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Ahead of her 85th birthday, Jane Richardson, Professor of Biochemistry at Duke University, discussed her life in science from making her own telescope to developing the ribbon diagrams for the 3D structure of proteins.
Non-steady-state chemical dynamics offer a powerful tool for neuromorphic computing by harnessing nonlinear, collective, and time-evolving behaviours. Coupled with frameworks such as reservoir computing, these systems enable trajectory-based information processing at the molecular scale through concepts from chemical kinetics and far-from-equilibrium dynamics.
In an era of global transition, new frontiers in chemistry — from space mining to circular technologies — are poised to reshape global power. This Comment explores how future supply chains, strategic resources, and chemistry could define the next era of geopolitical competition.
Chemistry is an experimental science that for many learners only comes alive in the laboratory. But specialized equipment is increasingly out of reach of school budgets. Strengthening school–university collaborations can help to bridge the gap.
Metal–organic frameworks are increasingly used in environmental technologies, whereby their biomolecular coronas determine their identity, transport, persistence and ecosystem effects. We argue that further research is needed to embed corona considerations into framework systems design and regulation, and we outline the minimal, actionable steps needed to achieve this.
Ahead of his 80th birthday, Steven V. Ley, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, discussed his career from drawing chemicals by hand to his work generating complex natural product architectures using machines.
As scientists, our instinct is often to view physical systems within a Euclidean geometric space, defined by distances and angles measurable through techniques like X-ray scattering and imaging. Yet, history shows that our disciplines have repeatedly adapted their mathematical languages to better process data, interpret observations and build new theories.
Photochemical labelling of proteins mediated by a small organic molecule has enabled researchers to track the progress of peptides through a cell — from entry and trafficking to endocytosis.
Developing universal machine learning potentials for heterogeneous catalysis still presents challenges. Recently, an element-based potential using random exploration via imaginary chemicals was developed and predicts reactions accurately across various scenarios related to catalytic systems and materials science.
Ahead of her 73rd birthday, Lidia Morawska, Distinguished Professor at Queensland University of Technology, discusses her life as a researcher and advocate of clean air.
Ahead of her 80th birthday, Judith Howard discussed her life in science, including the importance of women in crystallography from its inception, and her favourite breakthroughs in this field.
The periodic table is not only a foundational tool of chemistry, but also a strategic map of the elements. Here we trace how the value of elements has shifted through history — shaping war, trade, and diplomacy — and call for consideration on how to manage growing global competition over critical materials.
The Chemical Weapons Convention is underpinned by science. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Designated Laboratory network provides confidence to states parties that any misuse of chemicals as weapons can be properly investigated.
Molecular-level insight into hydrogen isotope separation processes with triazole-based metal–organic frameworks [Mn(ta)2] have recently been studied through in situ neutron diffraction and cryogenic thermal desorption spectroscopy. By fine-tuning the ligands of the framework, remarkable separation efficiencies are observed.
The isolation of critical materials from minerals is challenging due to their comparable chemical properties and tendency to co-exist with one another. Instead of driving lanthanide separation by chemical extraction, a study leverages solubility differences between adjacent lanthanides to isolate Nd from used NdFeB magnets.
When generative artificial intelligence (AI) draws molecules, it doesn’t just get the science wrong — it risks reshaping how we see chemistry, spreading incorrect representations of our world that mislead learners, distort peer-reviewed reports, and erode trust in scientific work and rigour.
Electron counting and oxidation states are fundamental concepts used for understanding a molecule’s electronic structure. A recent study of PuO2 provides insights into how covalency can impact our assessment of the electronic structures of f-element materials.
Disabled scientists encounter many barriers in laboratory spaces, especially a lack of accessible lab equipment. #labdaptations is an ever-growing database of inclusive equipment created to improve the accessibility of laboratory work.
Ahead of her 75th birthday, Jane Clarke discussed her life in science, including her career change from school science teacher to protein folding researcher.
