Chemistry

Minuscule motor molecules could emit light as they journey into cells

A river’s “gut” revived, snake-saving social media, an intragalactic donut, and more success stories of the year

Scientists capture complex structure in a molecule-deep pool of ice

“Intentionally added microplastics” in pesticides and cosmetics could be made from silk instead

Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless share the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering an easy way to “click” molecular building blocks together

A mathematical model reveals the best way to achieve consistently tasty espresso

Science in meter and verse

A new resin can hold fiberglass wind turbines together for years and then be recycled into valuable products, making green energy even greener

Jacob Sagiv is a chemist who studies properties of self-assembled monolayers. This year, he shared The Kavli Prize in Nanoscience for his research.

They could find use as protective material, 3-D printer “ink” or longer-lasting batteries

New research hints at the biophysical underpinnings of their ability to use Earth’s magnetic field lines to find their way to their breeding and wintering grounds

A pandemic micrography project