University of Santiago de Compostela

Scientists have unveiled a breakthrough way to turn natural gas—long burned as fuel—into valuable chemical building blocks for medicines and other high-demand products. By designing a clever iron-based catalyst powered by LED light, researchers managed to activate stubborn molecules like methane and transform them into complex compounds, even creating the hormone therapy drug dimestrol directly from methane for the first time.Natural gas is one of the most plentiful energy resources on Earth. It is made mostly of methane, along with ethane and propane. Today, it is primarily burned for heat and electricity, a process that releases greenhouse gases. For years, researchers and industry leaders have tried to find ways to convert these simple hydrocarbons directly into useful chemicals instead of burning them. The challenge is that methane and similar gases are extremely stable and do not react easily, which has limited their use as sustainable raw materials for manufacturing. A research team led by Martín Fañanás at the Centre for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) at the University of Santiago de Compostela has now developed a new method to transform methane and other components of natural gas into versatile chemical "building blocks" that can be used to make high value products, including pharmaceuticals. The study, published in Science Advances, marks an important step toward a more sustainable and circular chemical economy. In a landmark demonstration, the CiQUS team synthesized a bioactive compound directly from methane for the first time. The compound, dimestrol, is a non-steroidal estrogen used in hormone therapy. Producing such a complex molecule from methane highlights the potential of this approach to turn an abundant, inexpensive gas into sophisticated and commercially important chemicals. Methane Activation and Selective Allylation The researchers focused on a reaction known as allylation. This process attaches a small chemical fragment called an allyl group to a gas molecule, effectively giving it a functional "handle" (an allyl group) that chemists can build on in later steps. With this handle in place, the modified molecule can be transformed into a wide range of products, from pharmaceutical ingredients to common industrial chemicals. One major obstacle was the tendency of the catalytic system to trigger unwanted chlorination reactions, which created byproducts and reduced efficiency. Controlling these side reactions was essential to making the process practical. Custom Iron Catalyst Controls Free Radicals To solve this problem, the team designed a specialized supramolecular catalyst. "The core of this breakthrough lies in designing a catalyst based on a tetrachloroferrate anion stabilized by collidinium cations, which effectively modulates the reactivity of the radical species generated in the reaction medium," explains Prof. Fañanás. "The formation of an intricate network of hydrogen bonds around the iron atom sustains the photocatalytic reactivity required to activate the alkane, while simultaneously suppressing the catalyst's tendency to undergo competing chlorination reactions. This creates an optimal environment for the selective allylation reaction to proceed." In simpler terms, the catalyst carefully manages highly reactive radical intermediates so they drive the desired transformation without causing unwanted side reactions. Sustainable Photocatalysis Using Iron and LED Light Beyond its chemical precision, the method also stands out for its environmental advantages. It relies on iron, which is inexpensive, widely available, and far less toxic than the rare and precious metals often used in catalytic chemistry. The reaction runs under relatively mild temperatures and pressures and is powered by LED light. Together, these features reduce energy demands and environmental impact. This discovery is part of a larger research effort supported by the European Research Council (ERC) aimed at upgrading the primary components of natural gas into more valuable chemicals. In related work published in Cell Reports Physical Science, the same group reported a method for directly combining these gases with acid chlorides to produce industrially important ketones in a single step. Both advances rely on photocatalysis and strengthen CiQUS's position as a leader in developing innovative strategies to use abundant raw materials more effectively. Toward a Circular Chemical Economy Converting natural gas into flexible chemical intermediates could expand industrial options and gradually decrease reliance on traditional petrochemical feedstocks. The research benefits from the strong scientific environment at CiQUS, which holds the CIGUS accreditation from the Galician government in recognition of its research excellence and impact. The center also receives key funding from the European Union through the Galicia FEDER 2021-2027 Program, supporting scientific progress with clear potential for technology transfer and broader socioeconomic benefits.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5, 2025 -- Occupational exposure to noise and/or vibrations is associated with the presence of vertigo , according to a study recently published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine . Inés Sánchez-Sellero, Ph.D., and Andrés Soto-Varela, Ph.D., both from Universidade de Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and colleagues examined the relationship between occupational noise and/or vibration exposure and vertigo. The analysis included 393 patients (193 with Meniere disease, 63 with vestibular migraine, 21 with vestibular neuritis, and 116 with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), as well as data from the general population. The researchers found that differences in the distribution of occupations between patients with vertigo and the general population were significant (Chi-square, P = 4.065 × e −20 ). Additionally, patients with vertigo had significantly more exposure to noise (Fisher's exact test, P = 2.97 × e −10 ; odds ratio, 2.595) and vibrations (Fisher's exact test, P = 6.23 × e −10 ; odds ratio, 2.722) compared with the control group. Findings were similar for both men and women. "A relationship between occupational exposure to noise and/or vibrations and the presence of vertigo was observed," the authors write. "Protective and preventive measures could help prevent the occurrence of some diseases involving vertigo." Abstract/Full Text Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

