Degradable, bio-based polymers offer options for chemical recycling, and they can be a tool to store and release useful molecules. Scientists have developed a class of sugar-based polymers that are degradable through acid hydrolysis. The researchers also integrated “cargo” molecules in the polymer, which are designed to split off after polymer degradation.

The biological carbon pump is a cyclical process by which inorganic carbon from the atmosphere is fixed by marine lifeforms and transported through ocean layers into the deepest waters and ocean sediments. Fish that feed at the surface at night and retreat to the mesopelagic zone by day were thought to influence carbon cycling, but the extent of their contribution has never been explored.

Tecan has expanded the range of pipetting options for its Cavro Magni Flex OEM liquid handling framework with the creation of the Air Restriction Pipettor (ARP).

The global pharma company Jazz Pharmaceuticals has plans to acquire GW Pharmaceuticals, one of the leaders in developing cannabinoid-based medicines. The move is expected to attract many more investments into this sector.

Bioprocess researchers undertaking high-density mammalian, bacterial or microbial cell culture separations can now benefit from a next-generation single-use, sterilized, closed-system Bioprocess Container (BPC) from Thermo Fisher Scientific designed to offer a highly efficient alternative for harvesting by centrifugation.

Qiagen announced the addition of kits for wastewater testing to its growing portfolio of Covid-19 products. The use of dPCR in the worldwide surveillance of Covid-19 is an additional step towards making digital PCR (dPCR) an affordable and standard instrument for a host of applications in molecular-testing laboratories worldwide.

Surface, aircraft and satellite measurements show that concentration of greenhouse gas methane (CH4) varied widely in the past three decades, with accelerated growth rates in the most recent decade. A new study shows key CH4 emission sectors and their long-term variations using inverse analyses with atmospheric chemistry transport modeling to contribute to effective emission reduction strategies.

After five years of work, Ensure, an ERC H2020 project developed at Politecnico di Milano, has achieved its main goal: to control and optimise an unconventional technique of particle acceleration by irradiating nanostructured materials with innovative properties using super-intense and ultra-short laser pulses.

The 2021 SLAS Conference and Exhibition, the international trade fair for laboratory automation, will be held completely digitally this year. Analytik Jena will be there, offering participants of the online trade fair the opportunity to experience products, solutions and expert knowledge up close, despite the physical distance.

There are high hopes for the next generation of high energy-density lithium metal batteries, but before they can be used in our vehicles, there are crucial problems to solve. An international research team led by Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has now developed concrete guidelines for how the batteries should be charged and operated, maximising efficiency while minimising the risk of short circuits.