News March 2009
Giving molecules a stretch
31 March 2009
Stretching small molecules with stilbene could give new insights into reactivity
Blood clotting light work for new molecule
31 March 2009
Molecule that changes shape on exposure to light could help control blood clotting and starve tumours
Unlocking the mysteries of mitochondria
31 March 2009
The body's power plants probed by a multidisciplinary collaboration of UK scientists
Moving forward: self-propelling oil droplets
30 March 2009
Researchers have developed a new kind of self-propelling oil droplet - a 'primitive type of chemical machinery'
EPA announces new chemical toxicity plan
30 March 2009
Agency adopts new strategy using advanced techniques to improve regulation and reduce animal testing
Magnets control drug release
30 March 2009
A smart tissue-like biomaterial that can release drugs in response to a magnetic trigger has been created by UK scientists
Gene gels pump out proteins
29 March 2009
Novel DNA-based hydrogels completely free of living cells function as mini protein factories
US turns to science to help rebuild its economy
27 March 2009
Energy Department commits billions to research infrastructure and electric cars
Making fish fluoresce for mercury detection
27 March 2009
Probe highlights inorganic and organic mercury forms in organs of living organisms
'Molecular ball-bearings' for artificial joints
26 March 2009
Polymer 'brushes' lubricated with water give near-frictionless surfaces that could be used in medical implants of the future
Quakes eat up the heat
26 March 2009
Endothermic reactions should be included in quake simulations, say researchers
A little more sensitivity
26 March 2009
Scientists develop fluorescent sensors to detect pH changes in a biological cell
Water goes with a bang
25 March 2009
Humble H2O plays key role in catalysing explosions - from TNT to the formation of stars and planets
Xu Guangxian: A chemical life
25 March 2009
Chemistry World tells the inspiring story of the second chemist to win China's prestigious State Supreme Science and Technology Prize, Xu Guangxian
Producing powerful palladium particles
24 March 2009
Fuel cells based on palladium nanoparticles could be a step closer as researchers overcome obstacles associated with their use
Alkali metals reveal a taste for clam
24 March 2009
Researchers have found that alkali metal cations like to form structures that look like open or closed clam shells
Lab on ice
24 March 2009
Experimental apparatus made from ice can be used as detecting systems for solvent extraction and chromatography, claim Japanese scientists
Magnetic beads clean up phage display
24 March 2009
Microfluidic washing can improve drug candidate identification, according to US scientists
A new twist on actuator architecture
24 March 2009
Spiral opals change colour and shape in response to their chemical environment
The beginning of the end for ELISA?
24 March 2009
Polymer-based test for proteins proves sensitive, selective and simpler than traditional assay
Speeding up screening for chiral catalysts
23 March 2009
High throughput technique could help quickly identify chiral catalysts for drug manufacture
First auto carbohydrate synthesiser
23 March 2009
Scientists have unveiled the first fully automated carbohydrate synthesiser, hoped to speed vaccine development
Waste not, want not
23 March 2009
UK scientists have converted crude biodiesel waste into useful amines with no need for difficult separation techniques
Integrin inhibitors could promote tumour growth
22 March 2009
Integrin inhibitors are being investigated to treat cancer, but new research suggests they could actually promote tumour growth
Medical probes get easy to spot
20 March 2009
Gold nanorods and magnetic particles combine to make highly visible structures
Sensitive polymers show drug delivery promise
20 March 2009
New drug delivery system has three different ways to drop off medicine where it is needed
Instant insight: The growth of nanotoxicology
20 March 2009
Christy Haynes and colleagues from the University of Minnesota, US, look at analytical techniques used to assess nanotechnology's effects on health
Copper catalysts give meta aromatics
19 March 2009
UK researchers have managed to achieve a particularly tricky substitution on a benzene ring
Capsules with flexi-pores open wide
19 March 2009
Researchers have shown that a molecular capsule with flexible pores can admit over-size guest molecules.
