Chemistry lessons for AI
AI is proving its worth in the chemistry lab, but to get real value from the technology, chemists also need to teach AI some of the rules of chemistry – and apply rigorous standards to make these approaches more trustworthy and reliable, Maria Burke reports
New approaches tackle antibiotics
This summer the national funding agency UKRI announced it will invest almost £5m in eight new networks to tackle the problem of increasing resistance to antibiotics. They will include specialists in agriculture, food, the environment, human and animal medicine, policy and behavioural studies, engineering and social science.
Boom in UK biotech investment
Investment in the UK’s life sciences and biotech sector enjoyed its best H1 in 2024 since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA). At £1.89bn, the H1 investment total also exceeded the total raised in the whole of 2023, 1.8bn.
New wood for carbon capture
A new type of wood has been uncovered that could be especially efficient at carbon storage. The wood was found in tulip trees (Liriodendron), fast-growing trees that are popular in large gardens and parks for their distinctive flowers.
Genomics project to spur new drugs
A £28m UK programme seeks to advance understanding of how genomic variations influence human physiology – and how it changes over time and in disease.
Demand for helium to double
Helium is a finite resource that plays a critical role across several industries including medical imaging, thermal management systems for batteries, aerospace engineering, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, semiconductor manufacturing and fibre optics. Helium’s high thermal conductivity, chemical inertness and cryogenic properties uniquely lend themselves to applications with limited or no available alternatives in some cases.
Second skin
Skin is the human body’s largest organ – one that researchers have been trying to mimic for decades. Now, with the creation of electronic or e-skin, they have taken this idea one step further, Lou Reade reports
Diversity sparks creativity
Diversity and inclusion are important for any business. Increasingly, employers are recognising that recruiting a workforce from different cultures and backgrounds is not only progressive, but also makes good business sense.
Advanced materials
Read the latest Advanced Materials highlights in C&I Magazine Issue 9 2024 written by Arno Kraft, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.