RSC - Advancing the Chemical Sciences


Chemistry World

 

August 2011

Vol 8, No 8

August 2011

News and analysis

German science receives a 10 per cent funding boost

19 July 2011

Germany's budget proposals includes extra funding to turn the country into a world leader in high-tech fields

UK average tuition fees to hit £8,393

14 July 2011

Universities claim schemes to widen participation are not tackling the problem of underachievement in schools

Japanese universities plot slow recovery

11 July 2011

How are the science institutions of Japan faring four months after the earthquake and tsunami?

Pfizer to keep 350 jobs at Sandwich

24 June 2011

Pfizer has said it will retain some activity at its site at Sandwich, UK, to encourage fresh commercial interest in the site and its assets

EU considers 'professional' card for migrants

30 June 2011

Legislators in Europe are trying to simplify the movement of professionals between EU states

US approves cancer drugs twice as fast as Europe

22 June 2011

The US approves cancer drugs faster than Europe but future collaboration is likely to iron out differences

UK report criticises forensic science move

01 July 2011

A report from the UK Science and Technology Committee says the closure of the Forensic Science Service should be pushed back at least six months

Controversy over academy membership in China

20 June 2011

Criticism has arisen over the candidates short-listed for membership of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

Nuclear debates call for public participation

06 July 2011

Following Fukushima, talks have begun on the future of nuclear power in China

Manufacturers targeted by India's e-waste laws

13 July 2011

India seeks to clean up its act with legislation to tackle mounting levels of electronic waste

Funders unveil 'elite' open access journal

04 July 2011

Three research foundations say they are answering scientist demand for an open access rival to Cell, Nature and Science

EU looks to expand ban on phosphates in detergents

24 June 2011

An EU push to ban phosphates in dishwasher detergents is facing opposition from industry

Pharma pollution is out of control in China

24 June 2011

Pollution from the pharmaceutical sector in China is increasing as the industry booms, and it's getting harder to control

Dow boss to lead $500m US manufacturing initiative

29 June 2011

Dow chief executive Andrew Liveris will share leadership of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership with MIT president Susan Hockfield

Business roundup

Industry news, August 2011

Market Place

New products, August 2011

In the papers...

Short items

News in Brief

Short items, August 2011

Note book

Short items, August 2011


Research

Copper signals a colourful past

30 June 2011

Trace elements uncover the pigmentation patterns in soft tissues of fossils

Rollerball writes electronics straight to paper

27 June 2011

Pen-on-paper electronics approach developed by US researchers could make for cheap, flexible and disposable devices

Eight steps to foil antibiotic resistant bacteria

07 July 2011

Further advances in a practical route to tetracycline antibiotics

A cool way to store hydrogen?

28 June 2011

Forget MOFs and carbon nanotubes - perhaps the best way to store hydrogen is already sitting in the freezer compartment

Dinosaur smile reveals secret to staying cool

23 June 2011

A novel technique based on rare isotopes in fossilised teeth sheds light on dinosaur body temperatures

Liquid cement turns liquid metal

01 July 2011

Researchers in Japan produce concentrated 'solvated' electrons in cement, in both a molten and glassy state

Could life have emerged inside inorganic shells?

07 July 2011

Studies on nanoparticle-based membranes suggest inorganic compartments could have formed primitive cells

Synthesising red wine's overlooked chemical secrets

22 June 2011

Chemists have synthesised resveratrol oligomers, polyphenols found in grapes, which might have medicinal properties

Mystery of how plutonium enters cells solved

27 June 2011

Plutonium enters cells by hitching a ride on a protein which could lead to ways to block uptake

Screening for Alzheimer's drugs in tandem

28 June 2011

By combining enzymes, a macrocyclic sensor and a dye, scientists may be able to find new drugs for Alzheimer's disease

One in the eye for diabetes

23 June 2011

A drug to treat retinal damage caused by diabetes could be delivered from a device implanted behind the eyes

Nanomaterial dust no worse than the rest

16 June 2011

An industry study on mice suggests that dust from working nanomaterials is not more toxic than dust from regular materials

Cells turned into living lasers with fluorescent protein

13 June 2011

Physicists have made a laser that uses a fluorescent cell as the gain medium to amplify the light beam

Chemically evolved bacteria

30 June 2011

New strain of E. coli uses alien DNA bases to the rest of life on Earth, and could improve the biosecurity of synthetic biology

Pi-stacking better without the aromatics?

08 July 2011

New computer models challenge convention wisdom about the role of aromatic groups in supramolecular interactions

Nanogenerators for environmental sensors

24 June 2011

A wireless senor to detect mercury, powered by energy from the environment

Fishing for chemical answers to biological questions

04 July 2011

James K. Chen talks to Michael Smith about chemical biology, his love for the outdoors and fly fishing


Features

Clever comestibles

Controlling the microscopic structure of foods could make diet products that help you feel fuller for longer. Emma Davies gets her teeth into some edible colloids

Anarchy in the proteome

15 years ago, the idea that proteins might be functional without a well-ordered 3D structure was heretical. But Michael Gross discovers, a little flexibility can go a long way

A sticky end?

Rather than evolving to increase complexity, could protein-protein interactions be part of a self-protection strategy gone too far? Philip Ball investigates

Innovation ticks the boxes

The UK's Technology and Innovation Centres will provide research services to bridge the gap between industry and academia. Elisabeth Jeffries reports


Opinion

Editorial: Heroes and heroin

Science dream team

Good internships attract the brightest and best

Gordon Mizner argues that fair and well-structured internships are vital to attracting the best students into chemical careers

Column: In the pipeline

Derek Lowe highlights the less visible pitfalls on the road to a new drug

Column: The crucible

Philip Ball wonders to what extent molecular structures are metaphorical


Chemistry World Jobs

The insider: Venturing into business support

Many chemists are ideally suited to careers in venture capital, discovers Sarah Houlton

Company profile: Semiconductor start-up

Bea Perks reports on a company developing printable circuits, where any setbacks are viewed as positive learning experiences

Careers clinic: It all adds up

A chemistry degree could well lead to a career in accountancy, writes Charlotte Ashley-Roberts

Profile: Atmospheric research

Ally Lewis could probably take apart a gas chromatograph with his eyes closed in the jungle or on a glacier, writes Emma Davies


Regulars

Reviews

Chemistry World Reviews, August 2011



Letters

Chemistry World Letters, August 2011



Puzzles

Puzzles, August 2011

Chemistry through the lens

Scanning electron micrograph

The last retort: Carpet polymers

The 2010 Nobel prize for physics went to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov

Flashback

15 years ago in Chemistry in Britain