News February 2006
Magnetic appeal of shape-change polymer
28 February 2006
German polymer scientists have developed polymers that change shape in response to a magnetic field.
Single-enzyme studies provide a clearer picture of catalytic activity
28 February 2006
Advances in single molecule techniques could revolutionise the study of enzymes.
Advances in catalyst development
28 February 2006
Insight into importance of ligand geometry on catalytic performance could boost the alkane oxidation industry, report researchers in the UK.
Reversible optical sensing
27 February 2006
The colour change reaction that darkens Reactolite glasses has been applied to optically sensing amino acids and metals by chemists in Ireland.
Future applications for CO blue-skies surprise
27 February 2006
A catalytic system to turn carbon monoxide into fine-chemicals feedstocks could be developed within months.
A DNA switch for RNA folding
27 February 2006
US researchers have equipped a large RNA domain with a DNA switch, which they say can fold or unfold the RNA molecule at will.
Building biocatalysts with molecular Lego
27 February 2006
A better biocatalyst for the hydroxylation of phenols has been built with molecular Lego.
Monitoring protein expression in fruit flies
27 February 2006
The impact of temperature on protein expression in fruit flies can now be studied using a microfluidic device thanks to chemists from the US.
Information free-for-all
24 February 2006
Could the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia could become the main source of chemical information in 5-10 years?
Gene delivery with dendrimers
24 February 2006
Dendritic molecules developed as gene carriers show potential for cancer therapy.
Detecting banned chemical warfare agents
24 February 2006
Banned chemical warfare agents can now be detected at levels below current detection limits, claim researchers in the US.
Mind-altering drugs at the Olympics
23 February 2006
Psychological effects of outlawed performance-enhancing sports drug.
Following the ripening of bananas
23 February 2006
A technique developed to study the sugar conversion process during fruit ripening could inform the design of polysaccharide processing methods.
EU chemical regulation could save ?150 billion in environment and health costs
22 February 2006
The European Commission has published estimates of the financial benefits of Reach.
Update: Europe gets hot and bothered over sun cream labelling
22 February 2006
EU ministers agree that rules on exposure to solar radiation should be left to national governments.
Enzyme-like catalyst for organic reactions
22 February 2006
Amino acid derivatives found in numerous potent bioactive substances can be made in a single step, report researchers in the UK.
Probes reveal cell biology
22 February 2006
Two emerging techniques reveal the mechanisms of cellular processes
Nanotechnologists set viruses to work
21 February 2006
Viruses employed as construction workers to help build lithium-ion batteries and solar cells.
Ringing the changes to combat cancer
21 February 2006
A new class of targeted anticancer drugs could soon be developed based on cyclic macromolecules that selectively bind four stranded DNA structures.
Hydrophobic coatings with atmospheric plasma
21 February 2006
Chemical engineers have developed a practical atmospheric plasma treatment process for depositing stable hydrophobic coatings on a range of materials.
Dietary needs outweigh risks associated with fish consumption
20 February 2006
The benefits of a diet rich in fish outweigh possible risks of mercury poisoning.
Lessons for carbon negative fuel production in the Amazon
20 February 2006
Dark, nutrient rich, Amazonian soil could hold the key to reducing carbon emissions.
Tracing elements to find hit-and-run vehicles
20 February 2006
An improved spectroscopic method for the forensic analysis of car paint fragments has been demonstrated by analytical chemists from Belgium and Switzerland.
Alternative source of rubber
20 February 2006
An alternative commercial source of high quality rubber has been uncovered by researchers in Canada.
Chip technology for protein detection
20 February 2006
A microarray system that can be used to detect and analyse proteins has been developed by researchers in Japan.
Designing liposomes to avoid chemotherapy side effects
17 February 2006
The side effects of a common chemotherapy agent can be overcome if the molecule is encapsulated in a finely tuned liposome.
The fate of cadmium in fish
17 February 2006
The response of fish and eels to cadmium in water will open up the possibility of tracing toxic and essential elements in humans, say scientists in Spain.
Surprise discovery that ionic liquids can be distilled
16 February 2006
Green solvents are easier to recycle now that ionic liquids turn out to be volatile and can be distilled.
Exceptionally stable microfluidic power
16 February 2006
Chemists in America have developed a microfluidic hydrogen-air fuel cell that provides a stable power output for one hundred days.
Pharmaceutical promise in the desert
15 February 2006
Two molecules that inhibit a protein linked to cancer pathogenesis have been discovered in the Arizona desert.
Unnatural sugar enantiomers join fight against disease
15 February 2006
Additional pharmaceutical products could be developed thanks to research into the enzyme inhibition activities of drug isomers.
