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Researchers developed a new iridium catalyst for the selective synthesis of chiral lactams, which are key building blocks in pharmaceutical agents. The catalyst achieves high selectivity by inducing hydrogen bonding between substrate and catalyst, leading to the production of desired compounds with minimal waste.

SourceInstitute for Basic Science·JournalNature Catalysis·DateFeb 21, 2019

Can a flowing liquid-like material maintain its structural order like crystals?

A new chiral triphenylene derivative forms a higher-order structure that preserves its ordered crystal properties even after being subjected to gravitational flow. This unique property has implications for the development of materials with long-range structural preservation, which could lead to breakthroughs in nanoscale technologies.

SourceTokyo Institute of Technology·JournalNature Materials·DateFeb 19, 2019

Exotic spiraling electrons discovered by physicists

Researchers have discovered chiral surface excitons, particles that spin like planets and annihilate each other on the surface of solids, emitting photoluminescence. The finding has potential applications for devices such as solar cells and electronic displays.

SourceRutgers University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 18, 2019

Lefty or righty molecules lend a hand to material structures

Researchers at Rice University have created chiral polymers that can enable materials with unique properties, such as optical and sensing capabilities. The discovery could lead to the creation of metamaterials with tunable properties, including tough-but-flexible compounds with distinct functions.

SourceRice University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 11, 2019
Creality K1 Max 3D Printer

Creality K1 Max 3D Printer rapidly prototypes brackets, adapters, and fixtures for instruments and classroom demonstrations at large build volume.

Weyl goes chiral

Physicists at ETH Zurich have created acoustic metamaterials that interact differently with Weyl fermions of opposite chirality, a crucial aspect of particle physics. This discovery enables the manipulation of chiral channels, giving independent access to these particles in bulk systems.

SourceETH Zurich Department of Physics·JournalNature Physics·DateFeb 11, 2019

New physical effect demonstrated by University of Bath scientists after 40 year search

Researchers at the University of Bath have successfully demonstrated a new physical effect that could lead to advancements in chemical manufacturing efficiency and quality control in personalized pharmaceuticals. The technique is 100,000 times more sensitive than standard methods used today, enabling precise measurements of chirality i...

SourceUniversity of Bath·JournalPhysical Review X·DateFeb 6, 2019

Theoretical model may help solve molecular mystery

A theoretical model has been developed to describe how chiral molecules can create a spin current, potentially revolutionizing electronic devices. The model predicts that certain circuits with four contacts will allow the detection of this effect.

SourceUniversity of Groningen·JournalPhysical Review B·DateFeb 5, 2019

The helix, of DNA fame, may have arisen with startling ease

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology discovered that RNA's chemical ancestors can spontaneously form spiral strands in plain water without catalysts or enzymes. The spiraling integrated another compound, forming a structure similar to RNA, and demonstrated the possibility of an early evolutionary path for RNA.

SourceGeorgia Institute of Technology·JournalAngewandte Chemie·DateJan 24, 2019
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

HKUST scientists develop novel method to monitor molecular aggregation

Researchers have developed a new method to monitor molecular aggregation in real-time, allowing for the analysis of conformational changes. The method uses the AACD effect and chiral molecules to track aggregation-annihilation circular dichroism, providing valuable insights into biological processes.

SourceHong Kong University of Science and Technology·JournalNature Communications·DateJan 11, 2019

Chirality in 'real-time'

Scientists have created a system to probe biomolecules' chiral properties in real-time, providing insights into their biological function. The setup allows for the detection of enantiomers at picosecond resolution, overcoming previous limitations.

SourceEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne·JournalOptica·DateJan 10, 2019

New synthesis strategy for chiral drugs -- versatile chiral chemical species from aldehydes

Researchers at Kanazawa University have developed a new synthesis strategy for chiral drugs by harnessing the potential of aldehyde-derived chiral hydroxycarbanions. This breakthrough enables the selective production of one enantiomer of chiral molecules, paving the way for the creation of complex drugs with desired chirality.

SourceKanazawa University·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·DateJan 9, 2019
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Gut microbiota-derived D-serine protects against acute kidney injury

Researchers from Kanazawa University investigated gut microbiota effects on kidney function and discovered that the gut microbiota produces D-serine, a substance protective for the kidney. Administering D-serine to normal mice mitigated kidney injury, suggesting its potential as a biomarker or medication for acute kidney injury.

SourceKanazawa University·DateNov 26, 2018

A new path through the looking-glass

Scientists have proposed an innovative method to create custom-made mirror molecules for analysis by inducing rotationally-induced chirality in symmetric-top molecules. This technique could enhance insight into the workings of nature and pave the way for new materials and methods.

SourceDeutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateNov 9, 2018

Chirality switching in biomineral structures

Researchers have discovered a method to synthesize helical biomineral structures with opposite spiral directions by adding specific amino acids, shedding light on how certain biological structures can exhibit both rotations within the same species or individual organism.

SourceMcGill University·JournalScience Advances·DateAug 1, 2018
AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

Organ regeneration is no longer a distant dream

Researchers at Osaka University have clarified the cellular mechanism behind left-right asymmetric organ morphogenesis using live imaging and computer simulations. The team discovered that 'cell sliding' is essential for this process, which may lead to breakthroughs in regenerating organs with tubular structures.

SourceOsaka University·DateJul 11, 2018

Thesis prize winner's calculations characterize neutrino interactions

Alessandro Baroni's thesis work using chiral effective field theory has characterized neutrino interactions with nuclei at low energy. His calculations combined theoretical framework and ab initio computational methods, leading to results in agreement with previous phenomenological calculations.

SourceDOE/Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility·DateJul 10, 2018
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Magnetic skyrmions: Not the only ones of their class

Researchers have discovered a new type of magnetic particle-like object, chiral bobbers, which offer opportunities to encode digital data directly. Unlike skyrmions, chiral bobbers can flow freely without needing precise distances between successive data bit carriers.

SourceForschungszentrum Juelich·JournalNature Nanotechnology·DateJun 28, 2018

Twisted meta-molecules as they really are

Researchers have devised a highly sensitive method to test the chirality of materials, overcoming false positives from competing effects. By using twisted meta-molecules, they separated chirality from sources of error, allowing for accurate measurement and potential applications in fields like telecommunications and pharmaceuticals.

SourceUniversity of Bath·JournalACS Nano·DateJun 26, 2018

Chemists achieve major milestone of synthesis: Remote chiral induction

Researchers at Scripps Research Institute invent a novel method for remote chiral induction, allowing the creation of pure quantities of desired enantiomers. This breakthrough enables the synthesis of complex chiral molecules that were previously difficult or impossible to produce.

SourceScripps Research Institute·JournalNature·DateJun 18, 2018

New optical sensor can determine if molecules are left or right 'handed'

A University of Central Florida team has designed a nanostructured optical sensor that can efficiently detect molecular chirality, a property defining biochemical properties. This technology has the potential to identify chiral drugs and proteins with high accuracy, revolutionizing drug development and understanding diseases.

SourceUniversity of Central Florida·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJun 12, 2018
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

Scientists find ordered magnetic patterns in disordered magnetic material

Researchers at Berkeley Lab discovered chirality in domain walls of amorphous materials, which could enable faster, smaller data storage. The study used high-resolution microscopy techniques to confirm nanoscale magnetic features, opening possibilities for controlling magnetic domains with temperature and light.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateJun 8, 2018

Graphene layered with magnetic materials could drive ultrathin spintronics

Researchers at Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry created graphene-layered material with exotic electron behavior that can be used for next-generation computing applications. The material exhibits tiny swirling patterns where layers meet, which could be controlled to tap into spin-orbitronics in ultrathin materials.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalNature Materials·DateMay 28, 2018
Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.

Polarized light: A simple route to highly chiral materials

Scientists at the University of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial Science have successfully created chiral nanostructures from gold particles by exploiting plasmon resonance. The method uses circularly polarized light to induce chirality in electric fields, which are then transferred to a dielectric material.

SourceInstitute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo·JournalNano Letters·DateMay 8, 2018

Proof of water wires motivated by a biological water channel

A team of researchers led by Georges Belfort has discovered water wires in an imidazole molecule, which could lead to the development of artificial aquaporin membranes for efficient desalination. The study shows that the imidazole's ring structure enables water molecules to self-assemble into a highly oriented linear chain structure.

SourceRensselaer Polytechnic Institute·JournalScience Advances·DateApr 26, 2018
Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.

Machine learning offers new way of designing chiral crystals

Researchers at Hiroshima University used machine learning to design chiral crystals, analyzing 686 molecules and predicting the best chemical groups. The model, trained on data from 1000 achiral crystals, suggests that carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen elements are most likely to coexist in a chiral crystal

SourceHiroshima University·JournalChemistry Letters·DateApr 10, 2018

Twisting laser light offers the chance to probe the nano-scale

Researchers have developed a technique to sensitively measure molecule structure by twisting laser light and aiming it at miniscule gold gratings. This method could be used to probe the structure and purity of molecules in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, foods, and other important products more easily and cheaply.

