Comment
2012
Be careful what you wish for
The struggle for a single unitary European patent may be close to an end, says Darren Smyth, but we must still hold out for an agreement that performs as it should
The complex paradox of science
Science can provide solutions for society, says Rutger van Santen, but only if it is given the freedom to find the unexpected
Integrity governance, a no-brainer
Ireland must match recent research investment efforts with appropriate research integrity oversight or risk losing public support, says Maura Hiney
Integrity begins at home
James Parry argues that safeguarding the integrity and quality of research is best achieved through cultural and not regulatory means
Gaining trust for nanotech
To secure public confidence in nanotechnology, we must learn from the past, says Donald Bruce
Lead-oriented synthesis
Ian Churcher and Alan Nadin call for the development of more robust synthetic tools to improve small molecule survival rates in the perilous journey from lead to drug
Navigating the stormy seas of pharma
Manoj Mehrotra discusses the rapid rise of outsourcing strategies in research, development and manufacturing
Profiting from privatisation
The private sector offers significant benefits to public sector labs hampered by bureaucracy and financial constraints, argues Quentin Maxwell-Jackson
A new year and a new dawn
News of chemistry departments reopening is welcome, writes Jim Iley, but departments must think carefully about how to ensure their success
Cultivating collaboration
A new network aims to bring the power of interdisciplinary innovation to bear on global food issues. Laura Barter, Stuart Dunbar, Angela Karp and Rudiger Woscholski explain
Rising interest in compound bank
David Fox argues for the creation of a centralised repository for small molecules to harness research efforts in drug discovery
2011
Forgotten pioneers
Who were the women that first led the way for female professional chemists? Marelene and Geoff Rayner-Canham reveal the story
The science we want, the science we need
The UK government has lost the ability to ensure that the research that it really needs gets done, says Jack Stilgoe
Waste not, want not
Will filling your car with biofuel ever be sustainable? Matthew Aylott says that new technology is set to make this dream a reality
Facing up to the challenges of sustainable development
Biofuels are needed more urgently than ever, but issues of land use change and management must be considered first, say Jeremy Woods, Seyed Ali Hosseini and Nilay Shah
Formula 1 chemistry
On their return from Monza, Bibiana Campos Seijo talks to the Williams F1 team about tyre performance, fuel and the chemistry of racing
EPSRC funding
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is having to make some tough funding decisions, says David Delpy
Future funding concern
A confused picture has emerged following the EPSRCs funding announcement, says David Phillips
The new SI
Ahead of the 24th General conference on weights and measures in October, Peter Atkins explains the benefits of the new SI
The research excellence framework 2014
Following the recent release of guidelines detailing how universities will be assessed in the upcoming REF, Richard Catlow talks about this important exercise
Good internships attract the brightest and best
Gordon Mizner argues that fair and well-structured internships are vital to attracting the best students into chemical careers
Gold and chemistry
Trevor Keel and Graham Hutchings celebrate a partnership that rarely gets a mention
A chemist's defence
Reinforcing and not correcting the fears of a risk-averse public is no way to build constructive working relationships, writes Hal Sosabowski
Chemistry and risk perception
Dismissing the fears of a risk-averse public is no way to build constructive working relationships, writes David Ropeik
Molecular obesity is weighing down drug discovery
Medicinal chemistry's quest for potent drug candidates has resulted in molecules that are too large and too lipophilic for their own good
Microwave chemistry - green or not?
Microwave-assisted chemistry might not deserve its environmentally friendly reputation, argues Jonathan Moseley
What proportion of the world's energy supply will be sustainable by 2020?
What proportion of the world's energy supply will be sustainable by 2020?
Behind the scenes at UK museums
What future do Britain's museums face in the light of government spending cuts? Science communicator Alice Bell discusses what it could mean for the next generation of scientists
2010
A structure-based community for chemists
Antony Williams looks forward to a rich online resource of chemical reactions
350 years and counting
Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society, on the first 350 years of the world's oldest scientific academy in continuous existence
Carbyne and other myths about carbon
Harry Kroto gets hot under the collar on the subject of so-called carbyne
A renaissance in school chemistry
John Holman, former director of the UK's National Science Learning Centre, is optimistic about the current state of chemistry education. But important caveats remain
Do we really need carbon capture and storage?
The two sides of the CCS debate go head to head - should CCS be backed or sidelined?
