The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element

39:56

Nobel prize in chemistry 2026: predictions | The...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/09/30

It's Nobel season again! And we're doing something a little different here on The chemical breakdown. Instead of our usual stories, in this episode we are turning the microphone to speculation and discussing who we think will be taking home the chemistry Nobel prize this year with Jamie Durrani and Neil Withers. Each year the Nobel prize is awarded across six categories, including physiology/medicine, physics, literature, peace, economic sciences, and chemistry. This year the announcement of the

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31:41

Drugging the 'undruggable' cancer proteins &...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/09/16

This week, we explore how molecular glues have revolutionized how we treat previously 'undruggable' cancers and explore how modern scientific techniques are teasing apart the mysteries of one of the most iconic historical artefacts with Phillip Broadwith and Neil Withers. A ground-breaking new drug has become the first of its kind to win FDA approval for metastatic pancreatic cancer. Could it mark the beginning of a new era for cancers that have long been considered impossible to target? We'll also

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33:36

Advances in CAR-T cancer therapy & carbon materials'...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/09/02

This week, we discuss a study showing promise in applying CAR-T immunotherapy in bladder cancer tumours and breakdown how scientists have uncovered spectral signatures previously misassigned in carbon materials – with Frankie Macpherson and Mason Wakley. CAR-T therapy has been a game changer for blood cancers, yet solid tumours have been largely resistant to this treatment. We discuss a new study that shows promise in applying this immunotherapy in bladder cancer tumours. And, we discuss why

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31:24

UK science department abolished & Ireland's crumbling...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/08/19

In this episode, we discuss the changes to science policy made by the new UK prime minister and breakdown the chemistry behind crumbling concrete in Ireland. On July 21, new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham abolished the government's department of science and absorbing its functions into the business department. What does this mean for UK research? And, thousands of Irish buildings are cracking apart, but the culprit may not be what scientists first thought. We discuss the mica crisis and the

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29:47

Thermo Fisher antibody data manipulation & the...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/08/05

In this episode, we breakdown the controversy behind a collection of altered images in the online catalogue of one of the largest laboratory suppliers, and discuss the complexity behind chemical recycling of plastics with Frankie Macpherson and Phillip Broadwith. Multinational laboratory supplier Thermo Fisher Scientific has been criticized after hundreds of doctored images of validation Western blots were found on their online antibody reagent catalogue. We discuss the latest reactions from the

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34:49

50 years after Seveso & changing the way we separate...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/07/22

In this episode, we reflect on the lessons learned and the impacts of the Seveso chemical disaster of 1976, and discuss the latest membrane materials that could slash the energy required to refine crude oil with Jamie Durrani and Mason Wakley. Fifty years ago, a major accident at an Italian chemical plant released a cloud of dioxin that spread across 18 square kilometres, exposing 35,000 residents to the toxin. We discuss the legacy of Seveso and its impact on chemical regulation. And, a new method

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27:30

An update on the Strait of Hormuz & potential...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/07/08

In this episode, we bring the latest from the recent temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and discuss the presence of potential explosives at the historic Antarctic bases of explorers Ernest Shackleton and Robert Scott with Phillip Broadwith and Frances Briggs. The US and Iran have recently signed a form of agreement to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz for shipping. But will this be enough to ease costs of resources, or has too much damage already been done? And, representatives from

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30:15

A warning for US science & wool's chemical...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/06/24

This week, we discuss the latest challenges facing US science outlined by president of the US National Academy of Sciences Marcia McNutt in her outgoing address as well as the unique chemistry underpinning wool's incredible properties with Neil Withers and Rebecca Trager. Marcia McNutt gave her final address as president of the US National Academy of Sciences earlier this month, warning of turmoil for science in the wake of further proposals by the White House to restrict funding. We discuss

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27:54

Click chemistry marks 25 years & covalent bonding in...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/06/10

This week, we look back at how far click chemistry has come in the last 25 years and discuss the strange bonding behaviour of some of the largest elements on the periodic table with Mason Wakley and Frances Briggs. It started as a review paper in 2001 that has since been cited almost 20,000 times, becoming one of the most influential chemistry papers ever written. Click chemistry has revolutionised the way we build molecules. But what defines a click reaction, and what does the future hold? And, new

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34:15

Quantum computing & a mysterious contaminant in...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/05/28

