Stereo Chemistry

As the science of drug discovery has grown in scale and gotten more complicated, so have the drug molecules themselves. But there’s a promising class of drugs made of just a handful of atoms that punch above their weight by leveraging the natural chemistry of the cell. Recent discoveries have opened up a new era of pharmaceutical chemistry that some people are calling a golden age. In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, reporter Laura Howes explains this exciting field of research and its implications for the drugs of the future. C&EN Uncovered, a project from C&EN’s podcast, Stereo Chemistry, offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories. Check out Laura’s cover story on small-molecule drugs at cenm.ag/smallmol. Subscribe to Stereo Chemistry now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. A transcript of this episode is available at cenm.ag/smallmolpod. Credits Executive producer: Gina Vitale C&EN Uncovered host: Craig Bettenhausen Reporter: Laura Howes Audio editor: Brian Gutierrez Copyeditor: Bran Vickers Story editor: Mitch Jacoby Episode artwork: Chris Gash Music: “Hot Chocolate,” by Aves Contact Stereo Chemistry: Contact us on social media at @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

Resting on the bottom of the ocean are potato-sized nodules of valuable minerals that are more or less up for grabs. Multiple corporations and some nations are racing to build deep-sea drones that can withstand the extreme conditions at the seafloor and bring these 1-20 cm nodules to eager buyers on the surface. Many of the metals in these nodules are critical for green technologies like batteries. But these nodules are also an important part of ecosystems we are just beginning to understand. In this episode, C&EN reporter Priyanka Runwal chats with host Craig Bettenhausen about this complex issue. C&EN Uncovered, a project from C&EN’s podcast, Stereo Chemistry, offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories. Check out Runwal’s full story at cenm.ag/seafloormine. For more about mining the oceans, check out this episode of Stereo Chemistry from earlier this year about filtering minerals directly out of the water: cenm.ag/ocean Subscribe to Stereo Chemistry now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. A transcript of this episode is available at cenm.ag/deapsea. Credits Executive producer: Gina Vitale C&EN Uncovered host: Craig Bettenhausen Reporter: Priyanka Runwal Audio editor: Brian Gutierrez Copyeditor: Bran Vickers Story editor: Laura Howes Episode artwork: Diva Amon/Craig Smith/University of Hawaii Music: “Hot Chocolate,” by Aves Contact Stereo Chemistry: Contact us on social media at @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

The Nobel Prize announcements are big events at Chemical & Engineering News. But we find out the winners at the same time as everyone else. Then, the race is on for our reporters. This year, staffers Laurel Oldach and Mitch Jacoby took on the task of covering the science prizes. In this episode, they reflect on this year’s winning research in chemistry and medicine and share what it’s like covering the most prestigious prizes in science. C&EN Uncovered, a project from C&EN’s podcast, Stereo Chemistry, offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories. Check out our reporting on the 2023 Nobel Prizes at https://cen.acs.org/magazine/101/10133.html. Subscribe to Stereo Chemistry now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. A transcript of this episode is available at cenm.ag/nobelpod23 Credits Executive producer: Gina Vitale Host: Gina Vitale Reporters: Mitch Jacoby and Laura Oldach Audio editor: Brian Gutierrez Copyeditor: Bran Vickers Story editor: Chris Gorski Episode artwork: Milad Abolhasani/NCSU Music: “Hot Chocolate,” by Aves Contact Stereo Chemistry: Contact us on social media at @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

The first issue of C&EN was published in 1923 with the stated purpose of “the promotion of research, the development of the chemical industry, and the welfare of the chemist.” The world of chemistry has grown a lot since then, and the magazine has been there to report on it all. To celebrate our 100th anniversary, C&EN reporter and informal historian Alex Tullo has sifted through thousands of issues of the magazine, and in this episode, he guides our host Craig Bettenhausen on a tour through the magazine’s history from the industrialization of plastics, to the environmental movement, to the modern era of digital publication. When this episode was recorded, Tullo was preparing the From the Archives feature for the 1980s, which is now published. C&EN Uncovered, a project from C&EN’s podcast, Stereo Chemistry, offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories. Read Alex’s entire series about the C&EN archives at cenm.ag/fromthearchives. A transcript of this episode can be found at http://cenm.ag/100yearspod. Credits Executive producer: Gina Vitale C&EN Uncovered host: Craig Bettenhausen Reporter: Alex Tullo Audio editor: Brian Gutierrez Copyeditor: Bran Vickers Story editor: Manny I. Fox Morone Episode artwork: Shutterstock/Kay Youn/Will Ludwig/C&EN Music: “Hot Chocolate” by Aves Contact Stereo Chemistry: Contact us on social media @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

