My latest science news is now online in the spectroscopyNOW ezine. This week:
Recycled virgin – Recycled engine oil has high levels of organic impurities, heavy metals, and carcinogenic compounds, according to work carried out by researchers in Jordan. They have used atomic absorption (AA), inductive couple plasma (ICP) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses to spot the differences between virgin and recycled engine oil.
In a spin over nanomaterials – Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, are hoping to spread the word far and wide of a new analytical technique that can help scientists and technologists working with nanomaterials. They say that their discovery could help accelerate the development of materials for the next generation of solar energy conversion and computer data storage.
Deadly proteins and trigger points – US researchers have used NMR to identify a previously undetected trigger point on a naturally occurring “death protein” that helps the body get rid of damaged or diseased cells. The researchers suggest that their findings may offer a novel target for new drugs that could be used to treat cancer by forcing malignant cells to undergo apoptosis, or cellular suicide.
Finally, a rather technical item that will appeal to that specialist niche working on time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. German researchers have found a new way to fit a statistical model to TRLFS spectra that could reveal hidden details and remove background noise, much more effectively than before. The method could allow samples containing various radioactive elements to be analysed effectively despite the interferences from the different ions present.