SOUTHWEST RETORT
SEVENTY-SIXTH YEAR
January 2024
Published for the advancement of Chemists, Chemical Engineers and Chemistry in this area published by The Dallas-Fort Worth Section, with the cooperation of five other local sections of the American Chemical Society in the Southwest Region.
Vol. 76(5) January 2024 Editorial and Business Offices: Contact the Editor for subscription and advertisement information. Editor: Connie Hendrickson: retort@acsdfw.org Copy and Layout Editor: Lance Hughes: hugla64@gmail.com Business Manager: Martha Gilchrist: Martha.Gilchrist@tccd.edu The Southwest Retort is published monthly, September through May, by the Dallas-Ft. Worth Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc., for the ACS Sections of the Southwest Region.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS ARTICLES and COLUMNS Letter from the Editor…..…..……..............19 And Another Thing…………………...……..6 NEWS SHORTS Magnolia bark compound could someday help treat drug-resistant epilepsy..…..….….5 PFAS flow equally between Arctic Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, study finds....……..…..7 Extracting uranium from seawater as another source of nuclear fuel……………..….......8
A new brew: Evaluating the flavor of roasted, lab-grown coffee cells...………………....9 A more eco-friendly facial sheet mask that moisturizes, even though it’s packaged dry………………………………………….10 Recent advances in medical applications of nanoparticles……….....……..…………….11 Designing the ‘perfect’ meal to feed longterm space travelers………..……………..14 This next generation blue light could potentially promote or hinder sleep on command …………………………….………………...15
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AROUND THE AREA UT Dallas INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Huffman Laboratories……………..….........3 TMJ Data Entry and Editing.……….......…3 ANA-LAB…………………………...…..…..4
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From the ACS Press Room Magnolia bark compound could someday help treat drugresistant epilepsy “Zebrafish-Based Screening of Antiseizure used in traditional Chinese medicine. Plants Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Magnolia officinalis Extract and Its Constituents Magnolol and Honokiol Exhibit Potent Anticonvulsant Activity in a Therapy-Resistant Epilepsy Model”
ACS Chemical Neuroscience In patients with epilepsy, normal neurological activity becomes disrupted, causing debilitating seizures. Now, researchers report in ACS Chemical Neuroscience that they have found a potential new treatment for this disorder by turning to traditional Chinese medicine. Tests of extracts from plants used in these ancient remedies led the team to one compound, derived from a magnolia tree, that could quell drug-resistant seizures in both fish and mice. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases worldwide, and the World Health Organization estimates that about 50 million people have the disorder. Medications are available, but they don’t help everyone. Research suggests that about 70% of patients with epilepsy can control it well with medication, leaving many patients without effective treatment. But even when they work, the drugs can cause a range of side effects, from dizziness to mood disruptions. To look for new drug leads that could help even those patients who don’t respond to conventional anti-seizure medications, Peter de Witte and colleagues set their sights on plants
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A compound from the bark of a Chinese magnolia tree (above) shows promising activity against drug-resistant epilepsy. Credit: 95R17/Shutterstock.com
The team collected 14 plants used in traditional Chinese medicine anti-seizure remedies. They then tested the plants’ extracts in two types of zebrafish with epileptic-like seizures, one of which could respond to conventional anti-seizure medications, whereas the other type could not. Only extracts from the bark of Magnolia officinalis, a tree native to China, reduced seizure-like behavior in both types of fish. In tests with mice, the researchers found that the magnolia bark’s most potent anti-seizure compound, magnolol, reduced the rodents’ otherwise drug-resistant seizures. It and similar compounds in magnolia bark could provide a starting point for the development of treatments for resistant epilepsy, according to the researchers. The authors acknowledge funding from the China Scholarship Council, the KU Leuven Internal Funds and the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders.
