http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (PhysOrg.com) -- Since the discovery in 2007 that a component of human semen called SEVI boosts infectivity of the virus that causes AIDS, researchers have been trying to learn more about SEVI and how it works, in hopes of thwarting its infection-promoting activity. http://www.physorg.com/news177859237.html Chemistry Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:21:15 EST news177859237 In an advance with overtones of Star Trek phasers and other sci-fi ray guns, scientists in Canada are reporting development of an internal on-off "switch" that paralyzes animals when exposed to a beam of ultraviolet light. The animals stay paralyzed even when the light is turned off. When exposed to ordinary light, the animals become unparalyzed and wake up. Their study appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. It reports the first demonstration of such a light-activated switch in animals. http://www.physorg.com/news177772060.html Chemistry Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:20:02 EST news177772060 An accidental discovery in a laboratory at Oregon State University has apparently solved a quest that over thousands of years has absorbed the energies of ancient Egyptians, the Han dynasty in China, Mayan cultures and more - the creation of a near-perfect blue pigment. http://www.physorg.com/news177606699.html Chemistry Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:12:25 EST news177606699 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Yale University have developed synthetic molecules capable of enhancing the body`s immune response to HIV and HIV-infected cells, as well as to prostate cancer cells. Their findings, published online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for these diseases. http://www.physorg.com/news176659510.html Chemistry Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:07:03 EST news176659510 One of the many mysteries of Alzheimer's disease is how protein-like snippets called amyloid-beta peptides, which clump together to form plaques in the brain, may cause cell death, leading to the disease's devastating symptoms of memory loss and other mental difficulties. http://www.physorg.com/news176551843.html Chemistry Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:21:54 EST news176551843 (PhysOrg.com) -- Porphyrins are most commonly thought of as the pigment in red blood cells, but now scientists have found that porphyrins can also be used to increase the efficiency of an inexpensive type of solar cell. In a recent study, researchers have found that a variety of porphyrin arrays can improve the solar-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), and could potentially be used to construct larger 3-D light harvesting arrays. http://www.physorg.com/news176112834.html Chemistry Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:50:01 EST news176112834 (PhysOrg.com) -- Cisplatin is one of the most powerful and effective drugs for treating a wide variety of cancers, but serious side effects ultimately limit the drug's use and effectiveness. Now, however, researchers have developed a nanoparticulate formulation of cisplatin that may be able to eliminate or reduce platinum-associated toxicity while boosting cisplatin's tumor-killing activity. http://www.physorg.com/news176060990.html Nanotechnology Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:50:19 EST news176060990 Scientists in California are reporting development of a new generation of the microcapsules used in carbon-free copy paper, in which capsules burst and release ink with pressure from a pen. The new microcapsules burst when exposed to light, releasing their contents in ways that could have wide-ranging commercial uses from home and personal care to medicine. Their study appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. http://www.physorg.com/news175953070.html Nanotechnology Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:51:49 EST news175953070 (PhysOrg.com) -- A small molecule designed to detect cyanide in water samples works quickly, is easy to use, and glows under ultraviolet or "black" light. Although the fluorescent molecule is not yet ready for market, its Indiana University Bloomington creators report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society that the tool is already able to sense cyanide below the toxicity threshold established by the World Health Organization. http://www.physorg.com/news175359189.html Chemistry Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:54:34 EST news175359189 A targeted chemotherapy for the treatment of skin cancer is one step closer, after a team of University of Alberta researchers successfully synthesized a natural substance that shows exceptional potential to specifically treat this often fatal disease. http://www.physorg.com/news175261960.html Medicine & Health Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:30:01 EST news175261960 Fuel cells, devices that can produce electricity from hydrogen or other fuels without burning them, are considered a promising new way of powering everything from homes and cars to portable devices like cellphones and laptop computers. Their big advantage -- the prospect of eliminating emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants -- has been outweighed by their very high cost, and researchers have been trying to find ways to make the devices less expensive. http://www.physorg.com/news174822792.html Nanotechnology Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:54:10 EST news174822792 Researchers at Iowa State University have identified an enzyme that helps make tuberculosis resistant to a human's natural defense system. Researchers have also found a method to possibly neutralize that enzyme, which may someday lead to a cure for tuberculosis. http://www.physorg.com/news173628775.html Chemistry Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:00:01 EST news173628775 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Purdue University have created magnetically responsive gold nanostars that may offer a new approach to biomedical imaging. The nanostars gyrate when exposed to a rotating magnetic field and can scatter light to produce a pulsating or "twinkling" effect. This twinkling allows them to stand out more clearly from noisy backgrounds such as those found in biological tissue. Alexander Wei, Ph.D., and Kenneth Ritchie, Ph.D., M.Sc., led the team that created the new gyromagnetic imaging method. The work appears in a paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. http://www.physorg.com/news173110550.html Nanotechnology Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:17:04 EST news173110550 Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have developed a new way to deliver drugs into cancer cells by exposing them briefly to a non-harmful laser. Their results are published in a recent article in ACS Nano, a journal of the American Chemical Society. http://www.physorg.com/news171807411.html Nanotechnology Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:10:03 EST news171807411 (PhysOrg.com) -- With its unique double-helical structure, DNA has the ability to be used as a programmable building material to construct designer nanoscale architectures. Complex DNA architectures could have a variety of applications, from