SOUTHWEST RETORT
SEVENTY-NINTH YEAR
November 2025
Published for the advancement of Chemists, Chemical Engineers and Chemistry in this area published by The Dallas-Fort Worth Section, with the cooperation of five other local sections of the American Chemical Society in the Southwest Region.
Vol. 79 (3) November 2025 Editorial and Business Offices: Contact the Editor for subscription and advertisement information. Editor: Connie Hendrickson: retort@acsdfw.org Copy and Layout Editor: Lance Hughes: hugla64@gmail.com Business Manager: Martha Gilchrist: Martha.Gilchrist@tccd.edu The Southwest Retort is published monthly, September through May, by the Dallas-Ft. Worth Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc., for the ACS Sections of the Southwest Region.
November 2025
The Southwest RETORT
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS ARTICLES and COLUMNS Letter from the Editor…..…..……..............17 NEWS SHORTS
Artificial tongue uses milk to determine heat level in spicy foods……..…..….……....….....5 Reptiles ‘pee’ crystals, and scientists are investigating what they’re made of..…….…...6 An edible fungus could make paper, fabric liquid-proof………...……………..………….8 4 spooky science stories for Halloween...…..9 A prototype glucose battery inspired by the body’s metabolism…………………..….….10 Scientists propose new uses for old veggies...
...........……………………………………….11 Wetland plant-fungus combo cleans up ‘forever chemicals’ in a pilot study..……...13 AROUND THE AREA UT Dallas…………………………………...14
Contact the DFW Section General: info@acsdfw.org Education: ncw@acsdfw.org Elections: candidates@acsdfw.org Facebook: DFWACS Twitter: acsdfw
November 2025
ANNOUNCEMENTS 4th Texas PORE Engineering Conference....7 The Science of Spirits…………….………..12 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Huffman Laboratories……………..….........3 TMJ Data Entry and Editing.……….......…3 ANA-LAB…………………………...…..…..4
The Southwest RETORT
2
SERVICES and ANNOUNCEMENTS
2025 ACS DFW Executive Committee
TMJ
Chair: Denise Lynn Merkle, PhD
Data Entry and Editing
Past Chair: Rajani Srinivasan, PhD
Chair-elect: Jonathan Dannatt, PhD Treasurer: Martha Gilchrist, MS
Secretary: Trey Putnam, PhD
Specializes in: •
Company newsletters
Councilors:
•
Confidential Data Entry
Mary Anderson, PhD
•
Free Quotes
Kirby Drake, JD
Linda Schultz, PhD Contact Lance at hugla64@gmail.com Or 214-356-9002
Rebecca Weber, PhD Alternate Councilors:
Daniela Hutanu, PhD Danny Tran, PhD Yunxiang Li, PhD
November 2025
The Southwest RETORT
3
DOCUMENT TITLE
November 2025
The Southwest RETORT
4
From the ACS Press Room
Artificial tongue uses milk to determine heat level in spicy foods “A Soft and Flexible Artificial Tongue for Pungency Perception” ACS Sensors
electrochemical gel material and measuring spiciness through an electrical current change that occurs when casein binds to capsaicin. The researchers created a tongue-shaped film
The appearance of a hot sauce or pepper doesn’t reveal whether it’s mild or likely to scorch someone’s taste buds. So, researchers made an artificial tongue to quickly detect spiciness. Inspired by milk’s casein proteins, which bind to capsaicin and relieve the burn of spicy foods, the researchers incorporated milk powder into a gel sensor. The prototype, reported in ACS Sensors, detected capsaicin and pungent-flavored compounds (like those behind garlic’s zing) in various foods.
“Our flexible artificial tongue holds tremendous potential in spicy sensation estimation for portable taste-monitoring devices, movable humanoid robots, or patients with sensory impairments like ageusia, for example,” says Weijun Deng, the study’s lead author.
