RSC - Advancing the Chemical Sciences


Chemistry World

 

June 2011

Vol 8, No 6

June 2011

News and analysis

Delayed US budgets finally agreed

15 April 2011

Science agencies have fared better than expected in a deal struck nearly seven months late, and thoughts are already turning to next year's budget

ESF-EUROHORCs merger rejected in tight vote

10 May 2011

A proposed merger between two European bodies to create a unified voice for European research has collapsed

Endosulfan banned as agreement is reached with India

06 May 2011

A global ban on the pesticide endosulfan has been introduced after initial resistance from the Indian government was overcome

Solvay and Rhodia to form European giant

11 April 2011

The deal marks the end of a period of 'bolt on' buying as companies begin to diversify again, experts say

How antidepressants spur brain growth

12 April 2011

New insight into activity in the hippocampus could help researchers develop better drugs, researchers say

Ecstasy substitute poses major health risks

09 May 2011

The designer drug benzylpiperazine may damage the kidneys and liver, researchers have discovered

Full steam ahead for China's nuclear development

13 April 2011

China's ambitious plan to expand its nuclear industry will not falter, even with the escalating crisis in Japan

China sets modest energy saving plan

12 April 2011

China releases more realistic energy saving and carbon emission reductions in its five year energy plan

Eastern European research blighted by funding shortfall

12 May 2011

Funding for science in eastern Europe continues to be overlooked, despite years of economic growth

New data reignites eye drug debate

09 May 2011

The much cheaper but unlicensed option is as effective, according to interim results, but safety remains a talking point

Teva sidelines Valeant with $6.8bn Cephalon bid

04 May 2011

The move increases product diversity at the generics giant and strengthens its branded products portfolio

Business roundup

Industry news, June 2011

Market Place

New products, June 2011

In the papers...

Short items

News in Brief

Short items, June 2011

Note book

Short items, June 2011


Research

Insecticide studies provide clues to bees' disappearance

21 April 2011

Chromatographic techniques probe involvement of neonicotinoid insecticides in decline of bees

Fish in chips: growing embryos in microfluidic systems

14 April 2011

The world's smallest aquarium bridges the gap between cell assays and whole animal testing

Hardy MOFs endure extreme conditions

28 April 2011

New MOF catalysts can withstand boiling in acids and alkalis and temperatures of 510 degrees Celsius

Carbon nanotubes in large panel displays

28 April 2011

A new organic light-emitting transistor could make much larger flat screen televisions feasible

New method for aromatic coupling

28 April 2011

The Friedel-Crafts reaction can now be used to couple two aromatic sites using clever silane chemistry

Lignin cut down to size by nickel catalyst

21 April 2011

A nickel-based catalyst has been created that can depolymerise lignin, opening the way to green chemicals from biomass

RNA analysis raises hopes of early cancer diagnosis

21 April 2011

An improved method of detecting colorectal cancer has been developed, offering hopes for early and non-invasive detection

Long chains give new life to RNA world hypothesis

07 April 2011

Molecular evolution of a new enzyme made of RNA has revitalised a 'dead end' in RNA chemistry

Drug cocktails greater than the sum of their parts

27 April 2011

A systematic survey of cocktails of antibiotics and other drugs has thrown up some killer combinations to manage resistance

Health benefits of blended fruit juice

05 May 2011

Drinking the perfect blend of fruits could lower your risk of cardiovascular disease

Anticancer drug found to cause zinc deficiency

04 May 2011

Researchers now know why cisplatin, a leading cancer drug, causes zinc deficiency in patients

Putting the cement industry in the calcium loop

20 April 2011

Capturing carbon from power station emissions could usefully be tied in with cement manufacture, researchers show

Nanodiamond aerogel hammered out on anvil

10 May 2011

An amorphous carbon aerogel can be transformed into a nanodiamond aerogel at pressures of 20GPa

Tuning into solar power with nanoantennas

05 May 2011

Nanoantennas that can 'pick up' a wide range of light wavelengths could be used to augment solar cells

Titanate cigarette filter

03 May 2011

A nanomaterial in cigarette filters could reduce the amount of harmful materials inhaled by smokers

Zinc complexes as antimicrobial wound dressings

06 May 2011

Thin films containing metals could be deposited onto fabrics to kill bacteria

Saving water

17 May 2011

Richard Luthy talks to Michael Smith about safeguarding water quality and how military service in the Vietnam War led him to environmental science


Features

Breaking through the barrier

Getting drug molecules into the brain means crossing the defensive blood-brain barrier. Anthony King investigates how chemists are infiltrating the brain's fortress

Cast from the same mould?

Development of generic biological drugs is gathering momentum. But as Rajendrani Mukhopadhyay finds out, the welcome they are receiving looks very different in the EU and the US

No laughing matter

Had it not been for nitrous oxide's subversion as a recreational folly, its utility as an anaesthetic could have been uncovered much earlier, as John Mann discovers

Extreme potential

The world's least hospitable environments are treasure troves for synthetic organic chemists and drug developers, reports Bea Perks


Opinion

Editorial: Deliberate practice

Hitting an eight-iron 300 times

Chemistry and risk perception

Dismissing the fears of a risk-averse public is no way to build constructive working relationships, writes David Ropeik

A chemist's defence

Reinforcing and not correcting the fears of a risk-averse public is no way to build constructive working relationships, writes Hal Sosabowski

Column: In the pipeline

To the unfamiliar, chemists might all look the same. But some common categories are easy to identify, explains Derek Lowe

Column: The crucible

Philip Ball considers the vegetative soul of an inorganic woodland


Chemistry World Jobs

The insider: Looking after Number One

Steve Huxham, chairman of the Recruitment Society, tells Hayley Birch why it's wise to keep your CV updated before you need a new job

Profile: Chemist on a contract

Emma Blaney joins a growing number of chemists leaving big pharma for careers in contract research organisations (CROs), reports Sarah Houlton

Company profile: What women want

Beauty is in the eye of Procter and Gamble's skincare team, reports Manisha Lalloo

Careers clinic: Motherhood and science

Charlotte Ashley-Roberts on why combining an academic career in science with bringing up children is a realistic option

The Educated Chemist: Market forces

Getting a degree in chemistry makes good economic sense, writes Robert Bowles


Regulars

Reviews

Chemistry World Reviews, June 2011



Letters

Chemistry World Letters, June 2011



Puzzles

Puzzles, June 2011

Chemistry through the lens

A colloidal system consisting of novel micron-sized cubic particles

Classic kit: Volta's piles

Lightning is one of the great metaphors for the creative process

The last retort: Chemical words

The language of chemistry has changed greatly during my lifetime

Flashback

20 years ago in Chemistry in Britain