News August 2009
Nanoparticle breath test for lung cancer
30 August 2009
A gold nanoparticle sensor can quickly and easily distinguish between the breath of lung cancer patients and healthy individuals
C-H oxidation proves its worth
30 August 2009
Late stage oxidation strategy passes the test in complex molecule synthesis
A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
28 August 2009
Bacteria activated by the plant sugar xylan produce drugs inside the gut to treat bowel disease
Twist of fate for two-to-one assemblies
28 August 2009
Unique nanospiral structures could be useful for miniaturising optoelectronics
A colourful way to clean waste
28 August 2009
Dye extraction product recycled as cheap colourant for plastics
Nitrous oxide key ozone destroyer
27 August 2009
Nitrous oxide is the single most important ozone depleting substance and emissions must be curbed, say scientists
Molecules in close-up
27 August 2009
A tuning-fork-like device that measures atomic forces can image every single atom in a molecule, according to its Swiss inventors
Reach costs set to spiral
27 August 2009
The EU's Reach chemicals legislation could use 20 times more animals and cost six times more than originally estimated, say two toxicologists
CARS speeds up hair analysis
26 August 2009
Researchers have used a quick, non-destructive technique to find out how washing with shampoo products affects human hair
Germany plugs electric cars
26 August 2009
Germany ploughs an extra €500 million into electric vehicle R&D in a bid to have a million electric cars on the road by 2020
Kidney on a chip
26 August 2009
Scientists in Korea are mimicking the conditions kidney cells experience in the body to grow the cells in a microfluidic device
Essential elements from cereals
26 August 2009
Just how much iron and zinc do you get from your breakfast? Scientists in Denmark have been looking for the answer.
Anti-terror antibodies
26 August 2009
European scientists have developed a method to detect potential biological warfare agents in food
Heavy metal poisoning sparks protests in China
25 August 2009
Industrial pollution causes lead and cadmium poisoning in China, prompting protests and calls for improved regulation
PhD bribes scandal hits German universities
25 August 2009
German prosecutors investigate at least 100 cases of professors taking cash bribes to help students obtain PhDs
Enamel regeneration makes scientists smile
25 August 2009
Chinese researchers are a step closer to being able to regrow tooth enamel in the mouth.
Separating isomers with electric fields
24 August 2009
New technique uses electric fields at ultracold temperatures to isolate individual conformational isomers from a complex molecule
Indian court dismisses Bayer's patent linkage case
24 August 2009
Bayer has failed in its attempt to stop Indian regulators approving a copy-cat version of one of its patented drugs
'Chemical nose' sensor sniffs blood protein profile
24 August 2009
New sensor system uses gold nanoparticles to detect proteins indicative of disease in human blood serum
Gold plating improves nanotube imaging
23 August 2009
Gold-plated nanotubes are effective non-toxic contrast agents for photothermal and photoacoustic imaging
Aluminium helps date solar system
21 August 2009
Aluminium isotope provides new insights into the solar system's formation
China's emissions to peak early
21 August 2009
New report suggests carbon emissions from China could peak in 2030, decades earlier than previously estimated
Plastic made from castor oil
21 August 2009
New chemical synthesis route yields polyester from biomass
Microfluidics makes its mark
21 August 2009
A one-step microfluidic chip that can detect disease markers in a single drop of blood serum
New nanoboxes take shape
20 August 2009
Tiny cubes fold themselves up in a new way to make patterned 3D structures on the nanoscale
Testing times: predicting hep C response
20 August 2009
A new genetic test could predict which patients will benefit from treatment, and which will suffer side effects
Targeting the androgen receptor
20 August 2009
Computer-aided design finds proteins that bind receptor linked to prostate cancer
Antioxidants could promote cancer
19 August 2009
US researchers have shown antioxidants can help tumour cells survive and multiply in the body
China drug scheme funds out of reach
19 August 2009
Funding through China's multi-billion yuan drug development scheme could become harder to come by says programme representative
Gold nanoparticles detect cancer
19 August 2009
Ultrasensitive detection platform uses nanoparticles to measure levels of cancer biomarkers
Ozone reaction with skin causes irritants
18 August 2009
Ozone can react with human skin forming chemicals that irritate the lungs and skin
Interview: Bending the rules
18 August 2009
Guy Bertrand talks to Marie Cote about creating dream compounds, tennis and setting up international labs
DNA shapes up for nanoelectronic devices
17 August 2009
DNA origami forms pre-defined shapes with new lithography technique, potential uses in next generation computer chips
New method for fluorinating compounds
17 August 2009
Researchers develop an easy, cost-effective way to add fluorine atoms to a variety of compounds used in pharmaceuticals
