In remote regions of the world where electricity is hard to come by and scientific instruments are even scarcer, conducting medical tests at a doctor’s office or medical lab is rarely an option. Scientists are now reporting progress toward an inexpensive point-of-care, paper-based device to fill that void with no electronics required. Their study on the extremely sensitive test, which simply relies on the user keeping track of time, appears in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry.

With the “green” reputation of large hydroelectric dams already in question, scientists are reporting that millions of smaller dams on rivers around the world make an important contribution to the greenhouse gases linked to global climate change. Their study, showing that more methane than previously believed bubbles out of the water behind small dams, appears in ACS’ journal Environmental Science and Technology.

As the Fukushima crisis continues to remind the world of the potential dangers of nuclear disposal and unforeseen accidents, scientists are reporting progress toward a new way to detect the radioactive materials uranium and plutonium in waste water. Their report on the design of a highly sensitive nanosensor appears in ACS’ The Journal of Physical Chemistry C.

Scientists are reporting an advance in smartphone-based imaging that could help physicians in far-flung and resource-limited locations monitor how well treatments for infections are working by detecting, for the first time, individual viruses. Their study on the light-weight device, which converts the phone into a powerful mini-microscope, appears in the journal ACS Nano.

A new process can convert a wide variety of vegetable and animal fats and oils — ranging from lard to waste cooking oil — into a key ingredient for making plastics that currently comes from petroleum, scientists say. Their report on the first-of-its-kind process appears in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering.

Energy conservation in a small number of households could go a long way to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, scientists are reporting. Their study, which measured differences in energy demands at the household level, appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Scientists are reporting development and successful lab tests on the first potential drug to pack a lethal one-two punch against melanoma skin cancer cells. Hit number one destroys cells in the main tumor, and the second hit blocks the spread of the cancer to other sites in the body, according to their report in the journal ACS Chemical Biology.

Scientists are reporting development and successful lab tests on the first potential drug to pack a lethal one-two punch against melanoma skin cancer cells. Hit number one destroys cells in the main tumor, and the second hit blocks the spread of the cancer to other sites in the body, according to their report in the journal ACS Chemical Biology.

The search for a less-expensive, sustainable source of biomass, or plant material, for producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel has led scientists to duckweed, that fast-growing floating plant that turns ponds and lakes green. That’s the topic of a report in ACS’ journal Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research.

Using the same devious mechanism that enables some bacteria to shrug off powerful antibiotics, scientists have developed solar-powered nanofilters that remove antibiotics from the water in lakes and rivers twice as efficiently as the best existing technology. Their report appears in ACS’ journal NanoLetters.

An innovative new process that releases the energy in coal without burning — while capturing carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas — has passed a milestone on the route to possible commercial use, scientists are reporting. Their study in the ACS journal Energy and Fuels describes results of a successful 200-hour test on a sub-pilot scale version of the technology using two inexpensive but highly polluting forms of coal.

Some people may joke about living on caffeine, but scientists now have genetically engineered E. coli bacteria to do that — literally. Their report in the journal ACS Synthetic Biology describes bacteria being “addicted” to caffeine in a way that promises practical uses ranging from decontamination of wastewater to bioproduction of medications for asthma.

