Mastodawn

The Journal of Physical Chemistry B is a #peerreviewed #scientificJournal that covers research on several fields of material chemistry (macromolecules, soft matter, and #surfactants) as well as #statisticalMechanics, #thermodynamics, and #biophysicalChemistry. It has been published weekly since 1997 by the #AmericanChemicalSociety. According to the #JournalCitationReports, the journal had an #impactFactor of 3.5 for 2023. Due to the growing amount of research in the fields it covers.

Stephan Hacker Mar 12

Great talk by @[email protected] at #Lunteren2026. He talked about the use of automated synthesis and characterization of peptides as a basis for data-driven discovery of peptides with new properties on the example of general design-rules for peptide surfactants. #ChemSky #Surfactants

Stephan Hacker Mar 12

Great talk by Mathijs Mabesoone at #Lunteren2026. He talked about the use of automated synthesis and characterization of peptides as a basis for data-driven discovery of peptides with new properties on the example of general design-rules for peptide surfactants.
#Chemistry #Surfactants #Robotics

Nicole Sharp Nov 25

Deep Breaths Renew Lung Surfactants + A Special Announcement

Taking a deep breath may actually help you breathe easier, according to a new study. When we inhale, air fills our alveoli–tiny balloon-like compartments within our lungs. To make alveoli easier to open, they’re coated in a surfactant chemical produced by our lungs. Just as soap’s surfactant molecules squeezing between water molecules lowers the interface’s surface tension, our lung surfactants gather at the interface and lower the surface tension, making alveoli easier to inflate.

But things are a little more complicated in our lungs than in our kitchen sink because of our constant cycle of breathing, which stretches and compresses our lungs’ surfaces and surfactant layers. Imagine a flat interface, lined with surfactant molecules; then stretch it. As the interface stretches, gaps open between the surfactant molecules and allowing molecules from the interior of the liquid to push their way to the newly stretched interface, changing the surface tension. If the interface gets compressed, some of the excess molecules will get pushed back into the liquid bulk.

In looking at how lung surfactants respond to these cycles of compression and stretching, the researchers found that the lung liquid develops a microstructure during cycles of shallow breathing that makes the surface tension higher, thus making lungs harder to fill. In contrast, a deep breath like a sigh replenished the saturated lipids at the interface, lowering surface tension and making lungs more compliant. So a deep sigh actually can help you breathe easier. (Image credit: F. Møller; research credit: M.. Novaes-Silva et al.; via Gizmodo)

P.S. — I’ve got a book (chapter)! Several years ago, I joined an amazing group of women to write two books (one for middle grades and one for older audiences) about our journeys as scientists. And they are out now! In fact, today we’re holding a “Book Bomb” where we aim for as many of us as possible to buy the book(s) on the same day. If you’d like to join (and get ahead on your gift shopping), here are (affiliate) links:

Persevere, Survive, and Thrive (including my story of becoming a science communicator): Amazon, Bookshop.org
For All the Curious Girls: Amazon, Bookshop.org

#biology #fluidDynamics #lungs #physics #science #surfaceTension #surfactants

Rhyothemis May 14, 2024

review article from 2019:

Who will carry out the tests that would be necessary for proper safety evaluation of food emulsifiers?
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2019.04.001

"The earliest studies investigated the co-carcinogenic potential of surfactants. As early as in the 1950s, Wong and coworkers published that polysorbate 80, when fed together with a known carcinogen (a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon: methylcholanthrene) significantly potentiates the local as well as distant carcinogenic activity in mice [20]. As polysorbate alone did not show any carcinogenic activity, authors concluded that polysorbate is co-carcinogen. "

...

"The impacts of surfactants on intestinal barriers were investigated already in the 1980’s. Tagesson et al. [24] in 1984 warned that surface-active food additives might impair the function of the mucosal barrier and increase the permeability of the gut to potentially toxic and pathogenic substances. In this paper polysorbate 60 and polysorbate 80 were studied on rat intestinal mucosa and found mucosal damage and increased permeability. It should be noted that this paper warned more than 30 years ago that increased absorption of macromolecules may facilitate the development of celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases and food allergy. Let us quote verbatim from their conclusion: 'it is possible that certain food additives may facilitate the intestinal absorption of potentially toxic and pathogenic compounds. This possibility should not be overlooked, since alterations in intestinal permeability may underlie a variety of diseases, not only in the gastro-intestinal tract itself but at distant sites such as the liver and joints.' Unfortunately, too little attention has been paid to this very important suggestion at that time."

#health #FoodAdditives #emulsifiers #surfactants
#Celiac #allergy #cancer