Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions
ACS’s award winning saga of chemistry for life — chemistry that truly matters.
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Global Challenges Chemistry Solutions, launched in 2008, received a coveted Gold Medal as the best podcast in the national awards competition sponsored by Association TRENDS, the national newspaper for associations.
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Global Challenges continues in 2010, with updates to each of our 12 topics. Submit suggestions on new research to feature in the updates to m_woods@acs.org.
Current Episode
Combating disease: Should people over age 50 watch their copper and iron intake?
January 27, 2010
that may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related disorders. Credit: Susan Lesch, Wikimedia Commons (High-resolution version) |
SummaryCopper and iron are nutrients essential for good health.But you can always get too much of a good thing. A new study suggests that high levels copper and iron might contribute to increased rates of heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease for people over age 50. More… |
Previous Episodes
Providing Safe Foods: Heat forms potentially harmful substance in high-fructose corn syrup
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), that ubiquitous sweetener in soda, fruit drinks and processed foods, may pose another problem besides adding on the pounds. Researchers have found that heating the syrup promotes formation of potentially dangerous levels of a toxic substance in the HFCS often fed to honey bees. Their study appears in the current issue of ACS’ bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. More…
New Fuels: An “artificial leaf” for making solar-energy
Scientists are making progress toward development of an “artificial leaf” that mimics a real leaf’s chemical magic with photosynthesis — but instead converts sunlight and water into a liquid fuel such as methanol for cars and trucks. That was among the topics at the 1st Annual Chemical Sciences and Society Symposium, initiated though the American Chemical Society Committee on International Activities. More…
Promoting Public Health: Saving lives with the first dry powder inhalable vaccine for measles
The first dry powder inhalable vaccine for measles is moving toward clinical trials next year in India, where the disease still sickens millions of infants and children and kills almost 200,000 annually, scientists are reporting. Robert Sievers, Ph.D., who leads the team that developed the dry-powder vaccine, said it’s a perfect fit for use in back-roads areas of developing countries. Those areas often lack the electricity for refrigeration, clean water and sterile needles needed to administer traditional liquid vaccines. More…