Food facts
A review of the book Molecules, microbes, and meals by Alan Kelly. The book is engaging in parts when there is a story to tell, such as how milk becomes cheese, but in others it’s just a materials science textbook with terrible puns. The bigger and more interesting story of our food remains untold.
Surprisingly smart
The Fundamentals of smart materials is a collection of essays written mainly by the editor Mohsen Shahinpoor. Eighteen of the 24 chapters are authored by him. Topics include piezoelectric materials, magnetostrictive materials, shape memory alloys, mechanochromic materials, thermochromic materials, chemomechanical polymers as well as self-healing materials. Read the book review.
Every star tells a story
Book review by Michael Gross of A history of the Universe in 21 stars (and 3 imposters). In his beautifully packaged book, Giles Sparrow merges the old and the new way of telling stories about stars. Read the book review.
Hazardous exports to end
The European Commission has committed to ending the practice where EU companies manufacture for export hazardous chemicals that are banned in Europe. However, the move would not prevent European companies from selling EU-banned chemicals if they are manufactured outside the EU. Read more in C&I Magazine.
Strategy for sustainability
The European Commission has adopted a Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, which it aims to deliver by 2024. It sets out to boost innovation for safe and sustainable chemicals and prohibit use of the most harmful chemicals in consumer products, unless essential for society. Read more in C&I Magazine.
Magic MOFs
Since the first ‘MOF’ structure was made over 20 years ago, researchers have created more than 20,000 different versions using a variety of metals and organic ligands, Maria Burke reports. Read the full story in C&I Magazine.
Improved CAR-T therapy
Novel approved cancer therapy CAR-T involves taking immune cells out of a patient, altering them to target a protein called CD19, and reinfusing them into the patient. CD19 is a distinguishing marker of some blood cancers. Read more in C&I Magazine.
Perovskite promise
Researchers in Australia have found that high-intensity light resolves a fundamental challenge preventing the wide uptake of next-generation perovskite solar cells. Read more in C&I Magazine.