Chemists from Itmo University have succeeded in creating hollow nanoparticles using liquid metals. The new method will not only make these particles easier to produce, but it will also allow the properties of metal nanocapsules to be modified.

Amyloid plaques are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) — clumps of misfolded proteins that accumulate in the brain, disrupting and killing neurons and resulting in the progressive cognitive impairment that is characteristic of the widespread neurological disorder. In animal models, a new compound modulated a key enzyme, reducing or eliminating production of these problematic protein fragments.

Several proposals have emerged on how to distribute the Covid-19 vaccine, but they fall short in ensuring that the vaccine is distributed fairly. A team including Binghamton University professor Nicole Hassoun suggests three ways to more fairly and effectively distribute the vaccine so that people in poor countries get the vaccine as soon as possible.

In response to laboratories’ need to minimize in-person contact during the pandemic, Thermo Fisher Scientific now offers its Dionex Easion and Dionex Aquion Ion Chromatography (IC) systems through easy, online ordering.

The new HPPeco constant climate chamber and IPPeco cooled incubator operate with hitherto unrivalled efficiency, claims developer Memmert. In terms of energy consumption they are supposed to be far ahead of both compressor-cooled appliances and appliances with previous Peltier technology.

Swiss company Lonza has announced an expansion to its popular Pyrotec PRO Automated Robotic Solution for endotoxin testing. The new Pyrowave Reader add-on has been designed specifically for use with the sustainable Pyrogene Recombinant Factor C (rFC) Assay.

Scientists of Lund University, Sweden, led the international collaboration that resulted in the most comprehensive and in-depth examination of a soft-tissue fossil ever undertaken. Among other things, the study reveals that the soft parts have fossilised so quickly that both the original cells and their internal contents are preserved.

One consequence of the coronavirus pandemic has been global restrictions on mobility. This, in turn, has had an effect on pollution levels in the atmosphere.

A new mathematical model for the interaction of bacteria in the gut could help design new probiotics and specially tailored diets to prevent diseases. The research, from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, was recently published in the journal PNAS.

Since humans first used and manipulated metals, this has been done by reshaping them permanently with heat and pressure. Scientists refer to this plastic deformation as dislocation. A new study took a closer look at the chemical processes occurring during this deformation process.