» April Latest News

April 29, 2005

Titan's Chemistry

Upper atmosphere of Saturn's giant moon is awash with complex hydrocarbons.

April 28, 2005

Waste Put To Work

Microbial fuel cell cleans water and makes hydrogen to boot.

Climate Change Program Fails To Report

Administration program misses assessment deadline, fails to address climate-change impacts.

Shire To Acquire Transkaryotic Therapies

Investor group opposes $1.6 billion deal. [April 28, 2005]

Study Sees Mixed Impact From REACH

Industry-commissioned report finds some cost estimates were too high.

April 27, 2005

No Vote For U.S. In Chemicals Treaty

First meeting under persistent organic pollutant pact takes place without U.S. as a treaty partner.

April 26, 2005

House Passes Energy Bill

Legislation includes controversial provisions similar to last year's bill; Senate action expected in May.

Apollo To Create Specialties Giant

Private investment firm to combine recent acquisitions and launch them on the stock market.

April 25, 2005

PubChem Concern

NIH database of chemical literature worries ACS because of overlap with its CAS Registry.

Inside Droplets

New microfluidics device can create double emulsions in a single step.

Suspended Animation

Hydrogen sulfide gas can put mice in a reversible state where cellular activity slows to a near standstill.

Patent Dispute

Supreme Court will decide when drug firms can use each other's tools despite patents.

Terror Treaty

United Nations approves counterterrorism treaty for nuclear materials.

April 22, 2005

Prion Diseases

Researchers claim they have found proof that prions cause brain diseases.

Rail Rulings

Judge upholds ban on hazardous rail shipments through Washington, D.C., but decision might not hold on appeal.

Mideast Chemicals

Ethylene cracker projects move forward in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

April 21, 2005

Berkeley Lab Contract Awarded To UC

University of California will continue to manage Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Go-Ahead For Pharmaceutical Rice

Compromise to allow planting with 120-mile buffer from food-grade rice.

Koppers' Buy Adds To Specialties

New products, including ammonium sulfate fertilizer, add to capabilities.

April 20, 2005

Space Station's Political Woes

Iran Nonproliferation Act will limit NASA's ability to man station unless changes are made.

April 19, 2005

European Journal Celebrated

Symposium marks 10th anniversary of Chemistry – A European Journal.

Solutia Grants Reprieve To Pharma Services Unit

Bankrupt company opts not to sell fine chemicals business.

April 18, 2005

Tetracycline Synthesis

Researchers have found a practical route to a series of analogs.

Tracking Chromate

Method examines the interactions of chromate ions with functionalized mineral surfaces.

Dynamite Sensor

Fluorescence sensor for explosives is 30 times more sensitive than its predecessors.

Pharmaceutical Help

Industry, nonprofit groups launch initiatives to bring low-cost medicines to the poor.

April 15, 2005

China Environment

Villagers in rural China protest pollution from chemical industry facilities.

Export Controls

To prevent diversion, the U.S. will require export licenses for dual-use chemicals and biologics.

April 14, 2005

Light Puts Flies Through Hoop

Technique can be used to determine which neurons control particular behaviors.

Managers Named For Propylene Pipeline

Industry optimistic on project's prospects, despite European Commission review.

Byrd Amendment Retaliation

Canada, EU to hit U.S. with trade sanctions over antidumping fees.

Bakelite Purchase Gets Nod, With Conditions

EC sees product line overlap with Borden Chemical, Resolution.

April 13, 2005

Petrochemical Gathering

Despite an upbeat atmosphere, the annual NPRA conference still focused on long-term concerns.

April 12, 2005

Potash Projects Proliferate

Agrium, Mosaic, and Potash Corp. are adding capacity after getting a tax break.

Pesticide Study Axed

EPA kills controversial research project on children's exposure to chemicals.

April 11, 2005

Hot Electron Flow

Nanoscale device measures a continuous flow of energetic electrons generated by catalytic surface reactions.

Yucca Data

Government scientists allegedly falsified data to support nuclear waste repository.

Crystal Gazing

Technique uses polymer libraries to find polymorphs of drugs and other compounds.

NIH Unrest

New ethics rules prompt one NIH director to leave and delay hiring of another.

Chemical Regulation

Europe's REACH proposal moves forward as amendments are considered.

April 8, 2005

New EU Research Framework Program

Themes will include biotechnology, energy, and nanoscience.

Common Herbicide Kills Tadpoles

Biologist finds that low doses of Roundup are lethal to some amphibian species.

Pfizer Expects A Profit Decline

Drugmaker announces cost-cutting plan, withdrawal of Bextra.

Flu Shot

Sanofi Pasteur, HHS have $97 million pact to speed U.S. production of influenza vaccines.

April 7, 2005

China Has Deadly Chlorine Accident

Spill following truck collision results in 29 deaths.

Microbes A Source Of Neurotoxin

Most cyanobacteria produce neurotoxic amino acid, raising environmental exposure questions.

Solvay Plans Bicarb Facility

Planned production for eastern Germany site follows acquisition in the U.S.

Intelligence Report Urges Scientific Input

U.S. intelligence community needs the expertise of bioscientists in planning against terrorist attacks.

April 6, 2005

Senators Receive ACS Public Service Awards

Durbin and Domenici are recognized for science advocacy.

Nano Dictionary

Scientists hope that a standard system for naming nanomaterials will put everyone on the same page.

April 5, 2005

DuPont Adds New Fiber To Diet

Company supplements portfolio with investment in high-strength fibers firm.

Environment Agencies' Funding Procedures Criticized

Better policies to avoid conflicts urged when government accepts industry R&D funds.

April 4, 2005

Photosynthesis Illuminated

Two-dimensional spectroscopic method reveals details about energy-transport pathways in photosynthesis.

Fixing DNA

Structure of DNA repair enzyme reveals how it finds and fixes damaged bases only.

Rhodia Drama

Charges of financial misdeeds hit beleaguered French firm.

Removing Arsenic

Powdered root of water hyacinth can reduce arsenic in drinking water.

April 1, 2005

Watching Biowatch

EPA inspector general says agency is poor manager of bioterror warning system.

Earth Endangered

UN millenium report says global ecosystems are degraded, threatened by human activity.

Enzyme Fight

Amylase for producing ethanol is subject of Novozymes’ suit against Genencor.