Ships of knowledge passing in the night
School children in the UK are told oil will run out by 2050, but oil companies expect production to be about the same as it is today, writes Richard Pike
We need more scientists in politics
Scientist Michael Brooks stood for parliament at the last election against an MP who favours homeopathy and medical astrology. He lost. Should we worry?
Biotech - onwards and upwards
The end of the UK's Eastern Region Biotechnology Initiative (Erbi) marks the beginning of a new era, writes Harriet Fear, former chief executive of Erbi
Meeting Mr NICE guy
Bibiana Campos-Seijo meets the chief executive of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, Sir Andrew Dillon
Supporting science
The Wellcome Trust is one of the largest science funding bodies in the world. Sir Mark Walport, the trust's director, tells Phillip Broadwith how it spends its money
Cooperation, collaboration and compromise
A passion for science will be more important than a PhD for members of the UK's new parliament, argues Diana Garnham
Science and the arms race
Mark Welland underlines the importance of funding scientific research to ensure that the UK Ministry of Defence stays ahead of the game
Mobile chemistry - chemistry in your hands and in your face
The technology we've got used to accessing through our desktops is moving at high speed to our mobile phones, says Antony Williams
Critical thought
Instead of despairing of student plagiarism, educators should rework coursework themes to make way for critical thought and originality, says Mathias Brust
Can we halt the flow of new designer drugs?
Could the dangers of 'legal high' mephedrone have been predicted? Of course they could, says John Mann
The Royal Institution: two centuries of impact
Richard Catlow, former director of research at the Royal Institution, tells us why it's important to remember the key role the RI has played throughout the history of science
How good is research?
Bibliometric studies of research groups are useful but should be interpreted with great care, suggest Christoph Neuhaus and Hans-Dieter Daniel
Safety in numbers
Regulators struggle with nanotechnology. It's time for more self-regulation, say Marion Palmer and Matthew Felwick
2009
Regulatory burden
A new carbon emissions scheme will unwittingly hit the chemical industry. The UK risks being at a disadvantage if industry is overburdened with regulation, warns Chris Reynolds
Poetic science
A year spent in a chemistry department led poet Diana Hendry to hunt out links between science and poetry. Are poets more open to science than scientists to poetry, she asks
Agriculture's call for chemistry
Decades of underinvestment in agricultural research have taken their toll but now is the time to bring in young scientists to find new ways to feed the world, says Ian Crute
Culinary knowledge
French physical chemist Hervé This is one of the founding fathers of molecular gastronomy. He takes James Mitchell Crow on a tour of the discipline - and dispels a few myths
Restaurant research
'Cooking is more than just science - or rather, it's something completely different,' says Ferran Adrià. He talks to Bibiana Campos-Seijo
Education and wealth
It's impossible to ascribe a monetary value to individual PhD projects but the link between them and UK wealth creation is indisputable, says AstraZeneca's David Lathbury
Building on a science base
Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat science spokesman, underlines the importance of funding, careers, and evidence-based government policy for the future of UK science
UK science funding
Adam Afriyie, UK shadow science minister, would like to see more investment in training the next generation of scientists and is pioneering a science literacy scheme for MPs
World-leading research
Lord Drayson, UK government science minister, shares his views on focusing science funding
Funding fall-outs
The EPSRC recently announced plans to ban persistently unsuccessful grant applicants for one year. Why did it do this and why are some UK chemists unhappy about it?
The changing shape of chemistry, 1998 to 2008
Varied and confusing array of chemistry courses on offer at today's universities.
Ten things chemists should know about chemical engineers
AstraZeneca's Jon-Paul Sherlock returns the exchange
Ten things chemical engineers should know about chemists
Chemists give advice for bridging the divide between chemistry and engineering
2008
Organic chemistry rises to the healthcare challenge
Organic chemistry is a key part of the EPSRC strategy, say senior chemistry leaders in the UK pharmaceutical industry
Opportunities and global challenges for chemistry
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) outlines the opportunities for chemists offered by its new delivery plan
The chemistry vote
The presidents of the American Chemical Society and the American Chemistry Council discuss their wishlists for the new administration
Sustainable water
The chemical sciences lie at the heart of a globally sustainable water supply, writes Elizabeth Milsom
Putting women in their place
It's in all our interests to promote the career progression of women in chemistry, says Annette Williams
What future for small molecule therapy?