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And Another Thing...RRRR-DBAI by: Denise Lynn Merkle, PhD 1/15/2024
First off, this is an opinion piece, and so reflects only the views of the author - not those of the editor, newsletter, or other chemists, entities, organizations, foundations, federation, institutions, coalitions, configurations, or governments, etc. Author only. On January 15th, DEIR is on pretty much everyone's minds. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Respect. Regardless of how the need for DEIR developed, or who was involved, or whether or not the issues can actually be resolved, a major source of many DEIR problems is that the R is at the end of the phrase. R represents THE fundamental principle - and it should be first, if not in a phrase all by itself. Respect. Respect Respect Respect. None of the other actions are fully possible if attitudes aren't underpinned with Respect. How does one believe another is equal if equality is not based on authentic acknowledgement that the other person Is. Not. Less? Are those who are seen as unworthy naturally included in meetings, projects, discussions, parties - anything? I think not. Value others because they exist - not because they've passed some sort of social or professional hazing. Why are we still having issues with this? People are not put on the earth to be treated badly by those who feel superior - or even those who feel inferior. There exists no right to behave as if others are inherently of lower anything. Surely everyone knows this by now. Why are we spending our precious time trying to explain Respect? One can be more educated, innovative, smarter, whatever - and these 'better-than' traits still do not bestow inherent superiority. They just don't. We should know this by now, too. Humanity is the equalizer, and we are all human (or should be). Respect, Respect, Respect, Respect * If something's wrong, fix it - without acting like the other person is a loser and you're riding in on your white Hyundai to save the day (or the experiment, or the relationship). * If someone has been treated badly - fix that, too - or at least apologize if the problem was your fault - and don't do it again. * Speak up if others demonstrate bad behavior, especially if they do so consistently. Do not allow nastiness to continue. Do NOT excuse disrespect - and, for Petey's Sake - Don't expect others to tolerate abuse. All the training in the world, all the explanations of how to act, any hints and tips for ensuring diversity, equity, inclusion- all these educational inputs are so very necessary, even in the 2020s - and yet, we really should consider the answer to this: Do all these missions become immediately irrelevant in the face of fundamental Respect? Genuine Respect cures a lot of ills. Here's a new one for you: RRRR-DBAI - Respect Respect Respect Respect - and Don't Be An Idiot. January 2024
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From the ACS Press Room PFAS flow equally between Arctic Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, study finds “Passive Sampler Derived Profiles and Mass Flows of Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFASs) across the Fram Strait in the North Atlantic”
movement of PFAS in this region and identify how water circulation influences the mix of contaminants in the Arctic Ocean.
Environmental Science & Technology Letters The frigid Arctic Ocean is far removed from the places most people live, but even so, “forever chemicals” reach this remote landscape. Now, research in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters suggests that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) won’t stay there indefinitely. Instead, they are transported in a PFAS come and go between the Arctic and Atlantic feedback loop, with the Arctic Ocean poten- Oceans at roughly equal rates. tially exporting as many PFAS to the North Adapted from Environmental Science & Technology LetAtlantic Ocean as it receives, circulating the ters 2024, DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00835 compounds around the world. The researchers deployed passive sampling To get to the Arctic Ocean, some PFAS hitch systems, which took up PFAS into a sorbenta ride in the air and fall onto the ocean’s sur- filled microporous membrane from water as face, but others enter from adjacent oceans. it flowed past. They put the systems at three The potential impact of these compounds on locations in the Fram Strait, and at four marine organisms depends on what PFAS are depths in each location. After a year, the present and how much, which are ever- team retrieved the systems and measured the changing as water flows between the Arctic collected PFAS using liquid chromatography Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. These -mass spectrometry. The researchers overwaterbodies are connected by the Fram served that: Strait, which sits to the northeast of Green• Ten PFAS were detected in at least one land near the Svalbard archipelago. Warm passive sampler, however, one substance dewater travels north on the eastern side of the tected in the area by previous research teams strait, and cold water flows south along the wasn’t among them. western side, providing a dynamic gateway for PFAS transportation. So, Rainer • Two compounds known as PFOA and Lohmann and colleagues wanted to track the Continued on page 17 January 2024
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From the ACS Press Room
Extracting uranium from seawater as another source of nuclear fuel “Self-standing Porous Aromatic Framework Electrodes for Efficient Electrochemical Uranium Extraction” ACS Central Science
trode material with lots of microscopic nooks and crannies that could be used in the electrochemical capture of uranium ions from seawater.
