Four-legged, dog-like robot ‘sniffs’ hazardous gases in inaccessible environments

Portable mass spectrometry for on-site detection of hazardous volatile organic compounds via robotic extractive sampling

12-Jun-2024 - Nightmare material or truly man’s best friend? A team of researchers equipped a dog-like quadruped robot with a mechanized arm that takes air samples from potentially treacherous situations, such as an abandoned building or fire. The robot dog walks samples to a person who screens them for ...

The longer spilled oil lingers in freshwater, the more persistent compounds it produces

Weathering assessments of polar and non-polar petroleum components using Orbitrap and Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry.

01-May-2024 - Oil is an important resource for many industries, but it can lead to serious environmental damage when accidentally spilled. While large oil spills are highly publicized, every year there are many smaller-scale spills into lakes, rivers and oceans. And, according to research published in ...

Device 'smells' seawater to discover, detect novel molecules

Promising for drug discovery in fragile ecosystems, including coral reefs

10-Nov-2023 - Under the ocean’s surface, marine organisms are constantly releasing invisible molecules. Some of the chemical clues reveal which creatures are nearby, while others could be used someday as medications. Now, researchers in ACS Central Science report a proof-of-concept device that “sniffs” ...

‘E-nose’ could someday diagnose Parkinson’s disease by ‘smelling’ skin

Artificial Intelligent Olfactory System could someday help diagnose Parkinson’s disease at an early stage, when treatment is most effective

25-Feb-2022 - A couple of years ago, a woman named Joy Milne made headlines when scientists discovered that she could “smell” Parkinson’s disease (PD) on people with the neurodegenerative disorder. Since then, researchers have been trying to build devices that could diagnose PD through odor compounds on the ...

Doping by athletes could become tougher to hide with new detection method

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry to detect known dopants and newly created illicit steroids not yet known

12-Apr-2021 - As the world awaits the upcoming Olympic games, a new method for detecting doping compounds in urine samples could level the playing field for those trying to keep athletics clean. Scientists report an approach using ion mobility-mass spectrometry to help regulatory agencies detect existing ...

Detecting CRISPR/Cas gene doping

An initial step toward a test to pinpoint athletes trying to gain an unfair advantage

11-Jan-2021 - All athletes want to be at the top of their game when they compete, but some resort to nefarious approaches to achieve peak muscle growth, speed and agility. Recent developments in gene editing technology could tempt athletes to change their DNA to get an edge. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' ...

Solving a hairy forensic problem

29-Mar-2019 - For decades, forensic scientists have tested strands of hair to reveal drug use or poisoning. But in recent years, reports have questioned the technique -- in particular, its ability to distinguish between the intake of a substance and external contamination of the hair. Now, researchers have ...

Sniffing out Parkinson's disease

22-Mar-2019 - Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that leads to progressive brain cell death and extensive loss of motor function. Despite much research being conducted on this disease, there are no definitive diagnostic tests currently available. Now, researchers report the identification of ...

The inner lives of molecules

06-Apr-2017 - Quantum mechanics rules. It dictates how particles and forces interact, and thus how atoms and molecules work -- for example, what happens when a molecule goes from a higher-energy state to a lower-energy one. But beyond the simplest molecules, the details become very complex. "Quantum mechanics ...

'Sniffing' urine to detect prostate cancer could prevent unnecessary biopsies

05-Apr-2017 - On the list of dreaded medical tests, a prostate biopsy probably ranks fairly high. The common procedure requires sticking a needle into the prostate gland to remove tissue for assessment. Thousands of men who undergo the uncomfortable procedure, prompted by a positive PSA (prostate-specific ...