The outsides of oysters appear rugged and dreary, but embedded inside lie beautiful, iridescent pearls. Their beauty has made them a sought-after object of vanity and aesthetics in the jewelry industry. However, this gem might be good for more than just earrings and necklaces; scientists are currently investigating its complex formation and how the organization […]
Are Pearls the Key to the Next Supermaterial? Read More »
With a radius of over nine and a half times that of Earth’s and an atmosphere consisting of almost entirely hydrogen and helium, Saturn is a gas giant. But most notoriously, Saturn is known for the beautiful rings of ice and rock particles that orbit around its equator. However, lesser known to most is its
The hexagon: Explaining Saturn’s north pole pattern Read More »
Coral reefs are not only beautiful scapes of nature but also home to the most diverse ecosystems in the marine world. Being the home of thousands of fish, hundreds of corals, and many other various organisms, scientists have been investigating ways to combat the dangers to the reefs caused by global climate change. A currently
Staghorn coral studies show promise for global warming–resistant reefs Read More »
The California Floristic Province is a region encompassing the entire coast of California and is known and studied for its incredible biodiversity. This Mediterranean-like ecosystem is home to almost 3,500 different vascular plant species — 61 percent of which cannot be found anywhere in the world. This biodiversity hotspot, along with other hotspot regions around
Waking up to the smell of sizzling bacon and crispy toast can be a delicious way to start your morning. The bacon’s slight curls with crispy edges and the bread’s golden brown coloring are both caused by the same chemical reaction. Also known as the “browning reaction,” the Maillard reaction occurs during many different cooking
The chemistry of delicious flavors, enticing aromas, and possibly cancer Read More »
Dendrimers, or chemistry’s snowflake, are complex polymers that have the potential for many drug delivery applications. Starting with a singular atom at its core, dendrimers are formed through the connection of layer upon layer of additional functional groups until a spherical macromolecule is created. Polymers are materials that are made of many repeating units, also
Dendritic polymers for dermal drug delivery Read More »
Tea bags, coffee cups, clothing, soda cans, and gum are only a select few items that surprisingly all contain some form of plastic. The more obvious plastic water bottles, bags, electronics, and containers further display how humans live in a plastic-filled world. Although innovation and standard of living have greatly improved since its invention, plastic
A world without plastic? The pros and cons of plastic Read More »
For an animal missing both a heart and a brain, jellyfish are beautifully mystifying to watch as they glide through the water. As very simple creatures and extremely slow swimmers, jellyfish have been overlooked by many researchers when in fact the way in which they pulsate their bell to move is quite complex and efficient.
The race to develop a vaccine for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic spans across the world as the virus continues to take thousands of lives every day. Unfortunately, the fastest vaccines typically take at least five years to fully develop; this includes multiple failed attempts before commercializing an effective vaccine that successfully passes all clinical trials
Vaccine development: From the lab bench to the doctor’s office Read More »