News by Subject Chemistry & Physics

Scientists at Osaka University determined the intrinsic birefringence of cellulose molecules, which have great potential to improve smartphone and computer screens.

in a paper published today in the Journal of the American Chemical Society University of Utah professor Valeria Molinero and her colleagues show how key proteins produced in bacteria and insects can either promote or inhibit the formation of ice, based on their length and their ability to team up to form large ice-binding surfaces. The results have wide application, particularly in understanding precipitation in clouds.

University of Houston biomolecular engineer Navin Varadarajan thinks B cells gone bad could be the culprit in Rheumatoid Arthritis and he is the first to publish a comprehensive profile of the cells, moving closer to finding out why the immune system attacks itself in patients with RA.

In an international research collaboration between Tsinghua University in Beijing and Sorbonne University in Paris, scientists found that four hydrocarbon molecules, known for their internal ring structure, have a lower threshold for the release of excess energy than molecules without a similar ring structure, because one of their electrons decays from a higher to a lower energy level, a phenomenon called the Auger effect.

A UBC medical student has determined that a new surgical guideline is making a difference for breast cancer patients. Alex Monaghan, a second-year Southern Medical Program (SMP) student at UBC Okanagan, recently completed a study using patient data from BC Cancer-Kelowna. His research compared re-operation rates for breast cancer patients before and after a new surgical guideline was introduced five years ago.