Science

A micrograph of a cross-section of a tree branch showing the cell wall and other materials

Making materials from biomass

By ,

Biomass is regularly used as fuel, but have we been overlooking this sustainable resource as a source of chemical building blocks?

Everyday science

An illustration showing a large dog's head sniffing out a man infected with coronavirus amid a crowd of socially distanced figures

Will doggy detectors sniff out Covid-19?

2020-06-23T08:22:00+01:00

How canines might help to find asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases of the coronavirus

An illustration showing the trading of hand sanitiser on the black market in coronavirus times

How the unscrupulous turn a profit from virus fears

2020-04-02T09:00:00+01:00

Why alcohol-based sanitiser found its way onto the black market and into stockpiles – and how it works against viruses

An image showing a policeman checking the methane content of a sheep's breath using a breathalyser

Can seaweed-eating sheep curb methane emissions?

2020-02-07T10:31:00+00:00

Seaweed may not be the silver bullet to farming’s methane problem

An illustration showing a cowboy-style man prepared to tackle a difficult toilet

Poo sticks … and how to stop it

2019-12-26T09:50:00+00:00

How science is saving water and time spent cleaning the loo

Scientists in their element

A photograph showing Tom Welton

‘I went on my first antiracism march when I was 14’

2020-10-08T09:00:00+01:00By

Meet Tom Welton, RSC president, ionic liquid guru and vocal advocate for inclusion and diversity in the chemical sciences

Marta Melchiorre at her desk in front of a computer at The National Gallery

‘To work with paintings is my dream job’

2020-07-21T13:03:00+01:00By

Meet Marta Melchiorre, a scientist who supports the conservation of paintings at the National Gallery in London

Features

A photo of food and plastic packaging on a table

Packaging promise

2020-09-14T10:44:00+01:00By ,

From polymers to nanoparticles, the new technologies helping to reduce food and wrapper waste

An image showing bottles of hand sanitising gel

Lending a hand with sanitiser

2020-08-17T10:31:00+01:00By

When one of the key weapons in the fight against Covid-19 was in short supply, some unlikely manufacturers stepped in

An image showing dripping paint

How chemists are stopping paint drip

2020-07-20T09:04:00+01:00By

Analytical chemistry is playing an important role in discovering why some 20th century paintings have started to liquefy

A aerial view of a construction site

Concrete solutions to sustainable materials

2020-07-06T10:32:00+01:00By ,

Enhance your teaching of materials and explore how new types of concrete could reduce carbon emissions

An image showing UV light sterilization of face mask to disinfect and reuse

Can UV light help tackle the coronavirus?

2020-06-15T09:17:00+01:00By ,

Engage students with some highly topical cross-curricular science

An image showing a collection of characters in the context of a world pandemic

Epidemiology: Calling the disease detectives

2020-06-08T09:44:00+01:00By ,

What is an epidemiologist? Inspire students with this fascinating insight into the world of some of the most powerful scientific detectives