Patrick Walter
News editor, Chemistry World
I came to science via making mini traffic lights, measuring the speed of falling sycamore seeds and brewing fine ‘perfumes’ from whatever could be dug up from the garden. These unorthodox projects eventually led to a course studying biochemistry at Bristol to indulge my interest in science. Here I found that I had more of a flair for writing about science than actually doing it, after some spectacularly unsuccessful afternoon practicals!
After stints working on science journals, writing for society newsletters and editing and writing jobs with the magazine Chemistry & Industry I joined Chemistry World. Writing for the magazine has given me a wonderful opportunity to meet childhood heroes and some of the best scientists in the world. Telling the world about their work is not only great fun, but also matters. A scientifically literate public and body politic is vital if we expect evidence to play a greater role in policy-making.
NewsPhoto of coiling net-caster spider silk wins Royal Society competition
Stunning electron micrograph of silk structure among 10 scientific photos to win prizes
NewsUK’s new national laboratories site will support ‘invisible infrastructure’ of measurements that keep world in sync
£20 million investment by LGC will boost country’s analytical and metrology capabilities
NewsThe 2025 Nobel prize in chemistry as it happens – live
Join us as we provide analysis and commentary in the run up to the announcement of the biggest prize in chemistry
OpinionWhy I’m still in love with the Nobel prize
The enthusiasm and excitement the awards generate for the sciences are still second to none
OpinionDrowning in a sea of fakery
Addressing rising fraud in the scientific literature is a huge issue that AI is set to exacerbate
OpinionWhat happens next after the plastic treaty negotiations fail once again?
Bold action may now be needed to secure agreement on plastic pollution
OpinionChemistry ‘deserts’ threaten to push poorer undergraduates out
Course and departmental closures in the UK are creating ‘cold spots’, leaving students high and dry
OpinionIf the UK wants growth fuelled by R&D, universities need relief now
The spending review has left universities struggling with deficits with few options but to hope for good news
OpinionCan scientific curiosity and pressure to work long hours be balanced with well-being?
Younger researchers must beware the trap that sees their scientific fervour take over their lives
News‘I worked on it little by little, with the help of a beer’: Making MOFs out of paper
Chemistry World talks to Ryo Horikoshi about engaging students with chemistry concepts using his stunning paper models
NewsHow to make metal–organic frameworks and cages out of paper
Ryo Horikoshi shows us how to make amazing supramolecular models to inspire students
OpinionQuality research under threat as budgets are being squeezed
Researchers are once again being asked to turn less into more
NewsThey break it, we all pay for it
GK Chesterton’s legacy goes beyond his Father Brown detective novels and explains why tearing down institutions harms us all
OpinionPutting research on the chopping block risks mortgaging countries’ futures
Many countries in the global north are taking a short-sighted approach to their science budgets
NewsMaterials strategy for UK needs chemistry to succeed and create new industries
Ten-year plan proposed by Henry Royce Institute aims to boost productivity and support the circular economy
OpinionPublic inquiry into Novichok poisonings hopes to shed light on murky events
The investigation into the Amesbury poisonings let the public see the importance of forensic chemistry
NewsThe 2024 Nobel prize in chemistry as it happens – live
Join us as we follow all the developments in the run-up to the awarding of chemistry’s biggest prize
NewsTwelve Nobel laureates tell us about winning chemistry’s biggest prize
Winners from the last two decades look back on the day a call from Stockholm changed their lives
NewsWith departments and courses facing closures UK chemistry needs a new hero
Harry Kroto’s star status helped to save the subject 20 years ago
OpinionScience needs to get its house in order when it comes to energy use and waste
Labs have an outsized environmental footprint but solutions are within reach