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Elsevier and Pending.AI collaborate on AI-driven chemistry retrosynthesis tool – PRNewswire

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Danzig

NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Elsevier, a global research publishing and information analytics provider, is collaborating with Pending.AI(PAI), a start-up focused on developing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for drug discovery, to develop the predictive retrosynthesis tool based on deep learning to support innovation in synthetic and medicinal chemistry. The tool was initially developed via Elsevier's R&D Collaboration Network and is now being integrated into Elsevier's flagship chemistry solution, Reaxys, combining Reaxys' content with cutting-edge AI and machine learning technologies developed by PAI.

The Reaxys-PAI Predictive Retrosynthesis solution uses a model that incorporates deep neural networks trained on Reaxys data. The results are found using a Monte Carlo tree search approach to quickly discover promising candidate routes. Hundreds of thousands of reaction rules (>400,000) are algorithmically extracted from the Reaxys source data (>15 million single-step organic reactions), enabling it to be non-reliant on hand-encoded rules that are typically used in other solutions.

Prof. Dr. Mark Waller, Director at Pending.AI, said: "AI is becoming essential as scientific data grows in abundance. Our mission is to develop pragmatic solutions using AI and machine learning to empower scientists to advance drug discovery and development of other chemical compounds. We are proud to be working with Elsevier to meet this goal. The Reaxys-PAI Predictive Retrosynthesis tool will complement the knowledge of scientists and teams and help them to rapidly make more informed decisions."

The tool has been tested rigorously by the world's leading pharmaceutical and chemical companies and has been demonstrated to provide scientifically robust, diverse and innovative synthetic route suggestions. It is a valuable tool that is easy and intuitive to use and supports the needs of the business and researchers by being a very good assistant and idea generator. The predictive retrosynthesis solution has been trained on both positive and negative reaction data and solves synthesis design questionsfor novel molecules with direct links to experimental reactions available in the most trusted chemistry solution Reaxys. The predictive model training and creation is fast, allowing it to "self-learn" from the rapidly ever-growing chemistry knowledge. Reaxys-PAI Predictive Retrosynthesis can be further augmented by training on proprietary chemistry reaction data, including a customer's own reaction dataset and building block library.

"AI is set to revolutionize the domain of chemical design and synthesis of small molecules," said Dr. Ivan Krstic, Director Product Management, Life Science Solutions at Elsevier. "Over the past decade, the exponential growth in chemistry data; the ability to curate and harmonize data; coupled with advancements in computational and digital technologies such as deep learning has provided ideal grounds for addressing the problem of computer-aided synthesis design.

"We are very happy and honoured that this innovative work is enabled by a partnership between Elsevier and PAI to provide abest-in-class predictive retrosynthesissolution which combines high quality Reaxys reaction data with industry-leadingpredictive algorithms developed by PAI," added Ivan. "We have strong evidence that the addition of AI-based retrosynthesis to Reaxys can help drive innovation, save researchers considerable time and radically change how we approach chemical synthesis, but I also want to share with my fellow chemists our strong belief that AI won't replace chemists, instead it will support chemists and their decision making by paving the way in a more and more complex landscape of data."

This is a step in Elsevier Life Science's Chemistry solution strategy of building next-generation AI & machine learning enabled decision support tools that will help to bring drugs to market for patients most in need, help to find synthesis routes for novel chemical compounds that may be more environmentally friendly and help design scale-up processes which may be greener.

The Reaxys-PAI Predictive Retrosynthesis tool is now available as an add-on module for Reaxys customers. For more information, please visit the Reaxys homepage.

About Pending.AI (PAI)

Pending.AIis a start-up that develops scalable AI-based solutions which are trained on large-scale chemical and biological datasets. In addition to their work on designing and implementing data-driven retrosynthesis tools, PAI is also developing AI-based solutions for both ligand and structure-based drug-design. pending.ai

About Reaxys

Reaxys is a chemistry research and education database providing chemical substance, properties, reaction and medicinal chemistry information for both bench chemistry and machine learning methods used in drug discovery and chemical/pharmaceutical R&D. Reaxys provides the most comprehensive manually extracted and curated chemistry, medicinal chemistry and pharmacology data including 118 million organic, inorganic and organometallic compounds, 49 million chemical reactions, 500 million published experimental facts, 36 million bioactivities from 37 million documents including patents and journals.

About Elsevier

Elsevieris a global information analytics business that helps scientists and clinicians to find new answers, reshape human knowledge, and tackle the most urgent human crises. For 140 years, we have partnered with the research world to curate and verify scientific knowledge. Today, we're committed to bringing that rigor to a new generation of platforms. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and professional education; including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, 39,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professionals and business customers across industries. http://www.elsevier.com

Media contact David TuckerElsevier Communications, Europe+44 (0) 79 20 536 160[emailprotected]

SOURCE Elsevier

Clippers talent cant overcome their lack of chemistry – The Boston Globe

Posted on September 20, 2020 by Danzig

In the spotlight the most was coach Doc Rivers, who left Boston because he didnt want to endure another rebuilding plan and wanted the challenge of leading the Clippers to unprecedented prosperity.

Instead, the Clippers have blown two 3-1 playoff series leads during his tenure.

You could just see the difference in the two teams; theyve been together and we havent, Rivers said. "We didnt meet [expectations]. Thats the bottom line. Im the coach and Ill take any blame for it. If we had [met expectations] in my opinion, wed still be playing. And although our numbers said we were a good defensive team, I dont think we realized that part of our game at all.

It was hard to watch because Ive got a good group of guys, I really do. Obviously, I could have done something more. I always think its me, no matter what. Ill look at this and try to figure it out. But its very disappointing.

The Clippers admitted they were never as cohesive as the outside public perceived. Williams left the bubble to go to a funeral and then had to spend extra time quarantining after he was photographed attending a strip club. Harrell left the team for nearly a month to attend a funeral. Ivica Zubac and Landry Shamet contracted COVID-19.

George acknowledged he was dealing with depression because of being sequestered in the bubble. Honestly, the Clippers were a talented mess that was just hoping their prowess would be good enough to overcome their weaknesses.

We understood that this was going to take some time, Williams said. A lot of the issues that we ran into, talent bailed us out, chemistry didnt. In this series, it failed us. This is our first year together. Were a highly talented group and we came up short.

"Chemistry is something youve got to build, and I thought we were moving in the right direction at the end of the year before the COVID thing happened.

While Rivers had title aspirations, it was apparent his players didnt share that sense of urgency.

It was a great first season with Kawhi. Were still learning, figuring each other out, George said. But I thought we had a great year playing off each other. We can only improve off that. But you want that pressure. First time Ive been on a team thats not been considered the underdog, so it was different."

Instead of lamenting a blown 3-1 lead, George appeared to believe next season was more of the target year. George and Leonard have player options in their contracts for the 2021-22 season.

We have to be positive going forward, George said. Thats all we have right now. Were just positive and optimistic about it.

But its apparent too much pressure was placed on George, Leonard, and the Clippers to reach new heights since that July 2019 night Leonard agreed to sign, and the Clippers acquired George.

Its obvious pressure to live up to the title expectation, but as a player you want that, George said. But its not a cop-out. We didnt live up to that expectation. But I think internally weve always felt this is not a championship-or-bust year for us. We can only get better the more we stay together. The more chemistry for this team, the better. I really think thats the tale of the tape.

CALL OF DUTY

Public display of affection

The NBA invited a handful of public address announcers to call games in the bubble despite the lack of fans. The league wanted to replicate a game atmosphere.

Four accepted the offer: Olivier Sedra of the Nets, Kyle Speller of the Nuggets, Tim Sinclair of the Pacers, and Eric Smith of the Clippers. They had to come to Orlando, quarantine, and call multiple games per day.

Its an unusual responsibility in an unusual time. These PA announcers are used to calling games for their home team three nights a week. But these four were assigned to call every scrimmage, seeding game, and playoff matchup. For three of the announcers who spoke with the Globe, it was an honor to show their skills on the biggest stage.

Id like to think I do have a responsibility to the NBA, if they need me or call on me for something, Im humbled by it, Sedra said. I could have never imagined this growing up."

Sedra came to Brooklyn from the Cavaliers, where his baritone voice could be heard saying, LeBron James! after a thunderous dunk or stepback 3-pointer. Sedra is one of the more highly regarded PA announcers in the NBA, and he has was delighted by the opportunity to sharpen his pipes to say, LeBron James again when he called Lakers games in the bubble.

Its going to be fun saying his name again, Sedra said. Its definitely morphed from saying his last name or rolling the L in his first or rumbling the R and theres gaps between his first and last name. I guess a player like that, a type of iconic player, allows you to do things like that."

Sedra had a heart-to-heart conversation with his 9-year-old son, Adrian, who lives in Cleveland, about dad having the opportunity to call NBA games over several weeks.

Its funny, when its my son, I kind of have to see how he feels when I move along, Sedra said. So I got the word and presented it to him in a way where I said, I think this could happen, to feel him out. And his eyes went wide open and he said, Really? And to see that in him, you cant get me talking about that.

Sedra had a meeting with the league and told Adrian he would call him afterward with the official word.

I called him up and said, Yo, I got it, and he was so giddy, Sedra said. And I knew I was good. Just his reaction, his facial expression, and what he admitted to me is what I needed to see and hear and feel. So I was like, Lets roll.

The challenge for Sedra and his colleagues was learning the names of every player in the bubble, how they like that name enunciated, and creating an inflection for each depending on whether they were the home or road team.