To create their electrodes, the team began Oceans cover most of Earth’s surface and with flexible cloth woven from carbon fibers. support a staggering number of lifeforms, but They coated the cloth with two specialized they’re also home to a dilute population of monomers that were then polymerized. Next, uranium ions. And — if we can get these par- they treated the cloth with hydroxylamine ticular ions out of the water — they could be hydrochloride to add amidoxime groups to a sustainable fuel source to generate nuclear the polymers. The natural, porous structure power. Researchers publishing in ACS Cen- of the cloth created many tiny pockets for the tral Science have now developed a material amidoxime to nestle in and easily trap the uranyl ions. to use with electrochemical extraction that In experiattracts hard-to-get uranium ions from seaments, the rewater more efficiently than existing methods. searchers Nuclear power reactors release the energy placed the naturally stored inside of an atom and turn it coated cloth into heat and electricity by literally breaking as a cathode the atom apart — a process known as fission. in either natuUranium has become the favored element for this process as all its forms are unstable and This new coated cloth effectively accu- rally sourced radioactive, making it easy to split. Current- mulated uranium (in yellow) on its sur- or uraniumly, this metal is extracted from rocks, but ura- face from uranium-spiked seawater. spiked seanium ore deposits are finite. Yet, the Nuclear Adapted from ACS Central Science, water, added 2023, DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c01291 a graphite anEnergy Agency estimates that 4.5 billion tons ode and ran a of uranium are floating around in our oceans as dissolved uranyl ions. This reserve is over cyclic current between the electrodes. Over 1,000 times more than what’s on land. Ex- time, bright yellow, uranium-based precipitracting these ions has proven to be challeng- tates accumulated on the cathode cloth. ing, though, as the materials for doing so In the tests using seawater collected from the don’t have enough surface area to trap ions Bohai Sea, the electrodes extracted 12.6 mileffectively. So, Rui Zhao, Guangshan Zhu and colleagues wanted to develop an elecContinued on page 13 January 2024
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From the ACS Press Room
A new brew: Evaluating the flavor of roasted, lab-grown coffee cells “Proof of Concept for Cell Culture-Based Coffee”
peratures and altitudes. Researchers have been investigating lab-grown coffee plant cells since the 1970s as an alternative to Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemisfarmed beans, but little research has evaluattry ed how laboratory products taste and smell It may soon be time to wake up and smell the compared to traditional beans. So, Hieko lab-grown coffee made from cultured plant Rischer and coworkers tested how roasting cells. But it’s not clear whether drinks from coffee plant cells impacts them and the bevthis product replicate coffee beans’ complex erage made from them. flavors. Now, a study in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that The team first cultured cells from some of the comforting aromas and tastes of chopped Coffea arabica leaves in a laboratoa conventional cup of coffee could be repro- ry-scale bioreactor. Then the cells were duced by roasting and brewing coffee cell freeze-dried, ground into a fine powder and roasted under three different conditions. cultures. Longer roasting times produced colors simiCoffee is one lar to dark roast coffee beans; the researchers of the most mentioned this was important for flavor perpopular bevception. Additionally, the current lab-grown erages powders contained twice as much caffeine as worldwide. previous bioreactor coffee products, although According to the current powders’ levels were much lower the U.S. Dethan those in farmed beans. The team brewed partment of beverages with the roasted cell cultures or Agriculture, dark roast C. arabica beans and served them 23 billion to trained taste-testers. The following concluWhen coffee plant cells grown in a biopounds of reactor (top left) are roasted (top right sions were drawn: and bottom powders), they develop col- beans are exors similar to conventional light or dark pected to be • Panelists identified similar levels of bitroast coffee. terness and sourness in lab-grown and conproduced Adapted from the Journal of Agriculthe ventional drinks. tural and Food Chemistry, 2023, DOI: during 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c04503 2023--–24 • The new brews had more roasted, burned growing sea- sugar, and smokey smells. son. However, coffee cultivation is increasingly threatened by a warming climate beContinued on page 17 cause the plants grow only at specific temJanuary 2024
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From the ACS Press Room
