Alexander von Humboldt

SMITHSONIANMAG.COM | May 6, 2020, 10:44 a.m. In the 18th century, French naturalist George-Louis Leclerc, Comte du Buffon (1706-1778), published a multivolume work on natural history, Histoire naturelle, générale et particuliére. This massive treatise, which eventually grew to 44 quarto volumes, became an essential reference work for anyone interested in…

Protein AMPylation is a highly abundant post‐translational modification (PTM)1 regulating unfolded protein response (UPR),2-4 differentiation of neural progenitors and α‐synuclein modification.5, 6 AMPylation is catalyzed by AMP transferases (AMPylators), which transfer adenosine 5′‐O ‐monophosphate from substrate ATP onto Ser, Thr or Tyr residues in target proteins (Scheme 1 A).1, 7 The only…

Religious freedom, cherished as an American ideal, has been frequently invoked in the United States during protests against COVID-19 public health measures. In Canada, forms of protests — including by churches — are more likely to focus on the systemic underfunding of long-term care and homeless shelters or the lack…

Ligand‐protected metal nanoclusters (NCs) have shown great potentials in the field of energy conversion, as their electronic structures can be precisely tuned by varying their size (i.e. number of metal atoms), composition, and nanostructure.1-5 Current studies on the utilization and conversion of light energy focus on the sensitization ability of…

Ligand‐protected metal nanoclusters (NCs) have shown great potentials in the field of energy conversion, as their electronic structures can be precisely tuned by varying their size (i.e. number of metal atoms), composition, and nanostructure.1-5 Current studies on the utilization and conversion of light energy focus on the sensitization ability of…

Owing to its exceptional liphophilicity and stability‐enhancing properties, the adamantyl group has found widespread applications in materials science,1 medicinal chemistry, and drug development.2 In fact, the only other hydrocarbon moiety that has been similarly successful in generating active therapeutics is the methyl group.2 Adamantane derivatives are used in fighting viral…

All 140 German schools abroad are currently closed, with some conducting online lessons. But unless the German government steps in now, many of them might be forced to shut forever. For seven weeks, the classrooms at the Colegio Peruano Aleman Alexander von Humboldt in Peru's capital, Lima, have been empty…

SMITHSONIANMAG.COM | May 1, 2020, 9 a.m. It’s not what you’d expect from an art show. At the end of a long corridor, beyond a pulled-back heavy burgundy brocade curtain, a full-scale mastodon skeleton fills much of the rotunda-like space of the gallery. The fossil is the centerpiece of “Alexander…

Introduction The outer membrane of Gram‐negative bacteria is covered with complex lipopolysaccharides.1 These are considered to be virulence factors. Structurally, they consist of three distinct domains: directly attached to the membrane is lipid A which is connected to a core oligosaccharide (core region). The latter is most often decorated with…

Introduction Natural products (NPs)1 occupy a definable area of chemical space,2 and are notable for their diverse frameworks and shapes, stereochemical complexity, heteroatom content, high fraction of sp3‐hybridized atoms, and diverse bioactivities. Significant focus has been placed on the design and preparation of biologically relevant small molecules endowed with NP‐like…