RSC - Advancing the Chemical Sciences


Chemistry World

 

July 2011

Vol 8, No 7

July 2011

News and analysis

NSF five year plan to keep US science on top

16 May 2011

The NSF's five-year strategic plan targets threats to the US's science and engineering leadership

Phony research projects swindle EC out of millions

19 May 2011

The European Commission has uncovered a network of fake research projects that have fraudulently claimed €50 million

EU bans cadmium in plastics, jewellery

27 May 2011

A Europe wide ban on cadmium in plastics, jewellery and amateur model-making has been announced

Getting to grips with volcanic ash

27 May 2011

Researchers are learning a lot about the tiny particles of volcanic ash that have spewed from volcanoes in Iceland and caused misery for air travellers

MPs warn funding reform threatens university places

08 June 2011

Cross party committee warns that student places could be cut to counter a funding gap in UK higher education

US demands inquiry into isotope management

03 June 2011

US lawmakers launched an inquiry into isotope management after revelations that the DOE failed to foresee a helium-3 shortage

UK report calls for new approach to strategic metals

17 May 2011

Cradle-to-cradle strategy could improve supply security

Report: Free researchers from copyright shackles

23 May 2011

A new UK government copyright review says researchers should be free to copy and data mine digital data

Cost-cutting will stifle UK innovation

25 May 2011

A report claims that the government's penny-pinching attitude to publicly funded services will damage the country's innovative edge

EPA discloses confidential chemical information

13 June 2011

US chemical industry expresses concern as EPA publicises identities of more than 150 chemicals in health and safety studies

A textile bag for bomb blast protection

06 June 2011

An unconventional approach to aircraft safety that incorporates fluids that thicken under impact is being tested

Engineered bacterium to take on petrochemicals producers

25 May 2011

A US company has created E. coli that can cheaply synthesise large amounts of a chemical feedstock from sugars

Texas universities' spending under scrutiny

31 May 2011

Think tanks target public spending at Texas universities amid claims of underperforming staff

Takeda expands into Europe with Nycomed deal

20 May 2011

Takeda has swallowed up Nycomed in a €10 billion buyout that will give it access to European markets

Chemical industry fears over UK emissions plans

24 May 2011

Plans to halve emissions by 2050 could jeopardise a greener future, the industry says

Business roundup

Industry news, July 2011

Market Place

New products, July 2011

In the papers...

Short items

News in Brief

Short items, July 2011

Note book

Short items, July 2011


Research

Electron remains stubbornly spherical

25 May 2011

A new study finds the electron is spherical, which has deep implications for the standard model of physics

Chemical 'Scotch Tape' separates carbon nanotubes

09 June 2011

Metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotubes can be peeled apart using a tape that has either amine or phenyl groups

Methane activation by organometallic reagent

02 June 2011

A metal-carbon bond can activate methane to produce useful hydrocarbons

A solution to a sticky problem

09 June 2011

New synthetic surgical sealants could prevent complications that arise when using current sealants

Coin isotopes unravel ancient inflation riddle

24 May 2011

Isotope analysis of silver coins sheds important light on economic inflation in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries

Ibuprofen: anticancer drug

26 May 2011

A common painkiller could be used to treat prostate cancer

Nanoparticles scrub up a treat in hot water bath

05 June 2011

A wash in hot water is all it takes to clean up gold nanoparticles and improve their catalytic activity

Mars is the planet that never grew up

25 May 2011

Arrested development accounts for the bafflingly small size of Mars: meteorite isotope records show it never grew up

An electric partnership

02 June 2011

Unlikely pairing of bacteria provides each one with chemicals to their mutual current-generating benefit in a bioelectrochemical reactor

Hunting elusive green fluorescent proteins

26 May 2011

Cracking a 40-year-old conundrum could result in the discovery of new protein tags

Homing in on a cheaper Haber-Bosch process

23 May 2011

Chemists are on the trail of an energy-efficient alternative to the Haber-Bosch process using a ruthenium catalyst

Quantum tunnelling creates the 'wrong' molecule

10 June 2011

Transition state theory may have to be rethought as quantum tunnelling affects products of an organic reaction

Rocket fuel goes green with ionic liquids

18 May 2011

Researchers create 'densified hydrogen' in the form of an ionic liquid which may make more environmentally-friendly rocket fuel

Throwing light on molecular logic gates

18 May 2011

Scientists have synthesised a molecule that can be controlled by light and perform 13 different logic functions

Polymer caterpillar crawls in humid weather

26 May 2011

A polymer sandwich that responds to changes in humidity can 'crawl' carrying 120 times its own weight

Nanospray for nanodrugs

26 May 2011

A spraying technique to make drug candidates soluble so that they are not discarded at early stages of drug trials

Swimming with sensors

02 June 2011

A sensor that can be printed onto a wetsuit could be used to detect pollutants and explosives in sea water

Probing cells' power generators

07 June 2011

A probe to monitor bicarbonate ion levels in mitochondria could aid in understanding its role in cell reactions


Features

Beyond the frontiers

In space and Antarctica, planning and running research projects transcends national borders. Laura Howes finds out how this affects the way researchers operate

Redesigning nature's catalysts

Harnessing the power of enzymes to perform reactions outside their normal abilities is adding powerful tools to the synthetic chemist's armoury. James Mitchell Crow investigates

Blazing a trail

Robert Bunsen's explosive career left an indelible impact - both in advancement of knowledge and the ubiquitous gas burner. Mike Sutton follows in his footsteps

Turning the tables on Alzheimer's

As our understanding of Alzheimer's disease develops, Clare Sansom takes a look at emerging strategies for treating this enigmatic illness


Opinion

Editorial: Chemical influence

This month's Totally Synthetic set me to thinking about two very interesting papers I recently saw

Gold and chemistry

Trevor Keel and Graham Hutchings celebrate a partnership that rarely gets a mention

Column: In the pipeline

The financial markets can be a rollercoaster ride, writes Derek Lowe, so should chemists working in industry worry about the company share price?

Column: The crucible

How principled was William Morris? Philip Ball examines the evidence


Chemistry World Jobs

Managing change: A helping hand

Sarah Houlton finds out who would benefit from a career coach. Most of us, apparently...

Profile: Polymer chemist delivers the goods

A career in drug delivery finds polymer chemist Jeff Hrkach working with chemists, biologists, engineers and, ultimately, investors, writes Sarah Houlton

Recruitment agencies for pharma sector

Bea Perks looks at how to get the best out of a recruitment agency when you're looking for a career in the pharmaceutical sector

Careers clinic: The dreaded interview

Interviews really don't need to be dreaded, writes Charlotte Ashley-Roberts


Regulars

Reviews

Chemistry World Reviews, July 2011



Letters

Chemistry World Letters, July 2011



Puzzles

Puzzles, July 2011

Chemistry through the lens

Carbonyl iron powder

Classic kit: The Evans balance

Easy to use and robust, the Evans or JM balance has been on the market in various forms since 1974

The last retort: Inelegant energy from heat

'Absurd', 'roundabout', 'clumsy these words well describe the way we turn heat into electric power

Flashback

20 years ago in Chemistry in Britain