Category: Chemistry in the News

Categories
Biochemistry Chemistry in the News

What is folic acid, and why is it important during pregnancy?

Infographic titled 'Why is folic acid important during pregnancy?'. Folic acid is a human-made form of folate, vitamin B9. We have to get it from our diet. It's converted into folate in the body. Folate is found naturally in a number of foods, particularly leafy vegetables, seeds, and nuts. It can also be added to some foods including flour, a process known as fortification. Low levels of folate have been linked to neural tube defects (NTDs). These happen when the neural tube, which forms the brain and spinal cord, doesn't develop or close properly, leading to conditions like spina bifida. Taking folic acid before and during early pregnancy reduces the risk of NTDs by about 70%. The mechanism by which folate reduces NTDs isn't known, but folate is important for building nucleic acids, the building blocks of DNA. Large quantities of nucleic acids are required by the developing neural tube for DNA replication, and folic acid deficiency may impact this.

This week, the UK has confirmed it plans to fortify non-wholemeal flour with folic acid. It’s not the first country to do so: the United States has been fortifying flour with folic acid since 1998. Most countries in South America and a number in Asia also have mandatory fortification programs. This graphic looks at the […]

Categories
ChemVsCOVID Coronavirus

#ChemVsCOVID: How chemistry is helping with understanding and combatting virus transmission

An infographic in the Chem vs COVID timeline series. On 6 July 2020, scientists called for greater recognition of the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. People infected with COVID-19 expel droplets when they talk, cough, sneeze, or even breathe. Large droplets travel short distances and can contaminate surfaces, though research has suggested this is a less significant mode of transmission than initially thought. Very small droplets dry and form aerosols (particles suspended in air) which can travel greater distances and spread the virus through the air. Chemists have produced antiviral coatings, containing metals or polymers, to reduce surface transmission. Ventilation and air purification technologies such as air filters, UVC light and photocatalytic devices can destroy the virus in the air in buildings. Overall, understanding of transmission and preventative technologies have helped limit infections, make activities safer, and improved technology to combat viruses in the future.

How does COVID spread? Of all the questions about the pandemic, this seems like it would be a fairly simple one to answer. But, even several months into the pandemic, the guidance from public health organisations did not recognise the potential for COVID to be transmitted through the air. The latest edition of the Chem […]

Categories
C&EN Coronavirus

How do air purification technologies work? – in C&EN

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, air purification technologies have been receiving renewed attention as workplaces look for solutions that will lower their workers’ risk of exposure. In the latest edition of Periodic Graphics in Chemical and Engineering News, we take a look at the different types of air purification and how each of them works. […]

Categories
ChemVsCOVID Medicinal Chemistry

#ChemVsCOVID: How were the first treatments for COVID identified?

On this day (16 June) a year ago, the first effective treatment for COVID-19 was announced. The corticosteroid drug dexamethasone, already used to treat several inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, was found to be effective for patients in a serious condition in hospital with COVID. This discovery was the product of the RECOVERY trial, a programme […]

Categories
ChemVsCOVID Coronavirus

#ChemVsCOVID: How did past research help COVID-19 vaccine efforts?

On this day in 2020, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine entered phase 1 trials, making it the first COVID vaccine to do so. This came less than a week after the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. How was it possible for this to happen so quickly? The third part of the #ChemVsCOVID series, […]

Categories
Biochemistry ChemVsCOVID Coronavirus

#ChemVsCOVID: How was the spike protein structure identified?

The second part of the #ChemVsCOVID series, produced with the Royal Society of Chemistry, looks at how the structure of the spike protein was determined and how it helped our efforts against the virus.