Skeletal editing provides quick access to pharmaceutical ‘matching pairs’
Late-stage functional group switching in dibenzofurans will aid drug discovery chemistry
Charged droplets don’t splash when they hit a solid surface
Finding could have applications in printing and surface coatings
Cement-like building material doubles up as an electrolyte in rechargeable battery
Study explores how to integrate electrochemical energy storage into the built environment
Accelerating chemical discovery through high-throughput experimentation: in conversation with Matthew Gaunt
Professor Matthew Gaunt from the University of Cambridge shares his thoughts on HTE and the role of automation and computational models in discovering new chemical space.
Carbon nanotubes made from waste carbon dioxide produce surprising plasma when microwaved
Trump’s ‘skinny budget’ has plans to cut science and research to the bone
Trithorium superatom confounds with its unexpected and ‘mind-blowing’ diamagnetism
Actinide bonding could be tweaked by adjusting oxidation states
Amino acid sequences used to predict enzyme stereoselectivity
LSD analogue synthesised by swapping just two atoms less likely to cause hallucinations
Highlights
What happens to our bodies after we die?
The decay and decomposition of a human body may be unpleasant to consider, but it can be crucial in criminal justice. Rupali Dabas talks to the forensic scientists developing techniques that can sniff out the truth
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
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
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
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
Topics
Accelerating chemical discovery through high-throughput experimentation: in conversation with Matthew Gaunt
Professor Matthew Gaunt from the University of Cambridge shares his thoughts on HTE and the role of automation and computational models in discovering new chemical space.
Amino acid sequences used to predict enzyme stereoselectivity
Team behind tool hope to dramatically reduce the experimental workload of scientists using directed evolution to develop biocatalysts
AI inspired by AlphaFold can predict chromatin structures found in chromosomes
System could help unravel how genome folding influences genes
Computational study says nucleophile finds σ-holes more attractive than π-holes
Computer simulations shed light on how material can shrink when heated
Simulations suggest why highly unsaturated molecules are so abundant in the interstellar medium
Computer simulation of carbonless DNA prompt researchers to consider alternative biochemistries
Chemists use AI to uncover pigments used on Berlin Wall murals
Iron from single meteorite found in ancient Polish artefacts
Discoveries indicate meteoritic iron was falling out of fashion in the late iron age
Chemists use AI to uncover pigments used on Berlin Wall murals
Researchers hope work will help to preserve this art
Teaching enzymes new reactions through genetic code expansion and directed evolution
Anthony Green’s research group at the University of Manchester, UK, reengineers enzymes to have catalytic functions beyond those found in nature
Reading into the dangers of poison paint in Victorian-era books
Brightly coloured fabric covers hide poisonous dye legacy
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
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
Materials scientist’s death at 47 from brain haemorrhage highlights long hours culture in China
Liu Yongfeng’s death isn’t the first instance of a Chinese academic with a heavy workload dying young
Trump’s ‘skinny budget’ has plans to cut science and research to the bone
White House budget blueprint would slash funding for NSF and NIH by 55% and 40%, respectively, prompting dire warnings
Harvard’s former chemistry chair takes new position at Chinese university
Charles Lieber, the nanoscience pioneer convicted for not disclosing his ties to China, has just joined Tsinghua University
Research centres weather unprecedented blackout in Spain and Portugal
Backup batteries and diesel generators guaranteed the stability and security of scientific systems