe a new approach to solving a 50-year conundrum in which they used an automated robot system to explore many different random combinations of the building blocks of proteins.

Computer sims and microscopy research at Berkeley Lab yield first atomic-resolution structure of a peptoid nanosheet Scientists aspire to build nanostructures that mimic the complexity and function of nature's proteins, but are made of durable and synthetic materials. These microscopic widgets could be customized into incredibly sensitive chemical detectors or long-lasting catalysts, to name a few possible applications.

A team at The University of Manchester is testing a Volkswagen diesel engine to try to get an accurate picture of how polluting it is. Even before the recent scandal erupted over software that fakes tests, research results from Manchester were starting to show the true picture of just how dirty diesel engines can be.

In our mouths, stomachs and eyes, mucus forms a protective layer that prevents friction and keeps foreign bodies out. The main components of mucus are mucins, which bind water molecules. However, if these mucins are damaged, they can lose this ability. A team of researchers, headed by Professor Oliver Lieleg at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has now found a way to repair defective mucins.