Gut bacteria are known to be a key factor in many health-related concerns. However, the number and variety of them is vast, as are the ways in which they interact with the body’s chemistry and each other. For the first time, researchers from the University of Tokyo used a special kind of artificial intelligence called a Bayesian neural network to probe a dataset on gut bacteria in order to find relationships that current analytical tools could not reliably identify.

Recently, Prof. Shou-Fei Zhu’s research group at Nankai University reported in CCS Chemistry a highly efficient and selective hydro-silylation reaction of asymmetric internal alkynes with trisubstituted silanes, catalyzed by a cobalt complex bearing a cyclopropane-based diphosphine ligand. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions, demonstrates broad substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance, and is generally applicable for the synthesis of alkenylsilanes. Notably, the reaction displays a unique additive effect, where the regioselectivity reverses depending on the additive used. Mechanistic studies revealed that different additives alter the spin state of the catalyst during the reaction, leading to divergent regioselectivities. This study provides new insights into the rational application of additives in catalysis.

Theoretical physicist Jonathan Heckman and Ph.D. student Rebecca Hicks at University of Pennsylvania put a spin on ideas related to testing string theory: Rather than looking to verify it, the team and their collaborators sought a novel way to falsify it with data from the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. “We're not rooting for string theory to fail,” Hicks says. “We're stress-testing it, applying more pressure to see if it holds up." “If string theory survives, fantastic," Heckman says. "If it snaps, we'll learn something profound about nature.”

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed an environmentally safer type of plastic that can be used for wearable electronics, sensors and other electrical applications.

Case Western Reserve University chemist Divita Mathur was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) grant for her research in synthetic DNA nanoparticles, which have potential applications in gene therapy.