BASF reorganisation
BASF used its recent innovation press conference to announce a reorganisation of its R&D activities, with research units being embedded into associated operating divisions rather than held within a separate research division.
Chemistry of life
Analysis of primordial biochemistry supports the view that life first evolved in warm hydrothermal vents. A team in Germany catalogued the 402 reactions that all starter biological material can be derived from RNA, DNA, the 20 amino acids and 18 vitamins (cofactors).
Tunable cell cancer therapy
Early results of a revolutionary CAR-T cancer therapy fitted with an ‘on-off switch’ were reported at the 63rd annual American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in late 2021.
Antibiotic resistance test
A test kit using Imperial College London technology can determine whether a bacterial infection is resistant to antibiotics of last resort. Eventually, it could be used onsite to test hospital patients. With results generated in half an hour, it could help hospitals quickly control the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Electroplating battery metals
Used lithium-ion batteries contain valuable quantities of nickel and cobalt. Future demand for these metals has been predicted to exceed reserves, and there is pressure to develop better strategies for recovering these elements from batteries.
Movers and shakers
Read more about the movers and shakers in the chemical industry for January 2022.
Saving the planet
With his book, Morgan Phillips aims to open our eyes to the adaptations that are already happening all around us, including those that dare not mention climate change, the bad and selfish adaptation moves that may protect the mover at the expense of everybody else, and finally the great adaptations that are fixing a problem in a sustainable and socially just manner.
A future of apocalyptic climate changes
The theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss explains the underlying physics involved in terms that can be readily understood by a lay audience. This book is greatly facilitated by the numerous diagrams, photographs and charts deployed throughout the text.
Fit to print
Improvements to 3D printing could see the technique applied routinely to making composite parts, offering great promise to industries from medical to aerospace. Lou Reade reports
Hydrogen rising
While investment is increasing in hydrogen projects to support the clean energy transition on the way to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the International Energy Agency (IEA) believes further efforts are needed to reduce costs and encourage wider use. Neil Eisberg reports.