February 2004
Vol 1, no.2
News and analysis
Swansea chemistry department threatened with closure
The University of Swansea is threatening to close its chemistry department.
Cells sense biological agents
Could a pH meter help to deal with terror threat?
Nanotubes promise improved brain implants
Carbon nanotubes seem to have an endless stream of applications. The latest idea is to use them in brain implants, with a view to repairing areas of brain damage.
Pills are not a patch on new screening technique
For many people who have to take prescription drugs to treat chronic conditions.
Enzymes explode food-poisoning bacteria
UK food chemist has found a way to explode the deadly food-poisoning bacteria.
The hidden dangers of a seaweed diet
Scottish researchers find new arsenic compound.
Peel and reseal light emitting diodes
US researchers claim to have developed robust and reusable organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).
A greener cancer treatment?
We all know that eating plenty of green vegetables may help to prevent cancer.
Structural differences bring hope of new tuberculosis drugs
French researchers identify structure of key TB enzyme.
BioMarin develops technique to aid protein therapies
Researchers from BioMarin Pharmaceutical, a US biotechnology company, have developed a new technique which they claim could help to reduce patients' immune responses to protein-bas...
Roche researchers enhance cancer defence mechanism
Researchers from Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche have discovered a class of chemical compound that could form the basis of a new approach to tackling cancer.
... but Roche forced to suspend HIV drug trials
Roche has been forced to suspend development of one of its new HIV drugs because of formulation problems.
US researchers pin hydrogen storage hopes on new clathrate structure
Does the answer to fuel cell research lie with H2 clathrates?
SkyePharma hopeful despite R & D job losses
SkyePharma, the UK drug delivery company, has revealed that it intends to reorganise its R & D operations, resulting in job losses.
Pfizer buys US biotech firm
US pharma giant Pfizer is set to acquire a US biotechnology company created by a group of scientists that worked on the discovery and development of its cardiovascular drug Lipitor...
Xenova Sells KS Biomedix
Following its acquisition last year of fellow UK biotechnology company KS Biomedix.
In Brief
The UK Environment Agency; Kemira is expanding its coating business in Hungary; US pharmaceutical company; Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT)
Chemical science
Making sense of enzyme activity
Biomolecular engineers develop chip to monitor living cells in real time.
Supercharging photosensitive polymers
The search is on for more sensitive materials to create images with.
Building a dragon's blood bank
The historical origins of dragon's blood - the deep red resins obtained from Dracaena plants - can now be used to identify accurately resins of unknown origin.
Taking the danger out of breathing
Novel enzyme mimic could be used to help treat inflammatory diseases.
Lord of the rings
Tiny molecular machines that can build themselves are the futuristic-sounding goal of supramolecular chemists.
Enzyme electronics
Mimicry of the cleverest kind is under way in the labs of Ally Aukauloo at the Université Paris-Sud in France.
Zinc and HIV drugs
Drugs based on cyclam, a simple cyclic molecule, show promise in the war against HIV by blocking the path of the virus into cells.
Electrophilic groups boost Michael reaction
The usefulness of a recently developed reaction, the intramolecular Michael addition, can be improved in order to show enantioselectivity.
Enzymes still cleaving
Researchers at Liverpool University have shown that enzymes that cleave DNA are still effective when the DNA is bound to spherical gold nanoparticles.
Flipping lipids
Enzymes that initiate a flip-flop action in membrane lipids have been designed by Bradley Smith and his research group at the University of Notre Dame.
Gold nanoparticles as anion sensors
Modifying gold nanoparticles with zinc porphyrins leads to enhanced anion recognition properties claims a team of inorganic chemists from the University of Oxford.
DNA unwinds with magnetic tweezers
Single molecule manipulation of the twist in the DNA double helix can answer a host of tricky questions in molecular biology.
What plants do at night
Plants can adapt their metabolism to make sugars during the hours of darkness.
Aromatics with a twist
Aromatic rings have been created with the twisted topology of a Möbius band.
Recent Features
Eastern promise
Claire Skentelbery investigates the reasons behind the popularity of UK university town Cambridge as an incubator for science start ups.
Kiss of life?
Scientists have found the molecule that triggers the start of human life. John Parrington tells the story.
The sky's the limit
Atmospheric scientists are taking to the skies in the quest for ever more reliable and up-to-the-minute data, Cath O'Driscoll reports.
Regulars
Comment: Is 'nano' the next GM?
Nanotechnology has received some pretty rough treatment from the media recently - Fiona Fox investigates.
Flashback
February - 10 years ago; 75 years ago; 150 years ago; 170 years ago; 200 years ago
The Last Retort: Carrots and the art of spin
During World War II, did the British science establishment lend itself to a hoax that continues to fool the public to this day?
Chemistry World Letters, February 2004
Chemistry World Reviews, February 2004
Chemistry World RSS
