Going big with δ-cyclodextrin The first scaled-up synthesis of this 9-sugar ring could expand its applications Chemists have a sweet spot for cyclodextrin (CD) rings, cyclic molecules made of glucose sugars linked together like dancers in a Henri Matisse painting. Cyclodextrins have found use as drug delivery agents that encapsulate active pharmaceutical ingredients, as air fresheners that soak up stinky compounds, and as water purification systems that capture and destroy pollutants. Each year, chemical makers churn out thousands of metric tons of the most common ones: six-, seven-, and eight-sugar rings, known as α-, β-, and γ-CD, respectively.
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Vector-borne diseases are found at almost every travel destination. Because few vaccines are available to protect travelers, the best way to prevent vector-borne diseases is to avoid being bitten by ticks and insects, including mosquitoes, fleas, chiggers, and flies, that transmit pathogens that cause disease. Travel medicine specialists should advise travelers to use repellents and take other precautions to prevent bites.
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EXPLAINER | How do mosquito repellants work? To ward off mosquitoes, there are a wide variety of repellants, with the most tried-and-true products based on a substance called DEET. DEET acts as a contact-based repellent and conveys a chemical message to mosquitoes to leave. Citronella products are also used to keep mosquitoes away, but testing shows these products are far less effective than DEET. It's summertime, and for many of us that means plenty of time outside - and, unfortunately, mosquitoes. The combination of the increase in temperature and plenty of water is ideal for these blood- sucking insects to make their presence felt.
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