Frances Addison
I studied medicinal and biological chemistry at the University of Nottingham, graduating in 2016. Before joining Chemistry World in March 2019, I was a staff writer on Front Line Genomics.
ResearchLiquid crystals under pressure create squid-like camouflage
Pneumatic membranes trigger full-spectrum colour shifting on demand
- Research
Mirror image enzyme constructs longest ever mirror DNA strand
Since chirally inverted DNA is more stable than its natural counterpart, it can be used to encode secret messages
- Research
Glass folded into intricate origami shapes
Embedding silica particles into a polymer creates a bendable material that can be converted into glass
- Research
Chemists reconsider C–H and C–C bond length rationale
Quantitative proof for steric repulsion theory
- Podcast
Book club – Vampirology by Kathryn Harkup
A scientific investigation of vampires’ lust for blood and weakness to garlic
- Research
Tooth isotope analysis proves ancient Greek historians wrong
Analysis of ancient soldiers’ 2500-year-old remains suggests they were foreign mercenaries rather than the locals contemporary historians described
- Review
Doomsday Book: The Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Threats
A great pick for anyone looking for intriguing solutions to global challenges present and future – as long as you’re okay with a bit of doom and gloom
- Podcast
Azidoazide azide
A compound so explosively unstable that nobody has been able to measure how sensitive it is without it, well, exploding
- Podcast
Book club – Written in Bone
From the horrific to the absurd, forensic anthropologist Sue Black’s new book is a true pageturner
- Review
The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)
Universe-ending scenarios made to fit our tiny human minds
- Podcast
Book club – The End of Everything
It’s the end times for our universe with five scenarios that of how it might meet its ultimate demise
- Review
Death By Shakespeare: Snakebites, Stabbings and Broken Hearts
A book for anyone with an interest in science, death, Elizabethan literature and British history – or all of the above
- Podcast
2AP (2-acetyl-1-pyrroline)
Frances Addison on the aromatic compound found in both buttered popcorn and the bearcat’s scent glands, and responsible for the distinctive smell of both
- Review
Letters from an Astrophysicist
A collection of two decades-worth of correspondences, this book reveals humanity’s fascination with the stars
- Podcast
Book Club – Say Why to Drugs by Suzi Gage
We discuss Suzi Gage’s comprehensive look at the science behind recreational drugs – from caffeine to ketamine
- Review
Say Why to Drugs: Everything You Need to Know About the Drugs We Take and Why We Get High
From discussing short- and long-term effects to drug mythbusting, this book is rich with easy-to-follow information about the effects recreational drugs can have on us and the risks associated with each of them
- Research
Chernobyl’s intensely radioactive ‘elephant’s foot’ lava recreated in the lab
Mimic of the lava produced by a reactor meltdown is far safer to work with
- Review
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death
A book for ‘future corpses of all ages’ as the author – a mortician – answers questions about death asked by children
- Podcast
Oxycodone and hydrocodone
Frances Addison examines how our quest to control and manage pain has led to a modern medical crisis, as opioids oxycodone and hydrocodone are among the most abused prescription medications in the US