This transparent square acts like an artificial tongue, reacting to capsaicin and similar pungent compounds in proportion to a food’s spiciness. Weijun Deng, adapted from ACS Sensors 2025, DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.5c01329
by combining acrylic acid, choline chloride Currently, measuring flavor compounds in and skim milk powder, and then they exfoods requires taste testers and complex la- posed the solution to UV light. The resulting boratory methods. As an alterna- flexible and opaque gel conducted an electritive, scientists are developing artificial cal current. Ten seconds after the researchers tongues, which can measure tastes including added capsaicin on top of the film, the cursweet and umami, among others. However, rent decreased, showing its potential as an capsaicin in chili peppers, piperine in black artificial, spice-detecting tongue. Initial tests pepper, and allicin in garlic produce stinging, showed that the milk-containing material retingling or burning sensations that are hard to sponded to capsaicin concentrations ranging replicate and measure with synthetic materi- from below human detection to beyond levals. Jing Hu and colleagues noted that the els perceived as painful (called the oral pain heat of peppers, for example, can be neutral- threshold). Additionally, the material detectized when their capsaicin is bound by casein ed other pungent-flavored compounds found proteins in milk. So, the team wanted to creContinued on page 14 ate an artificial tongue by adding casein to an November 2025
The Southwest RETORT
5
From the ACS Press Room Reptiles ‘pee’ crystals, and scientists are investigating what they’re made of “Uric Acid Monohydrate Nanocrystals: An Adaptable Platform for Nitrogen and Salt Management in Reptiles” Journal of the American Chemical Society Unless you’ve owned reptiles, you might not know that many of them “pee” crystals. Researchers publishing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society investigated the solid urine of more than 20 reptile species and found spheres of uric acid in all of them. This work reveals how reptiles uniquely package up and eliminate crystalline waste, which could inform future treatments for human conditions that also involve uric acid crystals: kidney stones and gout.
Reptiles don’t urinate like humans do; instead, they pass these solid “urates” (left). Researchers found that urates consist of tiny microspheres composed primarily of uric acid (right). Adapted from the Journal of the American Chemical Society 2025, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c10139
Most living things have some sort of excretory system — after all, what goes in must come out. In humans, excess nitrogen in the form of urea, uric acid and ammonia are flushed out in the urine. But many reptiles and birds package up some of those same nitrogen-containing chemicals into solids, or “urates,” that the animals eliminate through their cloacae. Scientists believe that this process may have evolved as a way to conserve water. November 2025
While forming crystals in pee is a potential evolutionary advantage for reptiles, it is a serious issue for humans. When too much uric acid is present in the human body, it can solidify into painful shards in the joints, causing gout, or in the urinary tract as kidney stones. Jennifer Swift and colleagues investigated how reptiles excrete crystalline waste safely, studying urates from more than 20 reptile species. “This research was really inspired by a desire to understand the ways reptiles are able to excrete this material safely, in the hopes it might inspire new approaches to disease prevention and treatment,” explains Swift, the corresponding author on the study.
Microscope images revealed that three species (ball pythons, Angolan pythons and Madagascan tree boas) produced urates consisting of tiny textured microspheres varying from 1 to 10 micrometers wide. X-ray studies showed that the spheres consist of even smaller nanocrystals of uric acid and water. Additionally, they discovered that uric acid plays an important role in converting ammonia into a less toxic, solid form. They speculate that uric acid may actually play a similar protective role in humans. Though further studies are needed, this work’s insights into snake pee could one day have important implications for human health. The authors acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation, Georgetown University, the International Centre for Diffraction Data, and the Chiricahua Desert Museum.
The Southwest RETORT
6
November 2025
The Southwest RETORT
7
From the ACS Press Room An edible fungus could make paper, fabric liquid-proof “Growing Sustainable Barrier Coatings from Edible Fungal Mycelia”
sponding author of the study from the University of Maine.
