A theoretical chemist and a biochemist walk into a bar. They both speak the same language, yet it’s difficult for them to have a conversation about each other’s research. They’re both intelligent, educated scientists who have at least a basic understanding of the other’s field, so what’s the problem? The first post from the ScIU… Read more »
Tag: Chemistry
Fuel for the future: The evolving process of making hydrogen
Hydrogen gas (H2), which is currently used in world-wide production of ammonia, is also being considered as an alternative fuel. But how is hydrogen gas made? Carbon monoxide (CO) and water (H2O) can be combined to form hydrogen gas (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in a process known as the water-gas shift reaction. The water-gas… Read more »
Measuring the mass of Goldilocks molecules: not too big, but not too small
Finding out how much you weigh is simple–just step on a scale and see the answer within seconds. Weighing ourselves is easy, but how do we weigh the microscopic things in our world that are too small to see? By using mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometry has been around since the early 20th century, and researchers… Read more »
Protein machines: The molecules of your body in motion
Proteins move. Most people are likely familiar with proteins in the context of their own nutrition – you get protein from meat, unless you’re a vegetarian, in which case you might get protein from soy or milk. But proteins are not just a part of your diet. The extremely broad category of molecules contained under… Read more »
Is there sugar in my vaccine?
Zika. Ebola. SARS. Each of these different diseases have been extensively covered by the media and have sparked widespread concern about disease prevention globally. This concern over disease prevention has hit even closer to home with the mumps outbreak at IU this past spring. With this recent outbreak, there has been a push to minimize… Read more »