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February 29, 2008

Dow May Exit Some Businesses

Polymer operations with $2 billion in sales are being evaluated.

Companies Meet Vaccine Needs

Yellow fever outbreak and neglected diseases spur corporate vaccine efforts.

California Fights For Emissions Standards

Legislators battle White House, EPA chief over state's plan.

Maya Blue Mystery

Researchers discover ancient mixture used to concoct durable pigment.

February 28, 2008

Water Leaves Trail In Human Hair

Oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios tell where a person has been.

Appeals Court Dismisses Agent Orange Suits

Decisions disallow veterans and Vietnamese from suing chemical companies.

ID Tags Venture Is Launched

German companies seek to develop flexible tags to replace bar codes.

February 27, 2008

Explosion Injures Student

Accident involved nanostructured explosive materials.

Wellman Declares Bankruptcy

Polyester maker's fate is up to the courts.

February 25, 2008

Dow Earmarks Businesses For Possible Sale

Move follows formation of petrochemical venture with Kuwaiti firm.

Measuring Atomic Friction

Advances in atomic force microscopy allow scientists to measure single-atom forces on a surface.

Specter Speaks Up On Public Access

Senator weighs in on how NIH set its mandatory open-access policy.

Rubber Heals Itself

Small molecules yield self-mending property.

Cause Of Heparin Woes Unclear

Hunt for source of adverse reactions to blood thinner examines FDA, China roles.

Acetaldehyde In Action

Troublesome reagent coaxed into organocatalyzed, enantioselective reactions.

February 22, 2008

Desulfurizing Heavy Oils

Study identifies unexpected culprits that inhibit catalytic cleanup.

A Potential Threat

Citing terrorism concerns, NRC panel urges phaseout of some 5,000 radionuclide radiation devices used in medicine and research.

China's Pollution Insurance

Nationwide scheme aims to help polluting companies stay in business, compensate victims.

Toxic Trailers

Health concerns force government to find new housing for hurricane victims.

February 21, 2008

Gecko Feet Inspire Medical Adhesive

Nanostructured polymers may replace sutures and staples.

February 20, 2008

DuPont Heralds R&D Productivity

New products accounted for 36% of revenues last year.

FDA Seeks To Loosen Restrictions On Drug Promotion

Drugmakers would be allowed to use medical journal articles to market drugs for unapproved uses.

P&G Launches Water Treatment Kits In U.S.

Profits will fund safe drinking water programs in developing countries.

February 18, 2008

Powerful Threads

Kevlar-nanowire hybrid collects energy from gentle friction.

BASF Makes Bold Carbon Claim

Chemical maker says its products save more greenhouse gases than they generate.

New Role For Transferrin

Blood protein forms fibers, releases rust.

Government Chemical Testing

NIH and EPA collaborate on chemical testing program.

February 15, 2008

Combinatorial Crystals

Novel metal-organic framework compounds store, selectively trap CO₂.

Soda Ash Is Hot

FMC to restart idle capacity as foreign firms buy into U.S. business.

Dust Is Likely Cause Of Deadly Blast

Accident at Georgia sugar refinery raises issue of national dust safety standard.

February 14, 2008

Scholarly Publishing

Measure will establish a repository of journal articles by Harvard's faculty.

February 13, 2008

FMC Defends Carbofuran

EPA wants to ban controversial pesticide, but manufacturer says agency ignores science.

Ciba Replots Its Strategy For R&D

Swiss specialty chemical maker to create six global research centers.

February 12, 2008

Bayer Unit Medrad Buys Possis Medical

Combined company will serve the cardiovascular intervention field.

Schwartz Leaves NIEHS

Director, target of management and ethics probes, goes to National Jewish Medical & Research Center.

Explosion Kills Six In Georgia

Combustible dust likely caused deadly sugar refinery blast.

February 11, 2008

National Academy of Engineering Elects New Members

U.S. membership rises to 2,227.

Tail-Pipe Cleanup

Sensing technology is key to reducing pollutants from cars, study shows.

Reaction Control

Selective bond breaking achieved with methane on a surface.

Banks Set Guides For Power Plants

To chemical industry's detriment, new rules for lending favor gas-based electricity.

February 8, 2008

Mercury Regulation Overturned

Federal court rules Bush Administration's cap-and-trade approach for power plants is unlawful.

Amgen, Takeda Ink Big Licensing Deal

$1 billion pact gives Takeda dibs on 13 molecules in Japan.

Venture Capital

BASF backs $100 million Japanese investment fund.

Patchy Increases For R&D

Proposed research funding is way up for some agencies, down for others.

February 7, 2008

How An Anti-HIV Drug Sidesteps Resistance

Inhibitor modifies its shape to accommodate changes in enzyme conformation.

Administration Hits Patent Reform Bill

White House opposes effort to limit damages in patent infringement cases.

GE Acquires Filtration Firm

Deal for U.K.-based Whatman will boost GE's life sciences business.

February 6, 2008

Cellular Crowding Improves Efficiency In Protein Factories

Inert polymer mimicking cellular conditions reduces premature side products in enterobactin synthesis.

Nobelist Joshua Lederberg Dies At 82

Adviser to nine U.S. presidents blazed new trails in molecular biology.

Clean Catalysis

Environmentally friendly synthesis of niacin generates less inorganic waste.

Partners Debut Method For Purifying Glycerin

Technique is expected to open markets for biodiesel by-product.

February 4, 2008

Chemtura Fluorochemicals Sold To DuPont

Transaction is the latest in a series of divestitures for specialty chemicals maker.

Inadvertent Contamination

Flame retardants are seeping from research bases into Antarctica's pristine environment.

Quinine Quest

Final disputed steps of the antimalarial alkaloid's first total synthesis confirmed.

Chemical Earnings Yet to Slip

Foreign sales are bailing out ebbing U.S. growth.

Tempered Optimism

Firms at Informex trade show tout targeted investments in a competitive arena.

February 1, 2008

California Compiles Options For Greener Chemicals

Report calls collecting and disseminating toxicity data, labeling products essential

ACS Enhances Its Toxicology Journal

Chemical Research in Toxicology now carries news and a more international flavor.

Bisphenol A Safety

Research results may call into question conclusions of a federal report.

Wyeth Cutbacks

Firm plans to trim up to 10% of its workforce, in line with the trend for big pharma.

President Urges Research Funding

Bush backs physical sciences, clean energy, and free trade.