Department of Chemistry

New 'unifying theory' may explain how Alzheimer's emerges in the brain

tomwt — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:21:23 +0000

New 'unifying theory' may explain how Alzheimer's emerges in the brain tomwt Mon, 04/06/2026 - 08:21 More CNAS in the Media Ivan Farkas | ScienceAlert April 05, 2026

SCIENCE ALERT - The origins of Alzheimer's remain contentious, but a new study suggests the disease may emerge as two key proteins compete inside brain cells.

Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, has long been associated with the build-up of two proteins in the brain: amyloid-beta and tau.

This new study ties those two together, offering a "unifying theory" that, according to the team of chemists at UC Riverside proposing it, resolves some conflicting ideas about Alzheimer's.

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Vitamin B1 theory from 1958 is finally proven by scientists after being called 'crazy'

tomwt — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:07:24 +0000

Vitamin B1 theory from 1958 is finally proven by scientists after being called 'crazy' tomwt Tue, 09/02/2025 - 08:07 More CNAS in the Media Eric Ralls | Earth.com August 30, 2025

EARTH.COM - or years, one rule in chemistry class seemed simple: certain high-energy carbon species, like vitamin B1, fall apart in water. That’s why many reactions take place in specialized organic solvents instead of the most common solvent on Earth.

A new study puts a crack in that rule. It shows that a reactive carbon species can persist in water long enough to be directly observed and clearly described.

Water is common, safe, cheap, and central to life. If reactive carbon chemistry can run in water, we get a clearer picture of how some enzymes might work inside cells and a cleaner path for industry to make useful molecules.

...

“This is the first time anyone has been able to observe a stable carbene in water,” said Vincent Lavallo, a professor of chemistry at UC Riverside and corresponding author of the paper.

“People thought this was a crazy idea. But it turns out, Breslow was right.”

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Vincent Lavallo

Catalyst Research of UCR Nobel Laureate is Key in Construction of Innovative New Plant

tomwt — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 16:17:17 +0000

Catalyst Research of UCR Nobel Laureate is Key in Construction of Innovative New Plant tomwt Tue, 08/26/2025 - 09:17 More College News August 26, 2025

Nobel Laureate, Richard R. Schrock, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, recently returned from Hungary where he attended a groundbreaking ceremony to build a new facility that will manufacture metathesis catalysts that enable environmentally friendly chemical processes. The production technology is based on his pioneering work and for which he won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2005, specifically for the development of the metathesis method in organic synthesis.

XiMo, the company that Dr. Schrock co-founded to underpin the catalyst research, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of its parent company, Verbio which is domiciled in Southern Germany and which isolates oleic acid esters along with other things from sea oils, glycol and steroyls.

“Now that the plant, which is near Budapest, has become a reality, it is a big deal!” he says. “As to what the ongoing benefit will be— time will tell (the plant’s production launch is scheduled for next summer). If the plant and what it produces is successful, and I publish some papers that demonstrate how to make the catalyst more cheaply, UCR will get tremendous credit.”

The plant will enable the large-scale production of advanced catalysts that drive olefin metathesis—a transformative chemical reaction at the heart of greener, more sustainable chemistry. This cutting-edge technology empowers the chemical industry to replace fossil-based feedstocks with renewable, plant-derived alternatives such as rapeseed methyl ester. By enabling the efficient conversion of bio-based raw materials into high-value products—including pheromones for sustainable crop protection, plant-based flavors and fragrances, lubricants, surfactants, and polymers—olefin metathesis plays a vital role in reducing adverse environmental impact and enables an easier transition to a low-carbon economy.

“The current efforts by XiMo to commercialize Schrock-type catalysts represent a remarkable full-circle moment: fundamental academic research now enabling scalable industrial processes,” says Leonard Mueller, Professor of Chemistry and Chair of the Chemistry Department at UCR. “While it is too early to predict the full impact of this commercialization, the symbolic value is profound. It sends a clear message to students and researchers alike that work born from pure scientific curiosity can have far-reaching consequences.”

A significant share of the catalysts produced at the plant near Budapest will be used by Verbio in its new plant for bio-based chemicals in Bitterfeld, Germany. There, the company is currently building the world’s first Ethenolysis plant to manufacture renewable molecules from rapeseed methyl ester—marking another key milestone in Verbio’s commitment to sustainable innovation

Historically, Dr. Schrock entered the field at a time when olefin metathesis was still a mechanistic mystery. Early observations showed that certain mixtures could promote the reaction, but no one had identified a truly effective or mechanistically understood catalyst. “Initially, Dr. Schrock’s interests were not focused on metathesis,” Prof. Mueller says. “He was focused on the synthesis of homoleptic organometallic complexes. However, through this seemingly tangential line of inquiry, he uncovered an entirely new class of metal-carbon multiple bonds. His synthesis of tantalum and later molybdenum and tungsten alkylidenes provided not only the first structurally well-defined catalysts for olefin metathesis, but also a new window into organometallic reactivity.”

