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Survival in the freezer

2 May 2013 Feature

How do animals survive in the extreme cold? James Mitchell Crow investigates

Lean green microbe machines

30 April 2013 Feature

For its proponents, algae hold the promise of a clean source of fuel, food or drugs. Anthony King wades in

What does DNA do?

24 April 2013 Feature

The more we learn about DNA, the less we seem to know, as Philip Ball discovers

A fixation with nitrogen

18 April 2013 Feature

Despite decades of work to develop alternative ways to make ammonia, the Haber–Bosch process is here to stay, Mark Peplow discovers

From molecules to medicines

9 April 2013 Feature

Turning an active drug molecule into a finished product requires a lot of chemistry, as Phillip Broadwith discovers

Changing the rules of extraction

26 March 2013 Feature

As the price of oil goes up, reserves previously uneconomical to exploit become attractive. Nuala Moran explores the chemical technology being used

Tiny insights

20 March 2013 Feature

Scientists are adopting a range of 3D imaging techniques to reveal structural secrets. Andy Extance looks inside their work

Deadly mushroom chemistry

13 March 2013 Feature

Emma Shiells looks at the difference between tasty paddy straw mushrooms and fatal death caps

Green houses

5 March 2013 Feature

Fiona Case discovers how chemistry can help reduce the energy consumption of our houses

Alfred Werner: the well-coordinated chemist

26 February 2013 Feature

Werner’s careful experiments led to the discovery of what came to be known as coordination bonds

A biomass bonanza

21 February 2013 Feature

Companies have put biofuels on the back burner to aim for higher margin chemicals, as Emma Davies finds out

Phenome Centre goes for gold

15 February 2013 Feature

Andy Extance finds out how British researchers are turning Olympic anti-doping facilities into a world-leading facility

Science's spiritual side?

6 February 2013 Feature

Some view science and religion as mutually exclusive, but this has not always been the case, as Katharine Sanderson discovers

Measuring up

5 February 2013 Feature

In 2013, the Research Excellence Framework begins rating every chemistry department in the UK. Leila Sattary weighs up the evidence

People power

30 January 2013 Feature

Harnessing the wisdom - and money - of the public has grown in popularity, Clare Sansom finds

Chemical climate proxies

23 January 2013 Feature

How do scientists reconstruct what the weather was like in the past? Jon Evans looks at the detective chemistry

Life at the top

10 January 2013 Feature

Nina Notman asks whether an academic chemistry career can help or hinder when you move up the ladder

Making pain history

2 January 2013 Feature

Mike Sutton traces the remarkable history of aspirin from folk remedy to wonder drug

Building better chemistry

20 December 2012 Feature

Do lab buildings affect the work of the scientists inside them? James Mitchell Crow surveys some grand designs

Overcoming small obstacles

19 December 2012 Feature

Andy Extance looks at nanofabrication methods combining printing and lithography

Magical mass spec

4 December 2012 Feature

Emma Davies reveals how mass spectrometry is heading out of the lab and into some amazing places

Closing the loop

29 November 2012 Feature

Why would you want to burn fuel to produce pure carbon dioxide? James Mitchell Crow has the answer

Up in the air

23 November 2012 Feature

Philip Ball looks at the recent progress in lithium–air battery research - has it stalled?

BPA: friend or foe?

20 November 2012 Feature

Nina Notman takes an in-depth look at the ongoing controversy over bisphenol A

Stationary phases move ahead

31 October 2012 Feature

What’s in those columns? Jon Evans looks at the sophisticated materials in chromatography

Polymer, heal thyself

24 October 2012 Feature

Materials that can mend themselves sound like science fiction, but they are part of an active area of polymer chemistry.

A signal honour

18 October 2012 Feature

Phillip Broadwith looks at the 2012 Nobel prize in chemistry, awarded to Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka.

The golden helix

10 October 2012 Feature

Fifty years after the Nobel prize was awarded for the structure of DNA, Mike Sutton looks back at how it all came about

Here comes the science bit

2 October 2012 Feature

Laura Howes investigates the science behind the advertising claims for skincare products

A sensitive subject

27 September 2012 Feature

Emma Davies scratches the surface of some of the everyday chemicals that can cause people to suffer allergic reactions.

Leather looks to greener tanning

24 September 2012 Feature

James Mitchell Crow examines the latest environmentally friendly chemical advances in the leather tanning industry

Clothing gets smart

13 September 2012 Feature

Nina Notman reports on what you can expect from the 21st century t-shirt

Food with a function

7 September 2012 Feature

Elinor Hughes looks at the challenges facing nutraceuticals

Fast, flexible and flourishing

22 August 2012 Feature

Sarah Houlton profiles Paul Workman, the 2012 Chemistry World entrepreneur of the year

The latent threat of tuberculosis

15 August 2012 Feature

Although close to being eradicated in the developed world, TB is still a major problem

Big troubles over tiny bubbles

9 August 2012 Feature

Theory suggests that nanosized bubbles should barely exist at all - but they do

Plasmons with a purpose

2 August 2012 Feature

Plasmonic effects have rapidly gone from curiosity to treating cancer. Andy Extance trips the light fantastic

