Highlights

Crystal structure prediction

Crystal clear structure prediction

As the clouds clear on computational crystal structure prediction, is the technique ready to empower mainstream materials research? James Mitchell Crow reports

Mustard leaf salad

Making genetically engineered food palatable

The next generation of genetically altered food is forging ahead, aiming to be attractive to consumers rather than producers. Katrina Megget finds out whether Crispr means crisper salads

Circular DNA

The circles of DNA that cause cancer

Ring-shaped extrachromosomal DNA is implicated in many cancers. Rachel Brazil talks to the scientists trying to uncover their secrets

Tractor spraying glyphosate at sunset

The glyphosate debate

The EU has recently approved the use of glyphosate for another decade. Bárbara Pinho examines the controversial pesticide’s presence in British farming and considers the possibility of a ban in the UK

COFs

COFs head for the big time

Two decades on from the first reported covalent organic frameworks, Nina Notman investigates what their future holds

Topics

Figure

Seed oil-based polymer should survive a day in the rain but degrade within years in the sea

Researchers create polyesteramides from brassylic acid and explore their potential as a replacement for polyethylene

Paul Anastas: ‘I’m proudest of being part of a global green chemistry community’

The father of green chemistry on his love of the environment, striving for unattainable perfection and breathing life into an old town library

Science 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 

Biomass, plastic waste and carbon dioxide feedstocks key to cutting chemical industry’s emissions

Royal Society report warns that without intervention defossilisation of the chemicals sector will take many decades

Chemists funded to cut the environmental footprint of their labs

The Royal Society of Chemistry to support 33 projects in 11 countries aiming to make chemistry research greener

Young people walking away from the US on a large map of the world

‘Exodus will require action’: chemistry laureates warn young researchers will desert US

Trump administration’s targeting of grants, funding and visas creating hostile environment for scientists

Citizens protesting in Serbia waving national flags

Serbia limits academics’ research time to just one hour a day

Researchers say controversial policy will block majority of scientists from applying for grants

Chemical engineering graduate student in US has visa cancelled without warning

Two Saudi graduate students at NCSU, including one studying chemical engineering, self-deported rather than be detained by immigration officials

Is chemistry really dying in the US and Europe? Not so fast

Chinese universities completely dominated one recent ranking of the chemical sciences but that’s not the whole picture

‘Real danger in this moment’ for America’s research enterprise

There are stark warnings for the US amid science agency cuts, terminated research grants and detained graduate students