Alcohol in China
This book is about two alcoholic drinks from China that will be unfamiliar to many of us in Europe: baijiu and huangjiu. Baijiu has been around for over two millennia; it is a clear spirit, most usually made by fermenting sorghum – a few varieties may use rice or grains like wheat or barley – with distillation yielding a product with a high alcohol content, between around 35 to 60% ethanol.
A practical plan for a carbon free world
The United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (better known as COP26) held in Glasgow in November 2021, and attended by nearly 200 countries, resolved to keep global warming to 1.5°C by 2050. Gates’ action plan to enable all countries to reach zero greenhouse emissions in a timely fashion asserts that the achievement of this goal is not practicable before 2050 and moving the target date forward to 2030 is unrealistic for several reasons.
Terpenes from sponges
Many natural products have been isolated from sea sponges, although the molecules themselves originate from bacteria living within the sponge. Now researchers have told the ACS Spring 2022 meeting that Pacific Axinella sponges themselves – and not their symbiotic bacteria – are capable of synthesising a range of terpene-derived compounds.
Solvay to split in two
Belgian chemical major Solvay is currently reviewing plans to split into two independent publicly listed companies, provisionally named EssentialCo and SpecialtyCo, in a move designed to sharpen strategic focus and optimise growth opportunities.
Flying higher
The aviation sector emits around 2-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But while airlines have promised to halve their carbon footprint by 2050, passengers and global cargo are expected to increase significantly over the next 30 years, Anthony King reports
Breath-taking diagnosis
Breath analysis can detect distinctive metabolic changes that are among the earliest signs of disease. But could it one day replace blood tests for certain conditions? Katrina Megget reports
Biofoundry-in-a-box
UK technology developer Centillion Technology, a spin-out company from Cranfield University, has secured funding from the RNA Readiness and Response programme of Wellcome Leap and CEPI to develop new manufacturing technologies for production of RNA based drug products including mRNA vaccines.
PET for brain diseases
In a world first, a PET scan has imaged dysfunctional protein clumps in patients with a Parkinson’s-like disease. This should allow for earlier diagnosis of a rare brain disease, multiple system atrophy (MSA).
Africa vaccine boost
US biotech Moderna has signed an agreement with Kenya for the construction of Africa’s first messenger RNA (mRNA) facility. The news comes amid concerns vaccine production in the continent is being hampered by high production costs, quality assurance issues and poor vaccine market regulation.