Chemical Society Reviews Blog

Twice as nice

16 Aug 2011

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed a subtle change to the Chem Soc Rev homepage. Can you spot it?

Well, Chem Soc Rev will be doubly good next year as we’ll be moving to 24 issues.

So if you are subscribed to our e-alert, you’ll get two notifications per month about the latest topical reviews we’ve published. And if you read the print issues, you’ll find it a bit easier on the biceps when lifting them – there shouldn’t be any with more than 1000 pages like issue 5 this year.

If you have any suggestions for the journal, such as review topics or themed issue ideas, we’d love to hear them. Please contact us or leave your comments below.

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Glycopeptide antibiotics – recent advances in synthesis

15 Aug 2011

By Joanne Thomson.

More than 50 years on from the discovery of vancomycin, there is still huge demand for novel glycopeptides antibiotics. Vancomycin’s clinical use was initially limited due to its side effects but the rise in the number of methicillin-resistant bacteria forced it back to the forefront of research. Now vancomycin-resistant bacteria are on the increase and so scientists have been trying to make new glycopeptides antibiotics in a variety of ways.

Graphical abstract: Recent advances in the synthesis of new glycopeptide antibiotics This fascinating topic is covered by Polly-Anna Ashford and Sean Bew, at the University of East Anglia, in their recent Chem Soc Rev tutorial review. Download it today to find out more about this intriguing class of compounds.

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70th Harden conference – Synthetic Biology

15 Jul 2011

By Emma Shiells, Development Editor.

70^th Harden Conference
Synthetic biology: design and engineering through understanding
Keele University, UK
22-26 August 2011

Application is still available!

Synthetic Biology is the design and construction of new biological systems not found in that configuration in nature. The overarching aims of Synthetic Biology are to develop a firm basis for the design and engineering of new biological and biologically inspired molecules and collections of molecules (so-called systems), and to put these to useful purposes. By applying engineering principles to biology, scientists hope to generate new molecular systems, and perhaps even new basic life forms, that are radically different from those that can be generated by more-traditional chemical synthesis and genetic engineering.

Despite much hype in the scientific and popular press, major obstacles towards these goals remain, however. The potential of Synthetic Biology will not be limited by the imagination of the researcher but rather by the suitability, quality, variability and compatibility of the ‘parts’ (genes, promoters, proteins and other biomolecular components) that they choose to engineer; the complex and often unwieldy circuitry of complex biological systems; the incompatibility of new parts with a new or existing biological contexts (so-called chassis); and the noise, variability and uncertainty, or emergent properties, inherent in biology. Furthermore, the problems are not only scientific but also sociological, ethical and cultural: just because we can do this type of biological engineering, should we open this particular Pandora’s box?

The 70^th Harden Conference will illustrate the potential of this emerging cross-disciplinary area; showcase current successes; and present the underpinning biology, engineering and systems understanding necessary to design synthetic biological systems reliably and predictably.

You may also be interested to know that conference organiser Dek Woolfson (The University of Bristol, UK) has guest edited a themed issue (alongisde Rein Ulijn, The University of Strathclyde, UK) on “Peptide- and protein-based materials” for ChemSocRev, in issue 9, 2010.

This is a nice themed issue that covers the design, synthesis, engineering, characterisation and functionalisation of materials composed of peptides or protein components. It features some top reviews from researchers including Molly Stevens, Alison Rodger, Jan van Hest, Bing Xu, Anthony Weiss, Joel Collier, Alexander Kros, both guest editors and more…

So, if you’re interested in peptides or proteins take a look at the peptide- and protein-based materials themed issue today!

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Another successful year for the general chemistry journals

30 Jun 2011

By Emma Shiells, Development Editor.

Another year, another impact factor and the RSC general chemistry journals, Chem Soc Rev and Chem Comm, are still going strong. The 2010 impact factors were announced by ISI (Thomson Reuters) this week, which showed Chem Soc Rev increase by a whopping 32% to 26.583, and ChemComm continuing to do well at 5.787.

The Cambridge Editorial Office would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and dedication to both journals over the years. In particular, we would like to thank all of our Associate Editors, Editorial and Advisory Board members, authors and referees, without whom none of this would have been possible.

With another successful year in the bag, I’m already looking forward to what the future brings…

If you are interested in how the RSC performed overall then please visit the RSC publishing blog post for the full round up.

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Converting carbon dioxide into useful chemicals

27 Jun 2011

By Joanne Thomson.

Recently I blogged about the importance of green chemistry in process research and development. But making the things we need in a greener way is only one step in our journey to a more sustainable lifestyle. Dealing with the waste we produce is also crucial.

Graphical abstract: Recent advances in catalytic hydrogenation of carbon dioxide In the latest issue of Chem Soc Rev (7), Jinlong Gong and colleagues explore how we can deal with carbon dioxide (CO₂) waste. As most of us know, CO₂ produced by burning fossil fuels is a major contributor to global warming. Unsurprisingly, working out how to reduce its level in the atmosphere is a major area of research. There are three possible strategies – reducing the amount we produce (i.e. burn less fossil fuel); capture and store the CO₂ we do produce; or use it.

