» October Latest News

October 29, 2004

Prozac Paradox

Mouse studies offer insight into some children’s problems with certain antidepressants.

Mosaic Debuts

New fertilizer producer is the result of IMC Global-Cargill merger.

October 28, 2004

Cassini Flyby

Saturn-orbiting spacecraft skims past the giant moon Titan.

Earnings Rise

Third-quarter results are good; two firms emerge from losses in the same period last year.

Celanese Consolidates

Firm to exit acetate filament business and acquire acetyls maker Acetex.

October 27, 2004

New Route To 1-Octene

A highly selective tetramerization of ethylene uses chromium(III) catalyst to yield -olefin.

Hanford Cleanup Milestone Reached

DOE completes removal of irradiated nuclear fuel from site in Washington state.

October 26, 2004

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate

Vote by National Academies committee meets to develop guidelines for emerging and controversial field.

Russian Duma Approves Kyoto Protocol

Vote by Russian Parliament removes last obstacle to treaty's entry into force.

October 25, 2004

Remote Stereocontrol

Stereochemical information can be readily transmitted between two distant chiral centers.

Flashy Films

A camera flash welds polyaniline nanofibers into cross-linked film.

Chemical Weapons

Treaty change would let Libya convert a former mustard agent plant to drug production.

Failing Biodefense

Experts from industry, government, and academia view U.S. preparations as inadequate.

October 22, 2004

Superthin Films

Graphite films as thin as a single atom have been prepared and placed in experimental devices.

Dynamic Merger

Dynamic Synthesis and Novasep merger will create a new player in fine chemicals.

Gene Count

A reanalysis of the human genome sequence again pares down the human gene estimate.

COX-2 Trials

Following Vioxx withdrawal, Pfizer plans further study of its own COX-2 inhibitors, Celebrex and Bextra.

October 21, 2004

Rhodia, Blue Star Plan Silicone Alliance

Venture is latest silicone project set by multinationals in China.

Solvay Joins Fuel-Cell Fund

Firm hopes to use insights gained from participation in its own R&D.

DOE Opens Berkeley Lab To New Bidders

National lab faces first competitive bidding process in 60 years.

October 20, 2004

Environmental Progress

Workshop examines whether voluntary actions or mandatory regulations are best for clean environment.

October 19, 2004

Multifunctional Fabrics See The Light

New method of combining electronic materials could lead to novel computer interfaces.

Cytec's Diamonds In The Rough

CEO Lilley says purchase of UCB Surface Specialties sets stage for geographic expansion.

October 18, 2004

Institute of Medicine Elects New Members

Sixty-five individuals elected to IOM brings total membership to 1,416.

Tax Break

Corporate tax overhaul, originally meant to erase export tariffs, has big benefits for industry.

Controlling Gene Expression

Combinatorial strategy engineers hormone receptor proteins to respond to synthetic agents.

Transporter Structure

Researchers crack the structure of a microbial relative of human glutamate transporter.

Radioactive Waste

Congress allows the Energy Department to leave some nuclear waste in underground tanks.

October 15, 2004

Easy Mass Spec

Ionization method allows analysis at ambient conditions with no sample preparation.

Chemicals In Children

With industry support, EPA will study chemical exposure levels in small children.

Vulcan Exit

Vulcan Materials is leaving the chemicals business after its chemicals unit sale to OxyChem.

October 14, 2004

Scent Of Sweat

Sulfanyl alcohols are culprits in smelly armpits.

EU To Expand Online Emissions Registry

Environment minister lauds success of early effort.

Avecia Boosts Vaccines Research

Fine chemicals firm is one of three to win big U.S. contracts.

Louisiana Orders More Chemical Plant Monitoring

Governor hopes to bring Baton Rouge area into compliance with federal standards for ozone.

October 13, 2004

Chemical Execs Set New Agenda

Combined CEFIC, SCI meeting allows high-level discussion on issues facing industry.

October 12, 2004

DNA Lesion Triple Threat

A common type of DNA damage may lead to proteins lacking a single amino acid.

Pfizer Launches Generic Gabapentin

Move combats introduction of generic epilepsy drug by Alpharma.

Kyoto Protocol

New strategies are needed to encourage wider participation as climate threats loom large.

October 11, 2004

Nobelist Maurice Wilkins Dead At 87

Laureate shared prize for discovery of DNA's structure with Watson and Crick.

Early Peptides

Experiments suggest carbonyl sulfide helped link amino acids together on prebiotic Earth.

Economic Expectations

Business economists expect 4.3% real growth in 2004 U.S. gross domestic product.

Protecting Diversity

Report helps universities interpret legal rulings on minority student programs.

National Chemistry Week

"Health & Wellness" is the theme of this year's nationwide celebration.

October 8, 2004

Repsol, Borealis Reshape Portuguese Polyolefins

Repsol buys petrochemicals complex in Sines, Portugal, boosting its olefins and polyethylene capacities.

No Iraq Weapons

U.S. inspector found not even the capacity to produce weapons at time of 2003 invasion.

Mount St. Helens

Scientists monitor volcano for signs of impending eruption.

October 7, 2004

Winter Blues

Shortage of flu vaccine appears likely.

Space Shuttles Stay Grounded

String of hurricanes causes NASA to put hold on returning fleet to flight.

October 6, 2004

Nobel Prize In Chemistry: Marking Proteins For Disposal

Three are honored for determining how cells destroy unwanted proteins.

States Join Forces To Ensure Emissions Cut

Agencies are adopting identical rules in case EPA standards get delayed.

October 5, 2004

Probing Quark Interactions

Nobel Prize-winning work is important step on the road to a unified description of all the forces of nature.

X Marks The Spot

Rocket ship built in the U.S. wins $10 million Ansari X Prize for private space flight.

Janelia Farm

New research campus is recruiting chemists to determine how the healthy brain works and to develop new imaging tools.

Report Hits EPA Enforcement

Inspector General says agency is dropping litigation against coal-fired utilities.

October 4, 2004

Winning By A Nose

Laureates' research has demystified the sense of smell.

Biosensing Nanotube

In response to its environment, assembly changes color and kills bacteria.

Vioxx Withdrawal

Increased incidence of cardiovascular events compels Merck to drop lucrative pain reliever.

Nanoscale Electronics

Researchers fabricate and characterize new types of molecular devices.

Matching Scientists

Moscow conference aims to link former chemical weapons experts with Western companies.

October 1, 2004

Cytec To Buy UCB Surface Specialties

UCB will specialize in pharmaceuticals, Cytec will nearly double in size

Salvaging Genesis

NASA mission's solar wind collectors are contaminated but usable.

Russian Cabinet Approves Kyoto Protocol

Action moves climate-change treaty closer to going into effect.

Phthalates In Toys

European Union bans most phthalates from children’s toys.