Major Breakthroughs in Chemistry in the year 2007

This article highlights some of the advances in chemistry in last year-2007. At the end of each year, time is to evaluate what scientists have done in their respective field. This article was published in Chemical and Engineering News.

You may also like chemistry blog: NepaChem

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Stu Borman

EACH YEAR the editors of C&EN select some of the most important research advances from among the stories we've reported throughout the year and highlight them in a year-end issue. This year we've selected about two dozen examples of chemistry-based research at its best.

© 2007 Science


Two Approaches Similar structures (one gold and one blue and red) of the membrane receptor β2AR were obtained by stabilizing the receptor with T4 lysozyme (gray, left) or an antibody fragment (gray, right). β2AR is only the second G-protein-coupled receptor ever analyzed structurally.

Of the various chemically related subdisciplines spanned by our selections, structural analysis stands out as the most prolific. Highlighted breakthroughs include structures of a G-protein-coupled receptor, a type of protein that's been nearly impossible to analyze; and a new technique that made it possible to obtain the first detailed structure of one of the largest biomolecular complexes in cells.

Other selections this year range from advances in neurochemistry and molecular biology to key discoveries in organic synthesis, nanotechnology, molecular imaging, and environmental chemistry. They include a possible cure for a mental retardation disorder, a surprising finding about a common mechanism of different types of antibiotics, the design and synthesis of one of the lowest-density crystals ever known, a source of power for nanoelectronic devices, and the real-time imaging of gene regulation in living cells.

Our choices are necessarily subjective and do not pretend to be comprehensive. Indeed, these studies represent only a few examples of the many ways in which chemistry-related research advances our society and improves people's lives each and every year.

Rett Syndrome Research Foundation


Rett Reversed Rett syndrome patients often have trouble walking. A study showed that Rett syndrome could be reversed in mice.

Complete Article here

Universal Studio Tour #Hollywood

Universal Studio in Hollywood is the place where most of the Hollywood movies are made. I am not that much familiar to the movies. I have watched very few Hollywood movies. During my winter vacation trip to San Diego, I had an opportunity to go to world movie center city Los Angeles. According to our guide "More movies and TV shows" have been shot at Universal than at any other studio. In this occasion I would like to take you to universal studio.

Welcome to Universal Studio: Red Carpet for everyone

It was great opportunity to learn the Hollywood film industry.

They have permanent sets of different places that you have been watching on movies and TV shows. Lets go to these sets by riding tram. We saw a New York Street, Small Town, Old Mexico, Six Points Texas, Little Europe, the Square of Warriors and others. You might have seen "Little Europe" in movies like Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, Pink Panther, Pirates of the Caribbean. New York Street was seen in Spider-Man 2 as well as TV series such as Alias, Boston Legal, The A-Team.

Some pictures are in this photo story.

There is an impressive set from 2005’s "War of the Worlds" (with Tom Cruise), where an airliner has crashed into a residential neighborhood.

A crashed plane which destroyed houses(right below).

This set is used to show broken bridge.

They have a set which is used to show rain and flash flood in a village. They demonstrated us the event. They also showed us how they film the fire events in the movie. Watch this video clip.

Happy Xmas

Portland International Airport, OR:
How do you feel when you are waiting for the time to board your flight? Lets say how do you pass time in this situation. I have to wait for 1 hour and 40 minutes. I was not aware that this airport has internet access on its waiting room. I opened my notebook computer and was trying to kill time. Fortunately, I got internet connection. And tried to write to something.

I am going to some place: thats San Diego for my winter break. For graduate students, there is no holiday at all. But, I think, its better to have some time off from the lab. Don't be lab rat all the time. Its 6 days trip to south western part of the US. Good place for winter, warm weather unlike rainy, cold here in Oregon-Corvallis/Portland.

It is raining out here. Whole day is screaming in north west and north east part of US today.

I will post something about my trip later.

I want to say happy x-mas to all of you.

Write how you are celebrating this winter break.

Good Resource for Chemistry Teachers and Students

The link given here has great videos that teach you some fundamental aspects of chemistry. It is free. Its a World of Chemistry. It is appropriate for students taking high school or college chemistry, from introductory to advanced levels, and is easily applicable to different teaching approaches. It includes physics and Earth science components, and is also valuable for teachers seeking to review the subject matter. There is a collection of 26 videos on different topics related to chemistry.

http://www.learner.org/resources/series61.html?pop=yes&vodid=799734&pid=800#

Politics! Are you Interested?

Just a question. Well not just a question, its kinda discussion.

Last week I was talking with my friend from Ukraine. In the mean time I asked her something that happened in Ukraine recently and was in bbc news. But she didn't know that. Why not? I was just curious because it should be a big news for her. She didn't know because she didn't get the news, she don't care about her own country, or what? I asked her. "I am not interested in politics" she replied this way. Ok, you are not interested in politics then why don't you listen, read or watch news? I asked her again as I was not satisfied with her answer. Her second answer surprised me. I have not even thought about about her opinion. "What do you get from news?". She put another question to my question rather giving answer. "You get to know what is happening or what happened or anything else in all field of life around the world or whatever you are interested in" I tried to convince her. "Then how will you be benefited from that?" Another question in stead of answer. I didn't have right answer to her question. I had another question though. Then I talked to her in different way. Don't you like games, aren't you interested to know social news and so on. Then she replied as she didn't have time. This makes sense to some extent.

I know many(most) young generations don't like politics. But it doesn't necessarily mean that they are not interested. In my opinion its not a matter of likeliness or hate. Its a part of everyone's life because it is affecting your life in many aspects. It plays major role to influence your life in underdeveloped or developing countries.

One thing you always remember. You don't care when you are student. After you are done with your study and try to find job and after you realize getting job is very difficult then you will try to understand why you are not getting job. And you ultimately end up to a point that this is politics that makes policies and creates more job to you.

Fundamentally politics is the brain of all sciences.

May be because I am from Nepal, I always keep me updated with mainly political news around the world with special emphasis Nepal. People say that Nepalese are far more interested and involved in politics. And some say that due to more politics Nepal is suffering from a number of problems. But for me the bad situation of country makes me interested in politics and political news. Because I always want to know what is going to happen tomorrow, when is my country going to be in normal.

But the condition of developed countries like USA is totally different. They don't care about who is leading the country and where they are going. Most of the youngsters are busy to make credit history, making love(which is not bad though) and what else? Thats why Bush is doing whatever he wants.