Custom Designed Protein Crystals

Protein design is technique that is increasingly valuable to a variety of fields, from biochemistry to therapeutics to materials engineering. University of Pennsylvania chemists have taken this kind of design a step further; using computational methods, they have created the first custom-designed protein crystal [Image credit: Christopher MacDermaid, University of Pennsylvania].

Ionic Liquids - Liquid salts with many talents

Ionic liquids are molten salts that are also in a liquid form at room temperature. The unique characteristics of these liquid salts are the very thing that makes ionic liquids so interesting for industry and could soon revolutionize a whole range of areas where industrial applications are used: Like in the production of cellulose, for instance, in solar cells, or in the metal processing industry. source: BASF

Molecule blocks pathway leading to Alzheimer's disease

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Researchers have found novel compounds that disrupt the formation of amyloid, the clumps of protein in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease believed to be important in causing the disease's characteristic mental decline. The so-called "spin-labeled fluorene compounds" are an important new target for researchers and physicians focused on diagnosing, treating and studying the disease. [more]

Organic Photovoltaics - Flexible and transparent solar cells

In organic photovoltaics dyes are used that are able to convert light into electrical energy. Due to the extremely thin photovoltaic layer, flexible or even transparent organic solar cells can be produced. For instance, windows could be coated with organic solar cells and produce electricity. Source: BASF