Potential for bedside medical diagnostics
17 August 2009
Numerous applications offered by time- and money-saving gadget
Catalyst free carbon-carbon bond formation
16 August 2009
Researchers develop a simple, one-pot reaction to create carbon-carbon bonds at a carbonyl group without a metal catalyst
Nanotubes promise ultra-small wearable oxygen sensors
16 August 2009
Tiny personal oxygen sensors could make working in submarines and space shuttles safer
Nanomotors detect trace silver
14 August 2009
Synthetic nanomotors could be used as detectors for trace levels of contaminants as researchers find they accelerate near silver ions
Sound waves push particles
14 August 2009
Acoustic tweezers manipulate cells into patterns on a microchip
Instant insight: Zooming in on sensors
14 August 2009
Seunghun Hong, at Seoul National University, Korea, and colleagues discuss ways to integrate nanowires and nanotubes on chips
Picky MOF crystals show promise
13 August 2009
Metal-organic frameworks selective for specific organic molecules have been made by US researchers
US officials probe hydrogen fluoride incidents
13 August 2009
A spate of toxic gas leaks from US refineries is causing concern the recession may be putting lives at risk
Forcing enzyme activity
13 August 2009
Enzyme activity triggered by stretching with an atomic force microscope
Uranium chemistry: the final frontier
13 August 2009
Scientists have made new uranium compounds for the future of nuclear power
Exposing nano-objects' molecular make up
12 August 2009
Bombarding with single clusters of gold atoms helps identify nano-objects through molecular structure
Revealing the factors behind liver disease
12 August 2009
Array system tests hundreds of conditions to find those that lead to liver damage
Urban materials trigger air pollution
11 August 2009
Walls and self-cleaning windows could act as reaction sites for pollutant gases in the atmosphere, creating harmful by-products
Yushchenko poisoning study calls for dioxin tests
11 August 2009
Metabolism of potent TCDD dioxin was unexpected and should be the focus of further study, say researchers
New catalyst for methane to methanol
10 August 2009
Solid catalyst could overcome some of the recovery problems associated with homogeneous systems for methanol production from methane
Stretching for reversible enzyme activation
10 August 2009
Scientists have developed a new kind of nanomaterial that can be chemically turned on and off by mechanical stretching
Interview: Genetic alphabets
10 August 2009
Ichiro Hirao on nucleic acid research, expanding the genetic code and the possibility of creating new life
Malaria disaster risk
07 August 2009
Studies question insect repellent safety and suggest the malaria parasite is gaining resistance to a first-line drug
HP under fire for failing to phase out harmful chemicals
07 August 2009
Greenpeace launches worldwide protest as HP backpedals on commitment to eliminate PVC plastic and BFRs from its products
Stimulus funds flow into US science and R&D
07 August 2009
US administration to spend $2.5 billion on next generation batteries and electric vehicles; over $700 million on science
Dyes get the green, and red, light
07 August 2009
A seesaw helped scientists to discover dual fluorescent dyes
Organic aerosol mystery solved
06 August 2009
Oxidation of volatile plant-derived molecule in the atmosphere leads to influential aerosol formation
Nanoscale tools from DNA origami
06 August 2009
Gaining fine control over DNA structure could lead the way to tiny tools and devices
Instant insight: Alzheimer's: untangling the facts
06 August 2009
Cures for Alzheimer's may come from understanding its chemistry. Arvi Rauk examines the disease at the molecular level
Interview: Raising the bar
06 August 2009
Scott Tanner on measuring cell biomarkers and Olympic gymnastics. Ben Merison investigates
Martian methane breaks the rules
05 August 2009
Variations in methane concentration across Mars defy our current understanding of methane photochemistry, say French scientists
Zipping photovoltaics up straight
05 August 2009
Straightening the backbone of supramolecular self-assembling photovoltaic devices leads to dramatic improvements in device performance
Bhopal returns to haunt former Union Carbide chief
05 August 2009
There have been fresh calls for the former Union Carbide head to face charges in India 25 years after the Bhopal disaster
Cell-sized vesicle assembly line
04 August 2009
Scientists have created a production line that pumps out microspheres that are all the same size and surrounded by a single lipid bilayer
Chemicals sector bumping along the bottom
04 August 2009
While some economic indicators hint the recession may be easing, the chemicals sector is still at rock bottom
Weaving with bacteria
03 August 2009
Fabrics made with living bacteria could be used in self-cleaning clothes or help clean radioactive water
Computational chemistry predicts flu mutations
03 August 2009
Researchers have used computational chemistry to try to predict which mutations could lead to dangerous new flu strains
Vandalism strikes US lab
03 August 2009
Former lab assistant arrested for destroying over £300,000 of protein crystals
