Chemistry Research Resources

For fifty thousand years, humans have grappled the big questions – why are we here? What is the meaning of life? Scientists have sought out the evidence. This is the story of the remarkable breakthroughs that have revealed how the chemistry that shaped our planet gave rise to all life on earth.

Michael and James explore how the chemicals in our food feed and build our bodies. The world is full of different cuisines and thousands of different meals. Yet when they’re reduced to their essence, there are actually just a handful of ingredients that our bodies absolutely need from our food to survive. These essential molecules come in a series of familiar sounding groups – carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals – but Michael and James discover plenty of surprises as they seek to understand exactly why each class of molecule is so important for the way our bodies work.

Wind turbine blades are huge, strong and hard to recycle. As the world's use of wind energy grows, researchers are searching for better ways to make use of old, decommissioned wind turbine bladed. Researchers in Denmark are using Chemistry to find ways to break down the tough epoxy plastic that make up the blades, and recover useful materials for producing future wind turbines.

Ahrens, A., Bonde, A., Sun, H. et al. Catalytic disconnection of C–O bonds in epoxy resins and composites. Nature 617, 730–737 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05944-6

The life of Marie Curie, a formidable scientist.

Rutherford is famous for discovering the nucleus, but before that he discovered alpha and beta radiation, that elements can decay into other elements, the half-life of an element, and more.

The discovery of the DNA structure was one of the most important scientific achievements in human history. The now-famous double helix model is almost synonymous with Watson and Crick, Nobel Prize winners for figuring it out. But there's another name you may not know; Rosalind Franklin.

Adah Almutairi, is a specialist in bioresponsive materials and leads an interdisciplinary research team at UC San Diego. In her research work, she applies cutting-edge macromolecular engineering techniques and nanotechnology to innovate the visualisation of molecular processes in living organisms and to improve drug delivery and biopharmaceutics. Her group’s most recent discovery is a novel mechanism which uses light to activate drug-delivering nanoparticles and other targeted therapeutic substances inside the body.

In the early 20th century, the average American medicine cabinet was a would-be poisoner's treasure chest. The pace of industrial innovation increased, but the scientific knowledge to detect and prevent crimes committed with everyday materials lagged behind until 1918. New York City's first scientifically trained medical examiner, Charles Norris, and his chief toxicologist, Alexander Gettler, turned forensic chemistry into a formidable science and set the standards for the rest of the country.

Small bites of Chemistry through the ages. Fun, colorful, and inspiring anecdotes to remind you why we want to study Chemistry at all!