Letters from Chemistry World readers – Page 14

  • Opinion

    Letters: July 2004

    2004-07-01T00:00:00Z

    From Jim Naismith University chemistry is in crisis. Many people, including myself in a Chemistry in Britain Comment [May, 2002], warned that on our current course we were headed towards this. Increased transparency of costing would reveal chemistry to be an expensive loss maker, coupled with the decreasing undergraduate ...

  • Opinion

    Letters: June 2004

    2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

    From Susan Kelly, Coordinator -Chemistry, Thurston Community College Our chairman of governors was keen to draw our attention to [the RSC’s] article in The Daily Telegraph of February 18 2004, entitled ’British chemistry faces extinction’. We are a state school, of 1350 students, which as from September 2004 will have ...

  • Opinion

    Letters: May 2004

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    From David Tilbrook The Knovel service the RSC has provided is exceptional! Congratulations. At last [RSC] membership is delivering something of real practical benefit to the practising chemists in the country. I would make one comment though. You aren’t advertising this service very much and it is a real membership ...

  • Opinion

    Letters: April 2004

    2004-04-01T00:00:00Z

    Onion cure-all From Peter Rowland C L Reid’s onion-slice cure for stings (Chemistry World, March 2004, p24) by hymenoptera is probable and important. When onion cells are damaged, the enzyme lachrymatory-factor synthase decomposes S-1-propenylcysteine-sulphoxide to give the volatile propanthial-S-oxide. In contact with aqueous tissue this hydrolyses to give propanol, sulphuric ...

  • Opinion

    Letters: March 2004

    2004-03-01T00:00:00Z

    From Dr G J White The discovery of the role of the messenger PLC zeta as described in John Parrington’s article Kiss of life? (Chemistry World, February 2004, p38) is an intriguing and possible part of a universal mechanism having a wider perspective. The article did not say if calcium ...