Will manual pipettes still be around in 50 years’ time? What challenges lie ahead? What opportunities? Two Eppendorf experts share their views with LP. The conversation was conducted by Dr. Ilka Ottleben.

As recently as 60 years ago, it was almost impossible to pipette small amounts of liquid in the microliter range safely and reproducibly. Many breakthroughs, particularly in the fields of molecular and chemical research, would not have been conceivable in the milliliter range.

Many of the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that end up in the ocean boomerang back to shore after they are re-emitted into air with the crashing of waves, according to a study by researchers at Stockholm University published today in Environmental Science & Technology. The findings suggest that this sea-to-air transport process is a significant contributor to PFAS air pollution in coastal areas.

By measuring the amount of highly energetic particles, a cosmic ray sensor installed underneath the Bay of Tokyo, was able to detect a tsunami. This approach could provide a better way of modelling changes in sea level.

A novel plant-breeding strategy is targeting crop yield, nutritional value and stress tolerance, all through the expression of one gene. Manipulating the content of carotenoids, such as ß-carotene, has been found to improve plant growth and increase yield and tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity.

Salk scientists report in the journal Gastroenterology that a protein known as estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERR ɣ) is critical for preventing pancreatic auto-digestion in mice. Their findings could lead to new treatments for pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

How does a cell “decide” what type of cell to become? The question of cell fate has been explored for decades now, especially in the context of stem cell biology, but there are still gaps in our understanding. Scientists at EPFL now found that lipids play a major role in this process.

Hokkaido University researchers have developed a hydrogel that does the opposite of what polymer-based materials, like plastic bottles, normally do: their material hardens when heated and softens when cooled. Their findings, published in the journal Advanced Materials, could lead to the fabrication of protective clothing items for traffic and sports-related accidents.

When accidents happen, the difference between life and death may come down to the materials of the car, boat or building that you find yourself in. The best possible protection requires understanding as much as possible about how different materials behave under stress. Norwegian scientists examine this issue at the nano level.

The stereoisomers of a molecule can cause different effects in a biological system. Among other things, this is important for the development of drugs. WWU chemists have succeeded in developing a synthetic process that can produce different stereoisomers from identical starting materials.