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Department of ChemistryLatest News:
New Clues to How Proteins Dissolve and CrystallizeFresh evidence for the "Law of Matching Water Affinities"In the late 19th century the Czech scientist Franz Hofmeister observed that some salts (ionic compounds) aided the solution of proteins in egg white, some caused the proteins to destabilize and precipitate, and others ranged in activity between these poles. (Article courtesy of Berkeley Lab Research News)
Warming up for Magnetic Resonance ImagingHigher temperatures yield tunable, supersensitive Hyper-CEST MRIStandard magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, is a superb diagnostic tool but one that suffers from low sensitivity, requiring patients to remain motionless for long periods of time inside noisy, claustrophobic machines. A promising new MRI method, much faster, more selective — able to distinguish even among specific target molecules — and many thousands of times more sensitive, has now been developed in the laboratory by researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley. (Article and photo courtesy of Berkeley Lab Research News)
Berkeley researchers identify photosynthetic dimmer switchIn a study of the molecular mechanisms by which plants protect themselves from oxidation damage should they absorb too much sunlight during photosynthesis, a team of researchers has discovered a molecular “dimmer switch” that helps control the flow of solar energy moving through the system of light harvesting proteins. This discovery holds important implications for the future design of artificial photosynthesis systems that could provide the world with a sustainable and secure source of energy. (Article and photo courtesy of Berkeley Lab Research News)
College wins major grants from EBI, SPSP to tackle energy and sustainability issuesThe College of Chemistry will begin new projects to find sustainable solutions for energy and environmental problems with grants from the Energy Biosciences Institute and the Sustainable Products and Solutions Program.
Glowing sugars light up zebrafishUsing artificial sugar and some clever chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, researchers have made glow-in-the-dark fish whose internal light comes from the sugar coating on their cells. (Article courtesy of UC Berkeley News, photo courtesy of Bertozzi laboratory)
Dreyfus Foundation awards grants to Arnold and StreitwieserThe Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation has awarded two grants to the College of Chemistry faculty to support undergraduate education and research.
On the Energy Trail: Berkeley Researchers Find New Details Following the Path of Solar Energy During PhotosynthesisImagine a technology that would not only provide a green and renewable source of electrical energy, but could also help scrub the atmosphere of excessive carbon dioxide resulting from the burning of fossil fuels. That’s the promise of artificial versions of photosynthesis, the process by which green plants have been converting solar energy into electrochemical energy for millions of years. To get there, however, scientists need a far better understanding of how Nature does it, starting with the harvesting of sunlight and the transporting of this energy to electrochemical reaction centers. (Article and photo courtesy of Berkeley Lab Research News)
Francis develops fluorescent hybrid material made from polymers and proteinsResearchers at the University of California, Berkeley have now developed a new strategy for the formation of hybrid materials from synthetic polymers and proteins. They have thus been able to fuse the specific biological functions of proteins with the advantageous bulk and processing properties of plastics. Polymer-protein hybrid materials may be of use in the manufacture of sensors, nanomachine parts, or drug-delivery systems. (Article courtesy of Innovations Report/Germany)
Arnold chairs Royal Society of Chemistry meeting on main group chemistryChemistry professor John Arnold will chair the Royal Society of Chemisty (RSC) Dalton Division meeting on main group chemistry to be held June 23-25 on the Berkeley campus. The Dalton Division of the RSC promotes the study and dissemination of all aspects of inorganic chemistry.
Berkeley Lab Names Paul Alivisatos as Deputy DirectorPaul Alivisatos, an award-winning chemist and international authority on the fabrication of nanocrystals and their use in solar energy applications, has been named the new Deputy Director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). His appointment is effective April 7, 2008. Berkeley Lab is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory, managed by the University of California (UC), that conducts unclassified scientific research. (Article and photo courtesy of Berkeley Lab Research News)
Somorjai Gives 2008 Priestley Award Address at ACS meetingBerkeley chemistry professor Gabor A. Somorjai has received the 2008 Priestley Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the American Chemical Society (ACS), for his contributions to surface science and catalysis for more than 40 years. |
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