Langmuir
Fungi are more than their mushroom caps; underground they form an extensive, interwoven network of feathery filaments called mycelium. Recently, researchers have been inventing water-resistant materials made from these fibrous networks, including leather-like, electrically conductive gauze and spun yarn, because the surface of mycelium naturally repels water. Additionally, films made from the fluffy wood fibers used in paper-making — specifically, a microscopic form called cellulose nanofibrils — can create barriers for oxygen, oil and grease. Howell and colleagues wanted to see if the edible “turkey tail” fungus (Trametes versicolor) would grow with cellulose fibrils into a protective coating on various materials. Their goal was to develop a food-safe, natural film with water-, oil- and greaseresistant properties.
As an alternative to single-use plastic wrap and paper cup coatings, researchers in ACS’ Langmuir report a way to waterproof materials using edible fungus. Along with fibers made from wood, the fungus produced a layer that blocks water, oil and grease absorption. In a proof-of-concept study, the impervious film grew on common materials such as paper, denim, polyester felt and thin wood, revealing its potential to replace plastic coatings with sustainable, natural materials. An impervious coating grown by an edible fungus causes water droplets to bead on these materials (from top: paper, denim and polyester felt). Adapted from Langmuir 2025, DOI:
“Our hope is that by providing more ways to potentially reduce our reliance on single-use plastics, we can help lessen the waste that ends up in landfills and the ocean; nature offers elegant, sustainable solutions to help us get there,” says Caitlin Howell, the correNovember 2025
To create the film, the researchers first blended T. versicolor mycelia with a nutrient -rich solution of cellulose nanofibrils. They applied thin layers of the mixture to denim, polyester felt, birch wood veneer and two types of paper, letting the fungus grow in a warm environment. Placing the samples in an oven for one day inactivated the fungus and allowed the coating to dry. It took at least three days of fungal growth for an effective water barrier to develop. And after four days, the newly grown layer didn’t add much thickness to the materials (about the same as a coat of paint), but it did change
The Southwest RETORT
Continued on page 14 8
4 spooky science stories for Halloween Brains, spiders, (were)wolves and slimy eyeballs — a collection of creepy research topics that Dr. Frankenstein would appreciate! But unlike the mad scientist’s work, the research detailed below in ACS journals aims to improve human life by developing an alternative to animal testing, on-demand wound care, an edible protective coating for veggies, and informing future retinal health studies. 1. Tiny, lab-grown brains. Researchers report in ACS Sensors that they grew a brain organoid in a petri dish to advance the study of neural networks without laboratory animals. After 2 years, the team’s cultured human nerve cells divided and self-organized into a 3D “mini-brain” with electrophysiological activity. Further development of this technology could lead to a brain model for researching the organization and communication patterns of human brain tissue, or maybe a lab-grown lunch option for zombies. 2. A web-slinging glove. By attaching spider-like spinneret devices to a glove, researchers created a “handy” system to deploy thin polymer fibers in the air. The fibers could spin wound dressings on the fly (pun intended) in hospitals, sports arenas and military field operations. Experiments with the glove are detailed in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and do not include bites from radioactive spiders. 3. Wolf apple coatings. According to a paper published in ACS Food Science & Technology, a food-safe coating made from wolf apples could be a cost-effective, edible material for extending produce shelf life. Researchers extracted starch from the hearty Brazilian fruit, a staple of the maned wolf’s diet, and then applied it to baby carrots. The coated veggies maintained their bright orange color and were safe to eat after a full moon … or 15 days of room-temperature storage. 4. Microplastics in eyeballs. A paper in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters reports a foundational study characterizing microplastics in human retinas. The researchers looked at 12 post-mortem human retinas (no eye of newt here) and found plastic particles of various types and levels in all of them. According to the team, these findings provide a crucial foundation for future studies on the potential risks and impacts of microplastics on eye health.
New Africa/Shutterstock.com
November 2025
The Southwest RETORT
9
From the ACS Press Room A prototype glucose battery inspired by the body’s metabolism "Vitamin-Mediated Glucose Flow Cell for Sustainable Power Generation” ACS Energy Letters Researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have devised a battery powered by vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and glucose. Inspired by how human bodies break down glucose for energy using enzymes, the team incorporated riboflavin into a prototype flow cell battery. The riboflavin mediator helped shuttle electrons between the battery’s electrodes and the glucose electrolyte, generating an electrochemical flow from the energy stored in the sugar.
study’s lead author. “Using non-toxic components that are both inexpensive and naturally abundant, this system offers a promising pathway toward safer and more affordable residential energy storage.”