Today’s episode describes the first mobile application to foster wider use of the environmentally friendly and sustainable principles of green chemistry. It is the topic of a report in ACS’ new journal, ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. The report on the pigment appears in ACS' Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Today’s solution is an ancient Egyptian blue pigment used 5,000 years ago. The pigment is giving modern scientists clues toward the development of new nanomaterials that could have uses in medical imaging devices, remote controls, security ink and other technologies. The report on the pigment appears in ACS' Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Today’s solution is a promising substance that could be the basis for the development of a better antidote for cyanide poisoning. This is an advance toward closing a major gap in defenses against terrorist attacks and other mass casualty events. The report, which describes a potential antidote that could be self-administered — much like the medication delivered by allergy injection pens — appears in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Today’s episode describes a new process for blowing up grains of rice to produce a super-nutritious form of puffed rice. The new rice has three times more protein and a rich endowment of other nutrients that make it ideal for breakfast cereals, snack foods and nutrient bars for school lunch programs. The study is the topic of a report in ACS’ the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Today’s solution is a new approach for tapping biomass as a sustainable raw material for ingredients in sunscreens, perfumes and other personal care products. The approach could open up new economic opportunities for tropical countries that grow such plants. A report appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Today’s solution is a simple way to improve the sensitivity of the test often used to detect traces of explosives on the hands, carry-ons and other possessions of passengers at airport security screening stations. A group of scientists reported their innovation in ACS’ The Journal of Physical Chemistry C.

Today’s solution is an antibacterial extract from the leaves of the carob tree (the source of a popular chocolate substitute) that could fight the microbe responsible for the serious form of food poisoning called listeriosis. The research appears in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Today’s report concludes that putting a speed limit on cargo ships as they sail near ports and coastlines could cut their emission of air pollutants by up to 70 percent. That would reduce the impact of marine shipping on Earth’s climate and on human health, the scientists say. Their evaluation of the impact of vessel speed reduction policies appears in ACS’ journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Today’s episode describes a study finding that the distribution system piping in U.S. public water systems that rely on non-disinfected well water or “ground water” may be a largely unrecognized cause of up to 1.1 million annual cases of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI). That illness involves nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The study is the topic of a report in the journal, Environmental Science and Technology.

Today’s solution is a fungus that shows promise in the search for a way to use waste corn stalks, cobs and leaves – rather than corn itself – to produce ethanol to extend supplies of gasoline. The research appears in the ACS’ journal Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research.

Today’s report concludes that contrary to popular belief, purified drinking water from home faucets still contains bacteria. And scientists are reporting discovery of a plausible way to manipulate those populations of mostly beneficial microbes to potentially benefit consumers.

Today’s episode describes development of a new transparent solar cell, an advance toward giving windows in homes and other buildings the ability to generate electricity while still allowing people to see outside.

Today’s study could solidify the trend toward construction of gigantic windmills. In a report in ACS’ journal Environmental Science and Technology, scientists have concluded that the larger the wind turbine, the greener the electricity it produces.

Today’s report concludes that trees, bushes and other greenery growing in the concrete-and-glass canyons of cities can reduce levels of two of the most worrisome air pollutants by eight times more than previously believed. A report on the research appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Today’s episode describes a potential new approach for treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) without traditional antibiotics.

Today’s solution is a new genre of electric power-generating stations that could supply electricity for more than a half billion people by tapping just one-tenth of the global potential of a little-known energy source that exists where rivers flow into the ocean.

Today’s development is an inexpensive and easy-to-use urine test for Type 2 diabetes ideally suited for rural India, China and other areas of the world where poverty limits the availability of health care. The report describing the paper-based device, which also could be adapted for the diagnosis and monitoring of other conditions and the environment, appears in ACS’ journal Analytical Chemistry.

A phenomenon first observed by an ancient Greek philosopher 2,300 years ago has become the basis for a new device designed to harvest the enormous amounts of energy wasted as heat each year to produce electricity. The first-of-its-kind “pyroelectric nanogenerator” is the topic of a report in ACS’ journal Nano Letters.

Today’s episode announces that the world’s first “electrified snail” implanted with biofuel cells that generate electricity from natural sugar in their bodies. Scientists are describing how these biofuel cells could someday serve as energy for many electronics devices in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Almost 80 percent of current farmland in the U.S. would have to be devoted to raising corn for ethanol production in order to meet current biofuel production targets with existing technology, a new study has found. An alternative, according to a study in ACS’ journal Environmental Science and Technology, would be to convert 60 percent of existing rangeland to biofuels.