A more eco-friendly facial sheet mask that moisturizes, even though it’s packaged dry “Electrosprayed Environment-Friendly Dry Triode-Like Facial Masks for Skincare” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Starting a new year, many people pledge to enact self-care routines that improve their appearance. And facial sheet masks soaked in skin care ingredients provide an easy way to do this. However, these wet masks and their waterproof packaging often contain plastics and preservatives. Now, a study in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces reports a dry-packaged hydrating facial mask that is made of biobased and sustainable materials. Consumers in the beauty industry are increasingly concerned about the sustainability and sourcing of personal care items, in Researchers have designed a biobased facial sheet mask, similar to terms of both this one, that moisturizes skin even products’ inthough the sheet starts dry. gredients and LeviaUA/Shutterstock.com packaging. Facial sheet masks are popular cosmetic products advertised to benefit and enhance the skin. But they are typically made with plastic backing fabrics and are packaged with wet ingredients, requiring preservatives and disposable water-tight pouches. A more environmentally friendly option would be to package the facial masks dry. So, Jinlain Hu and coworkers aimed to design a facial sheet January 2024
mask with biobased materials that could be enveloped in paper and later activated to deliver moisture and nutrients. The researchers developed a facial mask with a sheet of plant-based polylactic acid (PLA), which could repel water, and they coated it in a layer of gelatin mixed with hyaluronic acid and green tea extract. They deposited the top layer as either tiny fibers or microspheres, using electrospinning or electrospray, respectively, and tested how well the masks could transfer moisture. They found: Water droplets did not pass through the masks without skin contact, regardless of which side a water droplet was placed on. •
Contact with skin initiated one-way water transport from PLA to gelatin to skin, but only for masks coated with gelatin-based microspheres. Placing the mask on moistened, rather than dry, skin improved water delivery through the mask. Finally, the team investigated how its mask’s ingredients impacted mouse cells as a proxy for reactions on skin. Fewer cells showed signals of aging when grown on the mask compared with cells grown in control conditions; the researchers attribute this to the antioxidant properties of the green tea extracts. The team says the beneficial properties of the natural ingredients and the one-way moisture -delivery design make this mask a promising alternative with a lesser environmental impact compared to traditional, wet-packed products. •
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From the ACS Press Room
Recent advances in medical applications of nanoparticles Nanoparticles have become an essential part of medicine, from aiding in diagnostic tests to serving as immunotherapy agents and more. Thanks to their ultrasmall size — around the thickness of a strand of DNA — these particles are adept at getting inside tissues and targeting precise areas. Here are three recent papers published in ACS journals that could expand the beneficial uses for nanoparticles, based on results in rats. The technology could be used to improve contraceptive methods, burn creams and arthritis treatments. Reporters can request free access to these papers by emailing newsroom@acs.org. “Nanostrategy of Targeting at Embryonic Trophoblast Cells Using CuO Nanoparticles for Female Contraception”
ACS Nano Dec. 13, 2023 Contraceptive measures are widely used in family planning, but some methods can cause unwanted side effects for the user. These researchers aimed to create a safer emergency contraceptive by targeting early embryonic trophoblast cells rather than the ovaries or uterus. They loaded copper oxide nanoparticles into a hydrogel delivery system, which they then injected into rats’ uteruses. There, the particles prevented embryonic implantation, and therefore prevented pregnancy, without major side effects. This strategy could be viable for up to eight days after an egg’s fertilization, while other emergency contraceptives must be taken within two days to be effective. “Study the Effect of Calendula officinalis Extract Loaded on Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Cream in Burn Wound Healing” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Dec. 12, 2023 These researchers created a better burn cream using zinc oxide nanoparticles and Calendula officinalis (marigold) extract. While both ingredients have demonstrated antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, neither substance can easily enter the body, even at the site of a wound. By loading zinc oxide nanoparticles with marigold extract, the team created a cream that healed rats’ skin burns and prevented tissue infections. In tests on cells taken from the damaged tissues, the researchers found that the nanoparticle-containing cream increased the proliferation of fibroblast cells, which help repair skin.
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From the ACS Press Room "Immunomodulatory Nanoparticles for Modulating Arthritis Flares" ACS Nano Nov. 28, 2023
Even in patients who respond well to treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, flare-ups can happen. These episodes cause pain and discomfort in addition to further joint damage. Here, researchers aimed to suppress arthritic flare-ups using specialized nanoparticles bound to peptide antigens loaded with calcitriol, a form of vitamin D 3. When injected intramuscularly into two different rat models with rheumatoid arthritis, the nanoparticles accumulated in lymph nodes adjacent to joints, where they worked to prevent bone erosion and preserve cartilage.