Prof. Mueller says that Dr. Schrock’s work was deeply fundamental and motivated by intellectual curiosity. And yet, this basic research laid the foundation for a reaction that is now indispensable in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, advanced materials, and petrochemicals. “This is the kind of long-arc scientific achievement that the Nobel Prize is meant to honor,” he says.

Dr. Schrock’s connection with UCR started in 1963 when he was an undergraduate at the university. “When I semi-retired from MIT in 2018, I was in touch with Matthew Conley (Professor of Chemistry at UCR) and shortly thereafter I was contacted by the provost and she asked me if I was interested in coming back to UC Riverside to do research. So I retired from MIT and became a professor at UCR. What goes around comes around!”

He is currently Distinguished Professor and George Helmkamp Founders Professor of Chemistry at UCR.

Dr. Schrock says his first appointment at UCR in 2018 was for five years and ended in 2023. “And then they reappointed me for another five years until 2028. “Will they reappoint me at the end of that term, we’ll see.

“I’m thinking about where I’m going to leave my archives, he adds with a laugh, so maybe they will reappoint me! MIT has a dozen Nobel Laureates and UCR has one homegrown one – me!”

“Even before Dr. Schrock received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2005, we were immensely proud that he began his scientific journey here as an undergraduate,” says Prof. Mueller. “His groundbreaking work in olefin metathesis has fundamentally reshaped the field of synthetic chemistry and exemplifies how curiosity-driven research can lead to transformative discoveries with global impact.”

According to Prof. Mueller, beyond his scientific legacy, Dr. Schrock has already made a lasting impact on UCR’s Chemistry department and its students. He recently endowed a distinguished lectureship in the UCR Chemistry Department, launching this year, and established an award for outstanding inorganic chemistry graduate students.

“Having a Nobel Laureate on our faculty, especially one so deeply rooted in the tradition of curiosity-driven science, raises the profile of the department and the university as a whole,” Prof. Mueller says. “It opens doors for recruitment, collaboration, and elevates the aspirations of our students. It reminds them, and all of us, that the pursuit of deep understanding can change the world.”

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Richard Schrock

Chemical shield stops DNA damage from triggering disease–'A paradigm shift'

tomwt — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 20:48:20 +0000

Chemical shield stops DNA damage from triggering disease–'A paradigm shift' tomwt Mon, 07/28/2025 - 13:48 More CNAS in the Media Andy Corbley | Good News Network July 28, 2025

GOOD NEWS NETWORK - A new chemical probe protects healthy cells from DNA damage, preserving them from one of the 8 hallmarks of aging.

The story of this potentially paradigmatic development begins where so much of human health begins: the mitochondria. These organelles are disrespectfully monikered as “the powerhouses” of the cell, but they do so much more than just provide cellular energy.

It’s so important, it even has its own DNA. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is separate from the DNA housed in a cell’s nucleus. While nuclear DNA contains the vast majority of the genetic code, mitochondria carry their own smaller genomes that are essential for cellular functions.

MtDNA exists in multiple copies per cell, but when damage occurs these copies are often degraded rather than repaired. If left unchecked, this degradation can set off a cascade of failures linked to heart conditions, neurodegeneration, and chronic inflammation.

Published in the German Chemical Society journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, researchers at UC Riverside developed a chemical probe that binds to damaged sites in mitochondrial DNA and blocks the enzymatic processes that lead to its degradation.

“There are already pathways in cells that attempt repair,” said Linlin Zhao, UCR associate professor of chemistry, who led the project. “But degradation happens more frequently than repair due to the redundancy of mtDNA molecules in mitochondria. Our strategy is to stop the loss before it becomes a problem.”

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Chemical breakthrough shields mitochondrial DNA before damage triggers chronic disease

tomwt — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 18:35:06 +0000

Chemical breakthrough shields mitochondrial DNA before damage triggers chronic disease tomwt Mon, 07/21/2025 - 11:35 More CNAS in the Media Neetika Walter | Interesting Engineering July 21, 2025

INTERESTING ENGINEERING - From Alzheimer’s to heart failure, many chronic diseases have been linked to damage in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).

Now, scientists at the University of California, Riverside, may have found a way to halt the damage before it begins.

The team has developed a chemical probe that targets damage in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), a small but essential genome housed in the cell’s energy-producing structures.

...

“There are already pathways in cells that attempt repair,” said Linlin Zhao, UCR associate professor of chemistry, who led the project.

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Linlin Zhao

Physicists learn to control electricity at the quantum scale

tomwt — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 22:21:17 +0000

Physicists learn to control electricity at the quantum scale tomwt Mon, 07/14/2025 - 15:21 More CNAS in the Media Eric Ralls | Earth.com July 14, 2025

EARTH.COM - Today’s flagship processor packs more than 100 billion transistors, yet squeezing them any closer is turning design into a wrestling match with quantum physics.

As the footprints of silicon switches approach the dimensions of a few dozen atoms, stray electrons tunnel across barriers that once looked rock‑solid, wasting power and scrambling signals.

Physicists are asking whether that unruly behavior can be steered instead of suppressed, and a new study from the University of California, Riverside (UCR), claims the answer is yes.

