American Chemical Society

Why doesn’t coffee taste like caffeine? ☕🤔

Caffeine is extremely bitter on its own, but coffee isn’t. A new study published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests the answer lies in compounds formed during roasting called melanoidins. Researchers found that melanoidins, along with natural coffee acids like chlorogenic acids, can interact with caffeine and reduce its bitterness. According to taste testers, caffeine’s bitterness dropped by about half when these compounds were present — and in amounts similar to regular coffee, the bitterness was largely masked.

It’s a reminder that every sip of coffee is shaped by a surprisingly complex web of chemistry.

Curious how it all works? Read the full article to dive deeper into the science behind your daily cup: https://brnw.ch/21x37Xg

Image credit: New Africa/Shutterstock.com

Erika Milczek makes safety an essential part of every step in her work. To her, it’s not just a step, it’s a mindset.

Here’s how she makes safety a priority.

Click the link to learn more and celebrate : https://brnw.ch/21x37zx

Could your saliva reveal how sleep deprived you are? 😴

Researchers found that sleep deprivation creates a distinct “sleepiness fingerprint” made up of metabolites, small molecules that reflect processes happening inside the body. By analyzing saliva samples from participants who were either well rested or awake for 24 hours, the team identified molecular markers of sleep loss and developed a model that correctly detected sleep-deprived individuals 94% of the time.

Because there is currently no clinical test for determining when someone is dangerously sleep deprived, these findings could help pave the way for a simple, non-invasive tool to detect fatigue in settings ranging from healthcare to roadside safety checks.

Read how scientists uncovered these hidden clues to sleep deprivation:

Are you sleep deprived? Your spit may hold the answer - American Chemical Society Staying awake for 24 hours leaves behind a detectable “sleepiness fingerprint” in men’s saliva.

We're pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Brazilian Women in Chemistry Award. 🎊

The honorees will be awarded during the Symposium of the Núcleo Mulheres SBQ, which will take place at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Chemical Society, from June 15 to 18, 2026.

🎊Congratulations to this year’s award recipients for their outstanding contributions to chemistry!

There’s still time to register for GC&E Global: Building Resilience Through Circular Chemistry, a free, fully virtual symposium exploring how green chemistry can strengthen supply chains while advancing public health and community well being.

This session features a real world case study on Taraxacum kok saghyz (TKS), a dandelion species offering a renewable domestic source of natural rubber and nutraceutical applications that support population health. Speakers from academia, industry, NGOs, and government will share insights on scaling bio based materials, integrating health into product design, and building cross sector partnerships.

GC&E Global is a three part webinar series leading up to the 30th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference (San Antonio, June 15–18, 2026). There’s still time to register for GC&E, too.

Click the link to learn more: https://brnw.ch/21x30BR

ACS is proud to welcome the 2026 U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad finalists as they begin an exciting journey of discovery, learning, and achievement. 🎉

These outstanding students will take part in the Study Camp at the University of Maryland, where they’ll deepen their knowledge and prepare for the next stage of competition.

Learn more about : https://brnw.ch/21x30fs

Images credit: Courtesy of ACS

Your future mammogram might involve less discomfort and less radiation.

Researchers have developed a flexible new "quantum glass" that creates sharper X-ray images while using lower radiation doses. Because the material can bend into curved shapes, scientists say it could eventually help imaging systems fit the body more naturally instead of relying on rigid flat panels.

The technology even works underwater, producing detailed X-ray images in conditions that typically interfere with scans. Curious how this moldable glass can turn X-rays into sharper images with less radiation? Dive deeper into the science here: https://brnw.ch/21x2WrV

Image Credits: Adapted from ACS Energy Letters 2026, DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.6c00958

Join us at ACS Science Talks - en español 2026!

🗓️ Date: Tuesday, June 02, 2026

🕙 Time: 10 AM EST

We’re excited to host Dra. Ingrid Montes-González, as she presents: "Integración de farmacóforos en sistemas híbridos ferrocenil–urea–chalcona: una estrategia sinérgica en química medicinal organometálica"

Don’t miss this insightful session!

Click the link to register now to secure your spot 💻: https://brnw.ch/21x2NUX

We love our dogs. Their breath? Not so much. 🐶💨

Researchers created a mouth spray from sugar cane molasses and tested it on dogs with bad breath. One hour after use, the researchers said the bad smell was nearly gone, and some odor-causing compounds had disappeared from the dogs' saliva.

The surprising part? The spray may target the harmful bacteria causing the smell instead of simply masking it — something that could help support dogs' long-term oral health.

To find out how researchers turned an agricultural by-product into a potential new tool for canine dental care, read the full article here: https://brnw.ch/21x2K0N

Image credit: Hongye Li