Recent advances in silver nanoparticle research Glittery metallic decorations keep the winter season cozy and bright. And silver jewelry adds to the glitz and glamour of holiday parties. However, microscopic particles of this metal have other unique properties, such as high electrical conductivity and antimicrobial activity, that researchers have applied to materials and biomedical products. Below are some recent papers published in ACS journals that report insights into how silver nanoparticles can be used to construct personal heaters, disinfect water and detect foodborne toxins. Reporters can request free access to these papers by emailing newsroom@acs.org. “Ag Nanoparticles-Coated Shish-Kebab Superstructure Film for Wearable Heater” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Dec. 1, 2023 Traditional and synthetic polymer fibers don’t naturally produce their own heat. So, these authors present a method to adhere silver nanoparticles to polyethylene — a polymer used in some textiles and fabrics. They prepared a polyethylene film with microscopic structures similar to beads along a string, and then coated it in polydopamine followed by a spray of silver nanoparticles. Compared to cotton, this film rapidly warmed under simulated sunlight and when an electrical current was applied. The researchers say that these features make the nanomaterial an excellent candidate for wearable heaters. “Integrating Navajo Pottery Techniques to Improve Silver Nanoparticle-Enabled Ceramic Water Filters for Disinfection” Environmental Science & Technology Oct. 23, 2023
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From the ACS Press Room Here, researchers mixed silver nanoparticles into a substance normally used as a coating for Navajo pottery and incorporated that coating in an antibacterial ceramic water filter. First, a Navajo potter heated pinyon pine resin in a traditional process, producing a substance called rosin, and then the team of researchers dissolved silver nanoparticles in the rosin. They applied a thin layer of the mixture onto a porous ceramic cartridge. When filtering water, the coated cartridges released dissolved silver ions at levels that inactivated bacteria but are considered safe for consumption. The new water treatment system was highly effective for at least 25 days. “Characterizing a Silver Nanoparticle-Based Electrochemical Biosensor for Shiga Toxin Detection” ACS Omega Oct. 18, 2023
Not all E. coli bacteria cause foodborne illness, but consuming the strains that produce Shiga toxin can lead to gastrointestinal distress and, in severe cases, organ damage. But assessing food and water for this toxin requires complex, expensive techniques. As a step towards a simpler test, scientists coated silver nanoparticles in Shiga toxin antibodies and used them in an electrochemical assay. The new method’s performance was similar to current immunoassay and PCR techniques, a result that’s promising for creating an inexpensive detection tool, the researchers say.
Extracting uranium from seawater Continued from page 8 ligrams of uranium per gram of coated, active material over 24 days. The coated material’s capacity was higher than most of the other uranium-extracting materials tested by the team. Additionally, using electrochemistry to trap the ions was around three times faster than simply allowing them to naturally accumulate on the cloths. The researchers say that this work offers an effective method to capture
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uranium from seawater, which could open up the oceans as new suppliers of nuclear fuel. The authors acknowledge funding from the National Key R&D Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Project of Education Department of Jilin Province, the Natural Science Foundation of Department of Science and Technology of Jilin Province, the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, and the “111” project.
