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Researchers have developed a new approach to simulating the energetic processes that may have led to the emergence of cell metabolism on Earth - a crucial biological function for all living organisms. The research, which is published online today in the journal Astrobiology , could help scientists to understand whether it is possible for life to have emerged in similar environments on other worlds.

The team of Francesca Ferlaino, University of Innsbruck, discovered that even simple systems, such as neutral atoms, can possess chaotic behavior, which can be revealed using the tools of quantum mechanics. The ground-breaking research opens up new avenues to observe the interaction between quantum particles.

P lenty of strange diets have captured the public imagination over the years, but Harvard scientists have identified what may be the strangest of them all - sunlight and electricity.

In the Research Group of Nuno Maulide, a chemist working at the University of Vienna, a new chemical synthesis for ?-arylated Carbonyl derivatives was developed. Members of this class of substances typically possess interesting biological and pharmacological properties and often find applications as medicines.

Artificial photosynthesis, in which we emulate the process used by nature to capture energy from the sun and convert it into electrochemical energy, is expected to be a major asset in any sustainable energy portfolio for the future. Artificial photosynthesis offers the promise of producing liquid fuels that are renewable and can be used without exacerbating global climate change.

Scientists from Stanford, SLAC and Denmark have created a new nickel-gallium catalyst that could some day be used to convert hydrogen and carbon dioxide emissions into methanol, an important industrial chemical and potential fuel. An international research team has discovered a potentially clean, low-cost way to convert carbon dioxide into methanol, a key ingredient in the production of plastics, adhesives and solvents, and a promising fuel for transportation.

University of Washington Pine forests are especially magical places for atmospheric chemists. Coniferous trees give off pine-scented vapors that form particles, very quickly and seemingly out of nowhere. New research by German, Finnish and U.S. scientists elucidates the process by which gas wafting from coniferous trees creates particles that can reflect sunlight or promote cloud formation, both important climate feedbacks.

Transmission electron microscopy shows metal nanoparticle networks following the removal of the copolymer that acted as a structural scaffold for the particles. Electron tomography reconstruction of platinum nanoparticles (red) in network structures, compared with self-consistent field theory results (blue).

A pathway to more effective and efficient synthesis of pharmaceutical drugs and other flow reactor chemical products has been opened by a study in which for the first time the catalytic reactivity inside a microreactor was mapped in high resolution from start-to-finish. The results not only provided a better understanding of the chemistry behind the catalytic reactions, they also revealed opportunities for optimization, which resulted in better catalytic performances.

Scientists have studied crystallization since the time of Galileo, so it's easy to imagine there's nothing new to learn about the process. Harvard researchers might beg to differ. A new study has uncovered a previously unseen phenomenon - that curved surfaces can dramatically alter the shape of crystals as they form.

Curves alter crystallization, study finds Researchers see wide range of possible applications S cientists have studied crystallization since the time of Galileo, so it's easy to imagine there's nothing new to learn about the process. Harvard researchers might beg to differ. A new study has uncovered a previously unseen phenomenon - that curved surfaces can dramatically alter the shape of crystals as they form.

Smokers are less able to repair damage to blood vessels because stem cells in their blood age more quickly, according to new research. The findings shed light on why tobacco use is linked to a higher risk of heart and circulatory disease, which is the leading cause of death worldwide, killing over 7 million people in 2011 alone.

Surgical implants are widely used in modern medicine but their effectiveness is often compromised by how our bodies react to them. Now, scientists at the University of Cambridge have discovered that implant stiffness is a major cause of this so-called foreign body reaction. An obvious difference between electrodes and brain tissue is stiffness.

12 Feb 2014 New research looking at the biological process involved in breast cancer development has strengthened the argument for a potential link between alcohol consumption and the disease. Scientists from The University of Manchester - part of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre - looked at a particular enzyme, a biological molecule that accelerates chemical reactions - known as CYP2E1.

Whenever a new material is discovered, scientists are eager to find out whether or not it can be superconducting. This applies particularly to the wonder material graphene. Now, an international team around researchers at the University of Vienna unveiled the superconducting pairing mechanism in Calcium doped graphene using the ARPES method.

Optical microscope image of a HeLa cell containing several gold-ruthenium nanomotors. Arrows indicate the trajectories of the nanomotors, and the solid white line shows propulsion. Near the center of the image, a spindle of several nanomotors is spinning. Inset: Electron micrograph of a gold-ruthenium nanomotor.

The discovery suggests that the very first generation of stars may not have been as powerful as previously thought. As the Big Bang's name suggests, the universe burst into formation from an immense explosion, creating a vast soup of particles. Gigantic clouds of primordial soup, made mainly of hydrogen and helium, eventually collapsed to form the first stars - massive, luminous, short-lived objects that exploded as supernovae soon after.

Lancaster University is taking part in a UK research initiative which is bringing significant improvements in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of three of the world's most common forms of cancer. Prostate, cervical and oesophageal cancers can be treated successfully if diagnosed early enough but new techniques are needed to accurately diagnose the three cancer types much earlier than any current conventional tests.

On average, organic farms support 34% more plant, insect and animal species than conventional farms, say Oxford University scientists. Researchers looked at data going back 30 years and found that this effect has remained stable over time and shows no signs of decreasing. 'Our study has shown that organic farming, as an alternative to conventional farming, can yield significant long-term benefits for biodiversity,' said Sean Tuck of Oxford University's Department of Plant Sciences, lead author of the study.

A new technique dreamed up by a Stanford chemist improves the odds that surgery for stomach tumors successfully removes all the cancerous cells. When Stanford surgeon George Poultsides removes a tumor in the stomach or intestines, he takes out what he thinks is the entire mass and sends it to the pathology lab to evaluate.