Ive had opportunities to call different games in different places, and in this case I try to make a connection with each team, he said. Some are true and genuine and personal. And teams that I dont know anybody, you just try to talk to them before the game.

WORK TO DO

No offseason for Raptors Ujiri

The Raptors were eliminated by the Celtics in seven games and saw their reign as champions end. But the organization has no plans to rest on its laurels, especially with several pressing issues this summer.

First is the status of general manager Masai Ujiri, one of the most coveted executives in the NBA. He is entering the final year of his contract and there will be teams that will throw lucrative offers at Ujiri to rebuild their franchises.

Ujiri said he has not had contract extension discussions, but that did not stop him from extending Nick Nurse, the reigning NBA Coach of the Year. Ujiri said it was his priority to extend the teams leadership under him, and hes in the process of getting new contracts for other front office members.

Next are the players, and the Raptors have a handful of free agents, including Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. VanVleet teamed with All-Star Kyle Lowry to make up one of the best shooting backcourts in the NBA. Re-signing the 26-year-old VanVleet will be the teams first priority.

You want to start with whoever our free agents are, Ujiri said. "Theres a priority for Fred. We also have to look at the game and see where the game is going. We are all waiting on the cap to see where the numbers fall. We also have to look at free agency in 2021. We have to look at the short-term future and the long-term future.

"This is where we really have to buckle down and make an assessment of what bubble basketball was against what the outside-the-bubble basketball was. This is our time. You support as much as you want during the bubble, during the playoffs. But now is the time to work.

Im very confident in our culture and, yes, Fred is a priority, a giant priority. Marc Gasol brings so much to our organization. Serge is a priority. We really have to attack this head-on.

One of
the most disappointing aspects of the Raptors' loss to the Celtics was the performance of All-Star Pascal Siakam, who averaged 14.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and just 38.2 percent shooting from the field. Siakam also missed 28 of 32 3-point attempts in the series. Siakam never appeared comfortable playing in the bubble.

We talked extensively with Pascal. Everybody stood by Pascal, Ujiri said. Theres something about that bubble that brought all of us together. I know Pascal, sometimes we need this almost like a kick in the butt. Hes going to bounce back 100 percent. He felt like he let the team down. Lets not forget, Pascal helped us win a championship. Hes going to bounce back.

Ujiri acknowledged it was difficult being sequestered for weeks.

The mental aspect was hard for me, I cant even imagine the players, he said. "See the people youre competing against each other every day. I saw Brad Stevens every time I went into the elevator or went outside. I could only imagine with the players. The mental aspect of being alone. You dont know what people are going through outside thats beyond your control.

I think it brought some camaraderie to the NBA. I got to know a lot of people.

The night the Raptors won the championship should have been the greatest night of Ujiris life. Instead, it was marred by an incident with an Alameda County (Calif.) sherriffs deputy, who initiated an altercation as Ujiri tried to walk onto the floor at Oracle Arena to celebrate the win over the Warriors.

Video was released last month showing the deputy, Alan Strickland, making contact with Ujiri and never allowing him to reveal his credential. NBA officials and a representative from Nike intervened, and Ujiri was eventually allowed on floor, but not without having a shoving match with the deputy. Strickland has filed a lawsuit against Ujiri.

I had my own incident and everybody has dealt with it. There is racism everywhere. Lets face it, theres racism in Canada. This is a global pandemic, Ujiri said. "This was very hard for me. This is the part of the bubble I struggled. When the video came out I didnt sleep for a few days. You question yourself. As time goes on you begin to doubt yourself, and I doubted myself.

I watch all these documentaries and I say, Why dont you just say what happened? I began to doubt myself. You have a lot of time to think. I started to think, what if this had gone the total wrong way? You think about everything. You think about racism and where its going. There was time I wondered whether Black lives matter to only Black people.

Ujuri sat in on some of the player meetings after the game boycotts last month. He said he appreciated their efforts and sentiments.

I know there was definitely a time where my team, we talked about the boycott, he said. We talked about the mental fatigue. We talked about Jacob Blake and you could tell there was a mental drain on these players and everybody was tired and we needed to pause. I commend LeBron [James], all these guys, Chris Paul, Jaylen Brown, all these guys. Because they stepped up and said something.

Layups

With the Clippers' collapse, the question is whether the reputations of Tyronn Lue and Sam Cassell, assistants seeking head coaching jobs, took a hit. Lue was viewed as a top candidate in Philadelphia, but that was before Mike DAntoni decided to leave Houston, and apparently the 76ers job is his if he wants it. The Pelicans and Pacers are also looking for head coaches, but the New Orleans job is likely more suitable for Lue, who coached the Cavaliers to the NBA championship in 2016. The Pelicans want to win now and need a defensive-minded coach who can mold their younger core. Lue sounds like a perfect fit. Cassell has been with the Clippers for several years and is ready for his first top job. But if youre Houston, Oklahoma City, Indiana, or Chicago, do you take a chance on a first-time head coach? All four franchises are looking for coaches who can establish a culture and win immediately. The offseason coaching search will be interesting and has already gotten off to a surprising start with the Nets' hiring of Steve Nash . . . The Kings hired Rockets assistant GM Monte McNair as their GM and kept former Pistons executive Joe Dumars as a consultant. Former GM Vlade Divac stepped down after the Kings again failed to make the postseason. Kings fans havent forgotten Divac passed on Luka Doncic in the draft in favor of Marvin Bagley III, who has been oft-injured during his first two seasons. Also, coach Luke Walton turned former lottery pick Buddy Hield into a sixth man and the former Oklahoma standout is not happy with that role . . . There was a huge moment this past week for Roxbury native Shey Peddy, the Mercury forward who drained the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat the defending WNBA champion Mystics and advance to the second round. Peddy, 31, starred at Melrose High School. She entered the WNBA bubble as a member of the Mystics but was waived. Peddy was quickly signed by the Mercury and she made the biggest shot of her career against her former team.

Gary Washburn can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GwashburnGlobe.

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Clippers talent cant overcome their lack of chemistry - The Boston Globe

Profile AquAffirm: previous winners of the Royal Society of Chemistrys Emerging Technologies Competition – Business Live

Posted on September 22, 2020 by Danzig

AquAffirm won the Royal Society of Chemistrys Emerging Technologies Competition for their portable and cheap sensor which detects arsenic in water, the most significant chemical contaminant in drinking water globally.

The groundbreaking device has the potential to save the lives of millions of people around the world.

On any given day, 140 million people in 70 countries are drinking water that is contaminated with arsenic at levels above the World Health Organization safety threshold.

The London based company has gone from strength to strength and here CEO David Sarphie outlines what it meant to win the prestigious competition.

What was your business idea?

Traditional methods for testing and monitoring water contamination - which impacts on the health of millions of people around the world - are analogue, slow and difficult to interpret, using a basic colour metric system.

AquAffirm is developing the first digital sensors that have been designed to measure serious water contaminants like arsenic and fluoride. Its rapid, web-connected test, which uses affordable purpose-designed test strips, will transform the way arsenic mitigation programmes will run in the future. Beyond the sensor technology, the underpinning digital platform collects the data to be uploaded, analysed and mapped in real time, with the easily interpretable results available within three minutes.

How has business progressed since winning the competition?

Since winning in 2018, the business has conducted a significant amount of research and development. Substantial progress was made in the summer of 2019 in particular, with the team heading to Bangladesh to conduct early testing with the initial prototype. The business has also won a grant from Innovate UK to take the technology forward and fully launch in 2021 (having had its planned 2020 launch postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic), and has had very positive interaction with potential customers, generating encouraging feedback from major organisations in the field.

What are AquAffirms plans for the future?

In the short term, AquAffirm is currently raising investment to enable it to launch its working solution as part of an imminent arsenic mitigation programme currently planned for roll-out in Bangladesh with UNICEF and Water Aid.

Longer term, AquAffirm believes its current solution is simply the start for building a business that has the capability to create sensors for a range of different contaminants that impact peoples health. The business will also be looking at taking the technologies beyond the developing world and into more advanced markets, including the United States and parts of Europe, which still suffer from naturally-occurring and fracking-related arsenic problems.

What was your favourite part of taking part in the Emerging Technologies Competition?

The competition is an excellent way to get a view from both external experts in chemistry and business on the proposition of your technology. You also get to see the kinds of issues other people are solving and how they are presenting them to these experts, so its a terrific learning exercise. The publicity and networking opportunities that have arisen from being involved have also proved to be invaluable to our progress.

What advice does AquAffirm have for future Emerging Technologies Competition finalists?

Try to enjoy the experience. Get as much out of it as you can its a learning experience, so take as much as possible from the judges and the other participants.

For more information about the event go to http://www.rsc.org/competitions/emerging-technologies/

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Profile AquAffirm: previous winners of the Royal Society of Chemistrys Emerging Technologies Competition - Business Live

DeAndre Hopkins speaks out on chemistry brewing with QB Kyler Murray – ClutchPoints

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Danzig

Sundays game which pitted the Arizona Cardinals against Super Bowl LIV finalist San Francisco 49ers saw just how dangerous a Kyler Murray-DeAndre Hopkins connection can be. The Cardinals managed to pull off an upset via a close 24-20 win against the 49ers.

The four-time Pro Bowl wideout bared Murrays impact on his own performance during their opening game:

Kyler kept giving me the ball, kept feeding me, and we kept making plays . . . After what you guys saw today, the skys the limit on what this team can do, Hopkins said, via the teams website.

