Podcast · Tech & Science

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element

by Chemistry World · English · Tech & Science

The chemical breakdown is your biweekly source of the latest chemistry news, featuring discussions by our Chemistry World writers on the most exciting announcements and innovations in the field. Plus the full archive of Chemistry in its element – the audio tour of the periodic table and beyond. From

New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 28 min
Latest: 14 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026 · 39 minNew

Waterproof white inspired by nature & low-stakes mistakes | The chemical breakdown podcast

This week we discuss a new light-controlled technique that creates structural color and water repellent properties in polymer films and discuss our low-stakes mistakes with Mason Wakley and Frankie Macpherson. What do lotus leaves and plastic sheets have in common? We discuss how structural colour provides an alternative for pigments and chemicals and their environmental cost. And, have you ever panicked over a broken a piece of lab equipment or a ruined experiment, only to realize it wasn't as big a deal as you thought? This week, we are discussing our low-stakes mistakes, why they feel so…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

30 Sep 2026 · 40 min
Nobel prize in chemistry 2026: predictions | The chemical breakdown podcast
It's Nobel season again! And we're doing something a little different here on The chemical breakdown. Instead of our usual stories, in this episode we are turning the microphone to speculation and discussing who we think will be taking home the chemistry Nobel prize this year with Jamie Durrani and Neil Withers. Each year the Nobel prize is awarded across six categories, including physiology/medicine, physics, literature, peace, economic sciences, and chemistry. This year the announcement of the chemistry prize is set for Wednesday 7 October. Past winners have included last year's metal…
16 Sep 2026 · 32 min
Drugging the 'undruggable' cancer proteins & conserving the Bayeux Tapestry | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we explore how molecular glues have revolutionized how we treat previously 'undruggable' cancers and explore how modern scientific techniques are teasing apart the mysteries of one of the most iconic historical artefacts with Phillip Broadwith and Neil Withers. A ground-breaking new drug has become the first of its kind to win FDA approval for metastatic pancreatic cancer. Could it mark the beginning of a new era for cancers that have long been considered impossible to target? We'll also uncover the chemistry behind the investigation and conservation of the Bayeux Tapestry. What…
2 Sep 2026 · 34 min
Advances in CAR-T cancer therapy & carbon materials' hidden defects | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss a study showing promise in applying CAR-T immunotherapy in bladder cancer tumours and breakdown how scientists have uncovered spectral signatures previously misassigned in carbon materials – with Frankie Macpherson and Mason Wakley. CAR-T therapy has been a game changer for blood cancers, yet solid tumours have been largely resistant to this treatment. We discuss a new study that shows promise in applying this immunotherapy in bladder cancer tumours. And, we discuss why scientists are rethinking how they assign peaks in spectra of carbon-based materials. What does this…
19 Aug 2026 · 31 min
UK science department abolished & Ireland's crumbling concrete | The chemical breakdown podcast
In this episode, we discuss the changes to science policy made by the new UK prime minister and breakdown the chemistry behind crumbling concrete in Ireland. On July 21, new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham abolished the government's department of science and absorbing its functions into the business department. What does this mean for UK research? And, thousands of Irish buildings are cracking apart, but the culprit may not be what scientists first thought. We discuss the mica crisis and the chemistry behind it. Main stories:…
5 Aug 2026 · 30 min
Thermo Fisher antibody data manipulation & the shrinking chemical recycling industry | The chemical breakdown podcast
In this episode, we breakdown the controversy behind a collection of altered images in the online catalogue of one of the largest laboratory suppliers, and discuss the complexity behind chemical recycling of plastics with Frankie Macpherson and Phillip Broadwith. Multinational laboratory supplier Thermo Fisher Scientific has been criticized after hundreds of doctored images of validation Western blots were found on their online antibody reagent catalogue. We discuss the latest reactions from the scientific community. And, why hasn't chemical recycling been as successful with plastics? We…
22 Jul 2026 · 35 min
50 years after Seveso & changing the way we separate hydrocarbons | The chemical breakdown podcast
In this episode, we reflect on the lessons learned and the impacts of the Seveso chemical disaster of 1976, and discuss the latest membrane materials that could slash the energy required to refine crude oil with Jamie Durrani and Mason Wakley. Fifty years ago, a major accident at an Italian chemical plant released a cloud of dioxin that spread across 18 square kilometres, exposing 35,000 residents to the toxin. We discuss the legacy of Seveso and its impact on chemical regulation. And, a new method of separating hydrocarbons using membranes could replace fractional distillation in crude oil…
8 Jul 2026 · 28 min
An update on the Strait of Hormuz & potential explosives at an Antarctic base | The chemical breakdown podcast