A simple, inexpensive dip-and-dry treatment can convert ordinary silk into a fabric that kills disease-causing bacteria — even the armor-coated spores of microbes like anthrax — in minutes, protect homes and other buildings in the event of a terrorist attack with anthrax, scientists are reporting in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

Today’s finding suggests that eating blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and other berry fruits has beneficial effects on the brain and may help prevent age-related memory loss and other changes.

Today’s solution addresses the development of an inexpensive device used by millions of people with diabetes that could be adapted into a home detector for many diseases.

Today’s finding warns that children may be receiving the highest exposure to nanoparticles of titanium dioxide in candy, which they eat in amounts much larger than adults.

Scientists have developed and implanted into a living insect — the False Death's Head Cockroach — a miniature fuel cell that converts naturally occurring sugar in the insect and oxygen from the air into electricity. They term it an advance toward a source of electricity that could, in principle, be collected, stored and used to power sensors, cameras, microphones and a variety of other microdevices attached to the insects in a paper in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Today’s solution addresses the development of a new test that could help track down and prosecute terrorists who use chemical agents.

Today’s solution uses the seeds of the miracle tree to produce clean drinking water. The water-treatment process requiring only tree seeds and sand could purify and clarify water inexpensively and sustainably in the developing world, where more than 1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water, scientists report.

Concerns that global warming may have a domino effect —unleashing 600 billion tons of carbon in vast expanses of peat in the Northern hemisphere and accelerating warming to disastrous proportions — may be less justified than previously thought. That’s the conclusion of a new study on the topic in ACS’ journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Today’s solution warns that household washing machines seem to be a major source of so-called “microplastic” pollution — bits of polyester and acrylic smaller than the head of a pin — that scientists now have detected on shorelines worldwide.

Bisphenol A (BPA) — a substance that may have harmful health effects — occurs in 94 percent of thermal cash register receipts, scientists are reporting. The recycling of those receipts, they add, is a source of BPA contamination of paper napkins, toilet paper, food packaging and other paper products. The report, which could have special implications for cashiers and other people who routinely handle thermal paper receipts, appears in ACS’ journal Environmental Science and Technology.

In this episode, we will addresses the development of a new type of solar cell retains high efficiency for long periods.

Genetically engineered spider silk could help overcome a major barrier to the use of gene therapy in everyday medicine, according to a new study that reported development and successful initial laboratory tests of such a material. It appears in ACS’ journal Bioconjugate Chemistry.

Today’s solution addresses the development of a unique form of biodiesel fuel using alligator fat.

Today’s solution provides a reassuring message—although potentially harmful flame retardants build up in flooded rivers, that doesn’t translate to harmful levels in milk from cows that consume the grass in these flood-prone areas.

New technology that combines production of electricity with capture of carbon dioxide could make billions of barrels of oil shale — now regarded as off-limits because of the huge amounts of carbon dioxide released in its production — available as an energy source. That’s the conclusion of a report on electricity production with in situ carbon capture EPICC in ACS’ journal Energy and Fuels.

Today’s solution addresses the development of a “green grid” to more efficiently deliver solar and wind-based electricity.

A needle-in-the-haystack search through nearly 390,000 chemical compounds has led scientists to a substance that can sneak through the protective barrier surrounding the brain with effects promising for new drugs for Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. They report on the substance, which blocks formation of cholesterol in the brain, in the journal, ACS Chemical Biology.

Today’s solution is A first-of-its-kind nanogenerator that can produce electricity using energy from a gentle breeze, movements of a person walking and other sources and power wireless data transmissions.

Today’s solution explains how manufacturers building hybrids that have excellent gas mileage, can create stronger, lighter, and more sustainable materials for cars and other products, made, in part, out of bananas or pineapples.

Today’s solution is a new blood test that can quickly tell whether patients are infected with an antibiotic-resistant bacterium that’s become a global plague. This superbug is called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or simply MRSA.