Upon his relocation to his new team, high expectations were immediately set on the 28-year old to bring the Cardinals back to relevance. Hopkins was able to make a roaring debut in his first game with the team especially against a contender like the 49ers. He set a career-high by catching 14 passes from quarterback Kyler Murray for 151 yards.

The 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year also balled out with 230 passing yards on 26 out of 40 attempted passes, along with a scored rushing touchdown. He also found other contributors in running backs Chase Edmonds and Kenyan Drake who both scored a touchdown of their own.

Not long after his arrival in Arizona, Hopkins went on to sign a lucrative two-year, $54.5 million contract extension which ties him with the team through the 2024 season. The All-Pro wideout showed in their opening game that he was worth all the big bucks that the front office recently handed to him.

Indeed, this is only the beginning of a promising partnership between Hopkins and Murray for the Cardinals moving forward.

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DeAndre Hopkins speaks out on chemistry brewing with QB Kyler Murray - ClutchPoints

Professor gives Nicki Minaj rap-inspired twist to chemistry problem. Can you solve it? – The Indian Express

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Danzig

By: Trends Desk | New Delhi | Updated: September 15, 2020 5:25:39 pm"I still wouldnt know how to answer this question but Im about to go listen to Nicki Minaj after reading it," read one of the many comments on the viral post. (Source: AP/Thinkstock Image)

A professors quirky way of making a chemistry problem interesting has left netizens amused after it went viral on social media. Shared on Twitter was a photograph of the question paper that featured lyrics from American rapper Nicki Minajs song.

My sisters chem professor is a barb? wrote a user named Elise Morgan on the microblogging website while sharing the chemistry equation. Barb refers to a nickname given to Minajs fan base. The name derives from her American singers alter-ego the Harajuku Barbie.

Nicki Minaj has a lyric, Yeah my moneys so tall that my Barbies gotta climb it. The activation energy associated with Barbies climb is 50 kJ/mol. read the question.

It did not take long for the tweet to go viral and be flooded with reactions from netizens. While many tried to solve it, others shared pictures of some of the bizarre questions they were asked by their professors.

The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Trending News, download Indian Express App.

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Professor gives Nicki Minaj rap-inspired twist to chemistry problem. Can you solve it? - The Indian Express

Influencing the future of science | Sponsored – Chemistry World

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Danzig

Right now is the most exciting time to be part of the materials science industry, says Waters director of material sciences, Damian Morrison.The 21st century is not only an era of fully functioning 3-D printed human organs, its a time in which novel materials are revolutionising mobility with lightweight electric vehicles. It is also an age of collaboration, in which Waters provides a key supporting role in the R&D of higher performing, more sustainable and easier to manufacture polymers across industries. From consumer products to life-saving medical devices plus a myriad between when we talk about polymers, the potential is exponential.

Waters offers its clients the perfect forum in which to further advance the analytical expertise it has been cultivating since the introduction of its GPC 100 the first commercially available gel permeation chromatography (GPC) system in 1963.

Our goal is to get closer to the science and collaborators and 'help deliver innovation that has impact and directly relates to something that is happening in that industry today, Morrison enthuses.

Thats been the primary driver for forming the materials science business, he explains. It will enable us to better serve the dynamic and fast-changing material science industry, and better support Waters customers today, and in the future.

Understanding chemical structures and how they translate into physical properties is fundamental to polymer R&D. In fact, that enigmatic structure versus property relationship drives innovation in labs worldwide. As partners with their own ranges of Water and TA Instruments branded technologies, scientists at Rowan University and Virginia Tech in the US can glean precise and accurate information about those key elements and their relationship.

Specifically, it helpedTim Long and Chris Williams from Virginia Tech define the parameters for a polymer used in the design and manufacturing of a product component with a degradation temperature above 600C.

Through our collaborations, were not just supporting our industrial customers, we are also influencing the future of the science itself

Damian Morrison

And, it is by understanding structureproperty relationships that chemical engineersat Rowan University can effectively assess the biodegradability of polymeric compounds made from biomass feedstock like lignin from trees and the pulp industry. It is how compound chemists deliver against their polymeric objectives day after day.

The chemicalengineering labs at Rowan University are already a US focal point for lignin and biomass R&D, with students exploring routes to sustainable polymers using a suite of Waters and TA Instruments apparatus. But associate professor Joseph Stanziones research intothe potential for herbs and spices to improve energy devices is taking analytical chemistry to a new level.

We see that companies are increasing their commitment to R&D into sustainable polymer innovation

Damian Morrison

Its an altitude that Morrison is happy to help Stanzione andRowan University scale to. A high towards which Morrison sees material innovation businesses headed too. 'We are seeing that companies are in fact increasing their commitment to R&D into sustainable polymer innovation through the allocation of dedicated scientific resources whose sole mission is to develop more eco-conscious polymers and processes.

Morrison is keen to see sustainability as the launch pad for Waters continued growth in expertise. From the principles that underpin Waters' green ambassador Chris Stumpfs analytical chemistry to sharing molecular insight that scientists can draw on.

Our commitment to collaborate with our partners across select applications will remain a key objective for the foreseeable future, says Morrison. 'The nature of our collaborations best highlights our commitment to the materials industry, I feel. Through our collaborations, were not just supporting our industrial customers, we are also influencing the future of the science itself,he adds.

Chemists and polymer scientists across applications are benefitting from the combined analytical chemical structure characterisation capabilities of Waters using chromatography, chemistries and informatics with the property testing expertise of TA Instruments which includes thermal analysis and rheology. Combining these technologies across the extended materials workflow delivers better performing solutions into the materials space.

The synergies created by bringing together Waters' chromatography and mass spectrometry expertise with the robust performance of TA Instruments thermal analysis solutions becomes a huge asset to their partners. Chemists quest to fully understand the structureproperty relationship between chemicals and polymers is better served with the holistic approach that this consolidated offer makes possible.

Watersfelt more like a partnership than a vendor-customer transaction []that was intentional and part of the Waters culture

Damian Morrison

This video series of Waters scientific experts and its accompanying content not only outline how the Acquity Advanced Polymer Chromatography (APC) system enhances polymer analysis, they also emphasises the instrument makers collaborative approach. 'Its true that our insight has been both broadened and refined by our partnerships, and thats a relationship Ive seen from both sides,' says Morrison.

'When I was a compound chemist for Merck Sharp & Dohme back in the 1990s, Waters felt more like a partnership than a vendor-customer transaction. I know now that I was not just lucky in my engagement, and that the approach was intentional and part of the Waters culture.

That ethos is illustrated in Waters' partnership with Rowan University and Virginia Tech in the US as much as it is with its collaborations with Europe-headquartered analytical instrument maker Malvern Panalytical. The pair evaluated the degradation of drug delivery polymers, an analysis only made possible due to the unique combination of high resolution separation using the Waters' APC system with a true multi-detection system from Malvern, the Omnisec Reveal.

The collaboration demonstrated how the combined analytical capabilities of Waters and Malvern can provide R&D scientists higher sensitivity resolution data than ever before meaning better insight into their samples and better products for consumers.

Waters' series of short educational videosdemonstrate the APC system's ability to improve analytical insight into polymer samples faster and more efficiently than ever before.

In partnership with Waters Corporation, weve put together a bundle of free resources to support the precision polymer analysis collection.

Download resources

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Influencing the future of science | Sponsored - Chemistry World

Using machine learning to organize the chemical diversity – Tech Explorist

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Danzig

Because of the popularity of MOFs, scientists are developing, synthesizing, studying, and cataloging MOFs. However, the sheer number of MOFs is creating a problem.

Even if synthesizing new MOF, it is quite challenging to know whether it is new and not some minor variation of a structure that has already been synthesized.

To address this problem, EPFL scientists, in collaboration with MIT, have used machine-learning to organize the chemical diversity found in the ever-growing databases for the popular metal-organic framework materials. Using machine learning, scientists developed a language to compare two materials and quantify their differences.

Through this new language, scientists set off to determine the chemical diversity in MOF databases.

Professor Berend Smit at EPFL said,Before, the focus was on the number of structures. But now, we discovered that the major databases have all kinds of bias towards particular structures. There is no point in carrying out expensive screening studies on similar structures. One is better off in carefully selecting a set of very diverse structures, which will give much better results with far fewer structures.

Another exciting application is scientific archeology: The researchers used their machine-learning system to identify the MOF structures that, at the time of the study, were published as very different from the ones that are already known.

Smit said,So we now have a straightforward tool that can tell an experimental group how different their novel MOF is compared to the 90,000 other structures already reported.

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Using machine learning to organize the chemical diversity - Tech Explorist

Quarantine and the chemistry of the great indoors – William & Mary News

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Danzig

It sounded like a wind tunnel on the other end of the phone.

Im so sorry for all the noise, said Rachel OBrien. My husband is frying bacon for an experiment.

OBrien is an assistant professor in William & Marys Department of Chemistry. She studies environmental chemistry, specifically aerosol particles, air quality and indoor air chemistry.

As COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders upended life as we know it, OBrien turned her kitchen into a makeshift laboratory. She and her students literally cooked up experiments in their homes by measuring aerosols released during cooking. Bacon, it seems, is the culinary equivalent of a smoke machine.

Its a breakfast of champions, OBrien said. It also creates a lot of aerosols.

Aerosols are created when fine solid particles or liquid droplets are suspended in air or another gas. Dust, haze and smoke are all examples of aerosols. They play a vital role in influencing air quality and the Earths climate.

