Organic Chemistry podcasts

Nature’s science-prize roundup discusses the research recognised by the 2026 Nobel prizes: light-based control of neurons, detection of cosmic neutrinos and the emergence of handed organic molecules. A further segment examines what gut microbes can reveal about ancient human populations and journeys. Research highlights address young viewers of online sports videos and observations of black-hole jets. The episode connects neuroscience, particle physics and chemistry with evolutionary questions about the human microbiome.

The Chemical Breakdown team looks ahead to the 2026 Nobel prize in chemistry. Host Mariana Kneppers discusses possible research areas and laureates with Jamie Durrani and Neil Withers, with additional predictions from the Chemistry World team. Topics include skeletal editing, GLP-1 research and analytical techniques, alongside how previous prizes shape expectations. This is a predictions episode published before the prize announcement, rather than a report of confirmed winners.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Melissa and Jam answer questions about household natural gas, organic-chemistry careers, topical pain-relief gels and pharmaceutical crystal forms. The episode also revisits previous explanations and discusses chemistry education and the history of the field.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Melissa and Jam answer science questions drawn from Reddit, including why different metals produce different flame colors and why carbon has its own major branch of chemistry. The episode also considers the gap between discovering something that works and understanding its mechanism, with stories about laboratory mistakes.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Nature journalists discuss a chemical route that converts PVC waste into motor lubricant and engineered yeast that produces a potential cancer drug.

Nature staff discuss the discovery of a four-carbon sugar molecule in interstellar space and a newly decoded formula that identifies a Maya mathematician.

Melissa and Jam explain how hairspray combines a propellant, solvent and polymers to produce an aerosol that holds hair in place. The episode follows the formation of a fine mist, the behaviour of the polymer film and the formulation trade-offs involved, then compares hairspray with gels and mousses.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Melissa and Jam are joined by Nicki Stewart for the second part of their forensic-chemistry series. They discuss the material left behind in a fingerprint and compare physical and chemical approaches to revealing latent prints, including powder adhesion, iodine, ninhydrin and cyanoacrylate fuming. The episode explains why the choice of method depends on the surface and the chemical composition of the trace, and why preserving and interpreting real evidence is more complicated than television depictions suggest.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Mariana Kneppers, Mason Wakley and Frances Briggs reflect on 25 years of click chemistry and its spread into medicine and materials research. A second discussion examines covalent bonding in actinide elements and the experimental challenges of understanding how the heaviest atoms share electrons.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Melissa and Jam recount Stephanie Kwolek’s discovery of Kevlar and explain the polymer chemistry behind its strength. The discussion covers rigid aromatic structures, hydrogen bonding and the organization of polymer chains into strong fibres. It connects these molecular features with protective equipment and other applications.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Melissa and Jam explain the colour-changing wetness indicator in diapers. The episode connects absorbent polymers with acid–base chemistry, conjugated molecular structures and interactions with light, showing how a change in chemical conditions can produce a visible shift in colour.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Emma Pewsey and Phillip Broadwith discuss formulations intended to make butyllithium reagents easier to handle while retaining synthetic performance. A second story examines how analysis of limescale in Pompeii’s public baths can reveal aspects of water use and life in the ancient city.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Jennifer Newton and Jamie Durrani discuss the future of total synthesis and the development of halogen-bond catalysis. The episode examines how funding pressures and changing priorities affect a long-established synthetic discipline, then introduces the origins and possible applications of an emerging catalytic approach.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Steven Strogatz explores the origins of life with Jack Szostak and Betül Kaçar. Szostak considers how early-Earth chemistry, including cyanide-bearing environments, could give rise to precursors of RNA and DNA, and discusses competing settings for life’s beginnings. Kaçar explains how reconstructing ancient genes helps researchers investigate the evolution of essential biological processes. Together, the conversations examine what experiments can reveal about the earliest steps toward life and whether replaying evolutionary history would produce different outcomes.

Hosted by Steven Strogatz

Donna Blackmond discusses why biological molecules favour a single handedness and how that asymmetry might have emerged. The homochirality discussion begins at 6:18. The episode also covers antiparasitic medicines recognised by the 2015 medicine Nobel prize, blood-based estimates of time since death, Matt Gunther’s interview with chemistry laureate Tomas Lindahl about DNA repair, polymer additives designed to reduce aviation-fuel fires, and carbon quantum dots produced from urine.