Today’s solution is a new nanomaterial that could make the world a little safer by detecting and neutralizing explosives.

A study published in the American Chemical Society’s journal, ACS Catalysis, reports that scientists have developed a new catalyst that provides an environmentally way to make acrylic acid without using petroleum.

With most people unable to get enough vitamin D from sunlight or foods, scientists are suggesting that a new vitamin D-fortified food bread made with high-vitamin D yeast could fill that gap.

Contrary to popular belief, The Pill accounts for less than 1 percent of the estrogens found in the nation’s drinking water supplies, according to a recent analysis. The report in ACS’ biweekly journal Environmental Science and Technology suggests that most of the estrogens enter drinking water supplies from other sources.

A study published in the American Chemical Society’s journal, Environmental Science and Technology, offers new insights into how people can shrink their own personal carbon footprints by selecting specific modes of transportation.

With continuing concern about plastic waste accumulating in municipal landfills, and reliance on imported oil to make plastics, scientists have created an ultra-light biodegradable foam plastic material made from two unlikely ingredients.

Bricks, blocks, and steel I-beams — step aside. That’s because scientists are reporting that a new genre of construction materials, made from stuff barely 1/50,000th the width of a human hair, is about to debut in the building of homes, offices, bridges, and other structures. The new report highlights both the potential benefits of these nanomaterials in improving construction materials and the need for guidelines to regulate their use and disposal. The report appears in the monthly journal ACS Nano.

Where does dust come from? Scientists in Arizona are reporting a surprising answer to that question, which has puzzled and perplexed generations of men and women confronted with layers of dust on furniture and floors.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

Scientists are reporting the discovery of the potential basis for a urine test to diagnose community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), a difficult-to-diagnose lung disease that is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The test could save lives by allowing doctors to begin the right treatment earlier than they do now. The study appears online in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

Scientists in Wisconsin are reporting discovery of a way to lower the cost of converting wood, corn stalks and leaves, switch grass, and other non-food biomass materials into ethanol fuel. The process reduces amounts of costly enzymes needed to break down tough fibrous cellulose matter in biomass for fermentation into alcohol. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

The United States could completely stop emissions of carbon dioxide from coal-fired electric power plants? A crucial step for controlling global warming? Within 20 years by using technology that already exists or could become commercially available within a decade, scientists are reporting. The scientists outline strategies to make the phase-out possible, including the use of renewable energy and advanced nuclear power plants. Their study appears in ACS’ semi-monthly journal Environmental Science and Technology.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

Scientists are reporting discovery of a more sustainable way of disposing of plastics that contain bisphenol A (BPA) — without releasing that potentially harmful substance to the environment. The new method involves exposing polycarbonate plastic waste to ultraviolet light and heat. Just as cooking makes food more digestible for humans, this pretreatment approach makes polycarbonate plastic more digestible for certain fungi, which the scientists used to break down polycarbonate plastic. Their study appears in the ACS’ monthly journal Biomacromolecules.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

For years, women in China’s Xuan Wei County in Yunnan Province — women who never smoked cigarettes — have been plagued by lung cancer. The mortality rates among female nonsmokers are the world’s highest — up to 20 times higher than average in China. A new study sheds light on the cancer epidemic and points to an unlikely source: volcanic eruptions occurring millions of years ago.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

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 corn syrup often fed to honey bees.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

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.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

If you live in the city and you like fresh veggies, herbs and flowers, how about planting a garden on your roof? “Green” roofs, those increasingly popular urban rooftops covered with plants, could help fight global climate change.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

Experts estimate that people dump more than 200 million gallons of used oil each year into sewers, streams and backyards, resulting in a problem that has plagued wastewater treatment plants for decades. But an answer might be found in a material sometimes referred to as frozen smoke.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

DNA is the blueprint for every organism that ever swam, flew, crawled or walked on earth. Now, four billion years of evolution later, a few bold scientists have created a new genetic blueprint — with some profound applications.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

Today’s topic is research on new ways to detect and possibly treat poisoning from ricin, a potential bioterrorist agent.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by Halleck, samplecat and acclivity.

