International Research Chemistry Awards

  The research team chose a different approach. They used an optical method known as chiral-selective vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy (chiral SFG), which allows for detailed probes of hydration in the original environment. Santiago and fellow researchers used both an experimental and computational approach. They used chiral SFG to probe changes in DNA hydration structures when a small-molecule drug— netropsin —binds the minor groove of DNA . Then they performed molecular dynamics simulations to model these interactions and structural changes. Based on the models, they simulated the chiral SFG spectra for direct comparison with experiments. Through this comparison, their molecular models proved to be valid. The study found that chiral SFG can detect water displacement from the minor groove of DNA upon netropsin binding. Additionally, chiral SFG can differentiate between weakly and strongly hydrogen-bonded water hydrating DNA. Furthermore, the researchers discovere...

To address this challenge, a research team led by Associate Professor Yasuhiro Yamada from the Graduate School of Engineering and Associate Professor Tomonori Ohba from the Graduate School of Science at Chiba University, Japan, developed a new type of carbon material called 'viciazites.' These materials are designed with nitrogen groups positioned next to each other in a controlled way. The study, published in the journal Carbon , was co-authored by Mr. Kota Kondo, also from Chiba University. Building Viciazites With Controlled Nitrogen Pairing The researchers created three different versions ofcompounds each with a unique type of neighboring nitrogen configuration. To produce adjacent primary amine groups (-NH2 groups), they first heated a compound called coronene, then treated it with bromine, followed by ammonia gas. This three-step method achieved 76% selectivity, meaning most of the nitrogen atoms were placed in the intended positions. Two additional materials were produce...

  Biohybrid materials are proceeded by integrating living cells and non-living materials to endow materials with biomimetic properties and functionalities by supporting cell proliferation and even enhancing cell functions. Due to the outstanding biocompatibility and programmability , biohybrid materials provide some promising strategies to overcome current problems in the biomedical field . Here, we review the concept and unique features of biohybrid materials by comparing them with conventional materials. We emphasize the structure design of biohybrid materials and discuss the structure-function relationships. We also enumerate the application aspects of biohybrid materials in biomedical frontiers. We believe this review will bring various opportunities to promote the communication between cell biology, material sciences, and medical  engineering. Visit Our Website : researchchemistry.org Nomination Link : researchchemistry.org/award-nomination/ Registration Link : ...

  "They are 'smart materials' that can be tuned to respond to a stimulus in a way we can control," said Marina Leite, professor of materials science engineering at UC Davis and senior author on the paper. "Their chemistry is very different in a way that can be beneficial for creating devices we couldn't build before." All perovskites share a common structure known as ABX3. At the atomic level, this can be visualized as a central atom surrounded by an octahedron (two pyramids attached at the base) formed by six atoms, all enclosed within a cube with atoms at each corner. Because of this structure, perovskites are already widely studied for use in optoelectronics and advanced solar cells." Light triggers rapid and reversible crystal changes To investigate how these materials respond to light, graduate student Mansha Dubey directed laser light onto perovskite crystals and monitored how their atomic structure shifted using X-ray measurements. The cryst...

  In nanoscale particle research, precise control and separation have long been a bottleneck in biotechnology . Researchers at the University of Oulu have now developed a new method that improves particle separation and purification. The promising technique could be applied, for example, in cancer research. Separating nanosized particles remains a persistent challenge in biotechnology. Once particle size drops below a few hundred nanometres, their behaviour becomes dominated by diffusion – the random walk of particles. This weakens the forces used to guide them, causing separation accuracy to collapse. A microfluidics research group led by Professor Caglar Elbuken at the University of Oulu has developed a new solution to the problem. The method significantly improves the separation and purification of both small synthetic particles and nanoscale vesicles secreted by living cells. Particle separation is crucial because many biological processes occur precisely at the nanoscale. Extr...

  Pancreatic cancer has a lot of nerve. Notoriously tricky to detect, the disease also often resists traditional therapy . So, researchers are urgently looking for new ways to disrupt tumor formation. Though scientists know that the nervous system can help cancer spread, its role in the disease's earliest stages remains unclear. "One phenomenon that is known is called perineural invasion," says Jeremy Nigri, a postdoc in Professor David Tuveson's lab at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). "This means cancer cells will migrate within the nerve and use the nerve as a way to metastasize." Now, Nigri and his colleagues at CSHL have discovered that the nervous system plays an active part in pancreatic cancer development, even before tumors form. Using 3D imaging, they found that tumor-promoting fibroblasts called myCAFs send out signals to attract nerve fibers. The myCAFs and nerve cells then work together within pancreatic lesions to create a favorable environ...