The team shows that by shaping atom‑perfect silicon clusters they can turn electron flow off and on through quantum interference, the same wave effect that makes light cancel itself in noise‑canceling headphones.

How silicon molecule switches current
Tim Su of UC Riverside and colleagues built their switch by assembling silicon atoms into a molecule called sila‑adamantane, a miniature copy of the crystal motif found in commercial chips.

“We found that when tiny silicon structures are shaped with high symmetry, they can cancel out electron flow like noise‑canceling headphones,” said Su.

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Timothy Su

Scientists finally confirm the 'crazy' hypothesis about vitamin B1 from 1958

tomwt — Fri, 23 May 2025 20:55:57 +0000

Scientists finally confirm the 'crazy' hypothesis about vitamin B1 from 1958 tomwt Fri, 05/23/2025 - 13:55 More CNAS in the Media Jordan Joseph | Earth.com May 23, 2025

EARTH.COM - Scientists once dismissed a 1958 hypothesis about vitamin B1, or thiamine, as unlikely. The idea was that this vitamin, vital for basic metabolic functions, might turn into a very reactive intermediate during certain biochemical processes.

Now, researchers have shown that the hunch was correct. Prof. Vincent Lavallo from the University of California, Riverside (UCR), led the investigation that confirms vitamin B1 can form a reactive species called a carbene, even in watery surroundings.

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Super-shielded carbene is stable in liquid water

tomwt — Wed, 21 May 2025 15:05:32 +0000

Super-shielded carbene is stable in liquid water tomwt Wed, 05/21/2025 - 08:05 More CNAS in the Media Jamie Durrani | Chemistry World May 21, 2025

CHEMISTRY WORLD - A new ‘super-shielded’ carbene is stable in liquid water solutions. The US team that made the carbene claims that it ‘unambiguously confirms’ that it is possible to generate carbenes in an aqueous environment – validating a hypothesis put forward almost 70 years ago by the famed organic chemist Ronald Breslow.

In the late 1950s, Breslow proposed that vitamin B1 was able to promote various biochemical reactions via the formation of a fleeting carbene species. But this was a controversial idea as carbenes are not generally thought to be compatible with water. While much indirect evidence gathered over the years has led the scientific community to accept Breslow’s hypothesis, until now no carbene had been directly observed in an aqueous solution.

Vincent Lavallo, whose lab at the University of California, Riverside isolated the new water-stable carbene, explains that the project began almost a decade ago. ‘We design catalysts as part of my research programme, and [carbenes] often can be used as supporting parts of catalysts as ligands,’ he explains. ‘And this one turns out to be a horrible ligand – doesn’t bind anything, doesn’t react with anything. But that’s why we can isolate it.’

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Scientists just confirmed a 67-year-old hypothesis about Vitamin B1

tomwt — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:51:45 +0000

Scientists just confirmed a 67-year-old hypothesis about Vitamin B1 tomwt Wed, 04/30/2025 - 09:51 More CNAS in the Media David Nield | ScienceAlert April 29, 2025

SCIENCEALERT - You often need a lot of patience to be a scientist, and that's certainly been the case for researchers who have now found solid evidence for a hypothesis around vitamin B1 (or thiamine) that was first put forward almost 70 years ago.

In 1958, Columbia University chemist Ronald Breslow proposed that vitamin B1 performs key metabolic processes in the body by forming a molecular structure known as a carbene.

The problem: carbenes are highly unstable and reactive, and usually break down instantly in water. They should, by all accounts, be incompatible with the body's high water content.

But researchers led by a team from the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) have now managed to keep a carbene intact in water for months in their lab.

"This is the first time anyone has been able to observe a stable carbene in water," says chemist Vincent Lavallo, from UC Riverside. "People thought this was a crazy idea. But it turns out, Breslow was right."

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How Frequent Assessment Can Benefit URM Student Learning

tomwt — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 18:36:52 +0000

How Frequent Assessment Can Benefit URM Student Learning tomwt Tue, 02/25/2025 - 10:36 More CNAS in the Media Ashley Mowreader | Inside Higher Ed February 24, 2025

INSIDE HIGHER ED - A pilot study at the University of California, Riverside, found that more regular testing, as opposed to high-stakes exams, can improve student outcomes in a general chemistry course and close equity gaps for historically disadvantaged learners.

Assessment is a key element in higher education courses to track student learning, but some forms of assessment can produce greater levels of stress for learners and are tied to inequitable learning.

A May 2024 Student Voice survey found 46 percent of students believe faculty members limiting high-stakes exams would help most to increase their academic success, the top response among 15 options. An additional 29 percent of students report it would be most helpful for faculty to replace exams with papers or projects utilizing class concepts.

Students also see a relationship between stressful test-taking and their mental health: 46 percent of students want professors to rethink exam schedules or limit high-stakes exams to promote their overall well-being, the most popular option out of a list of 12 possible actions that could make a difference.

A research project at the University of California, Riverside, seeks to restructure exams in general education courses to improve completion for underrepresented minority students through more frequent, shorter exams.

The initiative is part of a larger $700,000 National Science Foundation grant award to improve equity outcomes in STEM courses.

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