DNA scan

By dyeing each of the DNA?s four building blocks in a different colour, a short section of the human genome has been sequenced at the Columbia University, reports the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The technique can be used to sequence longer DNA strands in parallel, slashing the cost of sequencing a whole mammalian genome in a faster way.

Popcorn secret

Food chemists at the Purdue University, US, have identified a key crystalline structure ? pericarp or the outer hull ? in popcorn that determines its popping quality, reports the journal BioMacromolecules. The more cellulose it contains, the more its heated moisture leads to a pressure buildup culminating in a complete rupture of the corn and fewer unpopping.

Bomb sniffer

MIT researchers have developed a device which contains an organic polymer that detects trace amounts of explosives, reports Nature. Molecules of explosives are deficient in electrons and are attracted to the electron-rich polymer, offering a 30-fold sensitivity over the previous detective methods.