Next week, negotiators will try to finalise the details of a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution. But disagreements about reducing plastic production and limiting the use of particular chemicals in plastics manufacture could have a major influence on the treaty's success.

From 1 June 2025, it will be illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use vapes. In our latest explainer @adamcvean.bsky.social tells you everything you need to know about exactly what this means and why it is happening: www.chemistryworld.com/news/explain... @chemistryworld.com

While machine learning algorithms have wowed with how they help figure out protein folding problems, most proteins function by switching between conformations and engineering ‘de novo’ proteins that do this has proved a lot more tricky... www.chemistryworld.com/news/designe...

I'm very pleased to see this collection live – links to individual stories to follow below...

What is a molecular machine? A new @iupac.org project aims to define the key terms used in molecular machines. 📖 Please read the following two @chemistryworld.com articles published by @rsc.org and take part in two polls 👍 📧[email protected] 🌐 iupac.org/what-is-a-mo...

Epi editors change the activity of individual genes without altering genetic code, and could help treat many diseases. To learn more, I spoke with scientists from four companies at the cutting edge of this entirely new type of medicine 🧪 #chemsky www.chemistryworld.com/news/epigene...

Alphafold is running out of data. So a consortium of leading pharmaceutical companies announced plans today to make their own AlphaFold-3-inspired AI model using thousands of protein structures currently secreted away in company vaults. by Ewen Callaway | @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Official US shortages of semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) have now ended, but the first generics are gearing up for launch in 2026 in some markets. So companies are looking for the next generation of drugs. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/weig...

Want to start a career in science journalism? Take a look at our internship opportunity - we're a friendly and supportive team, and many of our former interns are now freelancers who I still work with regularly!

I did this internship back in (thinks for a bit...) 2016 and it's such a wonderful experience. Apply if you're eligible! cc @absw.bsky.social

Want to get into science journalism, or know some who does? Our two-month, paid internship is now open for applications - come and work with us #ChemSky 🧪 careers-rsc.icims.com/jobs/3588/sc...

Absolute unit

Several European governments have proposed cuts to their research budgets recently, leaving observers worried that short-term funding decisions will cause long-term damage to the sector www.chemistryworld.com/news/protest...

As well as a "folding code", do proteins come with a second sequence code that is basically an address for a biomolecular condensate? A fascinating idea from Rick Young at the Whitehead Institute and colleagues. www.chemistryworld.com/news/hidden-...

I have run out of patience with the apparent silence of most US science institutions (and not just US) in the face of Trump & Musk's rampage. There are of so many facets of that, but in this column for @chemistryworld.com I talk about the assaults on inclusion. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/scie...

With UKRI's announcement that it's increasing PhD stipends by 8%, I've updated my chart of stipends v minimum/living wage since 1999. From next October, PhD students will take home around £100 a year more than someone working 37.5 hours a week on the living wage.

Come work with us! Great job as a science media producer @chemistryworld.bsky.social. Good pay and benefits and you can work from Cambridge or remotely and work with a very talented group of science communicators. #scicomm #scijobs #chemsky careers-rsc.icims.com/jobs/3607/sc...

Today is my last working day of 2024! So here's a thread with highlights of the articles I've published this year – which also marked @chemistryworld.bsky.social's 20th anniversary! Let's start in January, with this feature on editing the backbones of polymers www.chemistryworld.com/features/edi...

Last day in the office, so it's time to look back at 2024's highlights. Back in April, I reported on how the fascinating Davy Notebooks Project was offering new – and not all nice – insights into one of chemistry’s most well-known historic figures. #ChemSky 🧪 www.chemistryworld.com/news/davy-no...

Delegates from over 170 countries failed to reach a binding agreement after a week of discussions in Busan, South Korea. www.chemistryworld.com/news/plastic...

Negotiations for a global plastics treaty enter a crucial phase on Monday. I wrote about the issues that have dogged the process so far, and what's at stake next week: www.chemistryworld.com/news/after-y...

It is with deep sadness and regret that I have started yet another social media account.