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From the ACS Press Room
Designing the ‘perfect’ meal to feed long-term space travelers “Modeling of Space Crop-Based Dishes for Optimal Nutrient Delivery to Astronauts and Beyond on Earth” ACS Food Science & Technology
Imagine blasting off on a multiyear voyage to Mars, fueled by a diet of bland, prepackaged meals. As space agencies plan for longer missions, they’re grappling with the challenge of how to best feed people. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Food Science & Technology have designed the optimal “space meal”: a tasty vegetarian salad. They chose fresh ingredients that meet male astronauts’ specialized nutritional needs and can be grown in space. Astronauts in space burn more calories than humans on Earth and This salad made up of soybeans, poppy require exseeds, barley, kale, peanuts, sweet potato and sunflower seeds could be the optimal tra micromeal for men on long-term space missions. nutrients, Adapted from ACS Food Science & Tech- such as calnology 2023, DOI: 10.1021/ cium, to acsfoodscitech.3c00396 stay healthy during extended exposure to microgravity. Additionally, future long-term missions will require growing food in a sustainable, circular way within the spacecraft or space colonies. While researchers have exJanuary 2024
plored methods of growing food in space and what nutrients astronauts require to stay healthy, specific fresh meals have not been developed. So, Volker Hessel and coworkers wanted to optimize a space meal that meets those unique requirements of spaceflight and tastes good. First, the researchers assessed combinations of fresh ingredients, using a method called linear programming, which computationally balances different variables to meet a specific goal. In this case, their model identified how well the combinations of different foods could meet a male astronaut’s daily nutritional needs while minimizing the water required to grow the foods. The team was also concerned about the sustainability of the foods in space, selecting ingredients that needed little fertilizer, time and area to grow and whether inedible portions could be recycled. Of the scenarios, they found that a vegetarian meal made up of soybeans, poppy seeds, barley, kale, peanuts, sweet potato and/or sunflower seeds provided the most efficient balance of maximal nutrients and minimal farming inputs. While this combination couldn’t quite provide all the micronutrients an astronaut needs, those missing could be added in a supplement, the researchers suggest.
To make sure that the identified combination was tasty, the team whipped up the ideal space meal as a salad for four people to taste
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From the ACS Press Room
This next generation blue light could potentially promote or hinder sleep on command “Development and Verification of a 480 nm Blue Light Enhanced/Reduced HumanCentric LED for Light-Induced Melatonin Concentration Control”
make a light source that could support natural circadian rhythms, no matter what time of day it is used.
Blue light ranges in waveACS Omega length from Blue light from LED lamps and consumer 380 to 500 naelectronics can mess with your sleep because nometers (nm), it disrupts production of the natural sleep but not all blue New LEDs could reduce the sleepeffects of blue light hormone melatonin. Tinted glasses or dis- light is created suppressing from lamps and consumer electronplays in night mode can mask, but don’t re- equal. The ics, while also improving alertness during waking hours. move, a portion of the disruptive wave- wavelengths lengths. But now, researchers report in ACS that suppress Standret/Shutterstock.com Omega that they have designed more melatonin production — and cause wakeful“human-centric” LEDs that could potentially ness — are in the range of 460 to 500 nm. enhance drowsiness or alertness on com- So, the researchers designed two LEDs that mand. emitted different wavelengths of blue light. Humans have evolved over millennia to be One LED, intended for daytime use, restrictactive during the day and to rest at night; ed its blue emissions to wavelengths close to we’ve depended on the sun to regulate our 475 nm. The other LED, for evening use, sleep/wake cycle. But many people today emitted blue wavelengths near 450 nm, outspend a majority of their time indoors, side the range that disturbs sleep. shielded from the sun, so it’s harder for them Then the researchers built these two new to maintain that optimal 24-hour circadian LEDs into bulbs. Like conventional bulbs, rhythm. Exposure to artificial light can wors- they produced white light by converting en this problem because it can decrease se- some of the blue light into red and green with cretion of melatonin. And nighttime exposure the help of phosphors encased in the bulbs. to blue light, specifically, is notorious for in- The new LED bulbs were placed along with terfering with melatonin production and conventional LED bulbs in fixtures installed therefore sleep. However, blue light is emit- in the ceiling of a windowless room furted by LEDs in lamps, computers, TVs, nished with a desk, treadmill and bed. Indiphones and other handheld electronics that vidual male volunteers stayed in the room for people often use at night. So, Changwook Continued on page 15 Kim, Young Rag Do and colleagues set out to January 2024
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From ACS Press Room Continued
PFAS flow
Designing the ‘perfect’ meal Continued from page 14
Continued from page 7