In general, aerosol particles are not healthy to breathe in high concentrations, OBrien said. The smaller ones can get deep into your lungs and the larger ones will deposit a little bit higher. You don't want a whole lot of material coating or getting into your lungs, so you want to make sure youve got a safe particulate load.

Even in non-pandemic times, people in the United States spend nearly 90% of their time indoors, most of that in their own home, she explained. As a result, individuals exposure to most airborne pollutants is strongly influenced by their household environment.

For the past several years, OBrien has been part of a team of researchers from 13 universities working to identify the most important aspects of the chemistry that controls the indoor environment. In June 2018, the group conducted a month-long experiment at the University of Texas at Austin to simulate real-life air quality conditions inside a full-sized test house.

The HOMEChem experiment (House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry) was set up inside a 1,200 square-foot manufactured home. The researchers employed a suite of instruments to measure a range of indoor microbial environments and chemical reactions that are a part of daily life. Their research focused on everyday activities performed in home environments, such as cooking and cleaning.

The idea was to run experiments that simulate different things that would happen in a typical home environment, under controlled conditions that you could study, OBrien said.

OBrien and her students are still analyzing the HOMEChem dataset, which the team plans to release publicly this summer. Already the data, collected with real-time instrumentation, have provided some important insights into chemical processes that occur indoors.

A key finding, detailed in a paper published last summer in Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, is that cooking activities were the primary source of indoor submicron particles. The paper stated that during cooking events, particle mass in the air increases and a substantial fraction of the increases are due to chemical species related to cooking oil. The majority of those cooking-associated particles are in the ultrafine mode.

We found that cooking is one of the major sources for depositing aerosol particles in the indoor environment, OBrien said.

One of the challenges of studying air quality in real-life conditions is instrumentation. In the lab, chemists rely on mass spectrometers to analyze compounds. The large instruments trap ions and convert their signals to a mass spectrum, which provides a detailed chemical analysis of what molecules the sample contains. That process is, understandably, challenging to perform in a home environment as a mass-spec is not a common kitchen appliance, unless youre Mario Molina.

Having inadequate instrumentation can complicate measurements and thus confuse interpretation of chemical data, OBrien explained. Thats what led OBrien and her students, Hannah Przelomski (masters candidate in environmental chemistry) and Gloria Ge (Class of 2021), to develop the Indoor Surface Extractor.

We needed a tool that would allow us to collect samples directly off surfaces for analysis, OBrien said. The Sloan Foundation recently awarded the team a grant to continue development.

The ISE takes a solvent, like water, from a syringe and deposits it onto a surface. The device then sucks the solvent back up, along with any particles that had fallen down onto the surface.

The goal is to be able to take this extractor and walk up to a surface and extract a little spot of material right off that surface, OBrien said. Then we can take that sample back to the lab, prepare it and analyze it, without it ever leaving a sterile environment.

Przelomski said the ISE has come a long way from the first prototype she developed two years ago from PVC pipe and recycled boxes. Shes engineered the latest version to be almost fully 3D-printable.

The only pieces we cant 3D print right now are the components that come in contact with the solvent and sample, she explained. That piece is made from stainless steel and Teflon, which we dont have the ability to 3D print.

The project began two years ago, in a world that had yet to be fundamentally changed by pandemic. Still, Przelomski said she is considering how the ISE might be adapted to test surfaces for traces of biological material like the novel coronavirus.

I have been asked about doing biological sampling with it, Przelomski said. Its something we havent fully explored yet, but I would think it would be possible, because the ISE extracts material from surfaces and bacteria and viruses are on surfaces.

Przelomskis original and ultimate goal for this project is to provide a new understanding of the solids and liquids that are suspended in the air around us. She explained that there are still many unknowns about the chemistry of the indoors. There are far more surfaces inside versus outside, compared to the volume of air in the two environments.

So if you think about your home or your work place, there are all these surfaces for things to deposit and react with the material already on there, Przelomski said. What we're doing is building a tool to better understand this organic mixture that everyone is making inside their homes.

OBrien says improved understanding of what contributes to the formation of particles indoors, whether theyre emitted from a surface reaction or a pan of bacon, will contribute to public health.

Even when were not stuck at home all the time, its important to think about the air quality in your home, she said. And that starts with understanding what is actually in the air.

Continued here:
Quarantine and the chemistry of the great indoors - William & Mary News

Jared Dudley On How He Builds The Lakers’ Chemistry Behind The Scenes – Sports Illustrated

Posted on July 4, 2020 by Danzig

Jared Dudley pulled LeBron James aside during a game this season.

It was halftime and Dudley, a reserve who averages single-digit minutes, took it upon himself to give the team's superstar some advice.

"Look to score now, stop passing the ball," Dudley recalled telling James during a video conference call on Friday. "...Who is it for me to give him advice? But its what I see on the floor."

Dudley, a 13-year veteran, commands the respect of every player on the Lakers. And he made it his responsibility to regularly check in with each of his teammates over the last four months to keep the team's chemistry strong.

"One of the reasons weve had success in our season to this point is because not only do we have two megastars in LeBron and Anthony (Davis), but weve had several guys who have starred in their roles, whether youre talking about perimeter defensive type of guys or our centers contributing by committee," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said in a video conference call Friday. "And I would put Jared Dudley in that boat of being a star in his role. He has really impacted our teams togetherness and chemistry and, quite frankly, brought a great deal of leadership to make sure that were all going about our business the right way and having the right attitude and doing things together."

Ever since the NBA was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, Dudley has been one of the most active participants in the team's group text message chat alongside James.

He checked in on guys' workouts, poked fun at their pandemic beards and even cheered Kyle Kuzma on as he did a fashion show.

"I would say Dudley and 'Bron have been the two most vocal," Alex Caruso said. "Thats pretty normal for them as far as being outgoing, outspoken, making sure were all on the same page. Those are two guys that have been in the league many, many years so they kind of understand what it takes to have a chemistry of a tight-knit group."

Dudley, 34, played for Charlotte, Phoenix, the Clippers, Milwaukee, Washington and Brooklyn before signing a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the Lakers in 2019.He averages 1.5 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 7.8 minutes a game -- but his contribution to the team extends far beyond his stat-line.

Dudley has a way of getting through to every player.

"LeBrons obviously a leader, AD leads in his own way," Dudley said. "But I would just say Im a little more vocal on talking to 1 through 15. Thats my job. Ive been in this league for a long time and Ive mentored a lot of young players in (Devin) Booker and John Wall and Giannis (Antetokounmpo) ... Im one of the rare vets that can speak to 1 through 15, because Ive been around guys like Shaq (O'Neal) and Ive been around guys who DNP [did not play], so Ive been through it all."

Dudley says he's especially focused on helping Kyle Kuzma this season.

They first met when Kuzma was playing for the University of Utah from 2014-2017, and they'd workout together over the summer at the same gym.

Dudley was impressed by Kuzma and immediately took an interest in him.

"I actually called my agent to recruit Kuzma," Dudley said. "I was like, Yo, who is this kid killing these pros? And so he actually signed with my agency Mark Bartelstein at Priority [Sports and Entertainment]."

Throughout the season, Dudley has often advised Kuzma on how he could best contribute to the team, make a name for himself and eventually get a max contract. He tells him not to waste possessions. And not to look at stats.

"Hes the one I thought I could help the most," Dudley said. "Hes the one I thought had the most potential to take us over the top. And so for me, its trying to balance for me, 'Hey, how do you develop your game while still (helping) a championship team?' Very tough."

Dudley has also been advising Markieff Morris, whom the Lakers signed in February after waiving DeMarcus Cousins.

They played together for three seasons in Phoenix from 2011-2014, and Dudley knows he could help the Lakers when the season resumes near Orlando on July 30, especially if Dwight Howard opts out of because of personal reasons.

"Keef is an interesting nugget just because of the uncertainty of Dwight [Howard] right now -- not really knowing [if he's going to play] and hopefully he does show up -- but someone who can play some stretch five, someone whos physical."

Dudley acknowledged that a lot of people don't want to play the stretch-five position, and he's often talked to Morris about the benefits of that role.

"People look at that and people dont understand theres huge advantages at the 5," Dudley said. "I made my money becoming a stretch-4... Someone cant guard 'Keef on the outside, he can shoot the 3-ball, so thats my whole thing is trying to bring perspective to both sides."

Dudley has also reached out to Rajon Rondo over the break, checking in with the backup guard who the team hopes will be huge for them during the postseason.

"I was one of the few guys who kept in contact with Rondo," Dudley said. "Rondo, he goes to Louisville, hes out of sight, out of mind. So, for me, it was just contacting him and [saying] were going to need playoff Rondo."

Dudley thinks Davis is especially key to the Lakers' chances of winning their first championship since 2010. He wants Davis to be more assertive on the offensive end.

"Its the first time in his career since maybe Kentucky where on any given night he doesnt have to be the main scorer," Dudley said. "...I think hes so efficient, so unselfish that sometimes he tends to be too passive. We need him to be more aggressive. We need him to be on that block and even though he can make the same amount of shots from the outside, well, you gain one or two of those fouls (and it) gets us into the bonus, a la Shaq back in the day with how good they were. We need to get into the bonus."

Dudley said James and Davis were playing a game of cat and mouse for much of the season on the offensive end, but toward the later part of the season they started naturally letting whomever had it going on a particular night take over. He said Davis needs to remember not to defer to James.

"AD is going to be the most critical part of us on this quest for a championship in the bubble," Dudley added.