CO₂ is an attractive building block for making organic chemicals and materials, says Gong, but currently its use is limited to a few industrial processes. It is thermodynamically stable so high energy substances or electroreductive processes are used to transform it into other chemicals.

The group discuss the steps scientists have taken to improve the hydrogenation of CO₂, which can produce useful chemicals such as methanol, ethers, and hydrocarbons. They cover catalyst design, reactor optimisation and reaction mechanisms as well as the challenges and opportunities for future research in the field.

Read the review and let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

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Beating cancer using nanogold

10 Jun 2011

By Joanne Thomson.

Graphical abstract: Beating cancer in multiple=

Gold – people lust after it, buy things with it and decorate objects and themselves with it. But what many people don’t know is that gold can also help to cure cancer.

Gold nanoparticles have a combination of properties, different from bulk gold, which enable them to act as potent, selective and multifunctional anti-cancer agents. They can be used in photothermal cancer therapy, drug delivery, gene therapy and cell cycle regulation.

In their Chem Soc Rev tutorial review, Mostafa El-Sayed and colleagues from Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA, discuss these anti-cancer applications as well as strategies for the synthesis/design of biomedical gold nanoparticle conjugates.

Also of interest:
Gold – Chemistry, materials and catalysis: A Chem Soc Rev themed issue
Gold 100 Article Collection: 100 articles freely available thanks to the generous sponsorship of the World Gold Council

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Wine – delicious and scientific

03 Jun 2011

By Joanne Thomson.

Last night I bumped into one of my Chem Soc Rev colleagues, Bryan (Publishing Editor), at a charity wine tasting event – not literally: I didn’t have that much wine.

It was a really enjoyable evening. Not only was there nice wine and nibbles, there were also quite a lot of science-y facts.

Some things I learned:

Wine has legs but they don’t necessarily indicate high alcohol content.
Wine changes colour as it ages due to oxidation. Both red and white wine eventually turn the colour of onion skin, according to the wine expert.
Terroir is the ‘sense of place’ the wine has, influenced by the geography, geology and climate of the place it was produced.
Wines with higher sugar and acidity content keep for longer.

If you like a drop yourself and fancy learning more about the science behind the wine, check out these articles:

Recent advances in the science of champagne bubbles
Gérard Liger-Belair, Guillaume Polidori and Philippe Jeandet, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2008, 37, 2490-2511

Wine flavor: chemistry in a glass
Pavla Polášková, Julian Herszage and Susan E. Ebeler, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2008, 37, 2478-2489

Discrimination of flavonoids and red wine varietals by arrays of differential peptidic sensors
Alona P. Umali, Sarah E. LeBoeuf, Robert W. Newberry, Siwon Kim, Lee Tran, Whitney A. Rome, Tian Tian, David Taing, Jane Hong, Melissa Kwan, Hildegarde Heymann and Eric V. Anslyn, Chem. Sci., 2011, 2, 439-445

The impact of flavonoids on memory: physiological and molecular considerations
Jeremy P. E. Spencer, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2009, 38, 1152-1161

Also of interest:
Chemistry and Biology of Winemaking: an RSC book ideal for anyone interested in the process of winemaking

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The importance of green chemistry in process research and development

23 May 2011

By Joanne Thomson.

Graphical abstract: The importance of Green Chemistry in Process Research and Development Concern for our planet and its well being is forcing chemists to think about greener, more sustainable processes to make the things we need and want, such as new technologies, fuels and drugs.

In the pharmaceutical industry, solvent selection plays a huge role in determining the ‘greenness’ of a process. In his Chem Soc Rev tutorial review, Peter Dunn (Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development) gives a basic guide to green chemistry, with information on solvents and solvent selection, basic environmental metrics collection and three industrial case histories.

Download the review today and prepare to be inspired.

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Chem Soc Rev award venues confirmed

18 May 2011

By Joanne Thomson.

The locations for the Chem Soc Rev Lecture Award and Emerging Investigator Award lectures have been confirmed as follows:

	Lecture Award: Professor Stephen Leone will present his Chem Soc Rev award lecture, entitled ‘Advanced light sources for analytical spectroscopy: From X-rays to attoseconds’ at the 13^th Conference on Instrumental Analysis, being held in Barcelona, Spain, 14-16 November 2011.
	Emerging Investigator Award: Professor Cristina Nevado will present her Chem Soc Rev award lecture at the 17th European Symposium on Organic Chemistry (ESOC 2011), being held in Hersonissos, Crete, Greece, 10-15 July 2011.

Let us know if you’ll be at either of these meetings – we’re sure they’ll be terrific!

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Chemical Society Reviews Blog

Twice as nice

Glycopeptide antibiotics – recent advances in synthesis

70th Harden conference – Synthetic Biology

Another successful year for the general chemistry journals

Converting carbon dioxide into useful chemicals

Beating cancer using nanogold

Wine – delicious and scientific

The importance of green chemistry in process research and development

Chem Soc Rev award venues confirmed

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