Special Reports 2005

December 19, 2005

Chemistry Highlights 2005

Key advances have been made this year in organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, nanotechnology, and other areas.

2005 Year In Review

Industry recovery continued in 2005, but it was hindered by high energy prices and disasters.

December 12, 2005

Chemistry At Play

ACS volunteers of all ages explore the "Joy of Toys" with glittering slime, bouncy balls, and other playthings during National Chemistry Week 2005.

Genomics And Clean Energy

Developing biotechnology area is attracting more than just biologists; there's a place for chemists, too.

December 5, 2005

Pharma Reformulates

Sales grew in the past year, but the pharmaceutical industry saw many major products come under fire and was challenged in moving new ones forward.

Long Live RIKEN

At 88, Japan's premier research institute thrives but struggles with global isolation.

November 28, 2005

Atomic Imaging Turns 50

Field ion microscopy, the oldest technique for 'viewing' individual atoms, continues to uncover materials secrets with exceptional resolution.

November 21, 2005

Crisis And Courage

C&EN reporters interview students, professors, and chemical company employees affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

CPhI Promises A High-Tech Comeback

Contract manufacturers emphasize the need for greater process efficiency via breakthrough chemistry.

Regulations

Europe Makes Manufacturing Compliance An Obligation.

Chemical Earnings Growth Slows

Hurricanes and high costs dampen third-quarter results for most U.S. firms.

Pfizer's Troubles Pull Down Drugmakers

Top U.S. company joins Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb in posting third-quarter sales declines.

Biotech Earnings Jump In Quarter

Genentech leads the biopharmaceutical sector to a strong third quarter.

November 14, 2005

Specialty Chemicals

Clean Chemistry

Approaches abound for replacing perchloroethylene in dry cleanings.

Fresh Faces

The often-fickle consumer drives the market for cosmetics preservatives.

Staying Flexible

Phthalate ester plasticizers hold their own despite intense scrutiny.

Phthalate Assessed

New report by safety panel reinforces conclusions from five years ago.

November 7, 2005

Employment Outlook

Little Change In Hiring For New Graduates

Many recruiters say efforts will resemble last year's depressed levels.

Salaries And Jobs

Chemists with jobs post solid pay gains, but prognosis for chemical job market remains murky.

Analyze This, Analyze That

Plant optimization, lucrative contract work, cell biology, and instrument sales lure analytical chemists.

Art And Science

Smithsonian Chemists Squeezed Out Of Analytical Jobs.

The Consulting Niche

Many are choosing risky but independent career path.

Technicians Craft A Promising Future

Versatile members of scientific teams, chemical technicians link concept and execution.

The Latest Technician Employment Numbers

According to the 2004-05 edition of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) "Occupational Outlook Handbook," science technicians held about 208,000 jobs in 2002.

Career Resources

Finding a job is hard work. Various print and online resources can help point job seekers in the right direction and offer valuable information on identifying and marketing your skills, preparing résumés, and going on interviews.

October 31, 2005

Materials For Space

NASA readies chemical and mechanical fixes in anticipation of inadvertent damage to the shuttle's thermal protection system.

R&D Spending

Scientists in academe enjoyed another good year in 2003.

Women Faculty Make Little Progress

C&EN's annual survey again shows women underrepresented in top chemistry departments.

October 24, 2005

Fighting Malaria

New antimalarial drugs are needed to ensure that effective and affordable treatments continue to be available and are not lost to parasite resistance.

Preventing Malaria

Vaccine development already has taken decades, but recent clinical results show hints of progress.

October 17, 2005

Elastomers Bounce Back

Commodity synthetic rubber makers have been stretching profits because of improved sales, but are now struggling with high raw material prices.

Stretchable Plastics Continue To Expand

Ease of use and better processing boost acceptance of thermoplastic elastomers.

October 10, 2005

Ralph J. Cicerone

New president of the National Academy of Sciences and chairman of the National Research Council speaks about his plans.

Working In Europe

At many companies, rungs on the corporate ladder are marked 'international experience'.

Olefin Metathesis Gets Nobel Nod

A Frenchman and two Americans are honored for a big-deal chemical reaction.

October 3, 2005

Gas Separation

Advanced membrane materials improve gas and vapor selectivity; offer environmental, energy, and cost benefits.

Employer Of The Year

Genencor's corporate values and good bene-fits make biotech firm a top place to work.

September 26, 2005

Pollution In China

Violent villager uprisings over industrial pollution force China to face its environmental problems.

Chemistry Degrees

ACS Committee on Professional Training summarizes information on 2003-04 degrees and institutions.

September 19, 2005

Growing Agchem R&D

Agrochemical researchers are maintaining their crop protection arsenals by using tools developed by the pharmaceutical industry

Spore Wars

Study tracks economic benefits of using fungicides to combat ubiquitous pests

Risking IP in China

International agrochemical companies boost their presence in China despite threat of piracy.

Drug Discovery

Job hunters can find pockets of opportunity at drug firms.

