Matthew Blow

Sep 26, 2024 | chemistryworld.com | Matthew Blow

Quantum tunnelling is the dominant process driving chloride ions to leach from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a computational study concludes. Gbolagade Olajide and Tibor Szilvási of the University of Alabama, US, made the surprising discovery while studying a base-assisted E2 reaction in which a chloride ion is liberated from a PVC polymer chain.

Jun 25, 2024 | chemistryworld.com | Matthew Blow

A computational study has challenged long-standing assumptions about the nature of bonding in liquid gallium, offering a new explanation as to why the metal has such a low melting point.1 A classic chemist’s party trick is to give a gallium teaspoon to an unsuspecting guest. Sturdy and shiny on the saucer, the spoon will promptly melt in a hot beverage, thanks to its melting point of just 29.8°C.

Mar 5, 2024 | nature.com | Sudha Rajderkar |Maria Amaral |Laura Cook |Fabrice Darbellay |Cailyn H. Spurrell |Marco Osterwalder | +9 more

AbstractThe genetic basis of human facial variation and craniofacial birth defects remains poorly understood. Distant-acting transcriptional enhancers control the fine-tuned spatiotemporal expression of genes during critical stages of craniofacial development. However, a lack of accurate maps of the genomic locations and cell type-resolved activities of craniofacial enhancers prevents their systematic exploration in human genetics studies.

Feb 14, 2024 | nature.com | Matthew Blow

This month’s Genome Watch discusses the application of spatial transcriptomics to investigate the arrangements of microbial communities and their effects on the host.

Oct 4, 2023 | chemistryworld.com | Jamie Durrani |Julia Robinson |Patrick Walter |Matthew Blow

This year’s chemistry Nobel prize was awarded to three US-based scientists: Moungi Bawendi at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Louis Brus at Columbia University, and Alexei Ekimov who was most recently chief scientist at Nanocrystals Technology, having previously worked at the Vavilov State Optical Institute in St Petersburg, Russia. The award was given for their ‘discovery and synthesis of quantum dots’ – but what are quantum dots, and why are they worthy of a Nobel prize?