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Astronomy / Space Science - Chemistry - 13.05.2022

Cooperative molecular networks may have been the spark of life on other planets
According to a UdeM study, life could have emerged on an exoplanet as a result of a type of biochemical cooperation that is more likely to occur in nature than we might think! Darwin's theory of evolution probably isn't the full explanation for the emergence of life. Even in a barren environment conducive to fierce competition, cooperation between molecular networks may have spawned life on Earth and, by extension, elsewhere in the universe.

Chemistry - Environment - 13.04.2022

More developed countries dumping toxic e-waste in Global South, University of Toronto researchers find
People in mainland China and the Global South suffer the brunt of emissions of toxic chemicals from consumer goods used in more-developed countries, according to a new study. Researchers, including Frank Wania and Kate Tong of the University of Toronto Scarborough, say "core regions" in Europe, North America and parts of Asia have offloaded  polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) emissions to less developed parts of the world.

Health - Chemistry - 28.03.2022

Using organ-on-a-chip platform, researchers devise potential strategy to treat severe COVID-19 complications
Using their novel organ-on-a-chip platform, a research team from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering has identified a molecule with the potential to combat one of the most severe complications of COVID-19 infections. The molecule, a novel anti-inflammatory peptide called QHREDGS, does not act on the virus directly.

Environment - Chemistry - 15.02.2022

Investigating the ’skunk’ smell and other emissions caused by cannabis production
Q&As Alex Walls What exactly causes that 'skunky' odour emitted by cannabis production facilities, and what do these emissions mean for air quality, workers, and the general public? We should address these and other knowledge gaps while the industry is still developing, according to a new study led by Davi de Ferreyro Monticelli, a doctoral candidate in UBC's department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences.

Chemistry - 15.11.2021

Researchers train computers to predict the next designer drugs
Global law enforcement agencies are already using the new method UBC researchers have trained computers to predict the next designer drugs before they are even on the market, technology that could save lives. Law enforcement agencies are in a race to identify and regulate new versions of dangerous psychoactive drugs such as bath salts and synthetic opioids, even as clandestine chemists work to synthesize and distribute new molecules with the same psychoactive effects as classical drugs of abuse.

Environment - Chemistry - 20.10.2021

’Forever chemicals’ found in French fertilizer made from sewage
UdeM environmental chemist Sébastien Sauvé and his team analyzed agricultural soil samples in France. Their alarming findings appear today in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. A waterproof coat keeps you dry when it rains, but did you know it can also contaminate the environment? That's because the fabric contains perand polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - so-called "forever chemicals" that take forever to decompose.