Dudley acknowledged that there's a bit of trepidation around the league about heading into the bubble with COVID-19 numbers on the rise, but he thinks the league is doing everything possible to make it safe.

"I would be lying to you if I told you everybody was completely comfortable and had no ill feelings toward how its gonna be," Dudley said. "I think we all know its a risk. Were all watching all the news and we keep seeing the corona cases in L.A. and California, Arizona, Miami, Florida. So we see whats going on."

Dudley added that no one thinks they're putting their lives in danger.

"At the end of the day, I dont think anyone fears death," he said. "I think they fear they could potentially get it. And I think they think that it sucks that they could be quarantined for seven days in a little house they dont know nothing about."

He said he feels safe with all of the league's protocols -- but acknowledged it's going to be a tough road emotionally.

"Im comfortable going there," he said. "I think its a little bit sad that youre going to potentially miss your family for six-to-eight (weeks) to three months depending on situations, so I think thats been the difficult part more than anything. But Im also excited to get (closer) to winning a championship. This is where its gonna be in history."

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Jared Dudley On How He Builds The Lakers' Chemistry Behind The Scenes - Sports Illustrated

From handprint to fingerprint: Polymer peak analysis | Sponsored – Chemistry World

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Danzig

An evaluation scientist at Waters for over seven years, Willis Martin describes Waters' Acquity advanced Polymer chromatography (APC) system as an 'all-in-one chromatographic analysis tool'.

Waters APC technology supportshigh speed gel permeation chromatography (GPC), normal and even reverse phase separations,gel permeation elution chromatography (GPEC) and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC). In fact, says Martin,any type of chromatography needed.

In his assessment of products and software packages in Waters range, Martin draws on his experience analysing polymers as Dow analytical chemist. Having used the Acquity APC - specifically for GPC large molecules analysis -- during his lab career at the chemicals giant, his investigations are taken very much from a chemist's perspective.

'With the molecules that chemists work on getting smaller and smaller, it was time for the analytical chemistry solution providers to help scientist characterise at these diminishing molecular scales,' he says.

In terms of a timely analytical chemistry innovation, the more resolved and better defined peaks the APC delivers will ensure polymer scientists maintain pace with an ever-evolving materials science sector.'We need to know exactly what this polymer is because the slightest modification could mean completely different results in the end. What the APC provides is just that much more level of detail,' says Martin.

Using APC with polymer quaternary solvent manager (p-QSM) technology offers the ultimate flexibility to analyse the most complex polymer blends and additives, says Martin. It allows the APC to perform gradient separations that were otherwise impossible with the previous iteration of the APC. In fact, analysis of complex blends and additives is possible using standard polymer chromatography, gradient polymer elution chromatograph (GPEC), and reverse-phase liquid chromatography with a single system.

With its high tolerance of harsh organic solvent use, the APC helps polymer researcher achieve their high throughput goals using GPC technique use. With faster analysis, polymer scientists get proof of concept faster, which translates to faster time to market and greater market share.

In partnership with Waters Corporation, we've put together a bundle of free resources to support the precision polymer analysis collection.

Download resources

Chemistry helps reconstruct the origin of 2017 ruthenium plume – Chemical & Engineering News

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Danzig

In the fall of 2017, a cloud of radioactive ruthenium slowly spread across Europe, moving from east to west. Levels of the radioactive element werent high enough to pose a health hazard, but officials were still alarmed. Its taken a long time to piece together what happened, but new evidence published this month suggests the Ru was released after a fire or explosion during processing of spent fuel from a Russian plant.

Reconstructing the path of the radioisotope cloud led French and German radiation protection agencies back to the Mayak reprocessing facility in the Southern Urals in Russia. But Rosatom, Russias nuclear energy corporation, denied these findings. So a group of scientific detectives started trying to crack the case.

But there could have been other explanations for the isotopic ratio. So Steinhauser and PhD student Dorian Zok worked with Thorsten Kleines group at the University of Mnster to supplement their work by looking at the stable isotopes of Ru that were released. They used mass spectrometry to examine Ru caught by Viennese air filters and the fuller isotopic fingerprint confirms that the Ru wasnt from nuclear weapons activity. Comparing the profiles to those of nuclear waste from common reactor types suggests to Steinhauser that the Ru came from spent fuel from a water-water energetic reactor, a type used only in Russia (Nat. Commun. 2020, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16316-3)

Camille Palmer at Oregon State University cautions that using Ru isotopes as a single indicator of reactor type is challenging, but she says the linkage is plausible and the team did an outstanding job of isolating the Ru and measuring the stable isotopes.

Other work published this week fills in the picture with even more details. Michael Cooke, at Health Canadas Radiation Protection Bureau, offered to help Steinhauser identify the Ru compounds in the filters collected from sites around Europe. About 7% of the sample partitioned into dative solvents like ethanol, so it was clear to Cooke that the filters contained more electron-rich forms of ruthenium. Cooke found a small amount of a 106Ru(III) polychlorinated component and something he thinks is 106RuO2 (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2020, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001914117). These are fingerprints of part of the PUREX processing of nuclear fuel. Processing hot, young fuel probably exacerbated an already exothermic process, causing a fire or explosion and releasing the rogue Ru.

Steinhauser says the detective story has now come to its end. The International Atomic Energy Agency does not have a mandate to conduct an investigation on its own, and no government has assumed responsibility. But even if someone had reported the incident, Cooke says the research demonstrates what nuclear forensics can do with even very small samples.

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Chemistry helps reconstruct the origin of 2017 ruthenium plume - Chemical & Engineering News

We Did That Perfectly: Los Angeles Lakers Remember the Deadly Chemistry Between Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol – Essentially Sports

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Danzig

The ending to the 2000s decade was a perfect one for the Los Angeles Lakers fans, wasnt it? A historic three-peat to kick start the decade and back-to-back titles to end it. Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant formed an unstoppable partnership to muscle their way to threeconsecutive titles at the start of the 2000s era.

As for the later years in the decade, the Lakers rose back from a terrible form that they endured right after ONeal left the team. The team needed a player who could enhance the style of Kobe Bryant, as well as carry a part of the teams burden.

In 2007, things did not look well for the Lakers in terms of their relationship with Kobe. After a couple of first-round playoff exits, Kobes faith in the management deteriorated and there was a possibility of a massive trade that could have changed the course of the NBA.

But, the Lakers swiftly traded Grizzlies player Pau Gasol to partner Kobe upfront. The inclusion of Gasol in the team made a drastic difference. Kobes welcome to Gasol is a much known and well-appreciated story. The pair instantly hit it off and started combing brilliantly to outdo their opponents.

Gasol earned 5 of his six NBA All-Star appearances while playing for the Lakers. His game improved drastically under Kobes guidance. The mamba is always the one to lead by example and his work ethic inspired Gasol to produce his maximum effort on every game night.

The delightful Kobe-Pau connection always brings joy in the faces of Lakers fans. During the two-championship winning seasons, the duo put on mammoth performances to propel the Lakers all the way to the Finals.

The Los Angeles Lakers posted a major throwback video on Twitter, highlighting the pairs chemistry. Moreover, Pau Gasol even reshared the post with purple and gold heart emojis. In the video, we can see Kobe meticulously explaining Gasol about how he made a bounce pass to the Spaniard, which he converted with ease.

We did that perfectly, because we were in line the whole time. Youre not behind me, youre not in front of me. You are right there parallel with me, Kobe says to Gasol. Then the video shows the above-mentioned move orchestrated by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol to earn two points for their team.

The back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010 reflect their massive on-court success. Kobe went into beast mode during these two years. He averaged 26.8 and 27.0 points per game in the 2009 and 2010 regular-season fixtures. Gasol perfectly played a supportive role by carrying a regular-season average of 18.9 and 18.3 PPG in these two years.

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We Did That Perfectly: Los Angeles Lakers Remember the Deadly Chemistry Between Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol - Essentially Sports

Chemical Recycling Wont Solve The Plastic Crisis As Over 50% Of Carbon Contained Gets Lost – Forbes

Posted on June 6, 2020 by Danzig

Workers sort plastic cups in a recycling facility in Bourg-Blanc, western France, on August 13, ... [+] 2019. (Photo by Fred TANNEAU / AFP) (Photo credit should read FRED TANNEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Chemical recycling is an environmental health risk and will not solve the plastic crisis, a new report shows. Besides, more than half of carbon in the plastic is lost in the process of upgrading the gas or oil outputs.

The technical assessment Chemical Recycling: Status, Sustainability and Environmental Impacts finds that chemical recycling so far has had more cons than pros.

Even with the most advanced plastic-to-plastic technologies available at present, very little of the waste plastic actually becomes new plastic. Most is lost in the process, so it cannot qualify to be part of a circular economy.

The author Dr Andrew Neil Rollinson, chemical engineer and specialist in alternative thermal conversion technologies, wrote that proof of successful status (and failures) remains largely undisclosed outside of laboratory trials, and for the interested party much will be found in theory but little or no substance given to practice.

The term chemical recycling includes various technologies that break down used plastic with some combination of heat, pressure, depleted oxygen, catalysts, and/or solvents into either fuel or building blocks for new plastic. For instance, pyrolysis and gasification use heat to break down plastic, with limited oxygen to prevent combustion. Other techniques are solvent-based, like solvolysis.

The report shows that pyrolysis and gasification, in particular, release toxic substances such as bisphenol-A, cadmium, benzene, brominated compounds, phthalates, lead, tin, antimony, and volatile organic compounds.

