Serving the chemical, life sciences, and laboratory worlds
VOLUME 92, NUMBER 33 AUGUST 18, 2014
COVER STORY
RUNNING THE BASES QUOTE OF THE WEEK “We’d love to find chemicals that say, ‘I’m a female bear looking for some action.’ ”
NEWS OF THE WEEK 4
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GOVERNMENT & POLICY
MANNKIND SAVED BY THE BELL
Sanofi teams up with struggling firm to market Afrezza, an inhaled insulin for diabetes.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
DISARMING ALLERGENIC CASHEWS
Mild reducing agents to disrupt culprit proteins may provide a strategy, researchers say. FRACKING CHEMICALS EVALUATION
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Study finds that few of the 90 commonly used compounds are known to be toxic to people. 7
MITIGATING SEWER CORROSION
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Switching water treatment chemicals to avoid sulfides should ease concrete pipe erosion. 8
HOW BIOBASED FIRMS DEFINE SUCCESS
Six firms report being in the red in second quarter; commercial scale-up is critical indicator. 9
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NEW HOPE FOR HONEYBEES
Compounds isolated from bee-killing bacteria point to molecular targets for combating disease.
UNLEASHING VENOM ON CANCER
Nanoparticles can be used to carry venom toxin to cancer cells while avoiding healthy cells.
CLEANER SYNTHETIC LEATHER
Water-based process by Bayer eliminates organic solvent in polyurethane leather production.
ADHESIVES INSPIRED BY NATURE
Synthetic version of sandcastle worm glue could aid safety of delicate prenatal surgeries. 9
CONCENTRATES FROM THE SCENES CHEMDRAW APPROACHES 30 ▶
Creators of the program to draw chemical structures reflect on its origins and legacy.
HIDDEN DATA ON TRICLOSAN
Experts say safety data on antibacterial toothpaste were ignored, hidden by FDA. 8
CONCENTRATES U.S. CALLS FOR BETTER RAIL TANK CARS
After derailments, government moves to tighten regulations for crude oil, ethanol fuel shipments.
PROBING CYANOBACTERIA
Insights about redox reactions in the microbes could boost sustained biofuel production. 6
CHINA BUYS BACK
After largely exporting them for years, Chinese firms import active pharmaceutical ingredients.
FORMALDEHYDE INDICTED AGAIN
The chemical is a known human carcinogen, National Research Council report says. 5
PLAN B FOR ALGAE
Synthetic Genomics Inc. looks to first harness algae for nutritional supplements, not fuels.
CHEMISTRY BY THE BAY
San Francisco played host to chemical scientists who attended the fall ACS national meeting.
ASHLI BROWN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY PAGE 23
Technology firms race in expanding markets with faster, cheaper DNA sequencing. PAGE 11
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FOLDING A “MIRROR IMAGE” PROTEIN
Natural chaperone protein GroEL/ES can fold both left- and right-handed proteins.
BUSINESS 16
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THE DEPARTMENTS
CONCENTRATES
COVER: Pacific Biosciences’ RS II systems are assembled in Menlo Park, Calif. Pacific Biosciences
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LETTERS MEETINGS OBITUARIES
CENEAR 92 (33) 1–40 • ISSN 0 00 9-2347
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CLASSIFIEDS NEWSCRIPTS
