The Chemical Breakdown

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

Mariana Kneppers, Neil Withers and Phillip Broadwith discuss molecular glues and efforts to target cancer-related proteins previously considered difficult to drug. They also explore how analysis of fibres and dyes helps researchers investigate and conserve the Bayeux Tapestry.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

The Chemistry World team examines research on CAR-T immunotherapy for bladder tumours, including results in mice and the challenges of treating solid cancers. A second discussion considers how incorrectly assigned spectral features may have affected interpretations of defects in carbon materials.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Mariana Kneppers, Mason Wakley and Jamie Durrani discuss changes affecting UK science policy and investigate the chemistry of deteriorating concrete in Ireland. The materials discussion examines the roles of mica, iron-sulfide minerals, oxidation and subsequent chemical reactions in structural damage.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Mariana Kneppers, Frankie Macpherson and Phillip Broadwith discuss allegations about manipulated antibody-validation images in Thermo Fisher Scientific's catalogue and the questions they raise for research integrity. They also examine the technical and commercial difficulties facing chemical recycling of plastics.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Mariana Kneppers, Mason Wakley and Jamie Durrani revisit the Seveso chemical disaster and its lasting health and regulatory consequences. They also discuss membrane materials designed to separate hydrocarbons with less energy than conventional refinery processes, connecting materials research to industrial efficiency.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Phillip Broadwith and Frances Briggs examine disruptions to chemical supply chains associated with the Strait of Hormuz, including feedstocks and materials beyond fuel. The episode also discusses conservation and chemical-safety concerns around historic Antarctic expedition laboratories where ageing picric acid may remain. These stories are presented in their original July 2026 context.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Neil Withers and Rebecca Trager discuss concerns about US research funding and the molecular basis of wool’s useful properties. The episode connects the chemical structure of the fibre with its flame resistance, elasticity and moisture absorption, and considers why these properties matter for textile choices and sustainability.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

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

Mariana Kneppers, Patrick Walter and Frankie Macpherson discuss a new molecular-simulation result combining quantum computing with conventional computational methods. They also investigate how an everyday laboratory item can contaminate microplastics measurements, illustrating the importance of tracing unexpected results back to experimental materials.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Mariana Kneppers, Patrick Walter and Neil Withers compare competing cathode materials for electric-vehicle batteries and the tradeoffs among cost, safety and performance. They also discuss a photocatalyst that uses spent car-battery acid to help convert plastic waste into useful chemicals.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

This episode examines vanadium compounds as potential medicines and the obstacles separating promising studies from practical treatments. It then turns to the environmental footprint of research laboratories, considering changes in water use, plastics, energy, solvents and other materials. The discussion connects medicinal chemistry with practical questions about making laboratory work more sustainable.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

The discussion questions when laboratory equipment can be treated as chemically inert. A mechanochemical experiment in which steel milling balls shed reactive particles illustrates how vessels and instruments can alter results, motivating closer attention to material compatibility. A second segment considers a chemical explanation for the historical mystery of the abandoned Mary Celeste.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

This episode examines water’s unusual physical properties and research testing whether liquid water can be understood through two distinct structural states. It also explores efforts to identify research misconduct, including image manipulation and fabricated publications, and the tools and post-publication review practices used by independent investigators.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

The discussion explores why an atom has no sharply defined boundary and why atomic radius depends on the physical setting and measurement convention. A second segment examines synthetic food dyes, differences between US and UK products, and the scientific evidence relevant to proposed restrictions and public-health claims about colour additives.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Rebecca Trager and Mason Wakley discuss themes from the AAAS annual meeting and developments in plasma chemistry. The episode places the scientific-policy discussions in their contemporary context and examines how plasma, the ionized state of matter, is being used to extend chemical research and applications.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Mariana Kneppers, Mason Wakley and Neil Withers discuss two questions about genetic information. They examine AlphaGenome, a machine learning model designed to predict molecular effects of DNA variants across long sequences, and consider its potential use in genetics research. The episode then turns to the RNA world hypothesis: the proposal that RNA-based systems preceded DNA genomes and cells during the early history of life. The discussion links contemporary tools for studying the genome with chemical questions about life's beginnings.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

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