For economic and regulatory reasons, chemical recycling operations are mostly likely to be collocated with existing petrochemical facilities, the briefing explained. This will further increase the environmental health impacts on communities that are already subject to disproportionate, cumulative environmental burdens.

Further issues arise in relation to the viability of these processes. Critics are concerned because they can't deal with mixed plastic polymers or black plastic and the current market conditions make it hard to compete with virgin plastic - all for a climate impact that is likely higher than producing plastics from scratch.

My concern about chemical recycling is that it's another end of pipe 'solution', instead we should address the plastic pollution upstream, says Janek Vahk, who coordinates the Climate, Energy and Air Pollution Programme at the NGO Zero Waste Europe. Market conditions don't favor the production of recycled resins or plastic.

There are already a few legislative proposals trying to address the issue. The Circular Plastic Alliance aims at reaching 10 millions tonnes of recycled content on the EU market by 2025, the EU Single-Use Plastic Directive requires to integrate 25% recycled plastic (recycled content) by 2025 in PET bottles and 30% by 2030 in all types beverage bottles and the EU Plastic Strategy aims to make all plastic packaging recyclable or reusable by 2030.

On the other hand, the Circular Economy Action Plan by the EU Commission says the it will support projects "exploring the potential of chemical recycling". A Joint Research Center will start after the summer with a technical, economic and life cycle assessment of chemical recycling versus mechanical recycling and energy recovery of plastics.

Before better technologies will become effective, according to the paper, old mechanical recycling (made of melting and physical reshaping, among other steps) remains the best recycling option as it results in less toxins and a smaller carbon footprint.

The main effort is currently on reducing the use of plastic. Vahk adds that the chemical recycling hype should not divert the attention from the real solution to plastic pollution which is replacing single-use plastics, detoxifying and simplifying new plastics, and designing business models to make efficient use of plastics.

At the moment and in the long term, the best option we have is to focus our policies on limiting the types of polymers that are out in the market. There are so many different types and many of them are simply not recyclable, Vahk says. We need to make the whole recycling more feasible. Right now, to expect that chemical recycling will be a solution is simply an illusion."

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Chemical Recycling Wont Solve The Plastic Crisis As Over 50% Of Carbon Contained Gets Lost - Forbes

Tear gas used on peaceful protesters is a chemical weapon banned by Geneva Convention during war – Milwaukee Independent

Posted on June 14, 2020 by Danzig

Over recent days there have been reports of tear gas being used to control crowds protesting the death of George Floyd, so questions have arisen on the dangers of crowd control chemicals.

I am a toxicologist interested in chemicals that could be used as weapons and I do research to develop therapies for some of these chemicals.

What is tear gas?

The term tear gas refers to a group of chemical irritants that can be used to control or disperse crowds. The chemicals that are used for this purpose cause irritation of mucous membranes and of the eyes including tearing (hence the name tear gas), twitching around the eyes, cough, difficulty breathing and irritation to the skin. They are believed to be short-term irritants and unlikely to kill or cause permanent harm, especially if delivered at relatively low levels, on a single occasion and in open spaces. At high levels in closed spaces, though, they can be lethal.

The chemicals are solids, not gasses, but may be delivered dispersed as aerosols in pyrotechnic mixtures that disperse the chemical during the explosion or in solutions delivered as a spray. There are multiple tear gas chemicals, the most likely of which is called 2-chlorobenzalmalonitrile or CS, which was named for Ben Corson and Roger Stoughton, American chemists who invented it in 1928. CS was adopted as the official military riot control chemical in 1959. There have been many instances of tear gas use around the world.

How does tear gas work?

These chemicals react with sensory nerve receptors that can cause pain and discomfort in skin, eyes and mucous membranes. They act almost instantly, but the irritation they induce is usually resolved in about 30 minutes to a few hours.

Can tear gas cause permanent harm?

In low level and infrequent exposures, they are unlikely to cause permanent harm. They have been used for years by the military to train on gas mask use. There is some human evidence reported of long-term effects mainly from high dose exposures in indoor situations and for long time periods. However, there is little human data on specific vulnerable populations.

Is tear gas a chemical weapon?

The 1993 International Chemical Weapons Convention, Geneva banned tear gas from being used where military forces are at war. However, a number of countries, including the U.S., have approved the use of tear gas for civilian riot control and for crowd control of non-military persons.

Does tear gas boost risk of COVID-19?

Since tear gas irritates the lungs and COVID-19 is mostly a respiratory disease, are those who experience tear gas at greater risk of contracting COVID-19? Because the coronavirus responsible for the current pandemic is novel, there is no history or precedent to tell us whether tear gas exposure would enhance susceptibility. If the tear gas exposure was brief, the individual involved was healthy to begin with, and the resulting irritation subsided quickly, it is logical to assume that vulnerability to the novel coronavirus would not be increased, based on the long history of tear gas use with relatively few long term outcomes. But, again, there is no precedent or history to inform us.

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Tear gas used on peaceful protesters is a chemical weapon banned by Geneva Convention during war - Milwaukee Independent

WNBAs proposed return-to-play plan could benefit Sky: Chemistry is always the key – Chicago Sun-Times

Posted on June 14, 2020 by Danzig

As the WNBA continues to mull a return-to-play plan, Sky coach James Wade returned to Chicago this week after spending the last several months in Montpellier, France, with his family.

Could this be a positive sign?

I guess, Wade said in his typical sly way. I dont know.

ESPN reported Friday that the league proposed a 22-game regular season that would be played at the IMG Academy campus in Bradenton, Florida. Under this tentative plan, the season could start as early as July 24, and players reportedly would earn 100% of their salaries.

The playoff format would remain the standard length, ESPN reported. The season must end by Oct. 31, according to the collective-bargaining agreement.

Players will vote on the proposal over the weekend. If approved, a formal announcement is expected Monday.

Wade has seen the reports but said he hasnt received any additional information about the upcoming season, which originally was scheduled to start May 15 but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He remains optimistic, however, that the WNBA will have a season. He pointed to the recent developments from other American professional sports leagues, such as the NBA and National Womens Soccer League, which have agreed to resume play in the near future, as positive signs.

The first key is the health and safety of everyone, Wade said. I feel like if that can be done with minimal risk, I think that would be great. And, of course, I think everybody thats in the WNBA, to make it on that level, either coaching or playing, they have a high competitive spirit. I think everybody wants to play.

If the league and players union agree to go forward with a shortened season, the Sky might have an upper hand on some of their opponents.

Chemistry is always the key, Wade said. I think us having a familiarity with each other and knowing each other and really liking to be with each other is going to help, especially with the quick turnaround, and that potentially can happen.

The Sky had an undeniably strong bond last season, which helped them go from a 10th-place finish in 2018 to a top-five team in the league in 2019 under first-year coach Wade.

While the landscape of the league changed drastically this offseason, with several high-profile players deciding to leave their teams in free agency, the Sky brought back most of their roster from last season.

Many Sky players have alluded to having unfinished business after their postseason run fell short. But guard Kahleah Copper, who re-signed with the Sky in February, also pointed to the teams closeness as a reason she decided to stay.

This team feels like home, Copper said. Theres just something about the vibrancy and just our vibes as a whole. Its just unmatched and undeniable, and theres no way that I could go anywhere else.

With training camp this year likely being shorter than in previous seasons, the Sky wont have to waste valuable time getting acquainted with one another. And Jantel Lavender said she thinks itll be a smooth transition from last season to this one.

Weve had Zoom meetings where we meet every week, so were staying in touch with each other to try to keep that chemistry and keep that flame alive, she said. I think well pick up where we left off, just hungry and ready to play and ready to win.

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WNBAs proposed return-to-play plan could benefit Sky: Chemistry is always the key - Chicago Sun-Times

Vanguard chemistry teacher named finalist for Florida’s Teacher of the Year – Ocala News

Posted on May 30, 2020 by Danzig

Euan Hunter

Vanguard High School IB chemistry teacher Euan Hunter is a finalist for Floridas 2021 Teacher of the Year.

Hunter, Marion Countys current Teacher of the Year, was one of five finalists surprised with the announcement Thursday during online Zoom meetings hosted by Chancellor Jacob Oliva and Dep. Chancellor Dr. Paul Burns with the Florida Department of Education.

Named Marion Countys 2020 Teacher of the Year in January, Hunter donated the cash equivalent of a new car lease he won to the Public Education Foundation of Marion County, which sponsors the Golden Apple teacher competition. These funds are paying for science equipment for all students to use at the Silver River Museum, where Hunter regularly takes his students on field trips.

Hunter joined Marion County Public Schools in 2015 and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Edinburgh. He earned post-graduate certification in Chemistry and Science from the University of Cumbria and received a masters in Leadership and Management from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland.

An avid grant writer, Hunter has secured more than $100,000 in grants to not only benefit his students and classrooms but those throughout the district.

The Florida Department of Education typically names the Teacher of the Year in July out of nearly 200,000 teachers statewide.

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Vanguard chemistry teacher named finalist for Florida's Teacher of the Year - Ocala News

Geology and Chemistry Drive Animal Migration in the Serengeti – Eos

Posted on May 30, 2020 by Danzig

The most famous migration in the animal kingdom is undoubtedly that of wildebeests. Every year, roughly 1.2 million of the ungulates wind their way through Africas Serengeti ecosystem. Researchers now have preliminary evidence that this record-setting migration is dictated by more than just precipitation patterns: Soil chemistry is also a likely driver.

