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Welcome to a new series of the Chemistry in its element podcasts, where we bring you the tales of discovery and experimentation behind our chemical compounds. And what better compound to start with than the one that brings us life: water
The genome of yet another plant that nobody’s ever heard of has just been published. But though the name of the plant – Theobroma cacao – might not be all that familiar to readers of this blog, most of us come across it on a fairly regular basis. Some of us might be enjoying it right this minute.
T. cacao, the cacao tree, is the source of the world’s chocolate. And now, thanks to scientists at the chocolate manufacturer Mars and their collaborators, the genome of the plant has been decoded and published online at Nature Precedings.
— CW this week
20 September 2010: Have something to say about an article you’ve read on Chemistry World this week? Leave your comments below…
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PHARMACEUTICAL
Forest settles marketing dispute
Forest Laboratories has agreed to pay $313 million (£200 million) to resolve the investigations into its marketing and selling of Levothroid (levothyroxine) and Celexa (citalopram).
Levothroid is a hormone replacement for the treatment of thyroid problems. In relation to the drug, Forest has agreed to plead guilty to charges of selling an unapproved new drug between 2001 and 2003. The company will also plead guilty to the off-label promotion of the antidepressant Celexa as a treatment for pediatric patients between 1998 and 2002 and to obstructing FDA inspectors during a November 2003 plant inspection. (more…)
— Crazy chemist
According to the Home Office, legal highs are all the fault of ‘crazy chemists’ who look like the guy in this picture and spend their days cooking up chemicals in their garden sheds to sell to unsuspecting clubbers. You can tell he’s a ‘crazy’ chemist because he’s not wearing a lab coat or safety specs – maybe that’s why he’s only got one good eye and no hair left…
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PHARMACEUTICAL
Genzyme sells testing services unit
US biotech Genzyme has agreed to sell its testing business Genzyme Genetics to LabCorp for a cool $925 million (£596 million).
Under the terms, LabCorp will get testing services, technology, intellectual property rights and nine testing laboratories. The company says it will keep the 1900 employees affected, including senior management, following closure of the deal, which is expected before the end of the year. (more…)
— 4_lr
In this week’s Chemistry in its element podcast, UCLA scientist and author Eric Scerri discusses lawrencium – an element that doesn’t seem to know its place in the periodic table.
This podcast is the last in this series of Chemistry in its element: we now have a complete periodic table of podcasts (until someone makes a new element of course!).
But if you are worried you’ll miss your weekly Chemistry World podcast fix don’t fear, we’re back next week with a whole new series looking into the exciting and complex world of chemical compounds.
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13 September 2010: Have something to say about an article you’ve read on Chemistry World this week? Leave your comments below…
— Ferran-Adria
According to a news story in The Guardian, chef Ferran Adrià, is to replace his Michelin three-star restaurant, El Bulli, with a research foundation – opening in 2014 – to turn cuisine into the subject of academic research.
Adrià, famous for eccentric and description-defying food, told undergraduates at Harvard University – where he was giving a lecture on the science of cooking – about his plans to carry out food related experiments in his research lab, and post one recipe a day on his blog, so that food lovers can try them instantly. (more…)
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REGULATION
Europe tightens animal testing laws
— Long tailed macaque
The European Parliament has approved a new animal welfare directive that bans the use of great apes like gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans in research. The new law also requires member states to enforce use of alternative methods that don’t involve animals wherever possible.
Certain primates, like macaques, will be allowed to be used for research into diseases like Alzheimer’s ‘if there is scientific evidence that the goal of the test cannot be achieved without using these species’.
The regulations also put in place requirements for government inspections of animal labs, including surprise checks. Member states have two years to transpose the rules into local law.
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