News February 2011
Protein nanotubes trap viruses
28 February 2011
Nanotubes made from human proteins used to ensnare hepatitis B
UK lab admits failings in inquest over death
28 February 2011
Employees were inadequately protected by safety equipment
Catalyst cleans up C-C bond formation
27 February 2011
Iridium compound makes carbon-carbon bonds using methanol
Mystery of natural sunscreen solved
25 February 2011
Compounds found in coral transform light energy from the sun into heat energy without damaging plants
Bendy batteries a step closer
25 February 2011
A flexible power source to accompany flexible batteries
Diagnosing diseases with CDs
25 February 2011
A microfluidic device has been built into a compact disc for use in a personal computer to analyse cells
Elusive form of iron captured
24 February 2011
Structural and spectroscopic evidence of a highly reactive iron(V) nitride compound
Seaweed recruited in fight against malaria
24 February 2011
Natural products from Fijian red seaweed have shown remarkable anti-malarial properties
Mapping brain networks
24 February 2011
Model ring-shaped neuronal networks for unravelling memory, learning and cognition processes
Capsules for safer and more reliable lithium ion batteries
23 February 2011
Self-healing coatings inspire improvements to the electrodes
Polymer coat helps nanoparticles penetrate mucus
23 February 2011
Coating enables efficient drug delivery directly to tissues like the lungs
Repairing faulty genes
22 February 2011
New compounds stop the premature interruption of protein production, a cause of diseases
Insect antennae inspire responsive nanopores
20 February 2011
US researchers look to nature to create nanopores that can predictably capture and process nanoscale objects
Designer foods
18 February 2011
Fatty foods could be engineered to prevent weight gain before ingestion
Identifying the cause of pregnancy loss
18 February 2011
A protein found in the blood could be responsible for recurring pregnancy loss
Speed dating for pharmaceuticals
18 February 2011
Pairing up drugs with cocrystals could improve their properties and delivery
To thicken up runny liquids, add fluid
17 February 2011
Adding a small amount of fluid to a runny liquid can thicken it, say researchers in Germany
Sanofi to buy Genzyme in $20 billion deal
17 February 2011
Sanofi-Aventis wins over Genzyme board with $1.5 billion increase to August 2010 bid
Standardising nanomaterials
17 February 2011
Europe launches a central repository offering reference samples of different types of nanomaterials
International Year of Chemistry launches across the world
16 February 2011
Luminaries from the world of chemistry highlight the project goals at the Paris launch event
Remote powered lab on a chip
16 February 2011
A wireless device to manipulate nanoparticles that's as simple to use as a microscope slide
Worms' diet the key to coloured silk
15 February 2011
Researchers in Singapore discover which dye molecules alter the colour of the core silk fibre
Eco-credentials of nanomaterials in question
15 February 2011
New criteria for the EU's Ecolabel scheme allow products containing 'nanoforms' to be included
Building up a natural product toolkit
15 February 2011
Isolation of compounds from natural product mixtures simplified
Small and sensitive nanoparticles
14 February 2011
Putting individual nanoparticles inside micelles could make improved contrast agents for imaging in the body
New hepatitis C drug
14 February 2011
A step closer to developing improved oral drugs for hepatitis C treatment
First purely organic phosphor
13 February 2011
The design of a new type of phosphorescent materials from purely organic materials could open the way to a new generation of light-emitting systems
Guiding electrons through graphene
13 February 2011
New device does for electrons what fibre optic cables do for light
Waking up to new possibilities in imaging
11 February 2011
Scientists have developed a complex for medical imaging that is only absorbed into cells when its luminescent metal cargo is inside
Fighting back against antibiotic resistant bacteria
11 February 2011
Vancomycin dimers have been found to be effective against vancomycin-resistant bacteria
Breakthrough for bacterial hydrogen production
11 February 2011
Hydrogen could be produced from organic materials by bacterial metabolism at low temperatures without the enzymes' ability to break down the materials being affected
Enzyme logic biosensor for security surveillance
11 February 2011
A system that quickly detects the presence of explosives and nerve gases has been developed
Thirty minute flu gene detector
11 February 2011
A portable device to detect influenza is more accurate than current methods and can give a result in 30 minutes
Space ice goes against the grain
10 February 2011
A solid mixture of methanol and water expands under pressure and shrinks when heated
Molecular motor controls chirality
10 February 2011
Controlling the chirality of a molecule can be achieved using a light-driven molecular motor, say scientists in the Netherlands
Raman imaging gives new hope for cancer diagnosis
10 February 2011
Combining two Raman imaging techniques has allowed disease detection to a depth of 50mm in tissue for the first time
US jury convicts Dow scientist of selling trade secrets to China
09 February 2011
After nearly three decades at Dow, Wen Chyu Liu is found guilty of stealing trade secrets to sell in China
Neurotoxin detection using brain nanotubes
08 February 2011
Nanotubes from the brain could be used to detect organophosphate neurotoxins
The true cost of getting energy from the sun
08 February 2011
A new model to calculate the cost of solar energy may give more accurate results than current models
Targeting memory loss
07 February 2011
Engineering multifunctional agents for treating Alzheimer's disease
Cells as test tubes
06 February 2011
Chemists have used living cells as test tubes to carry out chemical reactions never before seen within living cells.
Higher education cuts hit home
04 February 2011
Universities in England lose almost £1 billion in funding, with cuts coming sooner than expected and money focused on elite research
Crime scene DNA testing on the move
04 February 2011
Scientists have developed a microchip that can test DNA at a crime scene in half the time
Transplant tracking
04 February 2011
Scientists could now follow the progress of neural stem cells after transplanting them in the spinal cord
Exfoliating layered materials
03 February 2011
Layered materials can be separated into individual sheets with enhanced electronic properties using a new quick and simple method
Nanoparticle studies guide coating design
03 February 2011
New research shows nanoparticle size dictates acid-base properties of their coatings
The mystery of the disappearing crystals
03 February 2011
Impurities in a fifty year old crystal could explain why some drugs are stable and others lose their therapeutic effect
Pfizer to close historic UK site
02 February 2011
Challenging industry climate looks set to claim majority of 2400 pharma jobs at renowned facility in Sandwich in Kent
Innovation: Europe must do better
02 February 2011
Head of innovation institute pushes for entrepreneurship in research
Binning battery recycling
01 February 2011
The UK has seen a jump in battery recycling - but could advances in portable power technology eventually make it a thing of the past?
