Rising sea temperatures may promote loggerhead sea turtle nesting on Italy’s coastline, per analysis of citizen science data, highlighting importance of preserving natural beaches

Understanding how molecules interact with ions is a cornerstone of chemistry, with applications from pollution detection and cleanup to drug delivery. In a series of new studies led by JILA Fellow and University of Colorado Boulder chemistry professor Mathias Weber, researchers explored how a specific ion receptor called octamethyl calix[4]pyrrole (omC4P) binds to different anions, such as fluoride or nitrate. These findings, published in The Journal of the American Chemical Society, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, and The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, provide fundamental insights about molecular binding that could help advance fields such as environmental science and synthetic chemistry. 

A Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researcher is developing a new class of medical adhesives by bringing together hydrogels and glue-like polymers to safely and reliably connect human tissues to therapeutic devices implanted in the body, such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, and artificial joints.

Mineral deposits in limestone caves show that the now arid interior of Saudi Arabia repeatedly experienced increased rainfall over the last eight million years. An international team of researchers led by the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz supported by the Saudi Heritage Commission, Ministry of Culture, reconstructed the climate of the Saharo-Arabian Desert using isotope analysis of stalagmites. They conclude that the vast desert belt between Africa and Eurasia was not always an impermeable barrier for humans and animals.

The rapidly increasing data traffic is placing ever greater demands on the capacity of communication systems. In an article published in Nature, a research team from Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, introduces a new amplifier that enables the transmission of ten times more data per second than those of current fiber-optic systems. This amplifier, which fits on a small chip, holds significant potential for various critical laser systems, including those used in medical diagnostics and treatment.

Northwestern University researchers have developed the first wearable device for measuring gases emitted from and absorbed by the skin. By analyzing these gases, the device offers an entirely new way to assess skin health, including monitoring wounds, detecting skin infections, tracking hydration levels, quantifying exposure to harmful environmental chemicals and more. 

Utilizing numerical simulations, researchers have succeeded in recreating the fluid dynamics of flowing cells like blood or immune cells in the circulatory system. The team recreated the cells by programing them as deformable ‘capsules’ and placed them in a tube with a pulsating ‘flow.’ This in-silico model revealed that capsules will move to a specific position depending on two factors: the deformation of the capsule and the pulsation frequency.