Pharma and fertilisers outlook affected by Middle East crisis
The effects of the Middle East crisis on the global economy continue to unfold, with delivery of fertilisers and plastics and even pharmaceuticals trials increasing challenged.
Critical raw materials: EU criticised over progress in industrially important materials
The European Court of Auditors has criticised progress by the EU in securing the supply of critical raw materials. The list, updated by the EU in 2023, includes industrially important materials such as antimony, germanium, lithium, manganese, copper, nickel and tungsten.
Pharma R&D: What's in the pipeline?
The total number of drugs in the global R&D pipeline stands at 22,940, according to a recent analysis by Citeline, slightly lower than in 2025. This represents a 3.92% fall from 2025’s figure and nearly reverses the 4.60% increase seen from 2024 to 2025. Citeline says this is the first time there has been a fall since the mid-1990s.
Why Germany’s circular economy needs a 'transformation booster'
A broad, cross-sector alliance of the chemical, plastics and recycling industries has strongly advocated a decisive ‘transformation booster’ for the circular economy in an open letter to the German government.
Microscopic links on catalysts power reactions
The surface of a metal catalyst has been revealed to crosstalk when driving two parts of a thermochemical redox reaction. This was demonstrated in a platinum-catalysed aerobic oxidation of formic acid, where an oxygen reduction reaction is coupled to a formic acid oxidation reaction.
SCI: 145 years of supporting innovation and industry
This year SCI is celebrating 145 years since it was created in 1881, when it was formed with the aim of promoting the application of science to industry.
CAR-T therapy tested against tumour growth factor
A group in California, US, has armed therapeutic T cells with an antibody fragment that can neutralise a crucial growth factor made by tumour cells and change the tumour environment in a way that could help a patient’s immune system fight the cancer.
Demand for rare earth elements is growing, supply chains can't keep up
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has identified a growing mismatch between the accelerating use of rare earth elements across a range of technologies and the slow pace of global supply diversification.
New material could make carbon capture cheaper
Japanese researchers have created a new carbon material that could make carbon capture cheaper and more efficient. By carefully controlling how nitrogen atoms are arranged, they found certain structures capture CO2 better and release it at lower temperatures than other materials. One version works at temperatures below 60°C, meaning it could run on waste heat instead of costly energy.
AI used to identify potential weight loss peptides
A peptide identified using artificial intelligence (AI) could rival existing weight-loss drugs, but with fewer side-effects, claim researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine, US. The naturally occurring molecule appears to act directly on the brain’s appetite-control centre.