Mass balance is a mechanism to help phase out the large scale use of fossil raw materials. It is about mixing fossil raw materials together with recycled or renewable raw materials in existing systems and processes, while keeping track of their quantities and allocating them to specific products. Ultimately, the goal will be to deliver a chemical industry that has been fully converted to using recycled and renewables.
Polyolefin plastics in commodity packaging are the major source of land pollution. Waste plastic on land undergoes weathering degradation, normally generating microplastics, with subsequent soil biodegradation, depending on environmental conditions.
Roche has acquired Irish biotech firm Inflazome, with an upfront payment of €380m (£347m). The acquisition gives it full rights to Inflazome’s entire portfolio, comprising orally available inhibitors of a protein complex known as NLRP3 inflammasome, which is a danger sensor in the body. Read more in C&I Magazine.
Scientists in the US have developed a copper catalyst to more efficiently convert CO2 into ethylene (C2H4). Read more in C&I Magazine.
The European Commission wants the EU to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% against 1990 levels by 2030, in order to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Read more in C&I Magazine.
Early detection of subtle variations in brain health could significantly delay the onset of memory loss and dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). But while changes in brain health often start to manifest in mid-life, those affected are currently not treated until a much later stage when clinical symptoms are diagnosed. Read more in C&I Magazine.
India has the world’s third highest number of individuals suffering from dementia, an estimated 4.3m people. The figure is expected to double by 2035, according to the Dementia India report published by the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI). Read more in C&I Magazine.
The eyes of some insects are blanketed in tiny protrusions to dampen light reflectance. Scientists in Switzerland have now shown how fruit flies form this special coating and how to reverse engineer such protrusions onto man-made materials. Read the article in C&I Magazine.