Chemist Robert Slinn and Reactive Reports webmaster David Bradley contribute their favorite news snippets from the world of chemistry
- About dopamine and brain chemistry -
- YouTube - Aspirin - Periodic Table of Videos -
- The handedness of DNA - DNA is handed. Henry Rzepa reflects on this fact.
- Alchemist chemistry news - This week The Alchemist learns, it seems, that IUPAC has been meddling with alchemical matters and changing the atomic weights of ten chemical elements while carbon allotrope graphene gets turned on and tuned in to radio. In the natural world new insights into how terpenes are biosynthesized could open up a whole new approach to organic synthesis of natural product like molecules. Mimicking mussels looks like a good way to stick DNA to any surface for biotech applications, as it were, while metal methane could be the next step in the evolution of the chemical industry away from oil-based feedstocks. Finally, the US government is sending out strict memos to scientists ordering greater transparency and scientific integrity; heads of departments are on a deadline to set their compliance programs in motion.