Early-career scientists are increasingly gravitating toward science policy, but the transition from the research bench to the policy office can be a tricky one. What can that path look like, and how can chemistry knowledge translate into a successful science policy career? In this bonus episode of C&EN’s Bonding Time, Mark Feuer DiTusa sits down with recent science PhD graduates and science policy professionals Jennifer DiStefano and Jared Mondschein to hear about their intertwined journeys, what science policy looks like for them, and how they think policy is shaping the direction of chemistry in the US. You can find the episode where we spoke with six chemists about their yearlong science policy fellowships in Washington, DC, at http://cenm.ag/lessons. You can connect with Jennifer DiStefano and Jared Mondschein at their LinkedIn pages. A transcript of this episode can be found at http://cenm.ag/scipolicy Credits Executive producer: Gina Vitale Writer: Mark Feuer DiTusa Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa, Brian Gutierrez Story editor: Ariana Remmel Copyeditor: Sabrina Ashwell, Michael McCoy Show logo design: William A. Ludwig Episode artwork: William A. Ludwig Music (in order of appearance): “The Beat Detector” by Novembers, "Sugar Cubes" by Avner Kelmer Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us at @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

Hydrogen might be the key to a clean energy future, but only if it can be made without fossil fuels. Most hydrogen today is made from methane. With generous government tax credits and enthusiasm for sustainable technology, the race is on for green hydrogen. Craig Bettenhausen, our usual host, guides C&EN associate editor Gina Vitale through the hydrogen rainbow and how the periodic table’s number 1 element could become the number 1 fuel. C&EN Uncovered, a new project from C&EN’s podcast, Stereo Chemistry, offers a deeper look at subjects from recent cover stories. Read Bettenhausen’s July 3, 2023, cover story about hydrogen electrolyzers at cenm.ag/hydrolyzers. A transcript of this episode is available at cenm.ag/greenhydrogen. Credits Executive producer: Gina Vitale Host: Gina Vitale Cover story reporter: Craig Bettenhausen Audio editor: Brian Gutierrez Story editor: Michael McCoy Copyeditor: Sabrina Ashwell Show logo design: William A. Ludwig Episode artwork: Nel Music: “Hot Chocolate” by Aves Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

The modern world runs on electronic devices and energy systems that are powered by valuable elements such as lithium and uranium. There are a limited number of terrestrial mines that produce energy-critical elements, which makes the supply of these materials prone to disruption. So researchers are looking to an unconventional source: seawater. Almost every element on the periodic table can be found in global oceans–but most are dissolved in ultralow concentrations. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, we’ll hear from scientists in the United States and European Union about why they’re interested in extracting metals and minerals from seawater and how they’re using chemistry to do it. A transcript of this episode will be available soon at cen.acs.org. Download the Chemistry News by C&EN mobile app for iOS and Android. Learn more about lithium mining from our September 2022 episode. Credits Producers: Ariana Remmel, Kerri Jansen Writer: Mitch Jacoby Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa Story editors: Gina Vitale, Craig Bettenhausen Copyeditor: Sabrina Ashwell Show logo design: William A. Ludwig Episode artwork: Shutterstock/C&EN Staff Music (in order of appearance): “Daydream” by Ikoliks, “Distance” by Daniel Brown Sound effects (in order of appearance): “Small waves, rocks and beach” from BigSoundBank.com Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

Be they powered by fossil fuels, batteries, or hydrogen, cars are here to stay. So what can be done to make tires greener? In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, C&EN reporters Alex Scott and Craig Bettenhausen look at where the rubber meets the road, literally. Scott examined efforts to make tires more sustainable in a recent cover story for C&EN. He found people working on the movement and fate of tiny specks of tire-and-asphalt dust in the environment as well as large-scale efforts to shift to biobased and recycled raw materials when making new tires. C&EN Uncovered, a project from C&EN’s podcast, Stereo Chemistry, offers another look at subjects from recent cover stories. Read Scott’s May 29th, 2023, cover story about how the tire industry is pushing to become more sustainable at https://bit.ly/42MMseA. A transcript of this episode is available at https://bit.ly/3Kw5gID. Credits Executive producer: Gina Vitale C&EN Uncovered host: Craig Bettenhausen Cover story reporter: Alex Scott Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa Story editor: Michael McCoy, Ariana Remmel, Laura Howes Copyeditor: Sabrina Ashwell Show logo design: William A. Ludwig Episode artwork: Pyrum Innovations Music: “Hot Chocolate” by Aves Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

