C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News)

Jennifer Doudna’s journey from student to scientist and mentor The 2026 Priestley Medalist and Nobel laureate struggled with finding her way through school before achieving the greatest feats in science

Jennifer Doudna’s journey from student to scientist and mentor: Ahead of her 2026 Priestley Medal address, she talks C&EN through her story and why her focus is now on the next generation of scientists in her lab.

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Glass data storage solution could last millennia. Microsoft researchers write stable data into borosilicate glass with lasers. by Ananya Palivela. A rectangular piece of translucent blue glass has several vertical sections of varying blue shades.

In a new study, scientists at Microsoft Research have shown that they can write information into a lump of borosilicate glass. Their calculations suggest the data trapped inside would be stable for at least 10,000 years. cen.acs.org/materials/el...

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Hear insights from: • Dr. Mohamed Ateia Ibrahim, Environmental Consultant and Scientist, AECOM • Ann Lee-Jeffs, Founder and President, Sustainability Women in the World (SW2) • Dr. Juliana Vidal, Senior Program Manager, Beyond Benign • Dr. Adelina Voutchkova‑Kostal, Director of Sustainable Development, American Chemical Society Periodic Talks Theater, Expo Hall Monday, March 23 | 1:30–3:20 PM EDT

What steps do we need to take to design out pollution for a more sustainable future? Join C&EN at #ACSSpring2026 for a panel exploring chemistry's role in mitigating pollution and waste across a product’s lifecycle. connect.discoveracs.org/cen-future-o...

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Comment: The ACS Strategic Plan in action Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN): Keeping you up to date with the chemistry news that matters most. Published by the American Chemical Society.

In December 2024, the American Chemical Society Board of Directors approved the 2025–29 ACS Strategic Plan to guide the organization over the next 5 years. This strategic plan is intended to be a living document that upholds the needs and priorities of the society.

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Eli Sloutskin and Alexander Butenko watched this droplet transform as they lowered and then raised its temperature. Their work could be useful in manufacturing micro- and nanoparticles and creating new metamaterials. cen.acs.org/physical-che...

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Quiz: C&EN’s periodic table challenge Can you remember all 118 elements in the periodic table without looking at the answers?

Can you remember all 118 elements in the periodic table? Compete to be the best and show off your rankings with our new leaderboard! cen.acs.org/education/sc...

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Join us for the Chem Social March 22, 2026 3:00 PM-5:00 PM Der Biergarten 300 Marietta St NW Atlanta, GA 30313

Join C&EN and ACS on Campus for the #ChemSocial at #ACSSpring2026. Whether you are a first‑time attendee or returning to the meeting, this event offers an opportunity to meet peers, play trivia, and build connections across the chemistry community.

RSVP here: cvent.me/WaxYbE?RefId...

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Comment: Highlighting interdivisional collaboration for the next 150 years Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN): Keeping you up to date with the chemistry news that matters most. Published by the American Chemical Society.

"Over the years, as chemistry expanded, so, too, did the divisions, growing from five to 32 vibrant communities that now span polymer science, analytical chemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, business management, and beyond."
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Humanoid robots and lab machines attract researchers at SLAS The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening convention was all about bots and AI agents

Tobor, in its gray outfit, had been showing off its nimble limbic moves, as if dancing. It quickly became the buzz at the 2026 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) International Conference and Exhibition, held in Boston Feb. 7–11.

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MAHA’s next target: Metals in vaccine ingredients Officials are going after metal-containing ingredients, including aluminum adjuvants. Here’s why vaccines need them

As part of a broader play against vaccines, the Make America Healthy Again movement has seized on concerns over common vaccine ingredients.

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Engineered molecule stashes enough sunlight to boil water months later DNA-inspired pyrimidone sets capacity record for storing solar thermal energy in bonds

A new water-soluble pyrimidone absorbs ultraviolet light and stores energy in its chemical bonds. Adding acid to the solution triggers the molecule to rapidly release enough heat to begin boiling the water.

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Replacements for CFCs spread PFAS across the globe A third of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) pollution is linked to CFC replacement chemicals, study finds

Replacements for CFCs have their own drawbacks: they’re greenhouse gases and break down into short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the atmosphere that spread to every corner of the world.

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‘Everyone’s favorite hexagon’: Benzene at 200 The history of ‘everyone’s favorite hexagon’ illustrates the resonance of basic science and how discoveries build over time

Benzene at 200: From oil by-product to aromatic icon

The history of ‘everyone’s favorite hexagon’ illustrates the resonance of basic science and how discoveries build over time.

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Chemists create mosaic of AI synthesis knowledge Large language models recommend organic reaction procedures

It’s a common enough scenario in many synthesis labs: you know what starting material you have, and you know what product you need but not quite what reaction conditions will get you there.

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Head-to-tail macrocycle synthesis Multifunctional catalyst stereoselectively ties up loose ends

Helma Wennemers and her team at @ethz.ch have developed a bifunctional peptide catalyst which neatly and stereoselectively produces 12-to-18-membered rings from long linear molecules under mild and scalable conditions.

