News February 2007
First graphene transistors may herald future of electronic chips
28 February 2007
'Flat' carbon sheets also found to be corrugated
Individual atoms' chemical ID revealed
28 February 2007
Atomic force microscopy can now identify atoms
Antioxidant supplements do more harm than good
28 February 2007
Survey of studies finds that some supplements increase the risk of mortality
Keeping the 'ooh' in ouzo
28 February 2007
Understanding the photochemistry of anise-flavoured drinks could help to extend their shelf life, say researchers in France.
Molecular pH sensor inspired by relay runners
27 February 2007
pH detection range is widest yet for a precise chemical test
Neolithic Europeans were lactose intolerant
27 February 2007
Rise in dairy farming drove genetic changes to allow milk digestion
Is solar UV frying fish?
27 February 2007
A UN report into the impact of ozone layer depletion on aquatic ecosystems reveals wider links between UV levels and global warming.
Instant insight: A sound idea
26 February 2007
Thomas Laurell, Lund University, Sweden, explains how ultrasound can be used to separate and move cells and particles in microfluidic devices.
Dropping cells in it
23 February 2007
Miniature drops can make ideal reaction vessels for single cell experiments, say researchers from the UK.
X labelling springs a surprise
23 February 2007
Researchers surprised to find that active genes on X chromosomes are more heavily methylated than inactive versions.
Hydrogels make programmed chemical origami
22 February 2007
Israeli scientists have created elastic sheets which buckle into pre-programmed 3D shapes on command.
Women honoured with international prize
22 February 2007
The 2007 L'Oreal Unesco awards honour women in materials science.
Interview: Theoretically speaking
22 February 2007
David Clary talks molecular quantum dynamics with Hilary Crichton
Monitoring tin in our environment
22 February 2007
French scientists have devised a strategy to completely analyse and quantify all alkylated tin compounds arising from landfill sites.
Complex organic molecules teamed with iodine
21 February 2007
Enantioselective synthesis opens route to marine natural products
Organic electricity generator is hot stuff
21 February 2007
US researchers show thermoelectricity in a carbon-based molecule
Supramolecular biosensor
21 February 2007
Cuban chemists have made a biosensor to detect the stimulant xanthine, found in drinks such as coffee, tea and cola.
Columbus' explorers failed to strike silver
19 February 2007
Lead isotope analysis of ore from the Dominican Republic reveals an unexpected provenance for the material.
Against the grain
16 February 2007
PREVIEW: As policymakers rush to promote biofuels, can the US break its obsession with corn ethanol?
UK nuclear policy setback
15 February 2007
Public consultation on government's nuclear power plans condemned as 'inadequate' by High Court judge .
Novartis contests India's patent law
15 February 2007
Drug company accuses India of failing to comply with WTO patent regulations.
Serine: simply sublime
15 February 2007
Researchers in the US have come a step closer to understanding how some of the earliest biochemistry on Earth began.
Slim-line silicon speeds up protein separation
14 February 2007
Ultra-slim silicon membranes: from labs on chips to artificial kidneys.
Bacteria come unstuck
14 February 2007
Pilicides reduce the number of hair-like pili on bacteria, but do not alter their physical properties.
Raphael revealed by Raman spectroscopy
13 February 2007
Forensic analysis of paint scraps dates picture to before, not after, the Sistine Madonna
Simply biofuels
13 February 2007
A simple enzyme-based biofuel cell has been made by a team of Japanese scientists.
Nano-pumpkins fitted for drug delivery
12 February 2007
Surface modification of polymerised nanocapsules.
Nervous response to drugs
12 February 2007
A non-destructive way to monitor cells reveals potential Alzheimer drug's effect on neurons.
A positive side to ozone depletion?
12 February 2007
Ozone depletion is not all bad, say an international team of scientists.
Instant insight: Delivering the goods
09 February 2007
Stefaan De Smedt and Bruno De Geest of Ghent University, Belgium, weigh up the pros and cons of using polyelectrolyte capsules as drug delivery vehicles
Foreign postgrad vetting proposals 'absolutely unnecessary'
09 February 2007
US educationists urge 'Don't do it the way we did'.
Africa's first large-scale HIV vaccine trial
09 February 2007
US and South African scientists announce the first large-scale clinical trial of an HIV vaccine on the African continent.
Bubbles put the logic into lab-on-a-chip
08 February 2007
Microfluidic processors use bubbles as 'bits'
Simple hormone treatment cures lethal heart condition
08 February 2007
Heart disease cured with a hormone-based drug already prescribed for breast feeding mothers.
Choking the threat of death by phosgene
08 February 2007
Simple detection of a colourless chemical warfare agent.
A close look at chirality
08 February 2007
Chirality on nanoscopic surfaces can now be seen using optical microscopy.
The genetic detective
08 February 2007
Will a selective way to detect genetic variations lead to personalised medicine?
Protein's non-natural alternative
07 February 2007
Chemists have synthesised what they say is the first 'remarkably protein like' beta-peptide quaternary structure.
Hot wax and peel
07 February 2007
Microfluidics research is expensive. Or is it? Canadian researchers have made prototype microfluidic chips using only a simple off-the-shelf wax printer.
Nuclear storage: ready, willing, able, and undecided
06 February 2007
No insurmountable technical barriers to storing nuclear waste deep underground.
Instant insight: The soft cell
06 February 2007
Ulrich Schwarz, soft matter researcher at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, explains why softness matters for cells.
DNA-based detection for uranium
05 February 2007
High sensitivity and selectivity claimed for a portable sensor that detects most common form of uranium.
Hafnium oxide helps make chips smaller and faster
05 February 2007
New transistor materials keep 'Moore's law' on track
Microbial school monitors
05 February 2007
Renovating moisture-damaged schools reduces the number of microbes present and can improve pupils' health, according to researchers in Finland.
AstraZeneca follows Pfizer in slashing workforce
02 February 2007
Job cuts herald turbulent times for pharmaceutical industry.
Bacterial gene generates seaside smell
02 February 2007
Dimethylsulfide synthesis pathway pinned down.
How iron chops up DNA
02 February 2007
Insights into how iron sandwich compounds cleave DNA could help scientists trying to develop anticancer drugs, say European researchers.
Finding the cause of building-related illness
01 February 2007
Swedish scientists have developed a more sensitive and selective method for detecting the toxins produced by a fungus common in damp buildings.