A bright future for photodynamic therapy?
15 February 2006
Chemists in Taiwan have made quantum dots attached to iridium complexes that have potential in cancer treatment.
Cooking can create harmful indoor pollution
15 February 2006
Claims of serious risks associated with Malay, Chinese and Indian cooking methods present worrying news for budding chefs.
Remarkable health claims leave nutritionist unimpressed
14 February 2006
Nutritionists warn against exaggeration of preliminary food-related findings.
Successful collagen synthesis comes to a sticky end
14 February 2006
US chemists have synthesised collagen fibres with dimensions similar to natural collagen, predicting the advent of 'bionic man'.
Understanding lignan synthesis
14 February 2006
Researchers in the US are closer to understanding the synthesis of plant-derived compounds with antiviral and anticancer properties.
Storing up high hopes for hydrogen economy
13 February 2006
Polymer scientists have joined the race to store hydrogen as fuel.
Nanoparticles detect cell suicide plans
13 February 2006
Nanotechnological assay for detecting programmed cell death.
Breakthrough in trace detection of peroxide explosives
13 February 2006
US researchers have developed a quick and sensitive method that could soon be used at airports around the world for detecting peroxide explosives on ordinary surfaces.
Medical future for tiny quantum dots
10 February 2006
US researchers have crossed a milestone in biological imaging by developing quantum dots small enough to pass from the blood stream into bodily tissue.
Molecular imaging with red light
10 February 2006
Red light activated fluorescent probes for biological imaging overcome drawbacks of current green or blue light probes.
Novel receptor for ion-pairs
10 February 2006
Molecular machines get a boost from a receptor that mimics logic gates by binding to both positive and negative ions.
Silicon conducts an electrical surprise
09 February 2006
Silicon can conduct electricity when experts assumed it couldn't, sparking a surprising direction in silicon electronics.
Calls for UK investment in carbon capture
09 February 2006
The UK government must invest immediately in carbon capture and storage technologies to meet carbon emissions targets.
Sialyl transferase inhibition could help treat cancer
09 February 2006
The development of a new type of cell-permeable sialyltransferase inhibitor could lead to new approaches in cancer treatment.
Superconductivity by design?
09 February 2006
Predictive computational methods can reveal the potential superconducting properties of hypothetical complexes, claim researchers in the US.
Microfluidic devices with heart
09 February 2006
Japanese researchers have harnessed the pumping power of heart cells to make better microfluidic devices.
To boldly go where no chemist has gone before
08 February 2006
Studying the interactions between different molecular fragments is taking researchers to the uncharted regions of chemical space.
Crystal structures of bubbles
08 February 2006
Researchers have used household detergent to create, for the first time, arrays of bubbles that mirror the atomic arrays found in crystals.
Europe gets hot and bothered over sun cream labelling
07 February 2006
Europe's cosmetics industry is launching a counter-offensive against demands for tougher regulation on sun creams.
Plant-derived drug approved in US
07 February 2006
First US regulatory approval for plant-derived drug developed by Dow AgroSciences.
New steroid forms molecular zipper
07 February 2006
Naturally occurring steroid that acts as a supramolecular zipper could have potential as a new anticancer drug.
Fluoride detection with the naked eye
07 February 2006
An effective sensor for the visual detection of fluoride in water has been developed by chemists in China.
New antibiotics from chlorinated natural products
07 February 2006
Understanding the enzymatic chlorination of aromatic and aliphatic biomolecules could lead to new antibiotics says a microbiologist from Ireland.
Hydrazide complex offers semiconductor hope
06 February 2006
New and improved semiconductor materials could be on the horizon thanks to a breakthrough in organozinc complex synthesis.
Head-to-tail monomers improve solar cell efficiency
06 February 2006
British and South Korean researchers have improved the efficiency of polymer-based solar cells.
Europe tightens fluorinated gas restrictions
03 February 2006
EU environment commissioner threatens tougher controls on fluorinated gases implicated in global warming.
High throughput screening for kinase inhibitors
03 February 2006
A colorimetric assay for kinase activity based on the aggregation of gold nanoparticles.
Researchers put bioenergetics into biomagnification
02 February 2006
Mathematical model could predict how industrial pollutants accumulate in different animal species.
Highly enantioselective DNA-based catalysis
02 February 2006
DNA-based catalysts show great potential for asymmetric catalysis, say researchers in the Netherlands.
Competition and confidentiality under Reach
01 February 2006
Global competitiveness is motivation for the chemical industry to make the EU's Reach legislation work.
