Topic: water use

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.

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.