Researchers in Spain have discovered the process through which gold decorations at the famous Alhambra Palace in Granada have developed mysterious purple patches. Gold is known for its stability – its relative chemical inertness in comparison to other metals is one of the main reasons it has been so sought after by humans. But interestingly, […]

A steady and dramatic increase in ‘hype’ in the abstracts of successful grant applications funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) since the mid-1980s has been documented by a new analysis. The researchers from Japan and Canada, who work in applied linguistics, biomedical research and machine learning, found that the prevalence of 130 […]

A prototype electrolyser has harvested water from the air, split it and collected hydrogen for green energy. The device was powered by solar energy and can operate in dry air with just 4% humidity. ‘This is the first electrolyser that can produce high purity hydrogen directly from air,’ says Gang Kevin Li, a chemical engineer […]

Several companies based in Germany are suspected of selling compounds to Russia that could be used to make chemical and biological weapons like mustard gas or Novichok. The firms reportedly didn’t have the required permits for the transactions, so German custom officials are now digging into the case. Fifty officials were on site last week […]

Yeast have been genetically engineered to produce precursors of a chemotherapy drug that’s usually derived from plants. The team then coupled the precursors using established semisynthesis methods to make vinblastine. The work shows how such microbial cell factories could boost the supply of vinblastine and thousands of other natural products, as well as produce a […]

A new report has cast doubt on the potential of carbon capture storage (CCS) to help the world transition to net zero. It says more CCS projects are underperforming than are successful because of issues with the technology and regulatory framework. The report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) studied 13 […]

A new report has cast doubt on the potential of carbon capture storage (CCS) to help the world transition to net zero. It says more CCS projects are underperforming than are successful because of issues with the technology and regulatory framework. The report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) studied 13 […]

A US jury has convicted biochemist Mark Schena of nine fraud charges related to how he ran medical technology company Arrayit. He faces a maximum prison term of more than 100 years and is scheduled to be sentenced on 30 January, 2023. Schena defrauded investors in Arrayit by claiming that he had invented revolutionary technology […]

Quantum dots have been turned into a 3D printer ink by researchers in China. The technique could be used to make advanced light-emitting devices or photodetectors. 3D printing offers new ways to make all sorts of different products, but the technique generally relies on traditional polymers. Many researchers hope that incorporating inorganic materials into 3D […]

As regulators look to limit the use of many synthetic crop protection chemicals, alternatives derived from or inspired by biology offer the promise of potentially safer, more environmentally benign substitutes. The European commission this summer proposed halving the use of synthetic pesticides in the EU by 2030. If accepted, an enforcement framework would compel farmers […]