A flow cell battery stores electrochemical energy in two electrolytes that flow through the system. As reactions occur in the electrolyte and at the electrodes, the stored chemical energy converts into electrical energy, and vice versa. And because most plants contain glucose, this sugar has the potential to be an abundant and low-cost electrolyte as the energy source in a flow cell battery. Current glucose fuel cell prototypes require noble metal catalysts to break down the sugar molecules to generate power, but these models produce little power and are difficult to scale up for industrial use. Riboflavin has shown promise in other flow battery types as an alternative to metal catalysts because the vitamin is stable at the basic pH needed by electrolytes in glucose flow cells. So, Shon, Ruozhu Feng, Wei Wang and colleagues wanted to design a glucose fuel cell with riboflavin as the catalyst.
A new riboflavin and glucose flow battery generates a greater power density from the sugar than previous designs. Nathan Johnson, Adapted from ACS Energy Letters 2025, DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.5c02462
“Riboflavin and glucose flow cells can generate electricity from naturally derived energy sources,” says Jong-Hwa Shon, the November 2025
For the battery, the team used a carbon material to form the positive and negative electrodes. The electrolyte flowing around the negative electrode contained an active form of riboflavin and glucose, and at the positive electrode, the electrolyte included potassium ferricyanide or oxygen (as is used in conven-
The Southwest RETORT
Continued on page 15 10
From the ACS Press Room
Scientists propose 4 new uses for old veggies Food waste is more than just the starting material for compost. From dried-up beet pulp to millipede-digested coconut fibers, scientists are finding treasure in our trash. Four recent papers published in ACS journals detail how food waste contains sustainable solutions for farming and new sources of bioactive compounds for pharmaceuticals. 1. Sugar by-product may “beet” wheat disease. Researchers report in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that sugar beet pulp could help reduce agriculture’s reliance on synthetic pesticides. The pulp, about 80% of the beet’s original weight, is left over after sugar processing. In experiments, the team converted this pectin-rich material into carbohydrates that activated the plants’ natural protection mechanisms against crop diseases, like powdery mildew on wheat. 2. Composted coconuts help seedlings grow. Millipede-composted coconut fibers could be a sustainable alternative to peat moss that is traditionally used for seedling germination. Peat is harvested from sensitive ecosystems that help preserve groundwater quality. A recent study to find a peat replacement, published in ACS Omega, demonstrated that this coconut “millicompost,” mixed with other plant materials, is just as effective for growing PIXbank CZ/Shutterstock.com bell pepper seedlings. 3. Radish leaves support gut health. According to a review in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, often-discarded radish tops may be better for you than the zesty root itself. These leafy greens, which also have a peppery taste, are rich in dietary fiber and bioactive compounds. These nutritive compounds, such as polysaccharides and antioxidants, helped beneficial gut microbes grow in several lab and animal studies, which suggests they could also improve overall gut health in humans. 4. Beet greens supply bioactive ingredients. A paper in ACS Engineering Au details a method for keeping bioactive compounds isolated from beet leaves stable for use as potential ingredients for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and food products. By aerosolizing and drying a liquid mixture containing antioxidant-rich beet-green extract and an edible biopolymer, the researchers created microparticles of encapsulated extract. They say the microparticles had more antioxidant activity than the extract itself, so the coating may prevent degradation.
