Category Archives: Chemistry

How’s your hay fever this summer? Phil Robinson looks at the role of histamine in the immune system and allergies in this week’s Chemistry in its element podcast – and it’s not to be sniffed at!

                  

Source:
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In the July podcast, we can’t stop asking questions: how do buckyballs grow? What should Olympic athletes eat and drink to improve their performance? Just what IS the structure of CuF? And how much gold is in them thar medals anyway? Will you listen in?

                  

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Inorganic chemists and long time readers of Andrea Sella’s Classic kit column (older editions here) will no doubt be familiar with a piece of lab equipment known as Perkin’s triangle. As Andrea revealed in his original article, it was not in fact Perkin who invented the apparatus, but a colleague named Leonard Temple Thorne. How the device came to bear Perkin’s name rather than Thorne’s is not entirely clear – presumably Perkin took versions of it with him and spread the idea around as he moved between laboratories after gaining his doctorate, and either claimed credit or at least didn’t protest too hard when colleagues referred to the apparatus as the ‘Perkin’ triangle. That said, Andrea’s searchings for references to Perkin actually using the device failed to show up much.

One thing we can now be absolutely sure of is that he did definitely use the kit – as attested in this account, discovered by Andrea in his rummaging through the classic literature:

I particularly like the references to a ‘stiff’ bunsen flame (I wonder when this terminology fell from favour), and the idea of having a stock of seed crystals and nuclei in your beard to induce recalcitrant materials to form beautiful needles or prisms – perhaps the decrease in chemist–beard quotient is why we still see crystallisation as a bit of a black art…

Phillip Broadwith

                  

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This year’s Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year Award has been given to Paul Workman ‘for his work as a scientific pioneer and serial entrepreneur whose numerous commercialised discoveries and academic research led to his founding two successful chemical companies: Piramed Pharma and Chroma Therapeutics‘.

The award is an international accolade that recognises an individual’s contribution to the commercialisation of research. Awarded annually, the winner is featured in Chemistry World and receives £4000 and a trophy.

Workman is a chemical biologist and molecular pharmacologist at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) where he is currently deputy chief executive and director of the ICR’s Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit in Sutton, UK. He has been responsible for a large number of new cancer drugs and his unit at ICR has discovered 16 preclinical development candidates over the last six years.

Upon hearing of the award, Workman spoke of the importance of creating a great team and of his motivation to work in drug discovery: ‘Successful drug discovery is incredibly complex and requires not just scientific expertise but also great people. It has been a real privilege for me to build a high-performing, multidisciplinary team and to collaborate with some fantastic colleagues. Also, because we want to bring effective new drugs

— Paul Workman

to patients as fast possible, it’s been important for us to build a network of commercial collaborations. But the main motivation for me is that the drugs we discover through our science have a real impact on the lives of cancer patients.’

Karl Coleman of Durham Graphene Science and Hagan Bayley of Oxford Nanopore Technologies are previous winners of the award. A feature length article on Workman will be published  in the September issue of Chemistry World.

Bibiana Campos Seijo

                  

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CHICAGO -- The White Sox knew they had a tough fight with Jake Peavy in the American League portion of the 2012 Final Vote competition. It was difficult only because Texas' Yu Darvish, the eventual winner, also was on the ballot and not because Peavy didn't deserve it.

So, in this uphill battle, the White Sox had some creative fun with the TakeJake campaign. The video that stands out a little bit brighter among all of the high-quality productions was second baseman Gordon Beckham's impersonation of Peavy during a mock interview. Beckham had the mannerisms and buzz words down perfectly, in a concept developed by first baseman Paul Konerko.

It was also great entertainment for the entire team.

"Everybody thought it was funny," Beckham said. "The thing about it is that's a caricature of him. It's like when those people draw those little pictures of somebody and they blow it up out of proportion. We were trying to mess around and come up with the ultimate Jake Peavy.

"I can't believe it all came in one take and it just happened to work out. I think he thought it was hilarious and that's the most important thing. In no way, shape or form were we trying to make fun of him. I always do a good impression of Jake, so Paul decided he wanted me to do this. We thought it could help out."

This video also illustrates the camaraderie running throughout this tight-knit clubhouse.

"If there's sensitivity issues there, that probably wouldn't have happened," Beckham said. "Jake knows we were joking.

"Everybody in here could have the same thing done to him. He took it all in stride. It was fun."

CHICAGO -- When White Sox left-hander Chris Sale presented his return to the rotation case to Ken Williams back in early May, he argued with the same fire and conviction that he takes into each start.

The White Sox general manager responded to the 23-year-old's confidence and bravado, and the team decided that Sale's bullpen hiatus would only last from May 4-12. Since that discussion about the southpaw's normal elbow pain, Sale has posted a 7-1 record and enters the All-Star break with a 10-2 mark, a 2.19 ERA, 98 strikeouts over 102 2/3 innings and a .198 opponents' average against.

Read the rest here:
TakeJake clips part of club's chemistry

NEW YORK, July 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Clinical Chemistry Market Report & Forecast (2012 2015): Global Analysishttp://www.reportlinker.com/p0923602/Clinical-Chemistry-Market-Report--Forecast-2012--2015-Global-Analysis.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Diagnostics

Clinical Chemistry Market Overview

Valued at more than US$ 9 Billion in 2011, Clinical Chemistry market is likely to grow moderately from 2012 to 2015. In Clinical Chemistry Tests segment: Toxicology, Hemoglobin and Cholesterol testing contributed more than 40% of market revenues in 2011, and in future also they are likely to dominate the market till 2015. Faecal Occult Blood testing market, Cardiac Enzyme testing market and Prothrombin Time/International Normalized Ratio (PT/INR) testing market all these three testing markets are expected to grow with double digit CAGR from 2012 1015.

In countries analysis segment, United States and Europe together holds more than 85% market share in 2011. But by 2015 China is expected to nearly double its market revenue from 2011; thus reducing the market share of Europe in worldwide Clinical Chemistry market by 2015. Brazil Clinical Chemistry market is bigger than India but it is expected to grow with a CAGR of single digit compared to double digit of India from 2012 2015. In the coming years, the Clinical Chemistry market will undertake important change. These changes will be caused by the convergence of new and more stringent regulations, advances in diagnostic technologies, automation, IT and intensifying competition.

Renub Research report entitled "Clinical Chemistry Market Report & Forecast (2012 2015): Global Analysis" provides a comprehensive assessment of the nine clinical chemistry tests market & reviews, analyses and projects clinical chemistry market for global and seven countries market. The report also provides market landscape and market share information in the clinical chemistry market. The report also entails major drivers and challenges of clinical chemistry market.

What We Have Achieved In This Report?

Clinical Chemistry Tests Covered: Blood Gas & Electrolyte Test, Cardiac Enzyme Test, Faecal Occult Blood Test, Drugs of Abuse Test, Toxicology Test, Urine Chemistry Test, Cholesterol Test, Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) Test, Prothrombin Time/International Normalized Ratio (PT/INR) Test

Countries Covered: United States, Europe, China, Brazil, India, Mexico, Taiwan

Key Topics Covered in the Report

Originally posted here:
Clinical Chemistry Market Report & Forecast (2012 - 2015): Global Analysis