Berkelium complex opens door for future nuclear recycling

A new berkelium complex has shown that highly polarised ligands can be used to target heavier actinides, potentially paving the way for selective recycling of radioactive elements. Since its discovery in December 1949, berkelium, element 97, has remained largely unexplored. The actinide element has no known applications, does not exist on Earth naturally and is […]

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2,700-year-old toilet shows even Jerusalem elite suffered from worms

A new study by Tel Aviv University and the Israel Antiquities Authority has exposed the remains of 2,700-year-old intestinal worm eggs below the stone toilet of a magnificent private estate. The egg remnants belong to four different types of intestinal parasites: roundworm, tapeworm, whipworm, and pinworm. According to the researchers, the stone toilet seat was […]

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Speedy, on-site drug detection key to reducing impacts of addiction crisis

Rapid, accessible and highly accurate detection of addictive substances such as opiates and cocaine is vital to reducing the adverse personal and societal impacts of addiction, something current drug detection systems can take too long to provide. However, on-site, real-time monitoring of abused drugs in a patient’s system could alert clinicians before dangerous levels are […]

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Computer Model of Blood Enzyme May Lead to New Drugs for Cardiovascular Disease

Membrane-associated proteins play a vital role in a variety of cellular processes, yet little is known about the membrane-association mechanism. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is one such protein with an important role in cardiovascular health, but its mechanism of action on the phospholipid membrane was unknown. To address this, researchers at University of California San Diego […]

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A dose by any other name…

The latest writing style guide published by the NHS states that the word chemist is out when talking about the pharmacy. Hallelujah! It would seem that the word chemist is recapturing its original meaning after centuries of finding itself repurposed. The origins of the word chemistry are lost in the mists of time. However, at […]

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Predator interactions chiefly determine where Prochlorococcus thrive

Prochlorococcus are the smallest and most abundant photosynthesizing organisms on the planet. A single Prochlorococcus cell is dwarfed by a human red blood cell, yet globally the microbes number in the octillions and are responsible for a large fraction of the world’s oxygen production as they turn sunlight into energy. Prochlorococcus can be found in […]

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Secondary structures in DNA are associated with cancer

A new cancer study reports that DNA manifested as knot-like folds and third rungs between DNA’s two strands may drive cancer development and an important regulatory enzyme could be associated with the formation of these unusual structures. Scientists from Northwestern Medicine and the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have discovered that the loss of […]

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