The Serengeti is one of the last great migratory systems weve got left.Wildebeests resemble shaggy cows with long, skinny legs. They look funny, said Simon Kbler, a geoscientist at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. They look like a mixture of several animals. Most people know the animals from nature documentaries showing them traversing the Mara River, a perilous crossing marked by drownings and hungry crocodiles.

Every year, the animals journey roughly 500 kilometers through wide plains covered with short grasses, as well as through wooded areas and landscapes withmixedgrasses and shrubs. Theyre following the route that their ancestors did, and that movement merits study, said Josephine Mahony, an environmental scientist at the University of Oxford not involved in the research. The Earth has lost a lot of its migratory ecosystems over time. The Serengeti is one of the last great migratory systems weve got left.

Scientists have often studied wildebeest migration from a climatic perspective but rarely from the angle of rock chemistry and weathering, said Kbler. And whats in the ground might have a significant influence on animal grazing patterns because soil nutrient levels modulate vegetation growth.

Last October, Kbler and three colleagues from German and African institutions met in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Starting in the southeastern part of the park, the researchers spent 2 weeks in a beige Toyota Land Cruiser retracing the wildebeests clockwise migration route.

Along the way, Kbler and his collaborators collected samples of rock, soil, and vegetation. The aim, said Kbler, was to obtain a chemical fingerprint of the landscape. That fingerprint would allow the team to determine how factors such as geology, volcanism, and tectonic activity might be affecting soil chemistry and nutrient availability, which in turn influence vegetation growth and therefore migration patterns.

Most of the samples are still awaiting analysis in a laboratory in Arusha, Tanzania, said Kbler. But the team, represented by Eileen Eckmeier from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, presented several preliminary results at this months EGU2020: Sharing Geoscience Online, a virtual series hosted by the European Geosciences Union.

The site farthest south that the team sampledwithin the animals springtime grazing groundsis characterized by soils enriched by a nearby volcano, the researchers found. Ol Doinyo Lengai, roughly 50 kilometers east of Serengeti National Park, holds a unique honor among volcanoes: It produces magma rich in sodium and calcium. (Thats unlike most other volcanoes, which spew out silica-rich magma.)

Ash from Ol Doinyo Lengai rains down on the southeastern part of the park and sprinkles calcium into the soil, Kbler said. You can see calcium carbonate concretions in the soils.

The geological system thats underlying the entire ecosystem might be stable for longer periods of time.This nutrient contributes to soil fertility, which in turn promotes vegetation growth. Calcium also helps animals develop strong bones. Its probably not a coincidence that wildebeests graze here with their young, said Kbler. We believe that the activity of Ol Doinyo Lengai, as the calcium source for the southeastern part of the ecosystem, is critical for keeping the migration alive.

The next site that the team visited was a transitional grazing spot where wildebeests spend late fall and early winter. Chemical analyses are still in progress, but we believe that the nutrient levels in the soils [here] are probably the lowest, said Kbler. Wildebeest can only stay for a limited amount of time until they migrate farther north. Water-induced erosion likely contributes to the poor soil quality in this region, the team concluded.

The third and final site the scientists analyzed was near the northernmost border of the park, where wildebeests spend the late summer and early fall. Because of high precipitation levels in this area, rocks experience more chemical weathering, the team hypothesized, which releases nutrients into the soil and promotes vegetation growth. Furthermore, theres a source of fresh rock because tectonic activity and uplift are occurring near this part of the park, said Kbler. Tectonic processes can expose fresh and unweathered rocks.

In the future, Kbler and his colleagues plan to study the timescales over which geologically important processes like volcanism and tectonic activity occur. Climatic signals may be active on shorter timescales, said Kbler. The geological system thats underlying the entire ecosystem might be stable for longer periods of time.

Katherine Kornei (@KatherineKornei), Science Writer

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Geology and Chemistry Drive Animal Migration in the Serengeti - Eos

New Research Aims To Improve Flavor Chemistry In Tennessee Whiskey Production – The Whiskey Wash

Posted on October 10, 2020 by Danzig

New research from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture showed insight into the coal filtration process of making Tennessee Whiskey, finding a way for distillers to minimize unwanted odor profiles.Assistant Professor John P. Munafo Jr. and his graduate student Trenton Kerley published their findings in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, making it the latest research published on the subject in more than a century.

The study analyzed changes in flavor chemistry during charcoal filtration a common step in most distilled beverage production, such as vodka or rum, that is required for a bottle to be labeled Tennessee Whiskey.They measured 31 whiskey odorants through stable isotope dilution assay that all showed a decrease in concentration after the Lincoln County Process (LCP) to varying degrees. While LCP removes certain odorants, the process didnt increase or add any new ones.

We want to provide the analytical tools needed to help enable distillers to have more control of their processes and make more consistent and flavorful whiskey, said Munafo in a prepared statement . We want to help them to take out some of the guesswork involved in whiskey production.

The process is intentionally mysterious as the actual LCP differs somewhat among distillers and is considered a trade secret. There are no regulations on how the process is performed, its just required that the manufacturer pass the distillate over charcoal. The number of charcoals or for how long is up to the distillers.

In the LCP process, just distilled whiskey passes through a bed of charcoal, usually made from burnt sugar maple, before barreling. This process is widely believed to create a smoother finish, though no scientific research backs that claim, and it is possible itcould impact the flavor profile of the whiskey positively or negatively. Distillers adjust parameters empirically throughout the production process, relying on professional tasters to sample products.

By gaining a fundamental understanding of the changes in flavor chemistry occurring during whiskey production, our team could advise distillers about exactly what changes are needed to make their process produce their desired flavor goals. We want to give distillers levers to pull, so they are not randomly or blindly attempting to get the precise flavor they want, Munafo said.

Munafo analyzed samples from the Sugarlands Distilling Company in Gatlinburg for their research, noting thatLCP treatment generally decreased malty, rancid, fatty, and roasted aromas, and of the 49 odorants which cause smell sensations that were identified in the samples, nine were never-before-reported in scientific whiskey literature.

The researchers found two odorants with significantly low odor thresholds: the DMPF whiskey odorant, which is typically found in cocoa, and MND, which has a pleasant dried hay-like aroma. This means the smells can be detected at very low levels by people, but are challenging to report with scientific instruments.

It is believed the knowledge gained from this study can be used to optimize Tennessee whiskey production. For instance, the process can be optimized for the removal of undesirable aromas, while maintaining higher levels of desirable aromas, thus tailoring the flavor profile of the finished whiskey.

New studies are now underway to characterize both the flavor chemistry of different types of whiskey and their production processes. Even with the aid of science, Munafo said, whiskey making will still remain an impressive art form.

Syria Is Still Trying to Use Chemical Weapons – Foreign Policy

Posted on October 10, 2020 by Danzig

Syria continues to obtain components for its chemical weapons and missile programs, the Trump administration said in a report to Congress this year, as Bashar al-Assads regime seeks to restore capabilities eroded by a near-decade-long civil war and successive U.S. airstrikes.

The findingconfirmed to Foreign Policy by current and former U.S. officials, as well as diplomatic sources who spoke on condition of anonymitycomes as current and former Trump administration officials worry that a potential buildup of missile production facilities inside Syria could threaten Israel.

Despite having completed destruction of Syrias declared [chemical weapons] production facilities and stockpile of [chemical weapons] agent, the Assad regime continues to pursue chemical weapons and has used both chlorine and sarin on a number of occasions over the course of the conflict, the State Department reported to Congress this year in a document obtained by Foreign Policy. We believe the Assad regime is seeking to reestablish strategic weapons production capabilities it lost in the course of the conflict and we continue to see Syrian procurement activity in support of its chemical weapons and missile programs.

In a U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday, Kelly Craft, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, accused Syria of breaching its obligation under the Chemical Weapons Convention and U.N. resolutions to dismantle its chemical weapons program. The United States attributes more than 50 instances of chemical weapons use to the Assad regime, mostly launched from aircraft and targeting civilians in residential neighborhoods, markets, and hospitals. Many of the chemical weapons stockpiled by the regime in the face of international arms control treaties are capable of being launched by Syrias ballistic missiles.

Its not clear to U.S. officials that Iran would consider transferring ballistic missiles directly to Assad, a move that would significantly extend the range of Damascuss deadly sarin and chlorine stockpiles. But the Syrian regimes continued efforts to secure chemical weapons have raised concerns in Washington and Jerusalem.

Collaboration between Iranian proxies and Damascus in weapons production is not unheard of. In the past, the Syrian regime developed an improvised rocket munition to fire chemical weapons based on designs from Hezbollah, and Janes Defence Weekly has reported on Iran previously aiding in the growth of Syrias surface-to-surface missile program.

In the report to Congress obtained by Foreign Policy, the State Department warned that Iran was also exploiting the Syrian war to build up a coterie of multinational militia forces along border crossing routes and to fly armed drones into nearby Israel. One former Trump administration official said the United States has greenlit Israeli airstrikes inside Syria targeting Iranian efforts to house missile facilities near its border, considered a red line for Israel. Concerns about Iranian missile sites have only grown, officials and diplomatic sources said, as Iran has stepped up efforts to produce precision guidance kits on Syrian soil that can increase the accuracy of short-range missiles fired at Israel.

In the meantime, Assads continued effort to rebuild Syrias chemical weapons production appears significant not only for the human rights implications but also for the threats it would pose to U.S. allies and partners.