November 2025
The Southwest RETORT
11
November 2025
The Southwest RETORT
12
From the ACS Press Room
Wetland plant-fungus combo cleans up ‘forever chemicals’ in a pilot study “Mitigating Ecological Risks: Role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis in Translocation and Transformation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Constructed Wetlands”
leagues found more benefits of this relationship: AMF helped wetland plants tolerate the presence of PFAS. PFAS are long-lasting compounds that pose potential health risks to people, animals and plants. So, Bo Hu, Feng Zhao and additional researchers wanted to Environmental Science & Technology study how well wetland plants, specifically Wetlands act as nature’s kidneys: They trap yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus L.), remove sediments, absorb excess nutrients and turn PFAS in the presence and absence of one pollutants into less harmful substances. Now, symbiotic fungus (R. irregularis). They the list of pollutants wetland plants can re- aimed to develop guidance for constructed move includes per- and polyfluoroalkyl sub- wetlands as a natural water treatment stratestances (PFAS). From a greenhouse study, gy. researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science Inside greenhouses, & Technology report that moisture-loving the researchers built yellow flag irises and fungi on their roots are small, wetland-like a promising combination for PFAS removal. systems with yellow As part of a constructed wetland, this pair flag irises in tall plascould effectively treat contaminated tic tubes. The flowers wastewater. were planted in a sand-soil microbe “Our study shows that a type of fungus mixture either with (Rhizophagus irregularis) boosts wetlands’ the fungus or without ability to remove PFAS and greatly reduces it for the control treatthe environmental risks from ‘forever chemiment. They watered lab experiments, the yelcals’ left in the outflowing water,” said Bo In low flag iris and a root fun- the miniature wetHu, a corresponding author of the research. gus worked together as a lands with a solution “These results are key for developing strong- natural strategy to remove that mimicked chemicals from waer wetland-based cleanup methods and could forever wastewater, and some ter. inspire new technologies for removing Adapted from Environmen- were also watered tal Science & Technology PFAS.” with one of four indi2025, DOI: 10.1021/ acs.est.5c06131 vidual PFAS at realisSymbiotic relationships between plants and tic concentrations. underground microbes, such as a group of Plant health declined when exposed to PFAS, fungi named arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with less growth and more signs of physio(AMF), are vital for wetland ecosystems. As logical distress (e.g., lower activity of antioxfungi colonize roots, they break down nutri- idant enzymes), compared to irises grown ents in exchange for beneficial carbohydrates Continued on page 16 from the plants. Previously, Bo Hu and colNovember 2025
The Southwest RETORT
13
Around the Area
From the ACS Press Room continued
UT-Dallas Assistant Professor Connor Delaney was awarded a three-year grant from the Robert A. Welch Foundatin for Metal Insertion into Strained Heterocycles: New Frontiers in C–C Bond Activation. Assistant Professor and CPRIT Scholar Ziwen Jiang was awarded a grant from the Robert A. Welch Foundatin for Targeted Control of Organelle Dynamics using Modularly Designed Macromolecules. Assistant Professor and CPRIT Scholar Filippo Romiti was awared a NSF Career Award for Innovative Strategies for the Synthesis of Unexplored Complex Bisindole Heterodimeric Alkaloids. Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Chemistry Rudi Fasan was awarded a NIH R35 grant for Chemoenzymatic Strategies for Molecular Discovery and Asymmetric Synthesis. Undergraduate researchers, Alex Saucedo and Yoel Kim (Delaney Lab) won presentation awards at the Summer Platform for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) Symposium. Research Scientist Dr. Mengmeng Zhang presented his Nanotech Institute Research at the Mini Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) Program in Washington, DC.
Artificial tongue Continued from page 5 in common hot sauce ingredients: ginger, black pepper, horseradish, garlic and onion. As a proof-of-concept, the researchers tested eight pepper types and eight spicy foods (including several hot sauces) on the artificial tongue and measured how spicy they were by changes in electrical current. A panel of taste testers rated the spiciness of the same items. Results from the artificial tongue and the tasting panel matched well. Therefore, the researchers say that the casein -containing artificial tongue could be used to quickly test a food’s spiciness level — without putting one’s taste buds at risk.
The authors acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Fund of Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Leather Green Design and Manufacture.
