IVF birth celebrated 

British scientist, Robert Edwards at the University of Cambridge, UK, was awarded the 2010 Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine on 4 October for the development of human in vitro fertilisation (IVF) therapy. His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility in over 10 per cent of couples worldwide, and close to four million babies have been born thanks to IVF to date. 

Cheaters: you're barred    

The Swedish Research Council has made the decision to bar researchers who are found guilty of plagiarism, falsification or inventing results from receiving research grants. Under the new regulations, a researcher who commits fraud could be barred for 2 years for deviating from good research practice, 5 years for serious deviation from good practice or could even be blacklisted for 10 years for egregious deviation. 

Placating critics

After criticism of the US Department of Interior's (DOI) proposed policy on scientific integrity (see Chemistry World, October 2010, p4), the Secretary of the DOI, Ken Salazar, has stated in a memo that the DOI will not tolerate scientific misconduct. In addition, DOI employees must not suppress or alter scientific or technological findings and conclusions, without new scientific or technological evidence. 

Go Figure 

£250 billion 

The amount of money chemistry is worth to the UK economy each year, according to a report commissioned by the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.