December 2006
Vol 3, No 12
News and analysis
Alzheimer's century
Researchers worldwide have commemorated the centenary of Alois Alzheimer's first description of the dementia named after him.
New world of cosmetovigilance
Authorities on both sides of the Atlantic have taken steps to identify health risks from chemicals in cosmetics
European PFOS restrictions
European Union ministers are collaborating with the European Parliament to secure early restrictions on perfluorooctane sulfonates
News in brief
Short items
Business roundup
Industry news
Funding briefs
Short items
New on the market
New products - December 2006
In the papers...
Short items
Chemical science
Great leap forward for MRI imaging
19 October 2006
Magnetic resonance imaging could be used to track individual molecules in the body.
Carbon nanotubes: Saladin's secret weapon
15 November 2006
Carbon nanotubes are no longer the proud boast of 21st century materials scientists - mediaeval sword-smiths got there first.
New natural painkiller discovered
13 November 2006
A short peptide isolated from human saliva has potentially powerful painkilling properties
Optical sculpture
27 October 2006
UK scientists have re-shaped micrometre-sized emulsion droplets using light.
Ionic liquids control pH
10 November 2006
An ionic liquid that could be used to control pH in chemical reactions has been developed by scientists in China.
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Shards of glass give up their secrets
13 November 2006
Glass fragments collected from a crime scene can be accurately matched using a mass spectrometry technique, according to forensic scientists in the Netherlands.
Healing threads spun from living cells
10 November 2006
Biological threads made from polymers containing living cells could make wound-repairing scaffolds
Molecular signals of schizophrenia identified
08 November 2006
Chemical indicators of psychosis found in cerebrospinal fluid
Detecting designer steroids
20 November 2006
Detecting designer steroids used to cheat in horse racing and other sports has been made easier thanks to Australian scientists.
Reactions without walls
16 November 2006
Containerless chemistry in levitating droplets of ionic liquids.
How fresh is your food?
07 November 2006
A material that changes colour when exposed to oxygen could be used to indicate whether packaged food is still fresh, its inventors claim.
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Can recycling become a PC term?
23 November 2006
An efficient method for recycling polycarbonate (PC) waste has been developed by researchers from Taiwan.
Antimatter cancer treatment
03 November 2006
First measurements of the biological effects of antiproton radiation.
The smell of filthy lucre
25 October 2006
The characteristic metallic smell of coins is actually a type of human body odour
Synthetic origami folds like natural enzymes
27 October 2006
Large organic molecule mimics biological protein folding
Sulfate solution to acrylamide problem
27 October 2006
Simple changes in farming methods could reduce levels of acrylamide in wheat-based foods
Protein structure all wrapped up
01 November 2006
A protein that dramatically alters its shape could have implications in fields ranging from new materials to drug design.
A longer lasting message
03 November 2006
Monitoring mRNA stability could light the way to new cancer treatments.
Longest single molecule wire
07 November 2006
A single molecule wire, claimed to be the longest yet, has been made by UK scientists.
Features
Fat of the land
As we become progressively more rotund, our body chemistry undergoes critical changes that have a major impact on our health. Dennis Rouvray sizes up this burgeoning problem
Microfluidics: wet and potentially wild
Lab-on-a-chip technology is finally seeing widespread use in analysis and synthesis. Jon Evans catches up with the progress of microfluidics research
From here to Bologna
The Bologna process promises to create a unified education system in 45 countries by 2010. Is this an achievable goal? Terry Mitchell reports
Chemistry in Africa
Science is playing an increasingly important role in sub-Saharan Africa. A number of new initiatives and organisations are helping to promote chemistry in education and industry, a...
A change in focus
David Brennan, chief executive officer of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, is taking the company on a new course towards biologic drugs.
Regulars
Editorial: A shot in the arm for science education
University science education has received a significant boost with the announcement that the Higher education funding council for England (Hefce) will provide an extra £75 million ...
Opinion: In the pipeline
Derek Lowe looks at the story behind the growing investment by western companies in medicinal chemistry research in China
Comment: A tale of two disciplines
Teaching as well as research can help bridge the no-man's land between chemistry and chemical engineering, says Mark Haw
Your views...
Which chemist, past or present, would you most like to have worked with?
Careers: The outreach bug
As a public awareness scientist, Samantha Tang is keen to encourage others to spread the wonders of science. Yfke Hager finds out more
Crossword and Su Doku
Prize crossword and Su Doku, December 2006
The last retort: Now there's an idea
It used to be held that the cure for writer's block was to gaze fixedly at a blank sheet of paper until beads of blood formed on your forehead
Flashback
40 years ago
Chemistry World Letters, December 2006
Chemistry World Reviews, December 2006
