Simple method destroys dangerous ‘forever chemicals,’ making water safe

Using common reagents in heated water, chemists can ‘behead’ and break down PFAS, leaving only harmless compounds

22-Aug-2022 - If you’re despairing at recent reports that Earth’s water sources have been thoroughly infested with hazardous human-made chemicals called PFAS that can last for thousands of years, making even rainwater unsafe to drink, there’s a spot of good news. Chemists at UCLA and Northwestern University ...

New silicon-germanium nanowires could lead to smaller, more powerful electronic devices

11-Dec-2009 - Microchip manufacturers have long faced challenges miniaturizing transistors, the key active components in nearly every modern electronic device, which are used to amplify or switch electronic signals. Now, researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, Purdue ...

Chemists get custom-designed microscopic particles to self-assemble in liquid crystal

30-Nov-2009 - Chemists and physicists have succeeded in getting custom-shaped microparticles to interact and self-assemble in a controlled way in a liquid crystal. The research, federally funded by the National Science Foundation, appeared in the Nov. 20 edition of the journal Science. "We're learning the ...

Nanoparticles used in common household items caused genetic damage in mice

18-Nov-2009 - Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, found in everything from cosmetics to sunscreen to paint to vitamins, caused systemic genetic damage in mice, according to a comprehensive study conducted by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. The TiO2 nanoparticles induced single- ...

Ben-Gurion University signs Scientific Research Agreement with University of Johannesburg and University of California

07-Sep-2009 - Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has partnered with the University of Johannesburg and the University of California, Los Angeles to conduct scientific research into the fields of water purification and microalgal biotechnology. “This is an international partnership that will benefit the peoples ...

Research explores interactions between nanomaterials, biological systems

23-Jun-2009 - The recent explosion in the development of nanomaterials with enhanced performance characteristics for use in commercial and medical applications has increased the likelihood of people coming into direct contact with these materials. There are currently more than 800 products on the market - ...

Novel approach estimates nanoparticles in environment

26-May-2009 - Without knowing how much of an industrial chemical is being produced, it is almost impossible for scientists to determine if it poses any threat to the environment or human health. Civil engineers at Duke University believe they have come up with a novel way of estimating how much of one such ...

Researchers push nature beyond its limits to create higher-density biofuels

Genetic modification of bacterium results in alcohols with greater energy

22-Dec-2008 - For the first time, researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have successfully pushed nature beyond its limits by genetically modifying Escherichia coli , a bacterium often associated with food poisoning, to produce unusually long-chain alcohols essential in ...

Researchers at UCLA engineering discover theoretical model to predict jamming

The model could provide new avenues in materials innovation and medicine

29-Apr-2008 - Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have come up with a theoretical model to predict when granular materials become jammed. This advancement not only broadens fundamental knowledge, it also provides new avenues to a number of practical areas that ranges ...

New materials can selectively capture carbon dioxide, UCLA chemists report

18-Feb-2008 - UCLA chemists report a major advance in reducing heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions in "Science". The scientists have demonstrated that they can successfully isolate and capture carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming, rising sea levels and the increased acidity of oceans. Their ...