Neil Withers
Features editor, Chemistry World
I joined Chemistry World in June 2012 after spending four years as an associate editor on Nature Chemistry.
This is my second stint at the Royal Society of Chemistry, having started work here in July 2004 just a week after my PhD viva! I worked in a variety of roles in my first four years at the RSC, from a technical editor on Journals of Materials Chemistry and Soft Matter to editor of Chemical Technology.
I commission and edit the features in Chemistry World, and contribute to the other areas of the magazine as need arises. I have a PhD in solid-state inorganic chemistry from the University of Durham, where I also did a four-year chemistry degree.
And now I'm trying out BlueSky – find me @neilwithers.bsky.social
PodcastDrugging the ‘undruggable’ cancer proteins & conserving the Bayeux Tapestry
How did molecular glues help crack one of cancer’s toughest targets? And we explore the chemistry behind the investigation and conservation of the Bayeux Tapestry.
PodcastA warning for US science & wool’s chemical versatility
We discuss highlights from Marcia McNutt’s final address. Plus, what’s the chemistry behind the woolly sweaters keeping you warm?
PodcastBattery week 2026: The EV cathode race & battery-recycling photocatalysts
Who will win the EV cathode race, manganese cobalt or iron phosphate? Plus, how a new photocatalyst could change the way we recycle batteries.
PodcastAlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis
In this episode, we discuss Google DeepMind’s latest deep learning model AlphaGenome, dissect the origins of life from chemicals to complex lifeforms, and hear the latest headlines.
OpinionDon’t blame patients for the emissions of their inhalers
Alternatives with lower global warming potential are out there, but the onus can’t be on those suffering
OpinionThe clean beauty movement highlights wider challenges in balancing chemical risks and benefits
The ‘clean beauty’ movement exemplifies broader challenges in how we evaluate chemical safety, balancing risks against benefits while avoiding regrettable substitutions.
OpinionChemistry's capital C
From refinery scale to a nanosecond existence, carbon is everywhere – in life as well as chemistry
OpinionPolymorphs matter – especially when they might disappear
Disappearing polymorphs offer a fascinating example of the dark arts of crystallisation
OpinionPeering into the future of material characterisation
Operando analysis offers real-time data on what happens to devices at the atomic level
OpinionCan supercapacitors be the next energy superheroes?
Offering complementary properties to batteries, their time might be round the corner
OpinionJulia Kornfield: ‘I’ve often followed an instinct about a person’
The polymer expert on power imbalances and following her instinct
FeatureDo other chemistry prizes predict the Nobels?
We’ve looked at the numbers so you don’t have to
FeatureCharting the rise in antimicrobial resistance
We look at the data behind antibiotic drug discovery and development, bacterial resistance and the financial problems with the current business model
OpinionThe heavy appeal of liquid metals
The shiny and dense fluids offer both ancient mystery and future promise
OpinionReturning to the moon
It’s been a while, but space agencies are starting to plan their trips back to our satellite, with the goal of building semi-permanent bases
OpinionNuclear wasted
Atomic energy has the potential to reduce our carbon footprint, but the problem of waste is devilishly complex