Magnets, Spinning Nuclei, and Light

An NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectrometer is a vital machine for the organic chemist. Using its powerful magnet the type, number of atoms, and how they are connected can be figured out. This is key for understanding the structure of organic chemicals such as drugs, pharmaceuticals, and those used in chemical computers.

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Mecon

Mecon is an ongoing research project for the 2015 edition of the IASS EXPO, themed Future Visions which is to be held in Amsterdam between June and August 2015. The project is to design and build a structurally innovative, deployable pavilion in a bid to celebrate Future Visions in the field of engineering design and innovation. Mecon is the solution created by a team of five recently graduated architects.

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Colour Chemistry in Water

Written by Maria Cardona

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels have increased dramatically in the last few decades. Famous for causing global warming, CO2 is also resulting in the acidification of seas and oceans. This disturbs the rich life of the marine ecosystem, which affects human communities dependent on this environment for their livelihood. For islands like Malta and Gozo, this problem is particularly important. This ‘silent crisis’ has attracted the X-prize Competition organisers who have set a $2 million dollar prize to be awarded to anyone that can develop stable, inexpensive, and precise acidity (pH) sensors to help understand the acidification of marine environments. At the same time, a European COST initiative (Supramolecular Chemistry in Water) is encouraging the design of water-soluble molecules which can recognise analytes. Most chemical sensors do not perform well in water.Continue reading

Connect the Dots

A new hallmark for graphene, the wonder material of the 21st century, has been found. It has a range of applications—from biomedical to new, smart materials. To gain a better understanding of this discovery, Claire Testa met metamaterials researcher Professor Joseph N. Grima and his team (Department of Chemistry, University of Malta). Photos by Elisa von Brockdorff.Continue reading

Chemistry for Medicine

Written by Kristina Farrugia

Kristina Farrugia, part of the research team. Photo by Jean Claude Vancell
Kristina Farrugia, part of the research team. Photo by Jean Claude Vancell

In medicine a timely and accurate diagnosis can decide the chances of survival of a patient. Supramolecular Chemistry is a field that explores the design of intelligent molecules that can assist doctors when taking lifesaving decisions. These intelligent molecules can identify the type and amount of proteins in a patient’s blood or tissue that would indicate disease—in a similar method to blood glucose test strips.

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Colouring Chemistry

Alexanderhili

Smart, logical, and colourful. Dr David Magri and his team develop intelligent molecules. They are not only smart because they perform logical functions, similar to computers, but because they can detect miniscule changes in their surroundings that causes them to emit a large array of colours. These colour changes are intriguing researchers and are a great benefit to society.

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