PFOS, which are being phased out, were test here on Earth. One tester gave rave represent at the highest levels. Newer, short- views and “wouldn’t mind eating this all week chain PFAS were also routinely present. as an astronaut.” Other people were more Surprisingly, several PFAS were found in muted in their praise, even though they went water below 3,000 feet deep. The team sug- back for second helpings. In the future, the regests that these compounds could have got- searchers plan to see what their computer ten there by attaching to particles as they fell model dishes up as options for female astroto the seafloor. nauts and expand the variety of crops in their The team calculated the amounts of PFAS database. flowing in each direction through the Fram The authors acknowledge funding from a UniStrait. Their data showed that in one year versity of Adelaide scholarship stipend. around 123 tons traveled into the Arctic Ocean and about 110 tons moved into the Atlantic Ocean. According to the researchers, these values are the largest of any polluA new brew tant reported in the strait, demonstrating how Continued from page 9 significant the back-and-forth circulation of PFAS is in the Arctic Ocean. Some Maillard reaction products that give The authors acknowledge funding from the coffee its distinct flavor, such as guaiacol and University of Rhode Island Sources, several pyrazines, weren’t found in the cellTransport, Exposure and Effects of PFAS based drinks, though other Maillard reaction (STEEP) Superfund Center, and the Alfred products were present. Wegener Institute Long Term Ecological Re- Overall, while some tastes and smells of a typical bean-based coffee could be produced search Hausgarten program. by roasting cultured cells, the researchers say that future work is needed to explore proA more eco-friendly facial cessing techniques to further boost flavor for this alternative to conventionally grown cofsheet mask fee. Continued from page 10
The authors acknowledge funding from VTT The authors acknowledge funding from the Technical Research Centre of Finland, Ltd. City University of Hong Kong, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macau Science & Technology Fund. January 2024
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From ACS Press Room
Around the Area
Continued
University of TexasDallas Muhammad Abbas, a doctoral candidate in chemistry in the| Balkus Lab at UTD, found these stunning flower-like crystals when he looked at a sample of a terbium metal-organic framework (MOF) under a microscope.
This next generation blue light Continued from page 15 a stretch of three days. A computer controlled which type of LED was turned on or off during their stay; that way, the researchers could compare the impact on melatonin levels of conventional bulbs versus the new daytime and evening bulbs. Saliva samples from 22 volunteers showed that using the new LEDs increased the participants’ nighttime melatonin levels by 12.2% and reduced daytime melatonin by 21.9% compared to consistent conventional LED exposure. The researchers hope manufacturers of LED lamps and electronic displays can apply these findings to help people increase daytime vitality and work efficiency while also improving nighttime relaxation and sleep quality.
The authors acknowledge funding from the For new MOFs, like the one Abbas synthe- National Research Foundation of Korea. sized here, a typical first step involves growing high-quality crystals, key to solving their structure using X-ray diffraction analysis. Typically, these crystals grow in regular polyhedral shapes, such as cubes or dodecahedrons, but sometimes a few crystals may show irregular morphologies. However, it’s rare to see almost a whole batch of crystals grow in structures so similar and attractive as these flowers, each about 5 mm across. Abbas is exploring rare-earth MOFs for environmental applications. The goal for this project is to develop MOFs that can fluoresce when they detect pollutants in water.
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From the Editor At this time of the year, everyone is gearing up for the new semester; soon we’ll have posts for upcoming annual events, like the Meeting-in-Miniature. So send in your articles and announcements! My favorite press room article this month is (as usual) from Journal of Agriculatural and Food Chemistry, and concerns coffee: roasted, lab-grown coffee cells. Lab-grown coffee cells? I’ve cultured a number of different types of tissue and cells in my time, but coffee cells…? As a native of South Louisiana and a Cajun, I am dedicated to coffee, particularly Community, Café du Monde, Mello Joy, and Parish coffees. So what is this about? Coffee plants only grow at specific temperatures and altitudes, and their cultivation is increasingly threatened by the warming climate. Actually, people have been researching lab-grown coffee plant cells since the 1970s as an alternative to farmed beans, but how do those products taste and smell compared to traditional beans? Hieko Rischer and coworkers tested how roasting coffee plant cells impacts the beverage made from them. Cells from chopped Coffea arabica leaves were cultured in a laboratory-scale bioreactor, reeze-dried, ground into a fine powder and roasted under three different condiftions. The team brewed beverages with the roasted cell cultures or dark roast C. arabica beans and served them to trained taste-testers. The roasted cultured cells had some tastes and smells of a typical bean-based coffee but it was concluded that more research is needed to get a good lab-grown brew. Bring in the Cajun taste-testers!
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