Dr. Nicholas Leadbeater offers WAMC Radio an analysis of the widespread uses of helium. A possible shortage of this element has sparked debate as to who has the rights to its use. Therefore, as helium may become more strictly regulated, helium-filled party balloons may soon come to an end. For full story, courtesy of WAMC […]
Faculty News
Breaking Bad’s Bad Chemistry
UConn Today As the final episodes of Breaking Bad became available for the first time on Netflix this week, UConn chemistry professor Nicholas Leadbeater offered a three-part examination of the chemistry behind the hit television show. On Monday, he discussed why Walter White’s meth was so unique. On Tuesday, he discussed White’s use of acids […]
A New Way to Create Porous Materials
UConn Today A team of UConn chemists has discovered a new way of making a class of porous materials that allows for greater manufacturing controls and has significantly broader applications than the longtime industry standard. The process, more than three years in the making and outlined in the December 2013 edition of Nature Communications, has […]
Chemist Discovers New Way to Stabilize Proteins
UConn Today A UConn research team has found a way to stabilize hemoglobin, the oxygen carrier protein in the blood, a discovery that could lead to the development of stable vaccines and affordable artificial blood substitutes. The team’s novel approach involves wrapping the polymer poly(acrylic acid) around hemoglobin, protecting it from the intense heat used […]
Not Quite Frankenstein
UConn Today Where can you watch a group of inanimate objects come together, form a cohesive structure, and start displaying what looks very much like organic behavior? You might say this sounds like a modern-day Frankenstein. But for a real-life example, you could visit the laboratory of psychologist James Dixon in Storrs, Conn. Dixon and […]
TEDxUConn: 21st Century Alchemy
TEDxUConn Faced with the world’s finite supply of fossil fuels, scientists are looking to other sources for their chemical feedstocks. One option is to convert biomass, such as plant material, vegetation, or agricultural waste, to commodity chemicals. This has advantages in economic, environmental and societal terms. But how can we achieve this goal? Dr. Nicholas […]
Bloodless sensors monitor diabetes patients
The Daily Campus According to the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 25.8 million people in the U.S. have diabetes. This statistic includes both Type I and Type II diabetes. Diabetes is a serious, life-changing disease that requires blood sugar levels to be monitored many times a […]
The International Language of Science
UConn Today Mark Peczuh I can’t say it plainly enough. My experience as a Fulbright fellow in Barcelona this past year transformed me, both professionally and personally. I returned to Connecticut not only with a broader perspective on my research but with a profound sense of place and the amazing impact of personal relationships. Perhaps […]
Innovation Takes Center Stage
Cutting-edge technologies, innovative partnerships, and bold leadership took center stage April 10, during UConn’s Second Annual Celebration of Innovation event at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. The event, presented by the Office of Economic Development, recognized the research and development achievements of UConn faculty, alumni, and UConn-related startup companies, as well as industry partners and […]
Terrestrial Climate & Carbon Dioxide
UConn Today Nearly 34 million years ago, the Earth underwent a transformation from a warm, high-carbon dioxide “greenhouse” state to a lower-CO2, variable climate similar to the modern “icehouse” world. Massive ice sheets grew across the Antarctic continent, major animal groups shifted, and ocean temperatures decreased by as much as 5 degrees. But studies of how […]