As a chronic condition, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can’t be cured, so treatment focuses on managing the disease and controlling its progression. Although current treatments help control RA symptoms in most people, they cannot prevent the onset of RA or painful flare-ups. Now, researchers publishing in ACS Central Science have developed nanoparticles that could slow disease progression and reduce flare severity, based on results from tests with human blood and mice models with RA-like disease.

Water is an essential requirement for life on Earth — it supports everything from cellular processes to ecosystems. Five papers published in ACS journals provide new insights to help protect natural water sources and ensure that more people have access to safe drinking water.

In the middle of summer, garden vegetables like green beans are proliferating, but so are pests that like to chew and suck on them. Now, a study in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests growing bush basil near bean plants could offer a cost-effective, natural (and tasty!) alternative to chemical repellants. The fragrant herb not only helped the beans develop their own defenses against spider mites but also attracted the pests’ natural enemies.