October 2007
Vol 4, No 10
News and analysis

. while US reforms could double costs
Legislation approved that could dramatically raise cost of patenting chemical reactions

Novartis withdraws investment from India
Patent laws leave India 'choking on China's dust' says IFPMA

India announces plans for its first nanopark
Bangalore aims to attract business in another emerging area: nanotechnology
News in brief
Short items
Business roundup
Industry news
New on the market
New products, October 2007
In the papers...
Short items
Note book
Short items
Chemical science

Biofuels could boost global warming, finds study
21 September 2007
Nobel prize winner finds most biofuels could be worse for the environment than fossil fuels 

Glowing report for nerve agent detection
10 September 2007
A chemiluminescent sensor could be used to detect sarin with a glow response.

Contaminants still present in breast milk
04 September 2007
Flame retardants and organochlorine pesticides are still present in the breast milk of US mothers.

Sugaring the pill
09 September 2007
A key advance in efforts to bolt sugar molecules onto natural products in the search for new drugs

Molecules made with antimatter
13 September 2007
Molecules combining electrons and positrons have been made for the first time

Robots with a heart
31 August 2007
Robots small enough to roam the human body and powered by living heart muscle have been built by scientists in Korea.

Testing the toxicity of ionic liquids
05 September 2007
Ionic liquids have often been touted as the ultimate green solvent, but just how green is green?

Interview: Energy research lights up
26 September 2007
Daniel Nocera tells James Mitchell Crow about harnessing solar energy to make fuel from water 

Cell preservation all wrapped up
10 September 2007
Freezing cells inside glass cages could potentially improve human fertility treatments.

Reflections on protein surfaces
04 September 2007
Scientists now have a cheaper tool for probing biomolecules thanks to Japanese researchers.

Sweet approach to tackling cancer
02 September 2007
Synthetic cancer vaccine targets sugar molecules on the surface of tumour cells

Vitamin C's anti-cancer effects may be compromised by fat
04 September 2007
New study shows vitamin could raise - not lower - the level of stomach carcinogens

Interview: Fuel cells a hot topic
02 October 2007
Stephen Paddison talks to James Mitchell Crow about fuel cell science, and his search for the ideal electrolyte

Toxins' synthesis secret cracked
30 August 2007
Pure water solves a 22 year old mystery surrounding the infamous 'ladder' toxins produced by 'red tide' algal blooms

Mouse study may explain Vioxx side-effects
28 August 2007
'Improved' drug may be prescribed in future, researchers say

Finding fission by-products
13 September 2007
Researchers in Canada have developed a method for the rapid ultra-trace measurement of strontium 90 in environmental samples.

Organic synthesis goes supercritical
07 September 2007
Swiss chemists have developed a greener and more efficient way of making an industrially important aldehyde.

Beautiful blooms from nano-weeds
05 September 2007
Chemists cultivate bouquets of nanoflowers to order, from dandelion-like precursors

Instant insight: A bright future
19 September 2007
Andy Benniston explains how photocatalysts could provide the answer to the planet's energy crisis.
Chinese news supplement

China launches 200 billion dollar renewable energy plan
05 September 2007
China's renewables pledge depends on industry investment

Food safety rules strengthened
China has launched a food recall system amidst growing concerns over food safety

China still lagging behind OECD on innovation
03 September 2007
Shortage of science graduates threaten China's economic growth 

High hopes for anti-monopoly law
01 October 2007
Minnows hope to break stranglehold of petrochemical giants 

Spontaneous superlattices
29 August 2007
Zinc oxide nanocrystals that self-assemble into 'superlattices' are promising luminescent materials, say scientists in China.
China News in brief
Short items
Features

How to bury the problem
Carbon capture and storage could allow us to burn fossil fuels without climate consequences - but only with more investment in R&D, argues Stuart Haszeldine

The green fuel myth
A shortage of agricultural land and inefficient production processes have cast a doubtful shadow over the first generation of biofuels.

Designing a nuclear future
As the UK government indicates renewed support for nuclear energy, Richard Van Noorden tours the reactor designs in contention

Nuclear revival
The Dalton Institute at the University of Manchester aims to be a world leader in nuclear research, and breathe life into an industry that very nearly collapsed.

Incubating climate change solutions
The Carbon Trust's incubator programme aims to help scientists, spin-outs and small companies bring their carbon-reducing ideas to commercial fruition.

Making the cut
As restrictions are tightened on energy consumption within industry, Sean Milmo finds out how the chemical sector is fighting against its image as an energy glutton

Chemistry's special relationship
From the discovery of aniline dyes to modern biofuels, chemistry and energy have always been intractably linked.
Opinion

Comment: Mind the gap
The technology to plug the UK's energy gap is already here, says Jeff Hardy. But where is the political will?

Column: In the pipeline
The high cost of energy has an unexpected benefit, says Derek Lowe - it forces us to be more efficient

Column: The crucible
Feel free to make photovoltaics better, says Philip Ball. But don't forget they have to be cheaper, too
Regulars

Classic Kit: Bunsen burner
One sure-fire way of entering the chemical pantheon is to get your name associated with a piece of kit

Careers: Staying curious
Steve Koonin's curiosity and drive to 'make a difference' led him from academia to one of the world's largest energy companies. Fiona Case meets him





















