chiral molecules

Iron-rich rock in the Lake Mead area in the USA. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Israeli research offers a solution to the mystery of life's directionality

New research from the Weizmann Institute and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem offers a solution to a 150-year-old mystery: why the molecules of life chose one orientation. The researchers found that chiral molecules that appear as mirror images respond differently when
structure of a molecule. Illustration: depositphotos.com

A light-activated reaction produces stereoisomeric molecules in one simple step

Researchers have developed a new reaction that converts chiral molecules into stereoisomers that are opposite in direction. The reaction focuses on inactive stereocenters that until now have been challenging to react