The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element

Advances in CAR-T cancer therapy & carbon materials' hidden defects | The chemical breakdown podcast

This week, we discuss a study showing promise in applying CAR-T immunotherapy in bladder cancer tumours and breakdown how scientists have uncovered spectral signatures pr

UK science department abolished & Ireland's crumbling concrete | The chemical breakdown podcast

In this episode, we discuss the changes to science policy made by the new UK prime minister and breakdown the chemistry behind crumbling concrete in Ireland. On July 21

Thermo Fisher antibody data manipulation & the shrinking chemical recycling industry | The chemical breakdown podcast

In this episode, we breakdown the controversy behind a collection of altered images in the online catalogue of one of the largest laboratory suppliers, and discuss the co

50 years after Seveso & changing the way we separate hydrocarbons | The chemical breakdown podcast

In this episode, we reflect on the lessons learned and the impacts of the Seveso chemical disaster of 1976, and discuss the latest membrane materials that could slash the

An update on the Strait of Hormuz & potential explosives at an Antarctic base | The chemical breakdown podcast

In this episode, we bring the latest from the recent temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and discuss the presence of potential explosives at the historic Antarct

A warning for US science & wool's chemical versatility | The chemical breakdown podcast

This week, we discuss the latest challenges facing US science outlined by president of the US National Academy of Sciences Marcia McNutt in her outgoing address as well a

Click chemistry marks 25 years & covalent bonding in the actinides | The chemical breakdown podcast

This week, we look back at how far click chemistry has come in the last 25 years and discuss the strange bonding behaviour of some of the largest elements on the periodic

Quantum computing & a mysterious contaminant in microplastics research | The chemical breakdown podcast

This week, we discuss the latest milestone in quantum computational modelling and reveal the common laboratory item causing strange readings in microplastics research wit

Battery week 2026: The EV cathode race & battery-recycling | The chemical breakdown podcast

This week, we are celebrating Chemistry World's Battery Week with a special battery-themed episode! We discuss the race between cathode materials for electric vehicles an

Vanadium-based medicines & sustainable labs | The chemical breakdown podcast

This week, we discuss vanadium's potential in the medical field and the changes you can make in our lab to reduce your carbon footprint, with Jennifer Newton and Emma Pew

Inert materials & the Mary Celeste | The chemical breakdown podcast

This week, we discuss how to ensure experimental instruments are truly inert and chemistry's answer to the fate of the Mary Celeste, with Phillip Broadwith and Mason Wakl

The two states of water & science sleuths | The chemical breakdown podcast

This week, we discuss the peculiarities of water's behaviour and how science sleuths are fighting disinformation with Philip Robinson and Emma Pewsey. A recent study fr

Atomic radii & synthetic food dyes | The chemical breakdown podcast

This week, we discuss team discuss the boundaries of the atom and breakdown the US's plan to eliminate synthetic food dyes with Jennifer Newton and Phillip Broadwith. T

AAAS annual meeting & plasma chemistry | The chemical breakdown podcast

This week, we discuss reflections from this year's American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting and the latest advances in plasma chemistry w

AlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis | The chemical breakdown podcast

Welcome to our latest podcast series, The chemical breakdown. Each week, we dive deeper into two stories we've covered here at Chemistry World, providing insight into the

Batteries: The bedrock of the sustainable future

In this special podcast produced in partnership with Waters Corporation, find out how understanding the chemistry and materials that go into batteries marks the first ste

Cinnamaldehyde: Chemistry in its element

How did a tree bark from Sri Lanka become one of the essential flavours of the festive season? We explore the history of cinnamon and the compound that gives it its disti

Azidoazide azide: Chemistry in its element

A compound so explosively unstable that nobody has been able to measure how sensitive it is without it, well, exploding.

Ochre: Chemistry in its element

How one of mankind's oldest pigments helped shepherds secure their sheep and inspired one of the most popular songs of the twentieth century

Maltodextrin: Chemistry in its element

A sweet compound that provides ample energy for extreme endurance events – find out how maltodextrin helped Anna Ploszajski swim the English channel