SourceUniversity of Bath·JournalAdvanced Optical Materials·DateApr 5, 2018
DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

Physicists discover new quantum electronic material

Researchers create first kagome metal, an electrically conducting crystal with individual atoms arranged in a repeating triangular pattern. The material exhibits strange, quantum-like behaviors in passing electrons, including bending and creation of nearly massless particles.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalNature·DateMar 19, 2018

New symmetry-breaking method opens way for bioactive compounds

Researchers at EPFL have developed a new desymmetrization strategy to access chiral building blocks containing urea sub-structures. The method uses a non-chiral cyclopropane precursor and an engineered copper catalyst to selectively form the desired enantiomer.

SourceEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateFeb 22, 2018

C'mon electrons, let's do the twist!

Researchers have developed a new method to identify the chirality of molecules by exciting electrons into twisting motion using short laser pulses. The technique is highly sensitive, detecting right-handed and left-handed molecules with a signal 1000 times stronger than traditional methods.

SourceInstitut national de la recherche scientifique - INRS·JournalNature Physics·DateFeb 19, 2018
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

X-rays reveal 'handedness' in swirling electric vortices

Scientists at Berkeley Lab study exotic material's properties, revealing chirality in polar vortices. This property could enable new forms of data storage by controlling left- or right-handedness in materials, similar to magnetic materials storing data as ones or zeros.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 16, 2018

Theorists propose conditions needed to search for new form of matter

Physicists Alexei Tsvelik and Oleg Yevtushenko provide a theoretical roadmap for discovering a 'chiral spin liquid,' a magnetically ordered state without a global direction of magnetic moments. The material must be a layered metal with specific properties, including strong response to non-uniform magnetic fields.

SourceDOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateDec 18, 2017

Are molecules right-handed or left-handed?

Researchers use ultrafast laser to study camphor molecules' photoionization, finding that mirror images emit electrons in opposite directions. This asymmetry could be key to understanding the homochiral nature of living organisms.

SourceInstitut national de la recherche scientifique - INRS·JournalScience·DateDec 7, 2017

Precise chiral cluster assembly by design

Researchers develop a method for assembling colloidal clusters using origami DNA, allowing precise control over particle orientation and properties. The technique enables the creation of clusters with specified chirality, which could lead to improved understanding and utilization of particles with unique optical or magnetic properties.

SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience·DateNov 2, 2017
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

A sea of spinning electrons

Scientists have discovered a 'chiral spin mode' - a sea of electrons spinning in opposing circles that can transport information with little energy dissipation. This breakthrough paves the way for building novel electronic devices such as computers and processors with reduced energy loss.

SourceRutgers University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateOct 2, 2017
GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Surprise discovery in the search for energy efficient information storage

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have made a groundbreaking discovery in the search for energy-efficient information storage. By controlling the chirality of magnetic domain walls using an electric field, they have opened up new possibilities for non-volatile information processing and storage technology.

SourceUniversity of Nottingham·JournalScientific Reports·DateAug 10, 2017

New strategy to design mechano-responsive luminescent materials

Hokkaido University researchers have designed a novel mechano-responsive luminescent material that changes color in response to mechanical stimuli. The material, composed of gold and isocyanide complex, transforms into chiral or achiral crystals under different conditions, altering its emission properties.

SourceHokkaido University·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·DateJul 25, 2017
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm)

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.

Water forms 'spine of hydration' around DNA, group finds

Researchers at Cornell University have observed a previously unknown characteristic of water surrounding DNA, revealing a chiral water superstructure that follows the iconic helical structure of DNA. This discovery has significant implications for understanding reactivity and biology in biological systems.

SourceCornell University·DateMay 25, 2017

New porous solids may lead to better drugs

A new discovery in chemistry could lead to more specific and desired forms of drugs, with the creation of chiral molecular sieves that can sort and create left- and right-handed molecules. This breakthrough has broad implications for pharmaceutical companies and may improve medications such as ibuprofen.

SourceCalifornia Institute of Technology·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 1, 2017

Pinpoint creation of chirality by organic catalysts

Researchers at Nagoya University developed an organic catalyst that generates amino acid derivatives in high yields with precise stereochemical control. A slight structural change in the catalyst leads to inversion of a single stereocenter, enabling access to specific diastereomers.

SourceInstitute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM), Nagoya University·JournalNature Communications·DateApr 10, 2017
GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.

Nanoscopic golden springs change color of twisted light

Researchers used gold spring-shaped coils to enhance interactions between light and chiral molecules, enabling detection of minute amounts. The study's findings have potential applications in pharmaceutical design, telecommunications, and nanorobotics.

SourceUniversity of Bath·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateApr 3, 2017

New catalysts mimic human vision

Researchers created a new family of organocatalysts that can be 'switched on' using purple LEDs, mimicking human vision's colorful light-sensitive molecule formation. The novel approach enables the formation of single-handed isomers with improved therapeutic profiles and reduced environmental impact.

SourceInstitute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ)·JournalNature Chemistry·DateMar 20, 2017
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.