» July Latest News

July 31, 2006

House Committee Passes Chemical Plant Security Bill

High-risk chemical plants would have to implement inherently safer technologies; states could set stricter standards.

Microbe Loves Acid

Hard-to-culture bug may play role in iron and sulfur cycling at hydrothermal vents.

Dubious Breast Implant Study

Doubts now surround study claiming to have found high levels of platinum in women with silicone breast.

Select Agents

University labs are found noncompliant with security rules for bioterror agents.

July 28, 2006

Chemical Emissions Are Down In North America

Industrial releases of chemicals in the U.S. and Canada are declining but still remain large.

Chemical Earnings Continue To Rise

Companies in many cases still struggle to overcome effects of higher costs.

Evidence Increases For Toxicity Of TCE

Degreasing agent may be linked to cancer, other health risks, NRC report says.

EPA Is Faulted On Regulation Of Air Toxics

Agency has not met requirements of Clean Air Act, GAO finds.

Hexacyclinol Debate Heats Up

Second of two total syntheses casts doubt on earlier structure, synthesis.

New Sunscreen

L'Oreal has won FDA approval for the first new organic sunscreen in the U.S. in 18 years.

July 27, 2006

Top Researcher-Educators Receive Presidential Award

White House honors early career scientists and engineers for research accomplishments and educational contributions.

Chemical Makers Plan Changes In Coatings Businesses

Rohm and Haas will divest auto coatings, while DuPont advances. restructuring

Unions Seek Standard For Diacetyl Exposure

Workplace limit is requested for microwave popcorn flavoring.

High-Throughput Screening At Multiple Concentrations

More efficient, automated protocol finds bioactive compounds that conventional methods miss.

July 26, 2006

Matsumoto Tenders Another Resignation

Former IUPAC vice president allegedly misused research funding.

Alchemy Takes On New Luster

Scholars strive to meld alchemy into the traditional scientific narrative.

Eastman Is Selling Batesville Plant

Buyer is a start-up looking to grow in the U.S. biofuels sector.

July 25, 2006

Protease Structure Reveals Surprises

Hepatitis C protease has dimer structure with composite active sites.

Challenges Surround Biomonitoring Studies

It is often difficult to determine what data mean for human health, report finds.

July 24, 2006

Targeted Hydrogenations

Gold catalyst selectively reduces nitro groups in multifunctional molecules.

Hydrogen Power

GE and BP team up on projects to produce H₂ from fossil fuels while sequestering CO₂.

July 21, 2006

A Boost For HIV Vaccine Research

Gates Foundation awards $287 million to global network of 165 researchers.

A Wafer Plant For Singapore

Project aims to meet growing demand from semiconductor firms.

ACS Elections

Four-way race for 2007 president-elect.

July 20, 2006

G8 Leaders Face Up To Nuclear Issues

Industrial world leaders address nonproliferation and rising energy concerns.

Bush Nixes Stem Cell Research Bill

Congress passes bill to expand federal stem cell policy; President quickly vetoes it.

Escher Goes Chemical

Micrometer-scale cuboctahedral structures could find use as building blocks or encapsulating agents.

Novartis Plans Vaccines Facility

Swiss company says U.S. plant will be first to use cell culture production for flu vaccine.

Recycling Of E-Waste Remains A Puzzle

Commerce study reaches no consensus on financing a national program.

July 19, 2006

Bush Vetoes Stem Cell Bill

Legislation to expand the federal stem cell research policy is rejected.

The Answer Is Clear

Growth factor receptor is found to keep the eye's cornea free of blood vessels.

Stem Cell Research Bill Clears Senate

Bill expands federally funded researchers' access to cell lines, sets up Bush veto.

Harvard Maps Out Future Of Science And Engineering

Committee invites comment on preliminary research and education recommendations.

July 18, 2006

Biofuels Can't Solve Energy Problem

Corn ethanol and soybean biodiesel yield energy dividend, but neither can replace much petroleum.

July 17, 2006

Chemical Plant Security

Fifteen senators ask that a committee-approved bill be reworked to include federal preemption.

Kemira Will Buy Cytec Water Treatment Business

Deal will double Kemira's water unit and add a polymer portfolio.

A Comet's Chemical Composition

Space-based IR telescope reveals assortment of substances in Tempel 1.

Vertellus Debuts

Arsenal Capital combines Reilly and Rutherford to form new specialties firm.

EPA's Dioxin Review Is Criticized

National Research Council report says agency may have overstated cancer risks.

July 14, 2006

Psilocybin Studies Turn A New Leaf

Scientists aim to set psychedelics research on a sound scientific footing.

Environment

China calls its chemical industry unsafe.

China Wins Chemistry Olympiad

Taiwan, South Korea, and the Russian Federation tie for second place.

Pharma Deal

German software mogul is leading the merger of two biopharma companies into one firm.

July 13, 2006

IUPAC Vice President Resigns

Kazuko Matsumoto would have become the organization's first female president in 2008.

Chemical Security Bill Clears House Panel

Legislation would create a risk-based system for regulating security at chemical facilities.

July 12, 2006

Silver Bromide Shines In Bacteria-Fighting Coating

Polymer-nanoparticle composite could ward off infections associated with implanted biomedical devices.

Marathon Oil Plans Ethanol Venture

Company is the first major U.S. oil refiner to announce construction of an ethanol plant.

July 11, 2006

Quadruplex Structure In Cell-Like Solution

New structure of human telomeric quadruplex has drug implications.

Dow, BASF Pursue Joint Ventures

Firms' projects aim to increase presence in regions where chemical production is growing fast.

July 10, 2006

Spontaneous Assembly Revealed

Study elucidates key steps in molecular nucleation and growth mechanism.

Big Deal Deadlines

Billions of dollars and assets change hands as deals close at end of second quarter.

Patterned Tapes Fold Into Devices

Planar fabrication methods can make 3-D structures with a variety of shapes.

July 7, 2006

Toward A Mimic Of Photosynthesis

Synthetic assembly harvests light in one form and transports ions in another.

Chemical Arms Rekindle Debate

Republicans say Iraqi shells justify 2003 invasion; Democrats argue otherwise.

Agri-Bunge To Supply Illinois Ethanol Plant

Agribusiness firms add ethanol capacity as demand soars for gasoline blending component.

July 6, 2006

House Moves On Physical Science Funding

House appropriations bill fully funds Administration's American Competitiveness Initiative.

Increase In CO₂ Threatens Oceans

Report warns that rapid changes in ocean acidity may dramatically alter marine ecology.

Novel Polymers Incorporate Drug

Monomer made from bone disease drug yields potentially therapeutic materials.

Battle Over Pliva Escalates

Pliva urges shareholders to wait while it sorts out bids from Actavis and Barr.

July 5, 2006

Screen Uncovers Malaria Drug

Existing antihistamine astemizole has antimalarial properties.

Diagnostics Unit Changes Hands

Bayer agrees to sell diagnostics operations to Siemens as part of pharmaceuticals restructuring.

July 3, 2006

Chemical Security Plan Unveiled

Federal government issues national infrastructure protection strategy to guard against terrorism.

Evolving Access

Publishers experiment with immediate open access to articles if author pays.

Pliva's Saga Takes Another Turn

Barr offers $2.2 billion for Croatian generics maker; Actavis ups the ante.

Mimicking Enzyme Oxidation

Dimanganese catalyst targets specific C-H bonds using molecular recognition.

Swift Changes Follow Engelhard Takeover

CEO Barry W. Perry has resigned, among other changes.