Chemistry News

The recycled port (EUREKA) In search of a sustainable alternative to dumping at sea or disposal on land, a Scandinavian consortium blended contaminated sediment with a special mix of binders to produce a safe construction material for use in ports and harbors.Turning off stress (Weizmann Institute of Science) Weizmann Institute scientists reveal the actions of a family of proteins that “turn off” the stress response. Their findings could be relevant to PTSD, anorexia, anxiety disorders and depression.A paperweight for platinum (DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) A new combination of nanoparticles and graphene results in a more durable catalytic material for fuel cells, according to work published today online at the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The catalytic material is not only hardier but more chemically active as well. The researchers are confident the results will help improve fuel cell design.Story tips from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory February 2011 (DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Proposals to install hydrokinetic turbines in rivers across the US are prompting questions about the environmental impacts. Highly effective anti-virus programs for computers are a system to protect people from deadly genetically engineered biological bugs. By testing radiation detection equipment and helping establish standards, a team of ORNL researchers protects the people who keep the nation safe. What does it take to withstand the conditions of ITER, the world’s largest fusion energy reactor?VTT to study one of world’s oldest beers (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland) In the summer of 2010 in the Aland archipelago, divers retrieved well-preserved bottles of champagne and five bottles of beer from the wreck of a ship that likely sank during the first half of 1800s. VTT will determine what kind of a recipe was used in the brewing of the beer and what kind of yeast caused the fermentation process. The beer in question is one of the world’s oldest preserved beers, and the Provincial Government of Aand is interested in its reproduction.Digest powered by RSS Digest