Chemistry – Page 50 – David Bradley

Explosive sex, coral killers, room for shrooms and more

This week the Alchemist discovers that carbon dioxide could pose a serious threat to marine life and in particular corals and the marine ecosystems that depend on them. We also find out how publication of new rigorous research into the effects of ‘shrooms’ could represent a watershed moment in understanding hallucinogens. Solving the problem of soliton structure is set to lead to new types of actuators and fine control for artificial muscles and TEM stacks up carbon nanotubes for peak-time viewing. Finally this week, explosive sex in a tube. But, you’ll have to wait till at least 2008.

http://www.chemweb.com/alchemist-current

Multitasking drugs

An issue I have written about for the Nature drug discovery site is the re-marketing of pharmaceutical products for uses other than the original one for which a drug was developed. The latest example is the emergence of the so-called “morning after” pill RU486 as a rapid-acting antidepressant (it has already found use in treating certain cancers and psychotic depression).

RU486, mifepristone, is a steroidal hormone similar in chemical structure to progesterone. It inhibits the progesterone receptor and so is termed an ‘antiprogestin’, its effect is to induce abortion.

This week New Scientist reports on how RU486 might work as an antidepressant:

“The hormone treatment is based on earlier findings that stress plays a major part in triggering and prolonging depression. Stress hormones appear to damage a part of the brain called the hippocampus. The region is susceptible because it is particularly rich in hormone receptors, allowing it to regulate ongoing hormone release,” the magazine says.

Chronic fatigue diagnosis

The cause of CFS, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS), is not yet known and its symptoms are broad, ranging from fatigue, pain, muscle weakness, and depression to digestive disturbances, immune system weakness, and breathing problems. Moreover, there is no simple diagnostic test for the disease and patients often rely on a sympathetic physician to recognise the problem, but who, nevertheless, does not necessarily have the tools to offer a definitive answer nor an effective treatment. An objective clinical diagnostic test would make understanding and treating this disease far easier. Japanes researchers have now used a type of infra-red spectroscopy to distinguish between plasma from CFS patients and healthy volunteers. They reckon a non-invasive test will be available soon.

More…

Smartening Raman

Raman spectroscopy can provide elegant views of even the most mixed of materials at the sub-microscopic scale, even picking out chemical bonds. And, because it is sensitive to the lightweight elements found in covalent bonds it can provide detailed information that is inaccessible to sophisticated X-ray techniques. However, Raman is yet to be widely adopted because it suffers from potentially debilitating resolution issues and takes too long for all but the most patient of laboratories.

Now. French researchers have found a way to create a map of the incident laser beam used in Raman spectroscopy which brings it up to speed and could make it a more accessible technique.

More in the latest issue of SpectroscopyNOW.com

Chemical Crowding

Chemists have produced millions of organic and organometallic compounds, but only recently have they produced one of the most aesthetically pleasing theoretical molecules after decades of trying – hexaferrocenylbenzene. Peter Vollhardt of the University of California at Berkeley and colleagues have finally succeeded in synthesising this super-crowded organometallic complex. NMR spectroscopy revealed that despite the crowded nature of the molecule this dendritic structure has considerable flexibility and average symmetry at room temperature. The team’s success means this previously elusive structure can be investigated for its electronic, magnetic, optical and catalytic properties.

Read more from David Bradley in the July 1 update of spectroscopyNOW.com.

Nano Safe

How toxic are nanomaterials? A group of scientists from US and Korea has shown that nanostructured composite microspheres can be easily prepared using ultrasound in a non-toxic manner. These microspheres were created to act as drug carriers, in particular to deliver a potent Alzheimer’s Disease drug which is in clinical trials. Before drug delivery, however, the scientists had to show that their carrier was not itself toxic to cells.

“With increasing concerns that synthetic nanomaterials may be highly toxic on all-levels of life and harmful to the environment, it would be good practice if researchers can report toxicology data along with their synthesis,” team member Yoo-Hun Suh of Seoul University told us.

You can read my full story on this and more at spectroscopyNOW, in advance of July 1 publication.

Alkali Metals and Water

You’ve probably seen one of those tedious science videos where they drop a tiny nugget of lithium or sodium into a toughened glass bowl half full of water and watch the metal fizz and splutter.

Exciting, huh?

They might even have gone so far as to add an even smaller nugget of potassium, which in the most exciting moment might smash the bowl with its violence.