Today’s topic is research on creating a sustainable future. This discovery could render today’s landfill-bound batteries obsolete. Imagine if all you had to do to charge your iPod or your BlackBerry was to wave your hand, or stretch your arm, or take a walk? Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by crk365, man, rutgermuller, Halleck and ljudman.

In this episode, scientists from DARPA investigate whether a lethal new kind of explosive threatens America's security.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by ljudman and anton.

When you think carbohydrates, spaghetti, rice and freshly baked loaves of bread usually come to mind. A group of scientists in Germany led by Peter Seeberger see carbs a bit differently. Much more than just pasta and potatoes, they envision carbohydrates as the basis of revolutionary new vaccines and drugs to battle malaria, HIV, and a bevy of other diseases.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and M12.

Today’s topic is research on global climate change. This discovery could help control the amount of carbon dioxide — the No. 1 greenhouse gas — entering the atmosphere.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by pushtobreak, sinatra314, acclivity and kjackson.

Making grapefruit juice safer for people who take certain prescription drugsIntro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Every Thanksgiving, family and friends gather to celebrate round dinner tables heaped high with roast turkey and other traditional dishes. There’s praise and thanks for the food, of course. But maybe we should add a word of thanksgiving for the scientific advances that are helping to keep our food supply safe from a host of threats that can really spoil a meal.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and M12 (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by mich3d, galeku, patchen and kokuya.

Join Global Challenges as it investigates a suite of new fuels and energy sources that may help to power society in the years ahead. Scientists are developing these new energy sources to supplement the coal and conventional natural gas we now use to produce electricity for heating, cooling, and lighting. New fuels hold special promise as sustainable energy sources that minimize the release of carbon dioxide and combat global warming.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), vo1k1 and M12 (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by rockdoctor, Percy Duke, Walter Odington, Robinhood76, pcaeldries, jamiedaniel, sinatra314 and Halleck.

Amid growing concern about high gasoline prices, global warming, and limited resources of petroleum, scientists and engineers around the world are on a quest for new fuels — alternatives to conventional petroleum, natural gas, and coal. On their radar screens are new sources of familiar old ethanol that do not strain the food supply and futuristic fuels like “green gasoline” and “designer” hydrocarbons.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Darkroom and M12 (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by LG, Halleck, Han1, Heigh hoo, Gorgee de biere, dkelly99, kjackson and reinsamba.

Despite the revolutionary medical advances in the 20th Century, great challenges lie ahead in our fight against disease. Heart disease, cancer, chronic diseases of aging, infection with the AIDS virus, and antibiotic-resistant microbes are just a few of those challenges. Fortunately, chemists and other scientists are determined to launch new revolutions in medicine — revolutions in the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of disease.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and M12 (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by cognito_perceptu.

How chemistry helps protect personal safety and national security.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Neurowaxx and DJ Rkod (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by martypinso, soundkit03, daveincamas, jollysea, alienbomb, ljudman, ERH and digifishmusic.

How some of the world's leading chemists are meeting the challenge of sustainability.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Pitx and mykleanthony (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by kjackson, julayjb, bansemer, acclivity, TwistedLemon, vibe crc and gallagho.

Confronting global climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), DJ Rkod, Pitx, mykleanthony, Ben Riordan and oldDog (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by lonemonk, digifishmusic, WIM, acclivity, pushtobreak, dobroide and kjackson.

Confronting global climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Neurowaxx and oldDog (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by ERH, WIM, acclivity, Charel Sytze and Twisted Lemon.

How chemists are using desalination to provide a thirsty world with clean drinking water.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by Slanesh, luffy, Megamart, pushtobreak, duckboy80, kjackson and fogma.