DNA-based nanomotors to biosensing and drug delivery. Taking the research a step forward, researchers have recently constructed a nanometer-sized tetrahedron from a single strand of DNA, using a method that could have advantages for assembling similar structures on a large scale. http://www.physorg.com/news171624372.html Nanotechnology Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:26:49 EST news171624372 (PhysOrg.com) -- Chemists and biologists have successfully demonstrated that specially synthesized boron compounds are readily accepted in biologically active enzymes, a move that, they say, is a proof of concept that could lead to new drug design strategies. http://www.physorg.com/news171557002.html Chemistry Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:43:59 EST news171557002 Chemists and biologists have successfully demonstrated that specially synthesized boron compounds are readily accepted in biologically active enzymes, a move that, they say, is a proof of concept that could lead to new drug design strategies. http://www.physorg.com/news171119645.html Chemistry Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:30:04 EST news171119645 Researchers in Singapore are reporting development of a new electronic sensor that shows promise as a faster, less expensive, and more practical alternative than tests now used to detect DNA. Such tests are done for criminal investigation, disease diagnosis, and other purposes. The new lab-on-a-chip test could lead to wider, more convenient use of DNA testing, the researchers say. Their study is scheduled for the Sept. 2 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. http://www.physorg.com/news170502528.html Chemistry Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:49:15 EST news170502528 Solar cells could soon be produced more cheaply using nanoparticle "inks" that allow them to be printed like newspaper or painted onto the sides of buildings or rooftops to absorb electricity-producing sunlight. http://www.physorg.com/news170331512.html Nanotechnology Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:19:37 EST news170331512 An insulator can now be transformed to conduct electricity by an ordinary camera flash. http://www.physorg.com/news169312509.html Chemistry Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:15:39 EST news169312509 (PhysOrg.com) -- Carbon nanotubes - tiny, rolled-up tubes of graphite - promise to add speed to electronic circuits and strength to materials like carbon composites, used in airplanes and racecars. A major problem, however, is that the metals used to grow nanotubes react unfavorably with materials found in circuits and composites. But now, researchers at MIT have for the first time shown that nanotubes can grow without a metal catalyst. The researchers demonstrate that zirconium oxide, the same compound found in cubic zirconia `fake diamonds,` can also grow nanotubes, but without the unwanted side effects of metal. http://www.physorg.com/news169130384.html Nanotechnology Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:40:20 EST news169130384 (PhysOrg.com) -- Chemists at the University at Buffalo have used rational drug design to synthesize small, cell-permeable molecules that are effective in vitro against two common types of myotonic muscular dystrophy, a result that has implications for potentially curing muscular dystrophy, as well as other diseases. http://www.physorg.com/news168876812.html Chemistry Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:30:01 EST news168876812 (PhysOrg.com) -- To use hydrogen as a clean energy source, some engineers want to pack hydrogen into a larger molecule, rather than compressing the gas into a tank. A gas flows easily out of a tank, but getting hydrogen out of a molecule requires a catalyst. Now, researchers reveal new details about one such catalyst. The results are a step toward designing catalysts for use in hydrogen energy applications such as fuel cells. http://www.physorg.com/news168691007.html Chemistry Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:37:17 EST news168691007 Understanding the structure of proteins is a vital first step in developing new drugs, but to date, researchers have had difficulty studying the large number of proteins that are normally embedded in the cell membrane, a family of proteins that includes those involved in cancer-related signaling processes. However, using nanoparticles, scientists from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom have found a way to preserve membrane proteins intact, enabling detailed analysis of their structure, molecular functions, and interaction with potential anticancer agents. http://www.physorg.com/news167412954.html Nanotechnology Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:40:01 EST news167412954 Scientists at Rice University and North Carolina State University have found a method of attaching molecules to semiconducting silicon that may help manufacturers reach beyond the current limits of Moore's Law as they make microprocessors both smaller and more powerful. http://www.physorg.com/news167569673.html Nanotechnology Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:08:31 EST news167569673 A revolutionary new protein stabilisation technique has been developed by scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council which could lead to 30 per cent more proteins being available as potential targets for drug development - opening up exciting possibilities in drug discovery. http://www.physorg.com/news165148787.html Nanotechnology Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:40:17 EST news165148787 Like astronomers counting stars in the familiar universe of outer space, chemists in Switzerland are reporting the latest results of a survey of chemical space -- the so-called chemical universe where tomorrow`s miracle drugs may reside. The scientists conclude, based on this phase of the ongoing count, that there are 970 million chemicals suitable for study as new drugs. http://www.physorg.com/news165083304.html Chemistry Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:29:15 EST news165083304 By creating a model of the active site found in a naturally occurring enzyme, chemists at the University of Illinois have described a catalyst that acts like nature's most pervasive hydrogen processor. http://www.physorg.com/news161868806.html Chemistry Mon, 18 May 2009 12:33:46 EST news161868806 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at UCLA have developed a new method for producing a hybrid graphene-carbon nanotube, or G-CNT, for potential use as a transparent conductor in solar cells and consumer electronic devices. These G-CNTs could provide a cheaper and much more flexible alternative to materials currently used in these and similar applications. http://www.physorg.com/news161456665.html Nanotechnology Wed, 13 May 2009 18:05:20 EST news161456665 (PhysOrg.com) -- The technique well known from its use in MRI scanning - actually based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) - can now also be applied to extremely small samples thanks to an ingenious combination of a compact coil and micro-scale fluidic channels. The sensitivity of this technique had hitherto been insufficient. http://www.physorg.com/news161359221.html Chemistry Tue, 12 May 2009 15:00:55 EST news161359221