Microbes for a healthier life
The author of this book, James Kinross, is a reader in colorectal surgery and consultant surgeon working at St. Mary’s Hospital campus of Imperial College London. His prime clinical focus is on minimally invasive colorectal cancer surgery, an interest that led his group to investigate the involvement of the gut microbiome.
Stars in their eyes
We are all starborn in the fundamental sense that all our atoms heavier than hydrogen were produced in stars that exploded many billions of years ago and scattered their ashes, thereby seeding new stellar systems and planets like ours.
Researchers have created a new two-dimensional Bose glass
UK researchers have produced a novel two-dimensional Bose glass, a phase of matter where all particles remain fixed in place, enabling intricate patterns to be preserved. It could help advance quantum computing by allowing quantum information to be stored for far longer.
Lean R&D benefits
Manufacturing processes focused on maximising value while minimising waste are the key to maintaining business competitiveness. Modern Lean Manufacturing focuses on streamlining production processes, reducing waste, time, and labour, and ensuring consistent quality in a repeatable environment. It emphasises standardised workflows, just-in-time production and minimising variability in output.
New research centre to scrutinise biotechnological pesticides for crop protection
A new research centre is set to scrutinise biotechnological pesticides for crop protection, a new category of biologicals in which Europe is falling behind.
Fluorine sweetens diagnostics to reduce false positives
Artificial sugars have been created that could lead to better diagnostics and new therapeutics. An international collaboration substituted fluorine atoms for hydroxyl groups in a type of cell surface carbohydrate (glycans).
Green hydrogen plant would be largest in Europe
Plans have been submitted by Statera Energy for a £600m 500MW hydrogen facility close to the river Don in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK. The Kintore Hydrogen facility would come onstream in 2028 but would be capable of being scaled up to 3GW by 2030.
Pharmaceuticals, biotechnology among top university spin-out winners
Investment in UK university spin-out companies is showing signs of recovery in 2024, according to a new report. Investment was £2.73bn in 2021 and £2.38bn in 2022, but it had slipped to £1.75bn in 2023.
Business digest
The latest business digest for C&I Issue 10 2024 with all the latest mergers and acquisitions in the chemical industry.
Microcins: Small antimicrobial proteins that could tackle big diseases
An antimicrobial that hits cholera bacteria has been discovered by researchers in Texas, US. Called a microcin, this is a type of small antimicrobial protein – less than 10kDa – secreted by Gram-negative bacteria. Only a handful have been described, almost all from gut bacteria.