When two wastewater treatment facilities in Baltimore, Maryland, broke down in early 2021, the surrounding waterways began filling up with sewage. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, C&EN business reporter Craig Bettenhausen takes the pod to visit the Back River Plant and Patapsco Plant in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to demystify how these facilities treat wastewater and take a deep dive into the chemistry behind enhanced nutrient removal systems. Chemical engineers, environmental advocates, and infrastructure experts explore what happens to aquatic ecosystems when wastewater treatment systems fail–and share their perspectives on reimagining wastewater as a chemical treasure trove in the future. Listen to our bonus episode with Kerri Jansen here: cenm.ag/jansen-podcast A transcript of this episode is available at https://cenm.ag/treatment. Credits Producers: Ariana Remmel, Kerri Jansen; Writer: Craig Bettenhausen; Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa; Story editors: Ariana Remmel, Gina Vitale, Chris Gorski, Mike McCoy; Copyeditor: Sydney Smith; Show logo design: William A. Ludwig; Episode artwork: Craig Bettenhausen; Music (in order of appearance): "Refuge" by Walz, "Lunch Time" by Avner Kelmer

Stereo Chemistry’s longtime host Kerri Jansen is stepping down from her role as executive producer of the podcast. Jansen has been with Stereo Chemistry since it began in 2018, and has played an integral role in the production of C&EN’s flagship podcast. In this bonus episode, Jansen talks with C&EN’s interim coeditors for audio & video, Ariana Remmel and Gina Vitale, about some of her favorite episodes from the Stereo Chemistry archives. A transcript of this episode is now available at https://cenm.ag/jansen-podcast. Listen to some of Kerri’s favorite Stereo Chemistry episodes: How helium shortages have changed science Lithium mining’s water use sparks bitter conflicts and novel chemistry Nobel laureates Frances Arnold and Jennifer Doudna on prizes, pandemics, and Jimmy Page A world without Rosalind Franklin Why chemists are excited by exascale computing There’s more to James Harris’s story Credits Producers/hosts: Ariana Remmel, Gina Vitale; Audio editor: Ariana Remmel, Mark Feuer DiTusa; Story editor: Michael McCoy, Krystal Vasquez; Copyeditor: Brianna Barbu; Logo design: William A. Ludwig; Episode artwork: Shutterstock/C&EN Staff; Music (in order of appearance): “Deer Dance” by Ian Post, “Hot Chocolate” by Aves, and “Sunbeam” by EFGR. Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

Carbon capture and sequestration is the trapping of CO2 emitted by industrial processes and depositing it beneath the Earth’s surface. Spurred on by tax credits offered by recent federal legislation, companies are racing to implement the technology in geologically suitable locations such as in Louisiana. However, the community around Lake Maurepas, Louisiana, has resisted efforts by Air Products to greenlight such a project under the lake. In this episode, C&EN reporters Craig Bettenhausen and Rick Mullin discuss the fears of the community around the implementation of carbon capture and sequestration around Lake Maurepas and the response from Air Products. C&EN Uncovered, a new project from C&EN’s podcast, Stereo Chemistry, offers another look at subjects from recent cover stories. Read Mullin’s April 2nd, 2023, cover story about carbon capture and sequestration around Lake Maurepas at https://bit.ly/3W4lbCE. A transcript of this episode is available at https://bit.ly/uncoveredlakemaurepas. Credits Executive producer: Gina Vitale C&EN Uncovered host: Craig Bettenhausen Cover story reporter: Rick Mullin Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa Story editor: Michael McCoy, Ariana Remmel Copyeditor: Michele Arboit Show logo design: William A. Ludwig Episode artwork: Julie Dermansky Music: “Hot Chocolate” by Aves Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org. UPDATE The episode description was updated on May 18, 2023, to include words that were accidentally omitted in the sentence about geologically suitable locations. The example location of Louisiana was originally missing.

