Super-powered science
Screaming fans excited about your research, the Sharpie on your lanyard for signing autographs – wouldn’t that be nice?
Trump’s second term brings back interesting times for facts
Changes in the information ecosystem are set to continue
Celebrating 100 years of the Pauli exclusion principle
How a quantum view of electron states enabled us to understand the stability of matter
Sharing the burden of contraception could also mean sharing the risk
What if risk assessments for contraception considered the sum of risk to both members of a couple?
Charlotte Williams: ‘Being an academic is a wonderful job’
The award-winning inorganic chemist on early environmental influences and a career spanning industry and academia
Can the work of Professor R Obot be beautiful too?
The rise of AI raises questions about how we judge results
Why we need public analysts
As the Association of Public Analysts winds up, Duncan Campbell reflects on the continued importance of the profession
Celebrating the coffee break
One of the most surprisingly productive parts of the day
Our columnists
Philip Ball is an award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster who explores the history and philosophy of chemistry
Celebrating 100 years of the Pauli exclusion principle
How a quantum view of electron states enabled us to understand the stability of matter
Raychelle Burks is an associate professor in the US and an award-winning science communicator and broadcaster.
The champagne cases
When bottles of bubbly conceal criminal activities
Nessa Carson is a synthetic organic research chemist based in Macclesfield, UK
The right level of trust in the scientific literature
An overreliance on what’s gone before can hinder innovation
Chemjobber is a US-based industry insider, telling tales of tank reactors and organic obstacles
How long are medicines good for?
Stability data is necessary but tedious work
Derek Lowe is a medicinal chemist in the US, sharing wit and wisdom from a life spent in preclinical drug discovery
Robots queuing up to fail
Claims of an AI revolution in drug discovery are missing the biggest problem
Alice Motion is an associate professor in Australia interested in citizen science, public outreach and education
Take part in the #ChemistryConversations challenge
Will you share your enthusiasm for chemistry with more non-chemists?
Chris Nawrat (aka BRSM) is a process chemist at a major pharmaceutical company in the US
(–)-Scabrolide B (and friends)
An experimental confirmation with some extra surprises
Vanessa Seifert explores philosophical issues from the novel perspective of chemistry
The moral theories behind climate deadlock
Why is it so controversial to do the right thing for the environment?
Andrea Sella is a professor of inorganic chemistry in the UK with a passion for unravelling the unlikely origins of scientific kit
Wood’s metal and the evolution of fusible alloys
Invented by American dentist Barnabas Wood (1819–1875), whose life is shrouded in mystery
Research landscape
The right level of trust in the scientific literature
An overreliance on what’s gone before can hinder innovation
The value of research is measured in many ways
Academia is a broad church
Extracting treasure from trash
The corpus of scientific literature needs a drastic clean-up
Learning to listen
Many things have changed in the last two decades, but effective collaboration is more important than ever
A holistic approach to success
Three activities that helped me to thrive in academia and beyond
How hoarding knowledge is hurting the industry in the long run
Sharing results that are not commercially viable would speed up research
The striking truth
Better pay can benefit the whole research enterprise
Industry landscape
Robots queuing up to fail
Claims of an AI revolution in drug discovery are missing the biggest problem
Sharing the burden of contraception could also mean sharing the risk
What if risk assessments for contraception considered the sum of risk to both members of a couple?
No means no
It’s not always productive to argue back
The carbon capture conundrum
Progress is being made, but is it enough?
Letters: January 2025
Readers discuss the fentanyl problem, ethanol regulations and Reading’s continuing success
Profiles
Charlotte Williams: ‘Being an academic is a wonderful job’
The award-winning inorganic chemist on early environmental influences and a career spanning industry and academia
How Lisa Alford inspires students and celebrates technicians
She was awarded the Royal Society’s 2024 Hauksbee award in recognition of her extraordinary achievements ‘behind the scenes’
After-school club students in Chicago discover promising bioactive compound via goose droppings
Chicago antibiotic discovery lab engages middle school students from underrepresented communities in hands-on research
After-school club students in Chicago discover promising bioactive compound via goose droppings
Chicago antibiotic discovery lab engages middle school students from underrepresented communities in hands-on research
Mary Virginia Orna: ‘It felt like I was coming home to something I never knew existed’
The 90-year-old colour chemist on overcoming discrimination and the three loves of her life; Latin, chemistry and Italian opera
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
Yvonne Perrie: ‘Good research culture is about being able to learn and fail without judgment’
The drug delivery expert and multidisciplinary researcher on the importance of learning from failure and how a summer in a margarine factory influenced her career
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
What makes a good lab manager?
By Thomas McGlone
The planning and people skills needed to keep everything running smoothly
The chemical industry is falling short on supporting women
By Kasia Jankowska
Unless barriers are broken down, the future of the industry is unsustainable