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Why does a lobster change colour when you cook it?

When you cook a lobster you will see a striking colour transformation from dark blue to orange-pink and until now, the cause for this has been subject to debate.  Although the presence of astaxanthin, a carotenoid, is known to be responsible for the change, a recent PCCP article has shed light on exactly how.

In an international collaboration, Dr. John Halliwell at the University of Manchester and his group, have found that astaxanthin is present as a negatively charged enolate ion in the uncooked blue lobster. On heating, the enolate bonds break down and release orange-pink astaxanthin causing the colour change. This discovery has been made as a result of the combined interdisciplinary expertise in physical organic, biological and theoretical chemistry as well as spectroscopy.

Interested to know more?

Read the full article in Chemistry World by William Bergius.

Or, take a look at the original Open Access research article:

On the origin and variation of colours in lobster carapace, Shamima Begum, Michele Cianci, Bo Durbeej, Olle Falklöf, Alfons Hädener, John R. Helliwell, Madeleine Helliwell, Andrew C. Regan and   C. Ian F. Watt, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015, DOI: 10.1039/C4CP06124A



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The 8th Annual Nanoscience Technology Symposium

PCCP is delighted to announce that the journal is sponsoring the 8th Annual Nanoscience Technology Symposium, NanoFlorida2015, to be held on 12th-15th May, at Florida State University, USA.

Topics to be covered include:

  • Synthesis and characterization of novel materials
  • Optical and electronic properties
  • Integration into photovoltaic and light emitting devices
  • Functionalization strategies
  • Sensor design
  • Imaging of cells and tissues
  • Drug delivery vehicles

Visit the website for further information and to submit an abstract, the abstract submission deadline is 31st March.

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