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are cheaper, safer, and longer lasting than batteries made with nickel- and cobalt-based cathodes. In China, the streets are full of electric vehicles using this technology. But LFP never caught on as a chemistry for electric vehicle batteries in North America. In this episode, C&EN reporters Craig Bettenhausen and Matt Blois talk about the promise and risks of bringing lithium iron phosphate to a North American market. C&EN Uncovered, a new project from C&EN’s podcast, Stereo Chemistry, offers another look at subjects from recent cover stories. Read Blois’s Jan. 30, 2023, cover story about lithium iron phosphate at http://bit.ly/3nbMkpK. A transcript of this episode is available at https://bit.ly/3lzGtKy. Credits Executive producer: Kerri Jansen C&EN Uncovered host: Craig Bettenhausen Cover story reporter: Matt Blois Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa Story editor: Michael McCoy Copyeditor: Sabrina Ashwell Show logo design: William A. Ludwig Episode artwork: David Girai Photography Music: “Hot Chocolate” by Aves Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

Researchers reported finding microplastics in drinking water nearly 5 years ago, prompting California lawmakers to require monitoring of the state’s drinking water for the tiny particles. But in 2018, there were no standard methods for analyzing microplastics. So California regulators reached out to chemists and toxicologists from all sectors to develop those methods. They also sought assistance in developing a health-based limit to help consumers understand what the monitoring results mean for their health. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, we will hear from some of the scientists leading those groundbreaking efforts. A transcript of this episode is available at https://bit.ly/41g6uPa. Credits Executive producer/host: Kerri Jansen Writer: Britt Erickson Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa Story editors: Jyllian Kemsley, Michael McCoy, Ariana Remmel Audience editor: Dorea I. Reeser Copyeditor: Sabrina Ashwell, Heather Holt Logo design: William A. Ludwig Episode artwork: Shutterstock Music (in order of appearance): “The Process” by Kevin Graham, “Goodness Gracious” by Louis Adrien Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a supercomputer named Frontier has broken the exascale computing barrier, meaning it can calculate more than a million trillion floating-point operations per second. In this episode, C&EN reporters Craig Bettenhausen and Ariana Remmel discuss how Frontier works and what that kind of power could mean for computational chemistry. C&EN Uncovered, a new project from C&EN’s podcast, Stereo Chemistry, offers a deeper look at subjects from recent cover stories. Read Remmel’s Sept. 5, 2022, cover story about exascale computing at https://bit.ly/3RkPjr6. A transcript of this episode is available at https://bit.ly/3HNK1S0. Credits Stereo Chemistry executive producer: Kerri Jansen C&EN Uncovered host: Craig Bettenhausen Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa Copyeditor: Sabrina J. Ashwell Additional review: Dorea Reeser, Manny I. Fox Morone, Michael Torrice Episode artwork: Matt Chinworth Music: "Hot Chocolate" by Aves Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us at @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

In this bonus episode of C&EN’s Bonding Time, we hear from 2022 chemistry Nobel laureates Carolyn Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, who shared the prize along with Morten Meldal for their work on click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry. After a November symposium honoring the US-based Nobel awardees at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, DC, the two chemists discussed their long history of collaboration, how winning the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has changed their lives, and how they hope to use the spotlight to break down barriers within science. A transcript of this episode is available at bit.ly/3BiU3GZ. To learn even more about this year's Nobel-winning science, listen to our October bonus episode about the prize at bit.ly/3iJ1iSc. Credits Executive producer/host: Kerri Jansen Writer: Gina Vitale Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa Story editor: Michael Torrice Copyeditor: Sabrina Ashwell Logo design: William A. Ludwig Episode artwork: Laura Morton (Bertozzi); Sandy Huffaker (Sharpless)/C&EN Music: “Street Dreams” by Julian Hartwell Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

The 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless for their development of click and bioorthogonal chemistry which are used by chemists around the world to track biological processes and produce pharmaceuticals. In this special episode of Stereo Chemistry, hosts Gina Vitale and Ariana Remmel delve into the science behind the prize and talk with organic chemist Antoni Riera to discuss the applications of the award-winning chemistry. C&EN contributor Mark Peplow also joins the Stereo Chemistry crew to talk about his conversation with Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi. Read more about this award-winning science in Mark Peplow's article about the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: https://cen.acs.org/people/nobel-prize/Click-and-biorthogonal-chemistry-win-2022-Nobel-Prize-in-Chemistry/100/web/2022/10 A transcription of this episode is available at https://cenm.ag/nobelpod22. CORRECTION: On Oct. 6, 2022, part of this episode was rerecorded to correct an error at 0:48 about when the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was announced. It was announced Oct. 5, not Oct. 6. The episode description was also updated to remove Heather Holt as copyeditor. She did not copyedit this episode. Credits Executive producer/host: Kerri Jansen Writer: Ariana Remmel, Gina Vitale Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa Story editors: Jessica Marshall Production assistance: Mark Peplow, Krystal Vasquez Audience editor: Dorea I. Reeser Logo design: William A. Ludwig Episode artwork: Laura Morton (Bertozzi), University of Copenhagen (Meldal), Sandy Huffaker (Sharpless) Press conference recordings: Courtesy of ©The Nobel Foundation Music: “Rising Tide” by C.K. Martin. Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

