Latest Chemical Stories
The river of gold inspiring a blueprint for continued innovationApril 17, 2018
The EU is to take action against Ireland as areas of the country have non-compliance in relation to the quality of sewer/wastewater discharges to water bodies and waterways, writes Patrick Moran
Yeast engineered to manufacture complex medicineApril 3, 2018
Bioengineers have figured out a way to make noscapine, a non-narcotic cough suppressant that occurs naturally in opium poppies, in brewer's yeast
A future colourfully lit by mystifying physics of paint-on semiconductorsMarch 20, 2018
It defies conventional wisdom; it's baffling that it even works; it eludes physics models. This newly tested class of light-emitting semiconductors is so easy to produce from solution that it could be painted onto surfaces to light up our future in myriad colours shining from affordable lasers, LEDs, and even window glass
Scientists create microscopic ‘swimmers’ controlled by a magnetic fieldMarch 20, 2018
Microscopic, magnetic 'swimmers' may someday be used to carry cargoes in fluids, such as drugs that need precise placement to treat disease.
Researchers confirm century-old speculation on chemistry of high-performance batteryMarch 6, 2018
The battery could quickly and efficiently store and distribute energy produced by solar panels and wind turbines across the electrical grid
Water filtration breakthrough using metal-organic frameworksMarch 6, 2018
Researchers discover efficient and sustainable way to filter salt and metal ions from water
Graphene on toast, anyone?February 20, 2018
The same scientists who introduced laser-induced graphene have enhanced their technique to produce what may become a new class of edible electronics
How a thermal resonator takes advantage of swings in temperature to produce electricityFebruary 20, 2018
Technology developed at MIT can harness temperature fluctuations of many kinds to produce electricity
Solution to long-standing chemistry riddle has implications for drug developmentFebruary 6, 2018
TCD scientists have solved a decades-old challenge by working out how to craft functional residues onto a molecular cube. Cubane now has a plethora of additional applications in the fields of drug development, materials science and molecular engineering
Novel methods of synthesising quantum dot materialsFebruary 6, 2018
Researchers are optimising nanostructures for energy devices such as solar cells
Energy-saving UCD technology breathes life into wastewater treatmentJanuary 23, 2018
Irish cleantech company OxyMem is commercialising membrane-aerated biofilm reactor technology, an innovative solution from UCD’s chemical engineers to reduce costs for wastewater treatment
Model for GS-CHO cell culture in perfusion bioreactor with spent media recirculationJanuary 23, 2018
Clare Horgan describes the modelling of a process to produce commercially valuable recombinant proteins, for use as biopharmaceuticals, from mammalian cell culture
Generic clean-in-place phase class for biopharma: the cure for chronic softwareJanuary 9, 2018
Engineers at Pfizer’s Grange Castle facility have applied generic phases through shorter and simpler code configuration, in addition to streamlined commissioning and better utilisation of process commissioning engineers, writes Conor Boyle
New tool assesses a largely ignored risk in the pharmaceutical industryJanuary 9, 2018
A new method to test for the likelihood of racemisation, the process that occurs when a drug turns into a potentially harmful version of itself on entering the body, has been developed by researchers
Major initiative launched to increase number of female engineers in pharmaDecember 21, 2017
The Irish affiliate of the US-headquartered International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering has launched its 'Women in Pharma' initiative, aimed at boosting the presence of women in the rapidly-expanding industry
Catalyst handling – mitigating hazards relating to inert entryDecember 5, 2017
Peter Marsh looks at catalyst handling and provides an overview of controls used to mitigate the life-threatening hazards associated with confined space entry into oxygen-deficient reactors during catalyst un/loading operations
Chemical engineers could strip wine of sulphites for just a few cent per bottleDecember 5, 2017
A research drive is working toward the design and marketing of a low-cost, easy-to-use device that would filter up to 99 per cent of sulphites from wine when it is poured from the bottle, without affecting the quality of the wine
Print your own irrigation system with 3D-printed biodegradable pipe platformNovember 21, 2017
Vincent Farrelly outlines how Aquaroot uses a biodegradable polymer that can be extruded through 3D printing, becoming a low-cost method to irrigate crops in a more economical and efficient way
Making it easier to recycle: emerging technologies to reduce plastic wasteNovember 21, 2017
New approaches could dramatically increase the amount of recyclable plastic, including the development of biorenewable components for thermosets, replacing hydrocarbon-based polymers with those from plant-based materials
Bioburden control and process closure in bulk biopharmaceuticalsNovember 7, 2017
C.J.A. Davis outlines the importance of process closure in biopharmaceutical production and how to undertake a risk assessment, process-closure analysis, to support both a process design and operational procedures