Sequencing in the fast lane

25 July 2012 Feature

Phillip Broadwith gets up to speed with the latest developments in DNA sequencing technology

Guided by the light of a neutron candle

19 July 2012 Feature

Philip Robinson celebrates 40 years of experiments from the world's most intense neutron source

Drawing on drugs to kick the habit

12 July 2012 Feature

Anthony King surveys the problems involved in creating drugs that help people quit smoking

Stepping toward ideality

6 July 2012 Feature

James Mitchell Crow wonders what would make the perfect organic synthesis

Chemistry and the Olympics

27 June 2012 Feature

Emma Davies looks into the vital role chemistry will play during the Olympic and Paralympic games

A chemical account of evolution

21 June 2012 Feature

Bob Williams and Ros Rickaby examine the co-evolving chemistry of the environment and life

Destroying war’s chemical legacy

19 June 2012 Feature

The final deadline for destroying stockpiles of chemical agents has passed

Feeding a growing world

6 June 2012 Feature

Pesticides play a vital role in food production. So do they really deserve their tarnished public image? Sarah Houlton investigates

Raising a glass to champagne

1 June 2012 Feature

Andy Extance uncorks the secrets of sparkling wines’ unique taste and aroma

Dyeing for a place in the sun

31 May 2012 Feature

Can dye-sensitised solar cells compete with silicon and emerging alternatives? Phillip Broadwith investigates

Turing patterns

31 May 2012 Feature

Code-cracker Alan Turing’s impact on chemistry is still being realised today, a century after his birth. Philip Ball investigates

A reluctant chemist

30 May 2012 Feature

Mike Sutton delves into the actions and reactions of Victor Grignard

Sniffing out explosives

1 May 2012 Feature

Can science compete with the sensitivity of a sniffer dog's nose? Emma Davies finds out

Chemists in the House

1 May 2012 Feature

Laura Howes talks to politicians who have made the move from the lab to the benches of power

Life, but not as we know it

30 April 2012 Feature

Biology has been pretty successful at creating life, but now chemistry wants a crack at it

Cutting power

29 April 2012 Feature

Looking at how the chemical industry is reducing its energy consumption

Opening the doors of knowledge

1 April 2012 Feature

Should all journal articles be free to access online?

Making light work

1 April 2012 Feature

Could light prove to be the ultimate weapon in the battle against deadly superbugs?

High hopes for shale

31 March 2012 Feature

Shale gas has given the US petrochemicals industry a much needed boost - will it do the same for the rest of the world?

Going with the flow

31 March 2012 Feature

When it comes to scaling up organic synthesis, it pays to think small

Rising from the ashes

24 February 2012 Feature

Neil Sinclair reports on some exciting new ventures emerging from redundant chemical and pharmaceutical plants

The Educated Chemist: The future of medicine

24 February 2012 Feature

Emma Davies takes a look at a medicinal chemistry course that's giving students a real taste of pharma - failure, frustration and all

Speciation measures

24 February 2012 Feature

The boom in analytical methods for determining the distribution of an element between its different chemical forms is charted by Andy Extance

To plutonium and beyond

24 February 2012 Feature

Mike Sutton reports on Glenn Seaborg's adventures among the actinides

Another brick in the whorl

23 February 2012 Feature

The scientists on the inside of advanced fingerprinting research are cross-examined by Simon Hadlington

Silver soils

27 January 2012 Feature

Nanosilver is filtering into the environment in ever-increasing quantities. But is it the nano or the silver component we should be worrying about, asks Hayley Birch

Damage limitation

27 January 2012 Feature

Emma Davies investigates attempts to stem the flow of potentially harmful fluorinated chemicals into both our environment and our bloodstreams

Keeping the tap on

27 January 2012 Feature

James Mitchell Crow investigates routes to quenching our thirst without costing the Earth

The future of cool

27 January 2012 Feature

Magnetocaloric materials reveal their magnetic charm to Andrew Turley

Chasing the wave

22 December 2011 Feature

With the authorities, medics and analytical chemists struggling to break the flow of new legal highs, the bad guys appear to be getting the upper hand. Sarah Houlton reports

Climbing the data mountain

22 December 2011 Feature

Clare Sansom takes a 'peak' at the databases that stop researchers being buried under an avalanche of chemical information

Bright sparks

22 December 2011 Feature

From the Olympics to New Year's Eve events, fireworks are synonymous with celebration. James Mitchell Crow looks into some pyrotechnic research worth celebrating in itself

DNA motors on

22 December 2011 Feature

With the relentless rise of DNA nanotechnology's popularity, Emma Davies explores the role chemistry has played in its success

Getting stuck in

29 November 2011 Feature

Nature produces a wide variety of glues that outperform all synthetic adhesives. Michael Gross looks into this sticky subject

A shade of green

29 November 2011 Feature

Major retailers are starting to consider the environmental impact of the fabric dyeing and finishing processes used by their manufacturers. Fiona Case reports

