The rules have changed regarding photosynthetic law, The Alchemist learns, while it turns out that plants use steroid hormones just like those found in mammals. Another type of plant could lead to a novel anticancer drug.
In polymer news, an approach to locking in plasticizers could eradicate problems associated with PVC in toys and medical devices. Dutch scientists have looked at the smallest chunk of graphite in the form of the coronene molecule and explained its phantom bands.
Finally, chemistry often gets a bad press, but when chemists attempt to lighten the mood they get criticized for dumbing down, the RSC offers a riposte to complaints from those who disapprove of its publicity stunts.
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