How chemists are providing a thirsty world with clean drinking water.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), teru and Neurowaxx (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by Heigh-hoo, acclivity, cdrk365, Slanesh and mystiscool.

Existing technology can produce biodiesel fuel from municipal sewage sludge that is within a few cents a gallon of being competitive with conventional diesel refined from petroleum. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

Scientists are reporting development of a “smart” roof coating, made from waste cooking oil from fast food restaurants, that can “read” a thermometer and help save energy. Roofs coated with the material would reflect scorching summer sunlight and reduce sticker-shock air-conditioning bills. When chilly weather sets in, the coating would change roles and transmit heat to help warm the interior. Scientists described the sustainable material at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

With the Deepwater Horizon disaster emphasizing the need for better ways of cleaning up oil spills, scientists are reporting that unprocessed, raw cotton may be an ideal, ecologically friendly answer, with an amazing ability to sop up oil. Their report, which includes some of the first scientific data on unprocessed, raw cotton’s use in crude oil spills, appears in the ACS journal Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research.

Blueberries, raspberries and grapes bursting with flavor. A luscious, silky morsel of chocolate melting into a mouthful’s rush of pure pleasure. Fresh ripe tomatoes. Years ago, people ate for that gratification. Food also provided the calories for people to work, and drove away hunger pangs. Today, people in industrialized countries are selecting food not just for taste and sustenance, but also for its potential effects in promoting good health.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and M12 (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by volivieri, digimusic, thedoctor, Dzork and agent.

A study in the American Chemical Society’s journal, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, reports that minced banana peel performs better than an array of other water purification materials and can do so in a sustainable way.

A new study published in the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science and Technology journal provides a compelling new reason not to waste food. It saves energy, lots of money at home and fights global hunger.

Life expectancy in the 20th Century rose by about 30 years. Advances in protecting the public health were responsible for about 25 of those precious years. Vaccination programs. Improved sanitation to better control infectious diseases. The development of antibiotics. Better prenatal care. And much more. Scientists are making strides toward sustaining that progress by fostering continued improvements in the health of the population as a whole.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), DJ Rkod and Neurowaxx; Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by pfly, fogma, jascha, alienbomb, ERH and zerolagtime.

Today’s solution addresses the development of a potential vaccine to fight methamphetamine abuse. Methamphetamine abuse costs the United States more than 23 billion annually in medical expenses, law enforcement costs, and lost productivity.

New research suggests that just five minutes of outdoor activities, such as exercising in a park, working in a backyard garden or walking on a nature trail, will benefit mental health.

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.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

Today’s solution sounds a warning bell about the much-anticipated new era of nanoagriculture — using nanotechnology to boost the productivity of plants for food, fuel, and other uses.

The “Lance Armstrong effect” could become a powerful new weapon to fight cancer cells that develop resistance to chemotherapy, radiation and other treatments, scientists say in a report in the ACS journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.

Scientists are reporting evidence that black rice — a little-known variety of the grain that is the staple food for one-third of the world population — may help soothe the inflammation involved in allergies, asthma, and other diseases.

Scientists are reporting development and successful initial tests of an inexpensive new filtering technology that kills up to 98 percent of disease-causing bacteria in water in just seconds without clogging.

It may be the 21st century, with all its technological marvels, but 6 out of every 10 people on Earth still do not have access to flush toilets or other adequate sanitation that protects the user and the surrounding community from harmful health effects, a new study has found. The research, published in ACS’ journal Environmental Science and Technology, says the number of people without access to improved sanitation is almost double the previous estimate.

Mention rosemary, thyme, clove, and mint and most people think of a delicious meal. These well-known spices are emerging as organic agriculture’s key weapons against insect pests.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

Scientists have copied the natural glue secreted by a tiny sea creature called the sandcastle worm in an effort to develop a long-sought medical adhesive needed to repair bones shattered in battlefield injuries, car crashes and other accidents.Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.