Movers & Shakers
Read all the latest news about the movers and shakers in the chemical industry for October 2022.
The messy story of insulin
In a new retelling of the insulin story timed to the centenary of this research, molecular biologist turned historian Kersten Hall shows that this romantic discovery drama with a cast of three doesn’t come close to describing the real events, which were much messier. The prize, still debatable, essentially rewarded good luck.
Being young never gets old
This book is a good place to start for those interested in the science of ageing. It is a comprehensive introduction to the topic but also an entertaining read full of fascinating stories of those that successfully escaped death for much longer than expected and could hold the key to humans doing the same.
Chaos theory
In this wide-ranging book, Palmer comes over as a fearless polymath, galloping from ‘trouser state space’, which is tiny compared with the state space of weather, to the intriguing link between Eureka moments and relaxation, where he talks about the interplay between the ‘lower power stochastic and power-intensive deterministic modes of our brain’.
Restoring supply
The pharmaceutical industry fared relatively well through the pandemic but the sector has recently hit rockier ground. A supply chain shortage has come to light, leaving many patients struggling to access pain relief, oncology medication, antihistamines, hormone replacement therapy, anticlotting agents and other important drugs.
Never forever chemicals
Dubbed ‘forever chemicals’, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic compounds with hydrogen atoms replaced by one or more fluorine atoms. The stability of the carbon-fluorine bond leads to environmental persistence and most people in the developed world have PFAS detectable in their blood. Exposure to such chemicals has been linked to cancer, reproductive, developmental, cardiovascular, liver and immunological effects.
Capturing CO2
Controlling global warming requires us to reduce the amount of CO2 we put into the atmosphere – and to remove some of the CO2 we’ve added. Richard Corfield reports
Signature for seafood
Most marine life contains an oxygen isotope signature that can be used to reveal geographical origins. This could be used as a universal fingerprint to help combat seafood fraud and stop illegal fishing, according to researchers in Australia.
Business digest
The latest business digest for C&I Issue 10 2022 with all the latest mergers and acquisitions in the chemical industry.
App for blood O2
Researchers in the US have shown smartphones can estimate blood oxygen levels and signal hypoxemia, when levels fall too low (npj Digital Medicine, doi: 10.1038/s41746-022-00665-y). This is a leading indicator for dangerous complications for diseases such as asthma and Covid-19.