An edible fungus Continued from page 8 their colors, forming mottled yellow, orange or tan patterns. Water droplets placed on the fungus-treated textiles and paper formed bead-like spheres, whereas similar droplets on untreated materials either flattened out or soaked in completely. In addition, the fungal coating prevented other liquids from absorbing, including nheptane, toluene and castor oil, suggesting
November 2025
The Southwest RETORT
14
From the ACS Press Room continued
that it could be a barrier to many liquids. The researchers say this work is a successful demonstration of a food-safe fungal coating and shows this technology’s potential to replace single-use plastic products.
of light, which would self-discharge the battery. However, the oxygen version still demonstrated improved power density compared to the previous reports. The researchers say they plan to improve the power density of the glucose flow cell containing oxygen by The authors acknowledge funding from the preventing light reactions with riboflavin and University of Maine Sea Grant, funded by by refining cell engineering. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant Program; The authors acknowledge funding from the a UMaine Flagship Fellowship; the National Energy Storage Research Alliance Science Foundation; and The Specialized (experiment, manuscript writing and revision), Materials and Manufacturing Alliance for an Energy Innovation Hub funded by the U.S. Resilient Technologies (SM²ART) program between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences; and by the Energy the University of Maine. Storage Materials Initiative (ideation and initial experiment) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which is a Laboratory Directed A prototype glucose Research and Development project.
battery
Continued from page 10 tional fuel cells) in a solution at a basic pH. Although the cell with potassium ferricyanide allowed the team to precisely measure riboflavin’s catalytic activity, the cell with oxygen is a more cost-effective option for largescale, practical use.
In a demonstration with the flow cell containing potassium ferricyanide, the team observed electrons moving across the cell and a power density at room temperature comparable to that of existing flow cell batteries using vanadium metal. Contrarily, the flow cell containing oxygen had slower reactions at the electrodes than the potassium ferricyanide design. The researchers say this is likely due to oxygen breaking down riboflavin in the presence
November 2025
The Southwest RETORT
15
From the ACS Press Room continued
Wetland plant-fungus Continued from page 13 without PFAS exposure. In contrast, the researchers observed that adding the fungus improved growth for plants that were both exposed and not exposed to PFAS. For those wetland systems watered with the PFAScontaining solutions, the AMF-treated plants: • Removed 10-13% more of the individual PFAS than those with the control treatment, incorporating more long-chain PFAS than short-chain PFAS in their shoots and roots. • Boosted breakdown of PFAS into smaller compounds that had lower toxicity than their parent compounds, which the researchers suggest is because the fungi stimulate nearby microbial activity. They also tested the water draining out of the wetland tubes exposed to PFAS. All the outflow samples contained PFAS, but those from the fungal tubes had 17-28% less total PFAS compared to samples from the bacterial tubes. These results indicate that adding AMF, specifically R. Irregularis, in constructed wetlands could Their next steps are to test the constructed wetlands in more realistic scenarios, moving from the contained greenhouse environment to the natural world and using actual PFAScontaminated wastewater.
The authors acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Science Foundation of China, the Zhejiang Province Science Foundation for Youths, and the Foundation of Science and technology of Plan in Jinhua. November 2025
The Southwest RETORT
16
From the Editor Usually there’s not a lot going on this month, but next week (November 21) we have a section meeting at a wine distillery—tour, tasting, and the chemistry of wine. Favorite press release?...it’s a toss-up between the article on fungi use in Langmuir and the JAgChem article on radish greens. The researchers at the university of Maine used T. versicolor mycelia with a nutrientrich solution of cellulose nanofibrils. Thin layers of the mixture were applied to various surfaces (denim, polyester felt, two types of paper, etc.) and then letting the fungus grow in a warm environment. Note to interested parties: you need to use edible fungi! A review in JAgChem tells us not to toss rhe radish greens. The greens are rich in dietary fiber and bioactive compounds. The nutritive compounds, such as polysaccharides and antioxidants, helped beneficial gut microbes grow in several lab and animal studies. Have a great holiday week!
November 2025
The Southwest RETORT
17