However, you may also have noticed that there are some other alkali metals below potassium in the Periodic Table. And, you might know that if an element is below another in the PT it is generally more reactive. So, step in the Brainiac team to show you what dropping a nugget of rubidium into a bathtub of water will do, it’s like pulling the pin on a hand grenade and lobbing that into the tub!

But, thankfully they don’t even stop there, going one step further with caesium, almost the most violent element in terms of reactivity with water. Check out their video here to find out just how violent. And, remember, this is one best left to the experts rather than attempted for your science fair projects! here to find out just how violent. And, remember, this is one best left to the experts rather than attempted for your science fair project. But, then again, who told the Brainiacs they were experts?

ChemWeb update

This week, in my news round-up on ChemWeb, we discover a chilly reminder of water’s bizarre behavior that could make cryopreservation science fact rather than fiction, a new understanding of the underlying cause of Parkinson’s disease, and discover that Swiss chemists have peered into their crystal ball to find new materials and explain some old ones. Also in this week’s news, simultaneous sensing for sensitive science and a way to clean up the infernal combustion.

Scientific Rock Band

Regular readers may have noticed I’m in a list-making mood these last few days, with the NMR acronyms feature and “what scientists are known for” posts…well over on The Island of Doubt, fellow science writer James Hrynyshyn is discussing the issue of the scientific ethic in rock and mentions the likes of Talking Heads, Rush, and Thomas Dolby as being hot on science.

Well, it got me thinking about actual artist names that betray a hint of the technophile or the science-minded among the muso crowd, so here’s a short list…in no particular order:

Chemical Brothers (chem)
We are Scientists (gen)
Cure (med)
EMF (tech)
X-ray Spex (tech)
AC/DC (tech)
Spock’s Beard (sci-fi)
Bio-Com (bio)
Medicine Head (med)
Television (tech)
10cc (bio)
UFO (sci-fi)
TLC (chem)
Atomic Kitten (phys/bio)
Atomic Rooster (phys/bio)
Transister (tech)
Quantum Jump (phys)
William Orbit (astro)
Oxide and Neutrino (chem/phys)
Suzanne Vega (astro)
Quake (geo)
Tenth Planet (astro)
Mercury Rev (chem/astro)
Electronic (tech)
Quartz (geo)
Electric Light Orchestra (tech)
Neil Diamond (geo)
Multi Purpose Chemical (chem)
The Dead Science (formerly The Sweet Science) (gen)
Electric Soft Parade (tech)
Death Comet Crew (astro)
Nuclear Rabbit (phys)
Electric Prunes (tech)
The Mars Volta (astro)
Radiohead (tech)
Van Der Graaf Generator (tech)
My Chemical Romance (chem)
Chemical People (chem)
Electric Six (tech)
Mind Science of the Mind (gen)
Flux Information Sciences (info)
Skin (derma)
Scientist (gen)
Eat Static (tech)
Echo and the Bunnymen (audio)

Noesy Spectroscopists

Who says chemists don’t have a sense of humour, if you haven’t already seen Paul May’s Silly Molecules site check that out right now, but in the meantime some genuine acronyms from the world of spectroscopy

Insensitive Nuclei Enhanced by Polarization Transfer (INEPT)

Combined Rotation And Multiple Pulse Spectroscopy (CRAMPS)

HOmonucleaR ROtary Resonance (HORROR)

Nuclear Overhauser Effect SpectroscopY (NOESY)

COrrelation SpectroscopY (COSY)

Slice Interleaved Depth Resolved Surface Coil Spectroscopy (SLITDRESS)

Proton Enhanced Nuclear Induction Spectroscopy (P…you got it), which is often hyphenated with the next technique in the style of separations scientists who couple HPLC with ESI/MS and LC with DAD. Do I have to spell it out? We’d have P-V or V-P for that matter, depending on which technique came first.

Variably Adjusted Gamma Inhibiting Nuclear Association Spectroscopy (Okay, I made that one up, but I’m sure a spectroscopists somewhere is working on something similar), Hyphenated 2D versions of either this or the previous proton technique would be P-P and V-V.

There are many others including, CYCLOPS, HOHAHA, ROESY, SECSY, PASADENA, EXORCYCLE, DANTE, TOSS, INADEQUATE, ENDOR, FOCSY, HERPECS, DEPT, feel free to use the acronym search tool to validate the more suspect ones if you don’t trust me. Enter the acronym or abbreviation of interest in the yellow box on the right of that page and hit the GO button next to the phrase “Science Acronyms”.