Tom Westgate
The MoleWater for life
Tom Westgate investigates the chemistry and chemists helping more people to access clean water
The MoleRare earth elements
They sit at the bottom of the periodic table like they don’t belong, but these elements are vital ingredients in many gadgets and ‘green’ technologies. Tom Westgate finds out what makes them so versatile and valuable.
The MoleA day in the life of a trainee patent attorney: Jessica Kershaw
Jessica Kershaw has spent the past four months as a trainee patent attorney for Carpmaels & Ransford, London. She talks to Tom Westgate about her typical day
The MoleRecycling plastic bottles
Recycling plastic bottles prevents the plastic from going to landfill, saves energy and reduces our dependency on oil. But what do we have to do to put the bottle back on the supermarket shelf?
The MoleA day in the life of a committee specialist: Farrah Bhatti
Farrah Bhatti is a committee specialist on the House of Commons’ Energy and Climate Change select committee. She talks to Tom Westgate about her typical day
The MoleCitric acid
When you squeeze lemon juice over your pancakes this Shrove Tuesday, you will be using citric acid – 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid. This molecule has a host of applications, making it quite a magnificent molecule
FeatureDealing with nuclear waste
Nuclear power is a low-carbon technology, but it does come with a catch: it produces waste that emits harmful radiation for many thousands, even millions of years. UK chemists, however, are working to produce materials and technology to deal with this problem.
NewsA little selenium goes a long way
Despite being one of the rarest elements on Earth, selenium is an essential nutrient. But our diets contain less selenium now than ever before. Does this put our health at risk?