Researchers in Australia and the US have synthesised and characterised 1-azahomocubane,1 over 50 years after the first reported synthesis of cubane.2 Their 16-step synthesis overcomes the main bugbear of making cubane frameworks – undesired rearrangement reactions of high-energy intermediates. Cubanes are a family of molecules in which eight carbon atoms form the vertices of a […]

Biochemist Paul Berg, who shared the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1980 for his contributions to basic research involving nucleic acids and is often referred to as the founder of genetic engineering, has died at the age of 96. Born in the US to Jewish immigrants from Russia, Berg was the first to introduce DNA […]

Extracting valuable platform chemicals from waste biomass isan important part of the path to developing a circular, sustainable materials economy. But doing it is tricky, says Andy West, chief chemist at Bio-Sep. ‘The process should be straightforward, but it’s not,’ he says. ‘Plants, in general, don’t want to be degraded, they want to stay rigid […]

The so-called European Age of Discovery is usually considered to have begun as adventurers from the Iberian Peninsular began to venture out into the Atlantic Ocean in the fifteenth century, reaching a high point when Bartolomeu Dias (c. 1450–1500) first rounded the southern tip of Africa in 1588 and Christopher Columbus (1541–1506) accidentally ran into […]

Potential replacements for squalene, a shark-derived vaccine ingredient, have been developed by scientists in the US. Squalene is used in adjuvants to boost immune responses, but it is sourced from wild caught sharks, including those under threat from overfishing. Squalene is a natural terpene found in many plants and animals but is especially abundant in […]

The UK government has awarded £150,000 to support a pilot scheme that will help parents and carers return to the science sector after career breaks. The Stem Recharge project will be delivered in the Midlands and north of England and will provide support for people returning to the workforce, as well as employers. According to […]

A 21-atom nickel chain is the longest metallic polymer ever created. Stabilised by a macromolecular ligand shell, these one-dimensional molecular wires fuse the durability of plastics with the conductivity of metals and could have significant implications for nanoelectronics. Metals and polymers are vital materials in our daily lives but the distinct electronic structures of metal […]

More than a quarter of the world’s population lacks access to safe drinking water. The task of water purification is further complicated by the need to keep energy use to a minimum, not only to reduce costs but also to avoid exacerbating climate change and further water scarcity. Water purification based on thermoresponsive hydrogels, are […]

Stipends for graduate students in Canada have not risen for 20 years. As a result, they face daily financial struggles and crippling debt, according to a student-run group. It also warns the research community is at risk from a shrinking student population and a less diverse workforce. Almost 90% of graduate students say they are […]

New research on how psychedelic drugs promote neuron growth in the brain has thrown light on the therapeutic effects these drugs display in the treatment of mental health conditions. The work helps to unravel why some drugs that bind to serotonin receptors bring sustained antidepressant effects that other compounds, including serotonin itself, don’t produce. Psychedelic […]