Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 11. Pride comes before a fall
Both the UK and the US greet M&B 693 or sulfapyridine with much enthusiasm. In the war years, this message about the sulfas is a much-needed piece of good news. Project ‘100 years of antibiotics’ Episode 9. In the crossfire Episode 10. International recognition Episode 11. Pride comes before a fall Episode 12. Lessons learned
Chemistry vs. bacteria, episode 6. Gerhard Domagk and Prontosil, the first sulfa drug
The success of Salvarsan leads Paul Ehrlich to believe that he will quickly be able to eliminate many other pathogens. In 1914, he addresses the 7th International Medical Congress in London. In paraphrase he says: ‘All countries in the world are represented here, witnessing that all borders between nations have been eliminated in scientific cooperation.’
Antibiotics resistance, and how to overcome it
All over the world, antibiotics resistance increases. Overdose prescriptions are an important cause. And also the natural phenomenon of increasing resistance as the same medicine is being used for years at a stretch. The problem is severe in humane antibiotics use. And even worse in livestock antibiotics use. Lux Research has investigated the alternatives. And
The solutions are here!
The solutions are here!, talking about major global problems. Solutions that exist already but are not generally applied. Or that are under severe and undeserved attack and therefore receive insufficient support. We have in mind: renewable energy and energy storage, food for 10 billion people, cleaning up all plastic waste and preventing new waste to
Battery recycling: we need to step it up
Battery recycling is an area long neglected by battery producers. Performance and cost were much more important. So now we are stuck with a rapidly growing heap of worn-out batteries of which we don’t know how to treat it. Or even how to retrieve the valuable materials this heap contains. We need to step up
Traditional Chinese medicine as a source of innovation
Chemical and Engineering News recently ran an article that sheds light on the importance of traditional Chinese medicine for modern scientific development. Traditional treatments inspire the discovery of insecticides and antimalarial drugs. Useful symbiotic microorganisms The herb Stemona sessilifolia has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as an insecticide for hundreds of years. It moreover
Resolve-project develops bio-based alternatives for hazardous solvents
During a workshop at the latest European Forum on Industrial Biotechnology (EFIB) in Brussels, the BBI JU funded ReSolve-project introduced a number of newly developed, less hazardous, viable bio-based renewable solvents. These new solvent molecules proved to have better performance than their fossil counterparts. ReSolve also developed innovative methodology to assess the chemical, physical, safety
Naturally! Of course. How nature never stops surprising us
When talking of technology, many people nowadays have ICT in mind. But then they neglect the major steps forward taken by the life sciences: all chemical and biological knowledge of living organisms. We keep discovering new phenomena. Naturally! Of course. Nature will surprise us again and again. This is a preview of the book Naturally!