Replacing gas cars with electric ones is a main pillar of plans to fight climate change. But the lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars come with a cost. Communities near the Salar de Atacama in Chile, where about a quarter of the world’s lithium is extracted from salty aquifers, say mining companies pose a serious threat to the local environment and their access to water. Mining companies strongly dispute those claims. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, we’ll explore the environmental factors at play in the salar and the differing perspectives on how best to measure impact. And we’ll hear from a new group of mining start-ups that claim they can use chemical methods—as yet unproven—to extract lithium without the same impact on water. This is the first episode in a new series exploring the future of water. A transcript of this episode, along with English translations of all Spanish dialogue, is available at bit.ly/3QGlQpu. Sign up for C&EN’s email series “Advancing in the Art of Science Communication” at bit.ly/scicommadvanced. Credits Executive producer/host: Kerri Jansen Writer: Matt Blois Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa Story editors: Michael McCoy, Manny I. Fox Morone, Ariana Remmel Sensitivity editor: Sofía Jarrín Audience editor: Dorea I. Reeser Copyeditor: Heather Holt Translator: Fernando Gomollón Bel, Juan José Sáenz de la Torre Logo design: William A. Ludwig Episode artwork: SQM Music (in order of appearance): "Tinker Toys" by Colton Dewberry, "Pebbles Dance" by Roie Shpigler, "Earth & Heavens" by Sémø and Ian Post, "Street Dreams" by Julian Hartwell, "There's No One Else Just Like Me" by Shahar Guttman, "Eternal Sunshine" by Stanley Gurvich Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.

Famed lithium-ion-battery pioneer and Nobel Prize–winner John Goodenough has achieved yet another milestone—a century on Earth. Goodenough celebrates his 100th birthday on July 25, 2022. In honor of the occasion, Stereo Chemistry host Kerri Jansen and C&EN reporter Mitch Jacoby revisit their 2019 interview with the renowned scientist, recorded at his office at the University of Texas at Austin just prior to his Nobel win. In the expansive and candid conversation, Goodenough tells Stereo Chemistry about childhood adventures, infernal exams with Enrico Fermi, and his path to the innovation that enabled an electronics revolution. A transcript of this episode is available at bit.ly/3otFrh3. Music credit: “Happy Birthday To You (Orchestral)” by beanstalkaudio/Pond5.com Image credit: Mitch Jacoby/Robert Bryson/C&EN/Milano M/Shutterstock

This month, Stereo Chemistry is sharing an episode of the podcast ChemConvos featuring an interview with materials scientist, self-described “Raman spectroscopy enthusiast,” and prolific Wikipedia editor Jess Wade. On ChemConvos, hosts Henry Powell-Davies and Medina Afandiyeva seek to uncover the story behind the scientist. In this episode, the trio discusses not only Jess’s work as a research fellow at Imperial College London but also how she manages burnout and the importance of a supportive lab culture. And, of course, they dig into the origins of her Wikipedia project, which has resulted in Wade creating more than 1,400 biographies on Wikipedia aiming to highlight women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ scientists and engineers. Follow ChemConvos on Twitter at @ChemConvosPod. Find new episodes at anchor.fm/chemconvospod or on your favorite podcast platform. A transcript of this episode is available at bit.ly/3yb4lb8. Image credit: Courtesy of ChemConvos/C&EN

Our bodies need sugar to survive. But most of us consume way more than we actually need, and many foods and beverages pack a dose of added sweeteners. So why are we eating all of this extra sugar? This month, Stereo Chemistry is sharing an episode of the podcast Tiny Matters that examines that question. In the episode, hosts Sam Jones and Deboki Chakravarti explore sugar’s impact on our bodies and trace how a genetic mutation that helped our distant ancestors survive is influencing our health today. And they dig into the debate around whether sugar can fairly be called addictive. Note: This episode contains discussion of addiction and eating disorders. Listen to Tiny Matters on the American Chemical Society’s website at https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/tiny-matters.html or on your favorite podcast platform. ACS also publishes Chemical & Engineering News, which is the independent news outlet that powers Stereo Chemistry. More on sugar from C&EN: The sugar wars are about to change your food label. Here’s why. https://cen.acs.org/business/specialty-chemicals/sugar-wars-change-food-label/97/i41 The case against sugar https://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i31/Case-Against-Sugar.html Image credit: Courtesy of Tiny Matters/C&EN