One would think that scientists had long ago cracked the secret of cellulose, the most abundant polymer on Earth, in order to break its chemical bonds and harness its wealth of energy. But in fact, only recently have theoretical chemist Scott Auerbach and colleagues discovered how cellulose chains break down with heat, which is critical information for efficiently converting cellulose to biofuels.
Reporting in the current issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Auerbach and chemical engineer Paul Dauenhauer, with others, for the first time model at the molecular level the
In his first Faculty Convocation address, Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy last week pledged to be a “tireless advocate and ambassador” for the campus and laid the groundwork for a strategic plan that will guide the campus forward.
With roughly 1,000 undergraduate majors and 30 research faculty, it can be a challenge for Biology students to find a research position with one of the department’s laboratories. But a new website developed over the past year and introduced this semester is making it simpler than ever before.
Minuteman Marching Band members and alumni will remember the late director George N. Parks with a vigil and carillon performance on Sunday, Sept. 16, the two-year anniversary of his death.
In the fight against cancer, knowing the enemy’s exact identity is crucial for diagnosis and treatment, especially in metastatic cancers, those that spread between organs and tissues. Now chemists led by professor Vincent Rotello of the Chemistry Department have developed a rapid, sensitive way to detect microscopic levels of many different metastatic cell types in living tissue. Findings appear in the current issue of the journal ACS Nano.
Parents may feel it’s clear that missing a nap means their young children will be grumpy and out-of-sorts, but scientists who study sleep say almost nothing is known about how daytime sleep affects children’s coping skills and learning.
UMass Amherst again ranks among the nation’s top 50 public universities, according to the 2013 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings released this week.
“There is a direct correlation between the quality of our facilities and the quality of the student experience and achievement,” said President Robert L. Caret.
Campus officials have cancelled nighttime outdoor activities as a precautionary measure against mosquito-borne illnesses such as eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). Departments, programs and students are being advised to reschedule outside events or, if possible, to move them indoors.
UMass Amherst has entered into a consent agreement and final order with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would safely allow the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated window glazing found in the Lederle Graduate Research Center low-rise and 16-story Tower A to temporarily remain in place. The agreement is considered a first-in-the-nation solution to a problem found in many buildings built from 1950 through 1979.