Latest

Barrels

Feature

The chemistry of port

In Portugal’s Douro valley, centuries-old winemaking traditions meet modern chemistry to create a sweet and intense fortified wine. Bárbara Pinho talks to the experts about the compounds and reactions behind a festive favourite

10 gas cylinders and 1 inhaler

Feature

One medical inhaler can have the impact of 30kg of carbon dioxide

Propellants in asthma inhalers produce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to driving 200 miles, yet most healthcare systems overlook this climate impact. New low-carbon alternatives are in development, Andy Extance reports, but barriers remain

Microscopy image

Opinion

The lost treasure of electron microscopy

Unpublished images should be brought to light to aid science communication and speed up discovery

MOF

Opinion

‘Making MOFs is the most fun I have ever had in the lab’

A personal connection to the 2025 Nobel prize in chemistry

Yeast

Opinion

The molecular mechanisms behind cell cognition

Condensate formation is central to how budding yeast cells decide their response to environmental and internal conditions

Lab bully

I was almost robbed of my love for chemistry – but I fought my way back

By

An abusive lab member made my dream course a nightmare. By speaking up, I’m reclaiming my joy

Truck

Changing the rules of global chemicals trade

By

Chemical dumping claims reflect US and China’s focus on national interests ahead of global markets

Fountain pen nib, writing

Letters: December 2025

By

Readers highlight the cruelty of civet coffee, bid adieu to the Association of Public Analysts, and propose an alchemical Christmas gift

Christian Bohr

The wide-ranging influence of the Bohr effect

By

While not a Nobel prize-winning discovery in itself, this challenge to the reductionist view of physiology has links to several other winners

Inhaler propellant switch is worth the effort

By

Memories of a year spent testing new inhaler valve designs 

We’ll always have Paris… won’t we?

By

A decade on from Cop21, the Paris agreement has delivered change, but keeping it on track is getting harder 

What can biochemists learn from drama?

By

How my acting background helps me build my scientific skills

Don’t blame patients for the emissions of their inhalers

By

Alternatives with lower global warming potential are out there, but the onus can’t be on those suffering

Lab bully

Opinion

I was almost robbed of my love for chemistry – but I fought my way back

An abusive lab member made my dream course a nightmare. By speaking up, I’m reclaiming my joy

Roman inkwell

Research

Roman-era ink reveals surprising chemical complexity

2000-year-old residue indicates the Romans wrote with iron-gall inks hundreds of years earlier than expected

Opinion

The wide-ranging influence of the Bohr effect

While not a Nobel prize-winning discovery in itself, this challenge to the reductionist view of physiology has links to several other winners

Research

The chemist using curry to understand indoor air pollution

Ashish Kumar’s research reveals how cooking shapes the air we breathe indoors

Careers

Choosing the perfect path to an industrial R&D career

Options abound whether or not you have a PhD

Sponsored