Large numbers of three-spined stickleback have gradually taken over larger parts of the Baltic Sea’s coastal ecosystem, shows a new scientific study. Stickleback is a small prey fish common in aquatic food webs across temperate Europe. The stickleback contributes to local ecosystem ‘regime shifts’, where young-of-the-year pike and perch decline in individual bays, and these shifts gradually spread like a wave from the outer archipelago into the mainland coast.

Non-edible plants are a promising alternative to crude oil, but their heterogenous composition can be a challenge to producing high yields of useful products. Scientists from EPFL, the University of Cambridge, and the Bern University of Applied Sciences have developed a platform that combines different microorganisms that can make a dramatic difference.

Using a device small enough to fit on the head of a pin, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign gained new knowledge about the properties of polymer fibers at the nanoscale — knowledge that can inform the design and manufacturing of products made up of random networks of filaments, such as robust filters designed to block foreign particles from entering our lungs.

At analytica 2018 in Munich, Analytik Jena will be presenting a new HPLC module for its Plasma Quant MS mass spectrometer series

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore has developed ‘Caproglu’, a biorubber glue which has the ability to join blood vessels and close wounds faster. The surgical glue also has the potential to act as a platform to deliver pain relief drugs.

Merck launched its new Cellstream benchtop flow cytometry system — a compact, customizable flow cytometer that uses a camera for detection. According to the manufacturer, its unique optics system and design provide researchers with unparalleled sensitivity and flexibility when analyzing cells and submicron particles.

The world’s largest lizard, the Komodo dragon, could be driven to extinction by climate change unless significant measures to intervene are taken soon.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recently established a new safety threshold for perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the body. The move is in line with a scientific opinion which focuses on the risks of PFAS in food.

Covid-19 has drastically changed the perception of hygiene and cleanliness, spurring interest in antimicrobial coatings, according to a new report from Lux Research.

Lux Research’s new report titled ‘The Chemicals and Materials Company of 2040’ states that over the next 20 years, the chemicals and materials industries will change drastically due to climate change and the digital transformation. The sectors will also be forced to adopt new skills and develop new goals to stay competitive in the market.