This week, we discuss the latest milestone in quantum computational modelling and reveal the common laboratory item causing strange readings in microplastics research with Frankie Macpherson and Patrick Walter. A new hybrid workflow involving two IBM quantum computers and two powerful supercomputers has allowed researchers to model a protein–ligand system containing up to a record 12,635 atoms. What does this mean for the future of quantum computing? And, a recent study has found an unsuspecting

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24:57

Battery week 2026: The EV cathode race &...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/05/13

This week, we are celebrating Chemistry World's Battery Week with a special battery-themed episode! We discuss the race between cathode materials for electric vehicles and a new photocatalyst capable of turning plastic waste into hydrogen and value-added chemicals, with Neil Withers and Patrick Walter. A race between competing battery cathode materials is heating up, the winner of which will shape the future of electric vehicles. But which will come out on top? And, we discuss a new photocatalyst

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24:05

Vanadium-based medicines & sustainable labs | The...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/04/29

This week, we discuss vanadium's potential in the medical field and the changes you can make in our lab to reduce your carbon footprint, with Jennifer Newton and Emma Pewsey. Many are familiar with vanadium's role in metal production, but did you know that it has a history of research as a potential medicine? We explore the little-known story of vanadium's medical potential. And, how can your lab contribute to a more sustainable world? We discuss the areas where you can make a meaningful

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31:16

Inert materials & the Mary Celeste | The chemical...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/04/16

This week, we discuss how to ensure experimental instruments are truly inert and chemistry's answer to the fate of the Mary Celeste, with Phillip Broadwith and Mason Wakley. A new study has demonstrated how unexpected results can arise from experiments using seemingly inert materials. How do we avoid the effects of these accidental reagents? And, scientists may have found the answer behind what happened to the crew of the infamous ship the Mary Celeste. We explain how chemistry may fill the

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The two states of water & science sleuths | The...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/04/02

This week, we discuss the peculiarities of water's behaviour and how science sleuths are fighting disinformation with Philip Robinson and Emma Pewsey. A recent study from researchers at Stockholm University has found the existence of a critical point in supercooled water, which could prove the existence of two types of water. How did they do it, and what does this mean for our understanding of this fundamental substance? And, in the growing age of disinformation, how can we equip ourselves to

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28:45

Atomic radii & synthetic food dyes | The chemical...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/03/11

This week, we discuss team discuss the boundaries of the atom and breakdown the US's plan to eliminate synthetic food dyes with Jennifer Newton and Phillip Broadwith. The atomic radius of an atom is a concept we are taught from early in our chemistry careers, but for such an important value its definition remains ambiguous. Why is there no single answer to the size of an atom? And, US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr announced last year that the US will phase out all petroleum-based synthetic

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30:04

AAAS annual meeting & plasma chemistry | The chemical...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/02/26

This week, we discuss reflections from this year's American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting and the latest advances in plasma chemistry with Rebecca Trager and Mason Wakley. The annual meeting of the AAAS kicked off in Phoenix, on the heels of the recent minibus spending package announcement, as well as the rescinding of the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. We'll fill you in on some of the conversations that took place that weekend. And, plasma is often

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26:41

AlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis | The chemical...

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2026/02/11

Welcome to our latest podcast series, The chemical breakdown. Each week, we dive deeper into two stories we've covered here at Chemistry World, providing insight into the facts, why you should care, and what it means for the chemistry community. We also give you that week's headlines to keep you up to date with what's happening in the chemistry community. And finally, we'll end each episode with a brief section on what was happening this week in chemistry history. This week, we discuss the new deep

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21:33

Batteries: The bedrock of the sustainable future

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2021/06/01

In this special podcast produced in partnership with Waters Corporation, find out how understanding the chemistry and materials that go into batteries marks the first step towards making them safer and increasing energy density, and unlocks new opportunities for reuse and recycling

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07:44

Cinnamaldehyde: Chemistry in its element

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2020/12/21

How did a tree bark from Sri Lanka become one of the essential flavours of the festive season? We explore the history of cinnamon and the compound that gives it its distinctive taste and aroma

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05:54

Azidoazide azide: Chemistry in its element

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element ·

2020/12/11

A compound so explosively unstable that nobody has been able to measure how sensitive it is without it, well, exploding.

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