Category: Chemistry

Reactive Reports, the chemistry Webzine from science writer David Bradley and software company ACD/Labs, celebrate its fiftieth issue this month. The Webzine grew from discussions between ACD/Labs VP and Chief Science Officer Antony Williams and David Bradley and were aimed at finding a way to bring the best chemistry news to a growing Web audience.

The first issue was published in September 1999 and covered issues that are as topical today as they were then – novel anticancer drugs from natural products, how to improve battery life to cut energy costs, and nanotechnology for building the next generation of electronics.

Reactive Reports has picked up several prestigious awards in its almost seven-year history including being a finalist in the Pirelli Awards for the innovative use of multimedia in science, a Scientific American sci-tech Web award, and a Scout Report Selection.

The Webzine’s growing archive now contains more than 200 chemistry news items as well a humor section, reviews of 150 chemistry Websites, and a links section to point readers to other useful chemistry resources.

With Issue 50, Reactive Reports changes course slightly, gone are the Star Picks and in their place we present a new profile section featuring a different chemical innovator each month. This month it’s chemical Web pioneer Peter Murray-Rust of the University of Cambridge who has much to say about open source issues and how chemists can make the most of new technology.

We also have the usual round-up of chemistry news and a news feature on Chmoogle the chemical search engine.

We hope the new format of Reactive Reports will make the next 50 issues even more educational and stimulating for our readers. Get a sneak preview of Issue 50 and check our reactions now!

Imagine a blog that does more than flatter the ego of its creator and those it links to…imagine a blog that might actually be useful!

Dr Jean-Claude Bradley [no relation] an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Drexel University emailed to tell me that he has set up a blog that will join the dots between real scientific problems and concrete and actionable solutions.

For example, one posting presents 90 molecules that stand a good chance of being inhibitors of the enzyme HIV protease, which is essential to viral replication. “To the best of my knowledge,” Bradley told me, “these compounds have not yet been tested.”

However, in order to complete the trail from problem to solution, he says we need a cheap and efficient synthesis for each of these leads, so that they can be tested in vitro for activity against HIV. “The intended audience for the blog is mainly chemists,” he confesses, “and I would like there to be as much experimental detail provided as required for a chemist to understand fully how to reproduce the porposed and executed syntheses.”

Bradley also revealed that, as you’d expect, he has an organic chemistry lab at his disposal and is willing to execute proposed syntheses, if they make synthetic sense.
Bradley hopes to find similar specific problems in which a chemical synthesis or a specific compound or class or compounds is needed that could make a difference to solving the most important problems facing humanity today.

So, if you’ve got a chemistry degree don’t hang around, go to his blog and save the world!

The Scientist today reports how a German study claiming that levels of acrylamide in the body might not be so strongly affected by consumption of acrylamide-containing fried foods as earlier research implied has come under heavy criticism from the team’s peers. Quite ironically, the magazine describes the disagreements as “bitter”.

Regular SciObs readers will know that one of my favourite web hobbies is spotting the odd and the weird among the keywords that bring visitors to the sciencebase site. This week, I have been mostly seeing “synthesis of propecia” and wondered whether the visitor demographic had changed from hirsute to those with cranial follicular challenge…hence the interest in Propecia (finasteride)

Anyway, for those who’d like to see the molecular structure of Propecia here it is. The synthesis of Propecia is available elsewhere on the web.

Although recognized for its beauty for centuries, mother of pearl (aka nacre), has only recently been recognized as having technological applications. Scientists around the world have spent decades and millions of dollars studying nacre because it is such a tough and strong material. Abalone shells are the real estate of choice for the oysters, mussels and other mollusks that live inside them, explain Kalpana Katti and Dinesh Katti of North Dakota U.

“Nature has made this as the best armor material,” explains Kalpana, tapping on the outside of a red abalone shell. “The outside layer is very hard. The inside layer is very tough. That means the outside layer will take impact. The inside layer will absorb energy if the outside layer breaks. That’s exactly how armor works.” The strong, tough structure can be captivating for those who like to solve mysteries. “Strong means it can take a lot of load before it breaks. Tough means it will give a little. This is very unique,� explains Kalpana. “Most engineered composites are one or the other.” Military and aerospace applications are envisaged.

Steve Heller just posted an update on on the PubChem system to the CHMINF-L discussion group.

PubChem now has additional bioassay and related information and the number of depositing/cooperating organizations now numbers 25, he told the group.

With 5,269,228 unique substances listed, now is a good time to track down that elusive molecular structure you’ve been searching for. ChemSpy.com offers quick and easy access to the PubChem search system