Shrinking synchrotrons, stink bugs, odour vie

  • Shrinking synchrotrons – Details of a tabletop synchrotron device has been revealed by an international team of scientists in the journal Nature Physics. The new device could revolutionise X-ray work and preclude the need for large-scale synchrotrons in many structural studies without compromising resolution or atomic detail.
  • Kicking up a stink bug – Japanese researchers have used UV-Vis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to help them develop a potential repellent for the invidious stink bug, an invasive pest species that has been spreading rapidly through the USA, invading homes and damaging crops.
  • Odour vie – Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy has allowed researchers to study how nanoparticles can eliminate offensive household odours by removing the odour molecules at source rather than simply masking the bad smells.