September 12, 2005

Spotlight On Polymers

Flat demand and high energy prices mark a setback versus a year ago, but producers believe a comeback looms.

Styrenics Maker Seeks Market Niche

ABS producers have taken hits from Asia and other polymers, but they still have a sizable business

September 5, 2005

Chiral Catalysis

Recent chiral chemistry advances underpin the growing importance of catalyst design to accomplish a range of asymmetric reactions.

Trial Separations

Supercritical fluid chromatography gains favor in preparative-scale separations of enantiomers.

Removing Impurities

Metal scavengers and immobilized catalysts may make for cleaner pharmaceutical products.

BLURRING BORDERS

Four-part supplement discusses some of the ways in which chemistry is crossing traditional disciplinary divides.

Interdisciplinary Idyll

Summer school in Greece brought together biology and chemistry grad students, postdocs, and faculty.

Teacher Training

Chemistry grad students and postdocs have multiple options for bettering their teaching skills.

Dual Degrees

M.D.-Ph.D. students face a long training period but transition easily into academic research positions.

Industry Collaboration

DuPont-Massachusetts Institute of Technology partnership offers plenty of opportunities for grad students.

August 29, 2005

INORGANIC NANOTUBES

Researchers see intriguing physical properties and a range of potential applications.

August 22, 2005

HYDROGEN STORAGE

Advanced materials and methods for producing and storing hydrogen are furthering the goal of replacing fossil fuels.

HYDROGEN POLICY

Steven G. Chalk and Joseph J. Romm face off on hydrogen's role in future energy security.

AGBIOTECH

Opportunities abound for chemists in this growing field.

August 15, 2005

BUSINESS CONSULTING

Scaled-down and more industry-savvy, consulting firms hope to reconnect with the chemical sector.

August 8, 2005

CARBOHYDRATE CHEMISTRY

Progress in arrays, functional analysis, and synthetic techniques addresses the challenges that carbohydrates pose.

August 1, 2005

SALARIES & EMPLOYMENT

ACS survey of members in U.S. workforce reveals mixed results: Median salaries went up 5%; unemployment went down but is still high.

July 25, 2005

MOLECULAR IMAGING

Firms integrate new imaging agents and technologies into their drug development efforts.

LEARNING CURVE

Educators hash out more effective ways to teach science.

July 18, 2005

GLOBAL TOP 50

Top three firms maintain positions as rising oil prices and globalization affect the world's chemical industry.

MARINE SCIENCES

Careers in marine natural products research and chemical oceanography beckon to organic and analytical chemists.

July 11, 2005

FACTS & FIGURES

Chemical industry data for 2004 show a significant turnaround for producers around the world, as production volumes increase.

July 4, 2005

FOOD ANALYSIS

Analytical instrumentation and assays ensure quality and safety in the food and dairy industry.

June 27, 2005

THINNING FLAT PANELS

Materials suppliers are thrilled by the flat-panel industry's growth, but are under pressure to trim back on costs.

GAS DELIVERY

Arguing Over The Safety Of Fluorine.

FORGING THE WAY TO HIGH-K DIELECTRICS

Numerous electronic chemical producers are ready to supply hafnium-based materials.

ANCILLARY CHEMISTRY

High-K Dielectrics Require New Etching Techniques

DATA STORAGE IN 3-D

Holographic data storage has made enormous technical advances, but still awaits a market.

June 20, 2005

Top Pharmaceuticals

Chemical & Engineering News looks at 46 drugs that have had a major impact on human health and society. To begin, Chemical Heritage Foundation historians trace the development of the pharmaceutical industry since 1870.

 

 

June 13, 2005

DENDRIMERS

Treelike molecules find applications in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and polymer science.

PUBCHEM QUARREL

ACS and NIH wrangle over scope of NIH's database, which ACS contends duplicates its CAS Registry.

TRAVELING LAB

In Texas, a mobile lab offers instruction and certifies water and wastewater treatment personnel.

June 6, 2005

BIOPHARMACEUTICALS

Biogeneric drug firms position themselves to take advantage of patent expirations for lucrative biologics, but obstacles abound.

May 30, 2005

HARNESSING MICROREACTIONS

Researchers find that processes run in microreactors open doors to more efficient and novel chemistry useful for fine chemicals and intermediates.

SPEEDING UP PROCESS DEVELOPMENT

Parallel experimentation tools help process chemists optimize manufacturing routes.

KNOW THY PROCESS

Regulatory push for process analytics sets new goals for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

May 23, 2005

PERSPECTIVE ON CHINA

Nation strives for world-class status in science and technology, but lack of democracy and environmental issues threaten this vision.

May 16, 2005

TOP 50 U.S. CHEMICAL PRODUCERS

Sales and operating profits rose dramatically in 2004 for most companies; Dow again leads the ranking.

OPEN-ACCESS PUBLISHING

Online publishers weigh risks and benefits and are deciding just how open the access should be.

E-MENTORING

Website helps women scientists create and maintain one-on-one support systems.

