Andy Extance
Before becoming a full-time science writer, Andy Extance worked for six and a half years in early-stage drug discovery research, followed by brief stint in silicone adhesive and rubber manufacturing.
However, when he had his first feature – on a cause of common heart-related problems in new drug candidates – published in Chemistry World in 2004, the course of his career shifted. After working as news editor for Compound Semiconductor magazine, he went freelance in 2009. Today Andy’s science writing explores everything related to chemistry, from Earth’s environment to space, from food to fusion, and from solar cells to how we smell.
ResearchChemists find the σ-hole reason gold catalysts work
Calculations show low electron density makes nanoparticle corners and edges reactive
ResearchStructural sleuthing salvages superbug slayer
Combining ‘assembly line’ synthesis, spectroscopy and computational predictions solves stereochemistry riddle
ResearchSaturn ring-like ‘streaming’ takes liquids into a new world
Equatorial rings that break up into uniform microdroplets could be an alternative to microfluidic emulsification techniques
BusinessNovartis coasts towards first CAR-T approval
Unanimous recommendation for CTL019 ahead of October decision builds confidence in T-cell genetic reprogramming
BusinessAstraZeneca shares tumble after antibody failure
Imfinzi and tremelimumab checkpoint inhibitor pairing fails to beat chemotherapy in lung cancer
BusinessGSK stops over 30 research programmes to prioritise innovation
New boss Emma Walmsley outlines sweeping changes in order to focus on high-return drug projects
BusinessMerck KGaA to buy Chematica
Retrosynthesis tool will gain computational muscle and integrate with Sigma–Aldrich catalogue
ResearchStick-up experiment lets scientists 'see' hydrogen atoms
Upright structures offer hard-to-get direct AFM measurements
BusinessFirst biomarker-driven approval exemplifies cancer immunotherapy progress
Landmark decision is latest step in field’s impressive – but not wholly untroubled – advance
ResearchScientists get charged up over titanium dioxide
Groups debate usefulness of conventional +4 titanium oxidation state compared to +2.5 charge state
ResearchLilly pushes continuous drug production limits
Integrated flow synthesis and purification process for prexasertib meets high industry standards
ResearchChemists unravel why humans aren’t constantly bursting into flames
Strong π-bonding holds the secret to taming dioxygen diradicals
CareersWould you rent your lab equipment?
Virtual sharing and equopment loans are making access to vital research tools easier
ResearchEnergy storage prices forecast to tumble
First broad ‘evidence-based’ comparison shows similar capital cost evolution among technologies including lithium-ion and flow batteries
NewsExplainer: The chemistry of farts
We usually see flatulence as funny or embarrassing – but its chemistry is intimately entwined with our health
ResearchRecord polyhedron boosts molecular self-assembly
New supramolecular system shape found by chance inspires improved design principle
FeatureChemical fossils
Andy Extance finds out what organic molecules made by microorganisms and plants far in the past can tell us about climate
ResearchDrug binding simulations promise to get personal
Fast, reliable new molecular dynamic simulation methods set to speed up research are under investigation by GSK
ResearchSolid 3D NMR evidence reaches the surface
200-fold signal boost means silica spectroscopy could communicate catalyst configurations
Research‘Metallic hydrogen’ claim faces fiery scrutiny
State of hydrogen predicted to be a room temperature superconductor reportedly seen – but the methods used are being questioned