Interview: Inspired by nature
19 March 2009
Ann Valentine talks about bioinorganic chemistry, titanium and avoiding rust
Merger goes ahead as Dow, Rohm and Haas settle dispute
18 March 2009
US firms Dow Chemical and Rohm and Haas will merge in a $15.3 billion deal by the start of April
Electronic 'nose' could shed light on sense of smell
17 March 2009
Korean researchers have created a 'bio-electronic' nose that could help explain how our sense of smell works
Super-buoyant rafts take float
17 March 2009
Matchbox-sized boats made from super-hydrophobic material set sail
Maths mistake sidelined FutureGen project
17 March 2009
A mathematical mix up at the US Department of Energy caused the clean coal project to be shelved last year
Polymer's coats multi-task in drug delivery
17 March 2009
Polymer spheres with a sugar coating on the outside and plastic coating on the inside may be better living cell mimics and drug delivery vessels
Nanodumbbells target cancer cells
16 March 2009
Nanoparticles home in on tumour cells but spare healthy cells
Finding a bacterium in a blood sample
16 March 2009
How do you separate bacteria from small biological samples? A lab-on-a-chip device that does just that offers hope for diagnostics
Age of photosynthesis questioned
15 March 2009
New research suggests photosynthesis could have occurred a billion years earlier than previously thought
Mega mergers sweep pharma industry
13 March 2009
The list of mergers and acquisitions in the pharma continues to grow, with four major deals in recent weeks
Obama tightens reporting rules for chemical releases
13 March 2009
New president reverses Bush-era legislation
Chemicals body urges help for ailing sector
13 March 2009
Sharp drop in output prompts Cefic to appeal to the EU
Bacteria generate cleaner power and water
13 March 2009
Microbial fuel cells can store away carbon dioxide as well as produce electricity, according to an international team of scientists
New coating could make cars scratch-proof
12 March 2009
Futuristic new polymer uses sunlight to repair surface scratches
Funding shift worries researchers
12 March 2009
Academics worried about move towards economically-driven funding of research.
Interview: Creating a new world
12 March 2009
Mukund Chorghade speaks to Elinor Richards about his fascination with natural products and their role in India's future
Illuminating the cell response to anticancer drugs
12 March 2009
Revealing how cells handle platinum complexes could help in the search for better-targeted cancer therapies
Metals lose identity under pressure
11 March 2009
Lithium and sodium become insulators and semiconductors in diamond anvil cells
Super battery could power electric cars
11 March 2009
MIT scientists design a better battery using nanoparticles
Building nano-scale electronic contacts
11 March 2009
Researchers have welded carbon nanotubes to metal particles to create conducting junctions
Making pentagonal ice
10 March 2009
Ice structures have been built from pentagonal arrangements of water on a copper surface
Surfaces take a turn to do work
10 March 2009
Light-driven molecular motors that rotate perpendicular to a surface can control the surface's properties
Making capillaries with candy floss
10 March 2009
An artificial vascular system has been made using candy floss as a template
Expanding routes for drug delivery
10 March 2009
Peptide-triggered particles that release cargos when they meet an enzyme could find use delivering drugs in the body
Finding the risks of nanoparticle exposure
09 March 2009
New model for nanoparticle lung exposure sheds new light on possible health risks
Polymer crossroads act as tiny reactors
08 March 2009
Ultrasmall chemical reactors have been created at junctions between crossed polymer nanofibres
Bush-era environmental regulations challenged
06 March 2009
The White House and the US courts are tightening rules on pollution and chemicals
Electrochemical solution to virus detection
06 March 2009
Scientists in China provide an easy-to-use approach to hepatitis C diagnosis
Fighting MRSA with ionic liquids
06 March 2009
Hospital cleaners may one day use ionic liquids to clean wards
Hefce announces how RAE money will be distributed
05 March 2009
Impact of the new fine-grained RAE on research money distribution
Biosensor shows potential
05 March 2009
Liver disease can be detected using a simple electrochemical device designed by US scientists
Rapid technique for prostate cancer diagnosis
05 March 2009
Test to measure cancer-linked biomarkers takes less than three minutes to complete
Interview: Molecular logic
05 March 2009
A Prasanna de Silva tells Nicola Wise about sensors, supramolecular chemistry and how Sri Lankan percussion can play a part in Irish music
Hydrogen storage steps up a gear
04 March 2009
Improved storage capability takes us one step closer to hydrogen powered cars
Sweet-toothed bacteria make their own vaccine
03 March 2009
Bacteria fed with modified sugars produce a component of their own vaccine
Shining a light on neural activity
02 March 2009
Light-activated semiconducting nanostructures wirelessly stimulate neurons
