Science, suffrage and misogyny

By Rachel Brazil

100 years after women could first vote in UK general elections, Rachel Brazil looks back at their fight for professional equality in chemistry

A taste of wine chemistry

By Nina Notman

Nina Notman talks to the wine detectives uncovering the flavour molecules in our favourite tipples

The marvellous Maillard reaction
By Andy Extance
Andy Extance looks at the culinary reaction cascade that goes beyond Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner and has worrying links to health
The great war clean-up
By Michael Freemantle
A century after the end of the first world war, the task of disposing of old chemical weapons continues. Michael Freemantle reports
Hahn, Meitner and the discovery of nuclear fission
By Mike Sutton
80 years ago, Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner made a discovery that led to nuclear weapons – yet Meitner was never given the recognition she deserved

News and business ▶

Chemicals industry roundup 2018

13 December 2018

Industry growth remains strong despite tariff disputes, political uncertainty and supply chain challenges

Pharmaceuticals roundup 2018

10 December 2018

Merger deals, product approvals and infrastructure changes have been overshadowed by political uncertainty, in Europe and around the world

Breaking the silence of RNA interference drugs

26 November 2018

A wave of treatments is set to follow the first approval of an RNAi therapy

Long reads ▶

A taste of wine chemistry

The marvellous Maillard reaction

An illustration depicting evolution in the laboratory

How chemical evolution took the 2018 chemistry Nobel prize

Are the Nobel prizes good for science?

The nuclear option

Illustration of plants bearing tablets and drug capsules as flowers

From folklore to pharmacy

A taste of wine chemistry
The marvellous Maillard reaction
How chemical evolution took the 2018 chemistry Nobel prize
Are the Nobel prizes good for science?
The nuclear option
From folklore to pharmacy

Careers ▶

The unsung heroes of the lab
27 November 2018By Rachel Brazil
Why technicians need more recognition for their essential role in science
The radio telescopes exploring our universe
8 October 2018By Nina Notman
How astrochemists are identifying molecules light-years away from Earth
A day at the body farm
18 September 2018By Kit Chapman
Behind the scenes at Wales’ only taphonomic research facility

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The atmospheric nitrogen question

By Emma Davies

Pollutants, key atmospheric components and vital fertilisers: nitrogen compounds are all of these, as Emma Davies finds out

How chemical evolution took the 2018 chemistry Nobel prize

By Emma Stoye

Emma Stoye has the full story of how Frances Arnold, George Smith and Greg Winter put evolution to work in the lab

Are the Nobel prizes good for science?
By Philip Ball
Philip Ball looks at whether prizes and awards help or hinder scientific progress
The nuclear option
By James Mitchell Crow
Using radioisotopes to image inside patients’ bodies – nuclear medicine – is under threat from ageing reactors. James Mitchell Crow discovers the new science trying to fix the problem
Why are there 20 amino acids?
By Rachel Brazil
Rachel Brazil tries to untangle the alphabet soup of life

3D printing in pharma

27 April 2018By Nina Notman

Nina Notman explores how 3D printing is carving out a niche for itself in the pharmaceutical industry

Medical mass spec

By Clare Sansom

Mass spectrometry can be used for more than just small molecules, meaning it is a vital tool in drug discovery and hospitals, as Clare Sansom discovers

Reaching a milestone

By Nina Notman

The decade-long process to register all chemicals used in Europe has concluded. Nina Notman takes stock of progress and looks to the next steps for chemical legislation in the region

Ozone: the hole story
By Emma Stoye
There is still a long road to recovery for the ozone layer, Emma Stoye finds
The quest to cure HIV
By Anthony King
Although HIV–Aids can now be managed quite well with antiretroviral drugs, there is still no cure. Anthony King talks to the scientists trying to find one
From folklore to pharmacy
By Hayley Bennett
Although many drugs have in the past come from plants, Hayley Bennett discovers that it’s hard work getting them approved today