2024 11+12

Sunflower-seed butter and chicatana ants bring unusual chemistry to cooking

Let's look at the evidence.

Although it is less abundant than carbon dioxide, methane gas contributes disproportionately to global warming because it traps more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, due to its molecula ...

Vitamin E, comprising tocopherols and tocotrienols, is an essential antioxidant known for its numerous health benefits. This review traces the evolution of vitamin E production, from traditional chemical synthesis and plant extraction methods to cutting-edge microbial cell factories. Chemical synthesis, while well-established, fails to produce specific stereoisomers, and its application is limited to animal feed due to concerns about chemical residues and limited bioactivity. Plant extraction, although yielding natural vitamin E, is constrained by resource availability and high cultivation costs. Recent advancements in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology have revolutionized vitamin E bioproduction, particularly through the use of engineered microbial cell factories. This review highlights the progress of vitamin E biosynthesis in plants and microorganisms and the key metabolic engineering strategies adopted. We also discuss the existing challenges and future perspectives. When these challenges are overcome, microbial cell factories present a sustainable and effective method to fulfill the increasing demand for high-quality vitamin E.

Using data from twin studies conducted over many years, researchers have found a link between levels of depression and the amount of fruit and vegetables people eat each day.

Both natural and manmade disasters wreaked havoc on the U.S. lime industry leaving the United States to rely solely on imported limes in recent decades.

Predicting molecular taste remains a significant challenge in food science. Here, we present FART (Flavor Analysis and Recognition Transformer), a chemical language model fine-tuned on the largest public dataset (15,031 compounds) of molecular tastants to date. When operating within confidence bounds, FART achieves 88.4% accuracy in predicting four fundamental taste categories—sweet, bitter, sour, and umami. Unlike previous approaches focused on binary classification, FART performs multi-class prediction while maintaining interpretability through gradient-based visualization of molecular features. The model identifies key structural elements driving taste properties and demonstrates utility in analyzing both known tastants and novel compounds. By making both the model and dataset publicly available, we provide the food science community with tools for rapid taste prediction, potentially accelerating the development of new flavor compounds and enabling systematic exploration of taste chemistry.

Perfumes and other scented beauty products use phthalates, a chemical that is considered to be an endocrine disruptor.

Amid concerns about lead found in certain cinnamon products, here’s what to know about how spices can pick up heavy metals and how worried to be

Centuries ago, Southwest tribal nations tended vast orchards of peach trees. But in 1863, thousands of those trees were cut down by the United States government when it ordered the Diné to leave their land as part of the Long Walk. Horticulturalist Reagan Wtysalucy wants to bring that those Southwest peaches back. Want to hear more Indigenous science? Email us at shortwave@npr.org to let us know!Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

Icebergs float on water because the underlying liquid water has a higher density than the iceberg. Liquid water itself has its highest density at 4°C - one of the so-called anomalies of water, i.e ...

A sweet surprise!

What is the beverage industry doing to reduce sugar?

Caviste et formateur à Sancerre, cet expert de la dégustation dévoile avec pédagogie et bienveillance l'art de savourer une cuvée tous les sens en éveil.

When it comes to technologies used only by humans, you might think that fiber optics would rank right up there. Such is apparently not the case, however, as scientists have discovered that a certain clam uses "fiber optics" of its own to get food.

The seed, which is a good source of vitamins, minerals, fiber and monounsaturated fats, has grown in popularity among consumers looking for healthier snacks.

Three years after announcing a joint venture, Givaudan, Bühler Group, and Migros have finally opened the doors to The Cultured Hub, a cutting-edge biotech facility dedicated to cellular agriculture…

As consumers grow more health-conscious, the demand for natural alternatives to sugar is on the rise. But can these sweeteners deliver the taste and texture consumers crave without compromise?

Your next meal could be here.

Researchers say risk could be reduced by 21% but connection ‘controversial’

Are home fragrance products the best way to improve the quality of air in our homes? Researchers explain how they might affect your health.

New research shows that the liver turns fructose, a sweetener added to ultra-processed foods, into lipids that many types of cancers crave.

A new study suggests that kimchi may aid in weight management and gut health in overweight adults.

The story of the forgotten American mint monarchy, plus the fascinating science behind why mint cools your tongue and maybe really does cure all.

The flavor of guava, an important tropical fruit, is influenced by secondary metabolites. However, the mechanisms and processes underlying flavor form…

Natural colors and flavors offer vibrant sensory appeal but demand innovative techniques to overcome challenges.

Olfaction appeared much early than other senses for avoiding danger, seeking food and communication. Olfactory analysis is the key point in some indus…

Billions of tons of plastic waste clutter our world. Most of it has accumulated on the ground and in the oceans or disintegrated into tiny particles known as microplastics that pollute the air and ...