Research
‘Stimulating discovery’ leads to strategy to swap oxygen in saturated rings
Skeletal editing pushed beyond aromatic structures, sparking new opportunities in drug discovery
Chiral chemical fuels trigger two very different supramolecular self-assemblies
16 dead in US munitions factory explosion
Maternity lab coat aims to close a gap in PPE market and end unsafe practices
23 Indian children’s deaths linked to contaminated cough syrup
Ultrapotent thrombin inhibitor combines peptide fragments from a trio of blood-sucking organisms
In depth
UK loses life sciences investment as pharma companies halt expansion plans
Industry seeks greater share of healthcare spending to support innovation
UK biofuels production collapsing in face of cheap imports
Bioethanol plants closing after US tariffs removed, while biodiesel faces competition from China
Explainer: why have metal–organic frameworks won the Nobel prize in chemistry?
Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi scooped the Nobel prize for their work on MOFs – here’s everything you need to know
How does Clarivate pick its potential Nobel prize winners?
Chemistry World talks to the head of research analysis at the Institute for Science Information on how they decide which researchers are producing Nobel-worthy research
Why has the EU banned a key chemical in gel nail products?
Trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide is a photo-initiator used to harden nail polish under UV light
Explainer: The chemistry of permastink and how to prevent it
How to avoid throwing out smelly polyester sportswear
The chemistry community should ban drawing chemical structures with generative AI, chemists warn
AIs like Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT still make serious errors rendering structural formulae
AI helps identify over 1000 dubious open-access journals from screen of 15,000 titles
Program compares favourably with human integrity experts
Modelling suggests waste heat from AI data centres could power carbon capture and water purification
Analysis considering thermodynamics, economics and emissions shows how AI could flip its environmental footprint to become both water-positive and carbon-negative
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
Worldwide
At least 16 dead in factory and chemical warehouse fire in Bangladesh
Smoke and gas from chemical fire trapped and killed factory workers
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
UKRI announces changes to simplify and improve efficiency of fellowships
Changes introduced to make fellowships easier to manage and understand
Apprenticeship students outperformed those taking a traditional chemistry degree at the University of Bradford
Proportion of US students taking chemistry fails to keep pace with other science disciplines
‘An act of national self-harm’: UK visa system deters top chemistry talent
Chemistry ‘cold spots’ emerging across the UK, RSC warns
UKRI announces changes to simplify and improve efficiency of fellowships
Changes introduced to make fellowships easier to manage and understand
Fake microscopy images generated by AI are indistinguishable from the real thing
Materials scientists warn that raw data and replication studies are needed to tackle the looming threat of near-undetectable AI fraud
Trump steps up pharma tariff threat
Taxing branded drug imports could hit biotech innovators hardest
EU export of pesticides banned in bloc continues to increase despite commitment to end practice
Investigation of export notifications reveals prohibited agrichemical exports has risen by 50%
Novo Nordisk’s new chief cuts 9000 jobs
Danish firm shifts strategy after struggling to capitalise on its weight loss drugs
UK loses life sciences investment as pharma companies halt expansion plans
Discussions begin on association of Australia to Horizon Europe
UK biofuels production collapsing in face of cheap imports
Proposal to limit US student visa durations draws criticism
Pharma sector jolted by unpredictable US tariffs policy
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
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
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