An unusual mathematical model has recreated the intricate crystal growth patterns of chemical gardens, finally explaining how these beautiful, lifelike structures form. These intriguing formations of inorganic crystals have fascinated scientists for hundreds of years and the chemical reactions which create these precipitates are well-understood. ‘When you drop a metal salt crystal into a solution […]

A team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the US has reported the first synthesis and characterisation of a molecular radium compound by single crystal x-ray diffraction. The findings reveal the element’s coordination chemistry and could help develop new radium-based treatments for cancer. The work, which has yet to be peer reviewed, builds on […]

A word previously well known to mathematicians but probably not to the general public, algorithm had begun to seep into the general awareness during the early years of the computer age. As the computer age mutated into the information age, algorithm became one of the buzz words, echoing around the world and seeming to transmute […]

The EU slapped gene sequencing company Illumina with a record €432 million (£372 million) fine in July for going ahead with its acquisition of cancer detection firm Grail before competition authorities had cleared the deal. The penalty reflected the European commission’s frustration with Illumina’s decision to proceed with its $8 billion acquisition in August 2021, […]

In the wake of high-profile, successful strikes by tens of thousands of academics at the University of California (UC) system late last year, higher education workers across the US are now mobilising. The United Auto Workers (UAW), through which University of California employees negotiated with their university system, says it is in talks with graduate […]

A Lego-like synthesis previously produced record-breaking nanoribbons of 30, then 53 fused rings. Now, a similar ‘accelerated’ modular methodology made a molecular nanoribbon that is triple the longest ever made – in just three simple steps. The gargantuan graphene nanoribbon is almost 36nm long, featuring 147 linearly linked rings and a conjugated core of 920 […]

Gene-edited poplar trees that produce less lignin could improve the efficiency and environmental impact of wood processing. Lignin is one of wood’s three main components, but it is left over as a by-product during processing. Lowering wood’s lignin content would reduce the waste generated during pulping, as well as the energy used in the process. […]

The Biden administration has banned the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China from receiving US federal funding after concluding that research there that had been financed by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) likely violated biosafety protocols. Earlier this month, the NIH’s parent agency the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) determined that ‘the […]

Twenty-six megatonnes of chemicals were illegally traded between 2004 and 2019, despite UN treaties meant to limit their transport and use. The substances, that can have harmful impacts on people and the environment, ranged from tetraethyl lead for fuels to tributyltin compounds for anti-fouling paint. The new Swiss study has highlighted that there is a highly […]

By being my usual pedantic self and insisting on the correct use of terms in a historical context, I appear to have kicked a wasp’s nest.  Paul Williams, who has a Youtube channel titled Blogging Theology, twitted this map with the following text. Oxford University has published a map showing the oldest universities in the […]