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Feb. 27 Policy Watch: EPA sued over latest dicamba approval In other developments, the EPA adds another PFAS to its Toxics Release Inventory program and the Interior Department proposes seabed mining rules

Feb. 27 Policy Watch: EPA sued over latest dicamba approval

In other developments, the EPA adds another PFAS to its Toxics Release Inventory program and the Interior Department proposes seabed mining rules.

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The chemical industry promises another year of cutbacks Firms cut costs in 2025, but after dismal earnings reports, more of the same is in store

In an environment rife with uncertainty, overcapacity, and sluggish markets, chemical company results plunged in 2025. But as executives disclosed financial results for the year, they argued that their efforts to control their own destinies at least blunted the blows from a hostile market. #chemsky🧪

Can recycled lab gloves capture carbon dioxide? Chemists upcycle nitrile rubber into carbon-sequestering polyamines

As you may have heard we've got both a climate crisis and a plastic waste crisis on our hands. My latest news story for @cenmag.bsky.social is about researchers trying to tackle both problems at once by upcycling nitrile rubber gloves to capture carbon dioxide:
cen.acs.org/environment/...

Can recycled lab gloves capture carbon dioxide? Chemists upcycle nitrile rubber into carbon-sequestering polyamines. by Brianna Barbu. A man tossing a blue medical glove into the trash, seen from the trash bin’s perspective.

Aarhus University chemist Troels Skrydstrup and his team recently debuted their efforts to turn nitrile rubber, of the kind used in laboratory and medical gloves, into polyamine membranes that sequester carbon dioxide. cen.acs.org/environment/...

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Covalent organic frameworks electrify carbon capture Embedding quinones in COFs could lead to ‘plug and play’ CO₂ capture from industrial exhaust

Researchers have developed an electrically driven system for carbon capture using covalent organic frameworks. cen.acs.org/materials/co...

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Direct-to-consumer gut-microbiome companies cannot provide consistent results Even though the same sample was sent to seven companies, they all returned different findings

US companies providing gut-microbiome home-testing kits can give consumers very different results. That’s the finding of researchers from the University of Maryland and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. cen.acs.org/biological-c...

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This biomaterial becomes stronger when wet. Nickel-linked chitosan forms a biodegradable plastic replacement. by Ananya Palivela. Water is poured from a small glass beaker into a translucent green cup sitting next to a small square clock.

This single-use cup made with nickel-treated chitosan is completely biodegradable and can be used as a replacement for plastic: cen.acs.org/materials/bi...

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You can also stop by the C&EN booth to engage with our reporters or take part in our periodic table challenge.

Learn more and RSVP here: connect.discoveracs.org/cen-acs-spri...

ACS Spring 2026 Events - Convening the ideas and leaders shaping chemistry's future.

C&EN is bringing a series of events to #ACSSpring2026. Join us for the Chem Social and Trivia Challenge, Future of Chemistry: Designing Out Pollution, the Priestley Medalist Meet and Greet with Jennifer Doudna, and more. connect.discoveracs.org/cen-acs-spri...

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C&EN Magazine: Jennifer Doudna’s journey from student to scientist and mentor

This week in the C&EN magazine: Jennifer Doudna’s journey from student to scientist and mentor + Antiviral nasal sprays + What science should learn from the Epstein files, and more: cen.acs.org/magazine/104...

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Japanese chemical firms pivot from China to India Opportunities in semiconductors and other industries drive the shift

Japanese chemical companies are slowing investment in China and picking up the pace in India. The shift represents an acknowledgment of new possibilities in the world’s most populous country.
cen.acs.org/business/spe...

The party is over for North American petrochemical makers The large advantage companies have enjoyed for more than a decade will narrow in the coming years

After a boom in the 2010s, the North American petrochemical industry finds itself in a long downturn, and its feedstock advantage over the rest of the world is narrowing. cen.acs.org/business/pet...

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Novo Nordisk taps start-up for new oral weight-loss drugs Vivtex will use its delivery technology to make better oral peptide drugs

Fresh off the launch of its semaglutide pill, Novo Nordisk has entered a partnership with a start-up that aims to increase the bioavailability of oral peptides. cen.acs.org/pharmaceutic... #chemsky

Naica’s crystal cave captivates chemists Giant gypsum crystals reveal their secrets

For millennia, conditions within the Cave of Crystals (290 m underground) were perfect for the growth of gypsum crystals, allowing them to grow to their massive size. cen.acs.org/physical-che...

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Turning Europe’s crisis into an opportunity. As its competitors flounder, the Portuguese chlor-alkali producer Bondalti is on a spending spree. by Alex Scott. An aerial photo shows a large area of chemical plants with many buildings, bordered by a road and surrounded by forest.

Bondalti Chemicals has bet its future on sustainability and a major acquisition. The Portuguese firm could become the Iberian region’s biggest chlorine supplier. cen.acs.org/business/ino...

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