The reemergence of Assads offensive chemical weapons program, that would be significant, said Daryl Kimball, the executive director of the Arms Control Association. Its one thing to have barrel bombs dropped from helicopters. Its another thing entirely to have sarin available for deploying on ballistic missiles that can hit other countries in the region. Those are two very different threats.

Kimball said it would be difficult for nongovernmental organizations to independently confirm whether Assad was taking steps to rebuild his chemical weapons program. Still, it would not be surprising if the U.S. intelligence community assessed that the Assad regime was trying to reconstitute some of its previous programs, he said. If it does have evidence, it has a responsibility to bring this evidence to the [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW] so it can bring the full weight of the organization and international community to bear on Syria.

The resilience of Assads chemical weapons program appears to fly in the face of optimism from U.S. civilian and military officials after successive U.S.-led missile strikes against air bases and facilities in 2017 and 2018. Then-Joint Chiefs of Staff Director Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie did not rule out the possibility of future chemical weapons attacks by the regime in 2018, though he said the multinational attack that included Britain and France had dealt a very serious blow to the heart of Assads program. But former officials said the Trump administration had to balance its desire to strike a blow against the Syrian regime with concerns about collateral damage on a crowded battlefield.

We definitely wanted to do something actual to their capability that wasnt just symbolic, but we also didnt want to kill a bunch of Russians, said a former senior Trump administration official. It would have depleted their general ability, but we didnt want to hit a bunch of places that had Iranian and Russian advisors there.

But even before the strikes, Western intelligence agencies and international weapons inspectors long suspected that Assad hid some stores of chemical weapons after declaring he had eliminated the entire program as part of a pact brokered by the United States and Russia in 2013. Those concerns have been repeatedly reinforced by persistent reports that Syrian forces continue to fire munitions filled with sarin and chlorine at civilian towns in rebel-controlled territory.

As far back as 2016, international chemical weapons experts at the Hague-based OPCW described a troubling pattern of incomplete and inaccurate disclosures about the scale of Syrias ongoing chemical weapons program, according to a confidential 2016 report that was reviewed by Foreign Policy.

We, therefore, remain very concerned that [chemical weapons] agent and associated munitions, subject to declaration and destruction, have been illicitly retained by Syria, said Washingtons then-envoy to the OPCW, Kenneth Ward, at the time.

There have been indications that Syria has sought to reconstitute its chemical weapons program. The United States has been sanctioning front companies working for the Syrian chemical weapons program since 2013 and 2014that would indicate ongoing attempts at procurement, said Gregory Koblentz, a professor at George Mason University.

For instance, France issued a statement in April 2017 claiming that Syrians were trying to acquire stores of isopropanol, a chemical precursor used in the production of sarin. The OPCW also said it had found major inconsistencies in Syrian regime explanations for the discovery of traces of sarin in sites that hadnt been declared to inspectors as weapons facilities.

This year, a U.N. panel of experts monitoring North Koreas compliance with U.N. sanctions found that Pyongyang had been routinely shipping potentially critical supplies to a Syrian entitythe Scientific Studies and Research Centerthat oversaw Syrias chemical weapons program.

Koblentz said the administrations reference to a strategic program suggested that Syria may be seeking to expand its chemical weapons threat to deter attacks by regional rivals, particularly Israel. While some U.S. officials believe that the Trump administrations steady diet of sanctions against Assad has dampened his wherewithal to cause trouble in the region, experts insist that the regime will still look to double down on its chemical weapons arsenal.

The first thing you always have to say is that the disarmament was incomplete and not just in terms of volumes of agents but what production capacities may have survived, said Tobias Sc
hneider, a research fellow at the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin who has conducted several studies of the Assad regimes chemical weapons program.

It was the consensus that the program had survived and it was being consolidated on a smaller scale but that it quietly continued, he said.

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Syria Is Still Trying to Use Chemical Weapons - Foreign Policy

Fashion for Good consortium kicks off chemical-recycling initiative – ChemEngOnline

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Danzig

The Fashion for Good consortium has initiated Full Circle Textiles Project: Scaling Innovations in Cellulosic Recycling a first-of-its-kind consortium project. As much as 73% of clothing produced is sent to landfill or is incinerated, and of all new clothing made, less than 1% of material used comes from recycled sources. Focusing on cellulosic fibers, this project aims to validate and eventually scale promising technologies in chemical recycling from a select group of innovators to tackle these issues. Leading global organizations Laudes Foundation, Birla Cellulose, Kering, PVH Corp. and Target join Fashion for Good, to explore the disruptive solutions, with the goal of creating new fibers and garments from used clothing and ultimately drive industry-wide adoption.

The Projects overall aim is to investigate economically viable and scalable solutions for cellulosic chemical recycling to enable a closed loop system converting textile waste of cotton and cotton-blend materials, to produce new man-made cellulosic fibers.

To read the full project report, see fashionforgood.com/chemical-recycling.

Man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF) such as Viscose/Rayon, Lyocell, Modal and Cupro, are most commonly derived from wood and have the third largest share in global fibre production after polyester and cotton. Man-made cellulosic fibres are of increasing importance; production of MMFCs has doubled in the last 30 years and is forecast for continued growth over the coming years.

A bold approach is needed to identify and scale innovations that drive sustainable change in the fashion industry. This multi-stakeholder consortium, a first-of-its-kind, addresses the most important barriers to scaling innovation, setting the precedent for all industry players with ambitions for disruptive innovation to follow. Katrin Ley, Managing Director, Fashion for Good

Over an 18-month period, project partners will collaborate with innovators, Evrnu, Infinited Fiber Company, Phoenxt, Renewcell and Tyton BioSciences, to validate the potential of their technologies in this still nascent market. The recycled content produced by four of these innovators will be converted at Birla Celluloses state of the art pilot plants to produce high quality cellulosic fibers. From there, fibers will move through the project partners supply chains to be manufactured into garments. Given that Infinited Fiber Company produces industry-ready fiber through their process, their fiber will be delivered directly to the project partners supply chains for garment production. The Project will provide an assessment of the innovators environmental impact, technologies, recycled output and subsequent garments. These results along with the Project key learnings should determine how best to support and scale these promising solutions.

The need of the hour is to co-create sustainable solutions for the fashion industry that can be scaled rapidly and economically. Mr. Dilip Gaur, Business Director, Birla Cellulose, Aditya Birla Group

Textile recycling is a key focus for Fashion for Good as a crucial lever in driving the fashion industry towards closed loop production. A systemic change towards circularity will ultimately reduce the environmental impact of textile waste and potentially eliminate our dependence on virgin materials entirely. Furthermore, producing man-made cellulosic fibres through chemical recycling can help preserve ancient and endangered forests. Scalable solutions in high quality textile recycling technologies are therefore urgently needed.

Next generation solutions are the path to meeting the climate and biodiversity targets that scientists are calling for by 2030. Weve seen promising momentum in recent years as weve worked with brands, producers and innovators to build strong market demand and Identified a great pipeline of game changing technologies. Now we need investment and broad industry adoption to make these Next Gen Solutions a commercially available reality. Nicole Rycroft Founder and Executive Director, Canopy

Circularity in textile-to-textile recycling presents the fashion industry with a complex challenge based on the technology available today. While mechanical recycling is technically feasible, there are significant drawbacks; high purity feedstock, such as cotton, is required to produce output of sufficient quality and recovered fibers are of inferior strength when compared with the virgin equivalent. Chemical recycling is able to address these shortcomings; however, the technology has a number of barriers to overcome including a lack of financing, relatively small-scale output and limited offtake commitment from brands.

The unique consortium of brands, fiber producers, manufacturers and innovators is an intentional convening of essential stakeholders in line with key learnings identified in the recently published report by Fashion for Good and Boston Consulting Group Financing the Transformation in the Fashion Industry. In order to bring disruptive solutions to scale, the industry needs bespoke consortiums of brands, supply chain partners, innovators, and investors with a shared technology focus to concentrate resources and de-risk investments.

Chemical recycling faces multiple barriers to scale and industry adoption; a key barrier being risk-tolerant investment for innovations that can enable testing, refinement and scale. We hope that our investment in the Full Circle Textiles Project will enable wider adoption and catalytic investment across the industry to map the course of change together. Anita Chester, Head of Materials, Laudes Foundation (formerly C&A Foundation)

The formation of this targeted consortium expands on previous pilot project structures and is the first attempt at such a multi-stakeholder collaboration in the fashion industry,to create a streamlined ecosystem that drives a structured innovation process and ultimately, industry-wide adoption.

Financing the Transformation in the Fashion Industry details further actions required to scale sustainable solutions including a concerted, industry-wide effort to provide the incentives, financial means and focus to accelerate transformation to sustainable and circular practices. Thus, through this Project and its consortium, Fashion for Good hopes to inspire other stakeholders to follow suit in supporting chemical recycling innovators to trial and ultimately secure offtake, catalysing the transformation to a truly circular economy.

To officially kickoff the Project, Fashion for Good hosted an online media briefing and panel discussion with guest panellists, Mr Dilip Gaur, Business Director of the Aditya Birla Group, Samantha Sims, Vice President, Environmental Sustainability & Product Stewardship, PVH Corp., Christine Goulay, Head of Sustainable Innovation, Kering, Nicole Rycroft, Founder & Executive Director, Canopy and Katrin Ley, Managing Director of Fashion for Good. The media briefing outlined the scope of the project, introduced the selected innovators and consortium partners, as well as opening the floor to questions from invited media.

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Fashion for Good consortium kicks off chemical-recycling initiative - ChemEngOnline

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