Building a Rotary Evaporator for the Home Lab

A laboratory benchtop is shown. To the left, there is a distillation column above a collecting flask, with a tube leading from the flask to an adapter. The adapter has a frame holding a glass tube with a teflon stopper at one end, into which a smaller glass tube leads. At the other end of the larger tube is a round flask suspended in an oil bath.

The rotary evaporator (rotovap) rarely appears outside of well-provisioned chemistry labs. That means that despite being a fundamentally simple device, their cost generally puts them out of reach for amateur …read more Continue reading Building a Rotary Evaporator for the Home Lab

New painkiller precisely targets sites of chronic pain

Researchers have developed a non-addictive painkiller that remains inactive until it reaches sites of chronic pain. Instead of dulling the nerves that send the pain signals like other analgesics, this new pain pill directly addresses the underlying cau… Continue reading New painkiller precisely targets sites of chronic pain

Largest protein in nature discovered in algae toxin

A cell of Prymnesium parvum, or golden algae, in which the world's largest known protein was discovered

Scientists have discovered the largest known protein in biology. Given the fun name of PKZILLA-1, the protein was found in algae cells and helps them make toxins that are responsible for mass killings of fish.

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100% of toxic “forever chemicals” break down overnight in new reaction

Scientists in Japan have developed a new method for breaking down toxic “forever chemicals” quickly and at room temperature. The technique broke down 100% of certain types of these pollutants overnight, recovering some useful components for reuse.Conti… Continue reading 100% of toxic “forever chemicals” break down overnight in new reaction