May 9, 2005

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Chemical producers weigh targeted system upgrades in a new, Internet-driven world of choices.

DRUG RESEARCHERS RELENT ON SOFTWARE

Data surge prompts pharmaceutical and biotech labs to invest in off-the-shelf IT.

May 2, 2005

NANOTECHNOLOGY

The future of nanotech-related firms is brighter than it has been in years past, but venture capitalists still wait for a return on their investments.

April 25, 2005

LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS

Producers and users hope that importing LNG leads to a future of price and supply stability and better profits.

DATA EXCHANGE

Drug modelers seek ways to share information but not structure.

PUBCHEM CONCERN

NIH database of chemical literature worries ACS because of overlap with its CAS Registry.

April 18, 2005

SPECIALTY CHEMICALS

Companies reassess their R&D operations and adopt new strategies for managing their specialty portfolios.

STARTING SALARY SURVEY

Job market shows some signs of an upturn, but median salaries remain depressed.

COMPUTER-AIDED DRUG DISCOVERY

CADD can be a niche for organic and medicinal chemists.

April 11, 2005

SUNSCREENS

Manufacturers are frustrated by FDA's slow turnaround times for product approvals and UV-A testing protocols.

April 4, 2005

PHARMA OUTSOURCING

A look at three pharmaceutical outsourcing relationships shows that change is a constant in the biotech industry.

NEW LIFE

An abandoned drug is revived by the big-company scientist who developed it.

VIRTUAL PLAY

Experienced hands start a new company to develop a promising compound.

SHIFTING FORTUNES

A service provider must adapt when a key customer is acquired.

March 28, 2005

Pittcon 2005 Takes Orlando By Storm

Meeting has lower attendance but an abundance of innovative instruments.

Inside Instrumentation

New And Notable At Pittcon 2005.

Taking The Analytical Lab On The Road

Advances in instruments and methods for on-site analysis lead to novel applications, faster results.

Go With The Flow

Key challenges remain in microfluidics research an development even as applications advance.

Taking Biomolecules For A Spin

Electron spin resonance answers questions that can't be answered with NMR or crystallography.

From Heyrovsky To Glucose Sensing

Waters Symposium honors 80-year history of electroanalytical instrumentation.

Probe The Interface

New tools for examining thin films and surfaces shed light on manufacturing procedures.

Award Presentations Hightlight Pittcon 2005

March 21, 2005

PETROCHEMICALS

North American producers bounce back from tough times, the Middle East commits to expanding its global role, and Asia becomes an attractive place to build.

March 14, 2005

2005 PRIESTLEY MEDALIST

Nobelist George A. Olah is celebrated for more than 50 years of accomplishments in chemistry.

PEPTIDE DRUGS

Peptides' activity and specificity are pluses, but high R&D costs and difficult scalability remain hurdles.

DIVERSITY

A number of research labs demonstrate the potential for a diverse global chemical community.

March 7, 2005

DRUG DELIVERY

Firms move away from traditional partnership models and aim to commercialize products themselves.

POINT-COUNTERPOINT - OPEN ACCESS

Richard J. Roberts and Peter Banks debate publishing policies for online scientific papers.

February 28, 2005

PHARMACEUTICAL BUSINESS

Big pharma reorganizes clinical trials with high-tech tools and streamlined business processes.

CHEMICAL EARNINGS

Chemical companies sampled by C&EN finish fifth straight quarter of above-40% earnings increases.

BIOPHYSICS HIGHLIGHTS

Annual meeting includes debut of structural techniques and discovery of reagents for glycobiology.

February 21, 2005

UNTANGLING ALZHEIMER'S

From over-the-counter pain relievers to green tea and curry, everyday products join the fight against this debilitating disease.

PROCESS ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Traditional analytical chemists in pharma are getting acquainted with new systems.

February 14, 2005

SYSTEMS BIOLOGY

Measurements and modeling inform the big-picture view of complex biological systems, aiding drug discovery and development.

February 7, 2005

CHEMICAL SPENDING

Firms are considering investments in capacity and equipment, as well as a boost to R&D budgets.

January 31, 2005

PHARMACEUTICALS

India is on the fast track to becoming a global player in the field.

CONGRESSIONAL OUTLOOK

New Congress will struggle with national security, energy policy, Social Security reforms, and record federal deficits.

January 24, 2005

SOAPS & DETERGENTS

Firms look for ways to enhance premium products and to adapt their cleaning chemistries to less expensive products sold in the developing world.

January 17, 2005

CUSTOM CHEMICALS

Recent painful adjustments have changed the way custom synthesis providers view the marketplace.

PHARMA PERKS

Top drug companies retain strong benefits despite rising health care costs.

January 10, 2005

WORLD CHEMICAL OUTLOOK

Global chemical industry continues the economic expansion started in 2004: The U.S., Canada, Asia, and Latin America see strong demand and increasing profits, but Europe's chemical industry lags behind.

January 3, 2005

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

ACS President William F. Carroll addresses the future of the chemistry enterprise.

This page updated January 24, 2006