Research
Antibiotics designed with the help of AI attack bacteria in entirely new ways
Two new compounds display potent activity against deadly drug-resistant bacteria
Branched polymers protect cell mimics that can interact with biological cells
Negotiations to create a global plastic pollution treaty collapse again
Trump’s latest rule on research grants sidelines scientific merit and adds bureaucracy, academic groups warn
Ring of pure carbon stabilised by its catenane connections
Scientists turn to candles to make complex multi-metal nanoparticles
In depth
Plastic treaty negotiations go down to the wire
Capping production and limiting use of harmful chemicals are key topics for negotiators to consider
As AI-designed drug looks to pass final hurdle, will this tech change drug discovery forever?
AI-led drug for chronic lung disease set to enter phase 3 clinical trials, though experts remain divided on AI’s impact in pharma
Explainer: The chemistry of permastink and how to prevent it
How to avoid throwing out smelly polyester sportswear
Explainer: Why is the UK banning disposable vapes?
Prior to the ban, almost seventy million single-use e-cigarettes were being discarded each year in the UK – containing enough lithium for a thousand electric vehicle batteries
Why does asparagus make my urine smell?
The chemistry of the organosulfur compounds that result in a fragrant toilet
Why are public health experts calling for new warnings on sugar-free slushies?
Reports of children falling ill have led to calls for public health advice to be updated
Antibiotics designed with the help of AI attack bacteria in entirely new ways
Two new compounds display potent activity against deadly drug-resistant bacteria
AI tools turned to creating designer proteins for personalised cancer therapies and antibiotics
Powerful new class of AI model could dramatically speed up process of producing new kinds of drug candidates
LLMs could rewrite how AIs predict reactions and plan syntheses
Chemists welcome approach but warn that unthinking dependence on AI should be avoided
As AI-designed drug looks to pass final hurdle, will this tech change drug discovery forever?
AI-led drug for chronic lung disease set to enter phase 3 clinical trials, though experts remain divided on AI’s impact in pharma
‘CrystalGPT’ set to enhance how chemists design crystals in silico
Model for predicting molecular crystal properties is readily adaptable to specific tasks, even with limited data
AI predicts transition states with exceptional precision
Model can complete tasks in under a second that take conventional methods hours
AI takes step towards cracking biology’s toughest problem – protein sequencing
The team hopes the system will eventually be as influential as AlphaFold was for protein structure prediction
Robot ramps up accuracy of AI salt stain identifier
Database with three times as many images as before boosts accuracy of technique to almost 99%
Worldwide
India introduces new rules to tackle chemical contamination sites
New legislation provides a legal framework for assessment and cleanup of 189 named chemicals
Congo’s cobalt conundrum
DRC government is intervening to revive prices and stabilise supply chains
Working towards an Australian First Nations periodic table
Zahra Khan finds out how a team of scholars is working with the Gadigal to develop a chart that celebrates Indigenous knowledge of the chemical elements
‘An act of national self-harm’: UK visa system deters top chemistry talent
Immigration policies are making it much more difficult to get scientific talent to come to the UK at a time of global flux
American Chemical Society announces new support for at-risk master’s and PhD chemistry students
$2.5 million programme launched to fund 100 students whose PI’s grants were cancelled by the Trump administration
Trump’s latest rule on research grants sidelines scientific merit and adds bureaucracy, academic groups warn
‘It’s carnage’: Former NIH director decries Trump administration efforts to slash research spending
US government cancels mRNA vaccine research
European Commission proposes partial suspension of Israel from Horizon Europe research programme
What are the top journals in chemistry right now?
Following the recent release of journal impact factors, we round up the leading journals across 10 chemistry fields
Uncovering the fraudsters and their schemes responsible for polluting the scientific literature
Springer Nature launches new tool to spot awkward, tortured phrases
Royal Society of Chemistry changes direction on open access rollout following community feedback
How I blew the whistle on a fellow chemist and colleague
Trump’s latest rule on research grants sidelines scientific merit and adds bureaucracy, academic groups warn
A new White House directive will see political appointees vet federal research funding decisions
‘It’s carnage’: Former NIH director decries Trump administration efforts to slash research spending
Elias Zerhouni tells Chemistry World what’s changed from when he was appointed by a Republican president to the current Trump administration
US government cancels mRNA vaccine research
Experts fear industrial and academic research may move abroad after infectious disease projects cancelled
‘An act of national self-harm’: UK visa system deters top chemistry talent
The UN’s new scientific panel on chemical pollution faces an uncertain future
European Commission proposes partial suspension of Israel from Horizon Europe research programme
UK government roadmap will address presence of flea and tick treatment pesticides in rivers and lakes
Two more European crackers to close
Shake-up for unpopular procurement system that left Indian scientists with substandard supplies
UK industrial strategy prioritises advanced manufacturing and life sciences
Chemistry for the visually impaired that can be felt, heard and smelt
The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, recently brought chemistry alive for students with sight loss
First-generation graduate chemists face challenges throughout their entire academic lifetime
Study highlights need for mentorship and more inclusive networks
Under legal pressure American Chemical Society ends diversity programme
The society is replacing its 30-year-old Scholars Program for minorities with a larger one that does not consider race
Analysis reveals ethnic minority applicants’ grant success rates still lower
Engineering and physical sciences’ review panels in UK more likely to award white researchers
American Chemical Society diversity programme comes under attack
New year honours recognise chemists’ services to inclusion and diversity
Nobel prize winners far more likely to come from wealthy families highlighting inequality in the sciences
Women stay in science far longer than thought, study of OECD countries suggests