A nutritional revolution

29 November 2011 Feature

Mike Sutton bites into the life of Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, the biochemist credited with discovering vitamins

Re-record, not fade away

28 November 2011 Feature

Emma Davies unreels the blockbuster tale of film preservation

Reaching out

4 November 2011 Feature

The explosion is the doyenne of chemical demonstrations, but is the web taking over as a tool for researchers to enthuse the public about chemistry? Phillip Broadwith investigates

Quasicrystals Scoop Prize

28 October 2011 Feature

This year's Nobel laureate in chemistry fought hard to win acceptance of his discovery: quasicrystals. Laura Howes tells how perseverance led to the ultimate recognition

Curiosity to take off

28 October 2011 Feature

When Nasa's latest Mars rover is launched into space later this year, it'll carry the most advanced analytical instruments ever sent to the planet. David Pittman reports

Waving goodbye to the paper lab book

28 October 2011 Feature

With electronic lab notebooks finally making waves in academia, Anthony King asks whether the time has come to part company with the much loved paper lab book

Changing planes

29 September 2011 Feature

A new breed of aircraft built from lightweight carbon composites is taking flight. But are these materials all they're cracked up to be, asks Hayley Birch

Engines of innovation

29 September 2011 Feature

Our desire for economical but environmentally friendly transport has driven progress in fuel and oil additives. But as Andy Extance discovers, further development is needed

Fuelling the future

29 September 2011 Feature

Fuel cell vehicles have taken a back seat to battery and hybrid power in recent years. But hydrogen still holds promise in the long term, as Laura Howes finds out

Hold your breath

29 September 2011 Feature

Particulates from vehicles cause significant issues in urban environments. Emma Davies uncovers the chemistry that is causing and potentially solving the problems

Where the rubber meets the road

29 September 2011 Feature

A tyre's composition affects grip, fuel economy and its lifetime. Fiona Case investigates how new materials are improving tyre performance and reducing environmental impact

Orphans come in from the cold

30 August 2011 Feature

Rare diseases are less rare than you might think, reports Bea Perks, and finding drugs for them can mean big business

Stemming the tide

30 August 2011 Feature

Are drug-immune cancer stem cells the root of recurring tumours? And if they are, can we treat them? Sarah Houlton joins in the hunt

Diamonds are for everything

30 August 2011 Feature

No longer valued simply for its glamour and durability, diamond is turning its hand to applications in solar power, laser design and bionic eyes. James Mitchell Crow reports

Graphene by the kilo

30 August 2011 Feature

Durham Graphene Science founder Karl Coleman is forging ahead in production of single-layer carbon. Sarah Houlton talks to the 2011 Chemistry World entrepreneur of the year

Where the ocean meets the sky

30 August 2011 Feature

Ocean fertilisation is controversial, but politicians are starting to take it seriously. So will it ever be worth the hassle, asks Hayley Birch

A sticky end?

29 July 2011 Feature

Rather than evolving to increase complexity, could protein-protein interactions be part of a self-protection strategy gone too far? Philip Ball investigates

Anarchy in the proteome

29 July 2011 Feature

15 years ago, the idea that proteins might be functional without a well-ordered 3D structure was heretical. But Michael Gross discovers, a little flexibility can go a long way

Innovation ticks the boxes

29 July 2011 Feature

The UK's Technology and Innovation Centres will provide research services to bridge the gap between industry and academia. Elisabeth Jeffries reports

Clever comestibles

28 July 2011 Feature

Controlling the microscopic structure of foods could make diet products that help you feel fuller for longer. Emma Davies gets her teeth into some edible colloids

Beyond the frontiers

30 June 2011 Feature

In space and Antarctica, planning and running research projects transcends national borders. Laura Howes finds out how this affects the way researchers operate

Turning the tables on Alzheimer's

30 June 2011 Feature

As our understanding of Alzheimer's disease develops, Clare Sansom takes a look at emerging strategies for treating this enigmatic illness

Redesigning nature's catalysts

30 June 2011 Feature

Harnessing the power of enzymes to perform reactions outside their normal abilities is adding powerful tools to the synthetic chemist's armoury. James Mitchell Crow investigates

Blazing a trail

30 June 2011 Feature

Robert Bunsen's explosive career left an indelible impact - both in advancement of knowledge and the ubiquitous gas burner. Mike Sutton follows in his footsteps

Extreme potential

31 May 2011 Feature

The world's least hospitable environments are treasure troves for synthetic organic chemists and drug developers, reports Bea Perks

No laughing matter

31 May 2011 Feature

Had it not been for nitrous oxide's subversion as a recreational folly, its utility as an anaesthetic could have been uncovered much earlier, as John Mann discovers

Cast from the same mould?

31 May 2011 Feature

Development of generic biological drugs is gathering momentum. But as Rajendrani Mukhopadhyay finds out, the welcome they are receiving looks very different in the EU and the US

Breaking through the barrier

31 May 2011 Feature

Getting drug molecules into the brain means crossing the defensive blood-brain barrier. Anthony King investigates how chemists are infiltrating the brain's fortress

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