DNA is found in the nucleus of cells in multicellular organisms, and was first isolated in 1869, by the Swiss physician Friedrich Miescher. However, its structure was not elucidated until almost a century later, in 1953. The authors of the paper in which this structure was suggested, James Watson ...

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Today’s big news has been the story that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified processed meat (including bacon, ham, and salami) as a Group 1 carcinogen. This places it in the same group as smoking, which has led to a number of headlines claiming that it means the risk from the two ...

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Da der Sommer mehr oder weniger angekommen ist, fühlt sich das wie die richtige Zeit an sich mit Sonnenschutzmitteln zu beschäftigen. Es ist ein Produkt, das viele von uns für selbstverständlich halten, aber Sie haben es der Chemie zu verdanken, dass Ihre Haut in der Sommersonne nicht rot wird. ...

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The Aroma of Bacon

When it comes to breakfasts, there are few aromas better than that of bacon, sizzling and crisping in a pan. As part of a brief new series looking at the chemicals behind aromas, this graphic considers the chemicals that lend bacon it’s characteristically mouth-watering scent. Considering that ...

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For the fourth in the analytical chemistry series, we turn to mass spectrometry. So far, we’ve looked at how chemists can determine the presence of particular bonds present in molecules with infrared spectroscopy, and how they can gain information about the structure of molecules using hydrogen ...

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When we’re suffering from a bacterial infection, a trip to the doctors to be prescribed antibiotics is commonplace.However, there are a wide range of antibiotics available, and they vary both in their usage and their mechanismof action. This graphic summarises the major classes, and also gives ...

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If you’re an asthma sufferer, you likely need at least one inhaler to keep your symptoms in check – or maybe even two different types. Commonly, those afflicted with asthma will have both a blue and a brown inhaler. Whilst the colours can vary, the purpose of the chemical compounds contained ...

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It’s that time of year where a fair few of us (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least) are probably suffering from a coldof some description. The common symptom, that of a blocked nose, is probably one of the most irritating, but thankfully, nasal decongestants exist to provide relief. But how do ...

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And A New Way to Find More

If you’ve read any science news over the past day or so, you’ll have noticed it’s been dominated by stories about the discovery of a new antibiotic, teixobactin. There’s a reason that the scientific community is so excited by its discovery, but in truth, it’s the method which was used to discover ...

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The recentmeasles outbreak in the US has once againprovoked discussionover vaccinations, and why some parents choose not to vaccinate their children despite the benefits of doing so. Whilst not the only factor, part of the blame lies with misinformation about the chemical compositionof ...

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