Moving times
People move. And a climate catastrophe is on its way. So much we know. For the last 30 years, science knew that we were in big trouble, but politicians failed to act and media diminished or denied the problem. At the same time, the very same media and politicians reinforced the impression that migration posed a problem.
Secrets of smell
Following an infection with the coronavirus Covid-19, the journalist Paola Totaro lost her sense of taste and smell for over a year. This traumatic event stimulated her to embark on a thorough investigation into the perception of smell that involved an assiduous study of research papers and interviews with experts.
Dietary restriction for flies
Removing a single essential dietary amino acid makes fruit flies more resistant to chemicals such as nicotine, a new study has found. In people, this approach could potentially provide protection against physical traumas such as surgery or chemotherapy.
Rinse aid discovery
An ingredient in professional dishwasher detergents could damage the gut wall and trigger inflammation, according to a study of human epithelial cells. The intestinal barrier is a crucial defense against foreign substances entering the bloodstream, but there is a suspicion among some researchers that chemical agents such as surfactants may damage this barrier, exposing the immune system to pro-inflammatory agents and gut bacteria.
Tetrazine isomer clicks
Fast, high yielding ‘click chemistry’ reactions earned scientists the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2022. One of the fastest click chemistry reactions involves 1,2,4,5-tetrazines with strained azadienophiles. Now scientists in California report the synthesis of 1,2,3,5-tetrazines, a family of compounds that hold great promise for pharmaceuticals, biological probes and other chemical products.
Business digest
The latest business digest for C&I Issue 1 2023 with all the latest mergers and acquisitions in the chemical industry.
Energy investment
It is now almost a year since the world was plunged into an energy crisis by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But this crisis might become the potential turning point for world climate – with the move away from fossil fuels gaining momentum as society looks at the route to energy security and also decarbonisation.
Hygiene best option to beat resistance
A life-threatening drug-resistant bacteria is rarely transmitted to humans through animal or environmental contact as had been feared. An international group of researchers has discovered. Infections appear to be spread from person to person, meaning the best way to control spread is strict hygiene control.