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Physicists at EPFL have developed a formulation to solve the longstanding problem of electron self-interaction when studying polarons - quasiparticles produced by electron-phonon interactions in materials. The work can lead to unprecedented calculations of polarons in large systems, systematic studies of large sets of materials, and molecular dynamics evolving over long time periods.

Researchers develop innovative organoid model to study pancreatic cancer Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a novel model system that can be used to precisely track the growth steps and three-dimensional arrangement of pancreatic cancer cells. It also provides the basis for testing and developing therapeutic approaches.

New technology makes the process of turning CO2 into valuable chemicals economically viable for industrialization New technology developed at the University of Waterloo could make a significant difference in the fight against climate change by affordably converting harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuels and other valuable chemicals on an industrial scale.

Cobalt-based catalysts could be used to turn mixed plastic waste into fuel, new plastics, and other products. The accumulation of plastic waste in the oceans, soil, and even in our bodies is one of the major pollution issues of modern times, with over 5 billion tons disposed of so far. Despite major efforts to recycle plastic products, actually making use of that motley mix of materials has remained a challenging issue.

Although just cute little creatures at first glance, the microscopic geckos and octopuses fabricated by 3D laser printing in the molecular engineering labs at Heidelberg University could open up new opportunities in fields such as microrobotics or biomedicine. The printed microstructures are made from novel materials - known as smart polymers - whose size and mechanical properties can be tuned on demand and with high precision.

The scientists are working to downsize their device in the expectation it could one day be used in a handheld commercial marijuana breath analyzer. A UCLA chemist and colleagues are now a step closer to their goal of developing a handheld tool similar to an alcohol Breathalyzer that can detect THC on a person's breath after they've smoked marijuana.

Progress has been made on the path to sunlight-driven production of hydrogen. Chemists from Würzburg present a new enzyme-like molecular catalyst for water oxidation. Mankind is facing a central challenge: it must manage the transition to a sustainable and carbon dioxide-neutral energy economy. Hydrogen is considered a promising alternative to fossil fuels.

Research over the past two decades has culminated in a -new and promising- approach to developing drugs to treat cardio-metabolic diseases. Diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease are examples of cardio-metabolic diseases, which are on the rise around the world. For more than 20 years, scientists in Leeds and Germany have been trying to understand the role that calcium ions - chemical messengers between cells - could play in triggering ill-health.

A team of scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ÜBerkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley have devised a new technique for recycling polyethylene plastic bags and food packaging into propylene or propene gas, a valuable starter material for commercial plastics and commodity chemicals. Recycling polyethylene plastic into new, recyclable plastics could help reduce carbon emissions linked to plastic pollution and landfill.

Blue-green algae (AKA cyanobacteria) have a superpower which likely helps them be highly successful as invaders of waterways. They have an extraordinary ability to store energy and nitrogen in their cells for times of need. But how exactly they do so remains only partly understood. Now researchers from McGill University and their collaborators at ETH Zurich have uncovered an intriguing hitherto unknown ability of the enzymes (known as cyanophycin synthetases) that are active in creating these food reserves.

It could be called better understanding through chemistry. An international research team including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists has succeeded in gaining new insights into the chemical properties of the superheavy element flerovium - element 114. The measurements, taken at the at the accelerator facilities of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung (GSI/FAIR) in Darmstadt, Germany, show that flerovium is the most volatile metal in the periodic table.

Researchers at TU Vienna and FHI Berlin succeeded in monitoring a catalytic reaction with three different microscopies under exactly the same conditions in real time. In this way, information is obtained that none of the methods alone could reveal. One has to look very closely to exactly understand what processes take place on the surfaces of catalysts.

Predicting the next volcanic eruption Volcanic eruptions can be tricky to predict. Magma stored below volcanoes contains dissolved gases, including carbon dioxide, which escape to the surface and can be sampled at different times (before, after or during) an eruption to provide clues about the next one.

Scientists have discovered how a chemical in the cells of marine organisms enables them to survive the high pressures found in the deep oceans. The deeper that sea creatures live, the more inhospitable and extreme the environment they must cope with. In one of the deepest points in the Pacific - the Mariana Trench, 11 kilometers below the sea surface - the pressure is 1.1 kbar or eight tons per square inch.

Study reveals molecular profile of 19th century beer sample After almost 140 years, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) opened a lager beer that had been kept at room temperature throughout to analyze it. The beer, dating back to 1885, has now been characterized sensorially and analytically.

An international research team led by Tomoki Nakamura (Tohoku, Japan) has studied soil samples collected by the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa-2 on the asteroid Ryugu. Falko Langenhorst of Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany, was part of the group that gained insights into the formation of the asteroid and the unique processes that took place during the first five million years after the birth of our solar system from the analysis of the extraterrestrial material.

Researchers from Wageningen University & Research have shown that the production costs of green hydrogen via electrolysis at sea can be reduced by making Ultra-Pure Water (UPW) on site by means of membrane distillation.

An international collaboration led by researchers from the University of Bern and the University of Queensland in Australia has demonstrated that chemical compounds containing special metals are highly effective in fighting dangerous fungal infections. These results could be used to develop innovative drugs which are effective against resistant bacteria and fungi.

Controlling the spin of electrons opens up future scenarios for applications in spin-based electronics (spintronics), for example in data processing. It also presents new opportunities for controlling the selectivity and efficiency of chemical reactions. Researchers recently presented first successes with the example of water splitting for producing "green" hydrogen and oxygen.

Changes in ecosystems can be predicted more accurately via emissions of chiral compounds Worldwide, plants release about 100 million tonnes of monoterpenes into the atmosphere. These volatile organic molecules include many fragrances such as the molecule pinene, known for its fresh pine scent. Since these molecules are very reactive and can form tiny aerosol particles that can grow into condensation nuclei for raindrops, natural emissions play an important role in our climate.