New starchy bioplastic could make soggy paper straws a thing of the past

08-Mar-2023 - In the fight against pollution, several regions in the U.S. have banned the use of plastic straws. Alternative materials exist, but most options are either too expensive to scale up, go limp in drinks or taste bad. But now, a team reporting in ACS Omega has developed a new type of bioplastic film ...

More than just a good flavor

Flavoring substances stimulate immune defenses

19-Jun-2018 - Not only do citric acid and spicy 6-gingerol from ginger add special flavors to food and beverages; both substances also stimulate the molecular defenses in human saliva. That is the result of a human clinical trial by a team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Leibniz-Institute ...

New sensor tracks zinc in cells

Shifts in zinc's location could be exploited for early diagnosis of prostate cancer

11-Dec-2013 - Zinc, an essential nutrient, is found in every tissue in the body. The vast majority of the metal ion is tightly bound to proteins, helping them to perform biological reactions. Tiny amounts of zinc, however, are only loosely bound, or "mobile," and thought to be critical for proper function in ...

Detecting mirror molecules

New technique reliably tells left-handed from right-handed variant of a compound

24-May-2013 - Harvard physicists have developed a novel technique that can detect molecular variants in chemical mixtures – greatly simplifying a process that is one of the most important, though time-consuming, processes in analytical chemistry. As described in a paper in Nature, post-doctoral researcher ...

Artificial tongue made from polymer gel

15-Feb-2013 - Scientists in China have made polymer gels that behave like artificial tongues. By measuring how the gels swell, bend and fluorescence, the researchers found that the gels selectively respond to and can distinguish between sourness (citric acid and gluconic acid), sweetness (glucose), saltiness ...

DSM to sell Citrique Belge to Adcuram

29-Sep-2010 - Royal DSM N.V. announced that it has reached an agreement regarding the sale of Citrique Belge to Adcuram. The intended sale is expected to close in Q4 2010, subject to regulatory and other customary approvals and notifications. The intended sale of Citrique Belge is a result of DSM's ambitions ...

Univar’s South Kirkby food production site first to receive ISO 22000 certification

17-Nov-2009 - Univar announced that it has been awarded the ISO 22000 certification for its South Kirkby food production site in the UK. This is the first Univar production site to receive this recognition. The Univar South Kirkby site produces citric acid solutions which are used predominantly in the soft ...

DSM announces closure of its citric acid manufacturing plant in Wuxi (China)

29-Aug-2008 - Royal DSM N.V. announces the closure of its citric acid manufacturing plant in Wuxi (China) by Q1 2009. The closure follows a request from the local government to relocate the plant from its current location as this location is needed for future urban developments. DSM will receive a compensation ...

Acid-resistant bug doesn't give in to alcohol either

24-Nov-2004 - A chemist at Washington University in St. Louis has found surprisingly tough enzymes in a bacterium that "just says no to acid." Acid resistance is a valued trait for both pills and human pathogens. The bacterium Acetobacter aceti makes unusually acid-resistant enzymes in spades, which could ...