Kevin Rogers says pharma overlooks bench chemists at its peril
Science funding in crisis
The UK's research funding system is suffering from government interference, says Sean McWhinnie
The biofuel backlash
Legitimate concerns about sustainability should not derail the whole biofuel enterprise, argues Jeremy Tomkinson
Small is beautiful
The launch of the Enterprise Europe Network should help small and medium enterprises to boost innovation throughout Europe says Janez Potocnik
The future of the chemical industry
The year ahead may offer financial uncertainty, but it also has abundant opportunities, says Andrew Hagan
Comment: How good is UK chemistry?
Karen Gurney and Jonathan Adams of Evidence Ltd investigate how the numbers stack up
2007
Comment: Before the taps run dry
Population growth, climate change and pollution are placing huge pressures on the global supply of clean water. Chemists can help, says Alasdair Maclean
Comment: There goes the science bit
Chemists should speak out against the pseudoscience of marketing, says Neil Young
Comment: Mind the gap
The technology to plug the UK's energy gap is already here, says Jeff Hardy. But where is the political will?
Comment: Global science matters
The UK's new science minister, Ian Pearson, says that an international perspective is vital for scientific growth
Comment: Grand challenges for small science
The UK needs to develop a convincing strategy for nanotechnology research, argues Richard Jones
Comment: The recipe for creativity
After winning this year's Creativity in Industry award from the RSC, Patrick Mulqueen reveals his approach to turning fresh ideas into commercial reality
Comment: Blair's legacy
Peter Cotgreave reflects on what 10 years under Tony Blair's leadership have done for UK science
Comment: A matter of ethics
Scientists should embrace a universal ethical code, says Sir David King, UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser
Comment: Pricing pills
The UK's National Health Service is paying over the odds for its drugs, an Office of Fair Trading report claims. Not so, argues Richard Barker
Comment: The tyranny of peer review?
A less conservative approach would foster high-risk, high-return research, argues Sir John O'Reilly
Comment: Who's looking after British science?
The UK's science base needs better care, argues Sue Ferns
2006
Comment: A tale of two disciplines
Teaching as well as research can help bridge the no-man's land between chemistry and chemical engineering, says Mark Haw
Comment: Playing fast and loose with science
Following the release of the WWF report 'Chain of contamination: the food link', John Henry and Fiona Fox comment on the study, and its coverage in the media
Comment: Discrimination in the workplace
New UK age discrimination legislation came into force on 1 October. Employers should see it as a perfect opportunity to balance their workforce, says Craig Fleming
Comment: Out of sight, out of mind?
The recent recommendations from the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management should prompt a renewed research effort to tackle the problems of nuclear waste storage.
Comment: Common sense for sensors
Researchers must consider how sensors can be manufactured reproducibly from the outset, and not as an afterthought, argues David Walt
Comment: An accidental chemist as RSC president
Jim Feast describes himself as a dreamer, but is keen to put his dreams into practice at the RSC
Comment: RSC prepared for the future
Simon Campbell reflects on the RSC's achievements during his presidency.
Comment: Biology is not just for biologists
Cross-disciplinary research is essential. Chris St Pourçain explores the funding problems and ways to increase the number of applications
2005
Comment: A vision for chemical innovation
Alfred Oberholz says the EU's sustainable chemistry technology platform can help boost the European chemical community's competitiveness
Comment: Expensive but worth having
The number and nature of departments delivering undergraduate chemistry degrees is changing. Paul O'Brien analyses how many are needed
Comment: Stopping the slide and boosting research
Richard Clegg argues that nuclear chemistry has declined in the UK and considerable investment would be needed for a new-build programme.
Comment: Harmonising European degrees
The Bologna process began in 1999 with the aim of setting up a European higher education area by 2010. Terry Mitchell looks at what still needs to be done
Comment: Enzymology moves north
The new Manchester interdisciplinary biocentre is a haven for life science researchers interested in the interface with physical sciences, explain Andrew Munro and Nigel Scrutton
Swings and roundabouts
Life in a start-up company can be anything but easy, as Lionel Milgrom discovered
Chemistry education's plight
Chemistry education in Australia is in decline. Bill Price discusses the problems and proposes some solutions
Innovate and invest
UK science minister Lord Sainsbury presents the government's case on science funding
The nuclear solution
Tony Ryan argues that nuclear power should be put back on the agenda
Vol 1, Nos 1-12