ChatGPT could help to increase vaccine uptake by debunking myths around jab safety, say the authors of a new study. ChatGPT could help to increase vaccine uptake by debunking myths around jab safety, say the authors of a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics. The researchers asked the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot the top 50 most frequently-asked Covid-19 vaccine questions. They included queries based on myths and fake stories such as the vaccine causing Long Covid. Results show that ChatGPT scored nine out of 10 on average for accuracy. The rest of the time it was correct but left some gaps in the information provided, according to the study. Based on these findings, experts who led the study from the GenPoB research group based at the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS) -- Hospital Clinico Universitario of Santiago de Compostela, say the AI tool is a "reliable source of non-technical information to the public," especially for people without specialist scientific knowledge. However, the findings do highlight some concerns about the technology such as ChatGPT changing its answers in certain situations. "Overall, ChatGPT constructs a narrative in line with the available scientific evidence, debunking myths circulating on social media," says lead author Antonio Salas, who as well as leading the GenPoB research group, is also a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. "Thereby it potentially facilitates an increase in vaccine uptake. ChatGPT can detect counterfeit questions related to vaccines and vaccination. The language this AI uses is not too technical and therefore easily understandable to the public but without losing scientific rigor. "We acknowledge that the present-day version of ChatGPT cannot substitute an expert or scientific evidence. But the results suggest it could be a reliable source of information to the public." In 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) listed vaccine hesitancy among the top 10 threats to global health. During the pandemic, misinformation spread via social media contributed to public mistrust of Covid-19 vaccination. The authors of this study include those from the Hospital Clinico Universitario de Santiago which the WHO designated as a vaccine safety collaborating center in 2018. Researchers at the center have been exploring myths around vaccine safety and medical situations that are falsely believed to be a reason not to get vaccinated. These misplaced concerns contribute to vaccine hesitancy. The study authors set out to test ChatGPT's ability to get the facts right and share accurate information around Covid vaccine safety in line with current scientific evidence. ChatGPT enables people to have human-like conversations and interactions with a virtual assistant. The technology is very user-friendly which makes it accessible to a wide population. However, many governments are concerned about the potential for ChatGPT to be used fraudulently in educational settings such as universities. The study was designed to challenge the chatbot by asking it the questions most frequently received by the WHO collaborating center in Santiago. The queries covered three themes. The first was misconceptions around safety such as the vaccine causing Long Covid. Next was false contraindications -- medical situations where the jab is safe to use such as in breastfeeding women. The questions also related to true contraindications -- a health condition where the vaccine should not be used -- and cases where doctors must take precautions e.g. a patient with heart muscle inflammation. Next, experts analyzed the responses then rated them for veracity and precision against current scientific evidence, and recommendations from WHO and other international agencies. The authors say this was important because algorithms created by social media and internet search engines are often based on an individual's usual preferences. This may lead to 'biased or wrong answers', they add. Results showed that most of the questions were answered correctly with an average score of nine out of 10 which is defined as 'excellent' or 'good'. The responses to the three question themes were on average 85.5% accurate or 14.5% accurate but with gaps in the information provided by ChatGPT. ChatGPT provided correct answers to queries that arose from genuine vaccine myths, and to those considered in clinical recommendation guidelines to be false or true contraindications. However, the research team does highlight ChatGPT's downsides in providing vaccine information. Professor Salas, who specializes in human genetics, concludes: "Chat GPT provides different answers if the question is repeated 'with a few seconds of delay'. "Another concern we have seen is that this AI tool, in its present version, could also be trained to provide answers not in line with scientific evidence. "One can 'torture' the system in such a way that it will provide the desired answer. This is also true for other contexts different to vaccines. For instance, it might be possible to make the chatbot align with absurd narratives like the flat-earth theory, deny climate change, or object to the theory of evolution, just to give a few examples. "However, it's important to note that these responses are not the default behavior of ChatGPT. Thus, the results we have obtained regarding vaccine safety can be probably extrapolated to many other myths and pseudoscience."