In this episode, we bring the latest from the recent temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and discuss the presence of potential explosives at the historic Antarctic bases of explorers Ernest Shackleton and Robert Scott with Phillip Broadwith and Frances Briggs. The US and Iran have recently signed a form of agreement to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz for shipping. But will this be enough to ease costs of resources, or has too much damage already been done? And, representatives from New Zealand have warned about the possible presence of explosive materials inside the…
24 Jun 2026 · 30 min
A warning for US science & wool's chemical versatility | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss the latest challenges facing US science outlined by president of the US National Academy of Sciences Marcia McNutt in her outgoing address as well as the unique chemistry underpinning wool's incredible properties with Neil Withers and Rebecca Trager. Marcia McNutt gave her final address as president of the US National Academy of Sciences earlier this month, warning of turmoil for science in the wake of further proposals by the White House to restrict funding. We discuss highlights from the event. And, how does the chemical composition of wool contribute to its material…
10 Jun 2026 · 28 min
Click chemistry marks 25 years & covalent bonding in the actinides | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we look back at how far click chemistry has come in the last 25 years and discuss the strange bonding behaviour of some of the largest elements on the periodic table with Mason Wakley and Frances Briggs. It started as a review paper in 2001 that has since been cited almost 20,000 times, becoming one of the most influential chemistry papers ever written. Click chemistry has revolutionised the way we build molecules. But what defines a click reaction, and what does the future hold? And, new research has revealed experimental evidence of how covalent bonding affects the 5f orbital in…
28 May 2026 · 34 min
Quantum computing & a mysterious contaminant in microplastics research | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss the latest milestone in quantum computational modelling and reveal the common laboratory item causing strange readings in microplastics research with Frankie Macpherson and Patrick Walter. A new hybrid workflow involving two IBM quantum computers and two powerful supercomputers has allowed researchers to model a protein–ligand system containing up to a record 12,635 atoms. What does this mean for the future of quantum computing? And, a recent study has found an unsuspecting source of contamination in microplastics research, distorting measurements of atmospheric…
13 May 2026 · 25 min
Battery week 2026: The EV cathode race & battery-recycling | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we are celebrating Chemistry World's Battery Week with a special battery-themed episode! We discuss the race between cathode materials for electric vehicles and a new photocatalyst capable of turning plastic waste into hydrogen and value-added chemicals, with Neil Withers and Patrick Walter. A race between competing battery cathode materials is heating up, the winner of which will shape the future of electric vehicles. But which will come out on top? And, we discuss a new photocatalyst that could change the way we recycle plastics and battery acid, demonstrating how waste streams…
29 Apr 2026 · 24 min
Vanadium-based medicines & sustainable labs | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss vanadium's potential in the medical field and the changes you can make in our lab to reduce your carbon footprint, with Jennifer Newton and Emma Pewsey. Many are familiar with vanadium's role in metal production, but did you know that it has a history of research as a potential medicine? We explore the little-known story of vanadium's medical potential. And, how can your lab contribute to a more sustainable world? We discuss the areas where you can make a meaningful change.
16 Apr 2026 · 31 min
Inert materials & the Mary Celeste | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss how to ensure experimental instruments are truly inert and chemistry's answer to the fate of the Mary Celeste, with Phillip Broadwith and Mason Wakley. A new study has demonstrated how unexpected results can arise from experiments using seemingly inert materials. How do we avoid the effects of these accidental reagents? And, scientists may have found the answer behind what happened to the crew of the infamous ship the Mary Celeste. We explain how chemistry may fill the gaps.
7 Apr 2026 · 30 min
The two states of water & science sleuths | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss the peculiarities of water's behaviour and how science sleuths are fighting disinformation with Philip Robinson and Emma Pewsey. A recent study from researchers at Stockholm University has found the existence of a critical point in supercooled water, which could prove the existence of two types of water. How did they do it, and what does this mean for our understanding of this fundamental substance? And, in the growing age of disinformation, how can we equip ourselves to discern fact from false data? We discuss the latest wave of science sleuths aiming to provide us the…
11 Mar 2026 · 29 min
Atomic radii & synthetic food dyes | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss team discuss the boundaries of the atom and breakdown the US's plan to eliminate synthetic food dyes with Jennifer Newton and Phillip Broadwith. The atomic radius of an atom is a concept we are taught from early in our chemistry careers, but for such an important value its definition remains ambiguous. Why is there no single answer to the size of an atom? And, US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr announced last year that the US will phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes in foods. But what are these chemicals, and what concerns exist around their consumption?
26 Feb 2026 · 30 min
AAAS annual meeting & plasma chemistry | The chemical breakdown podcast
This week, we discuss reflections from this year's American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting and the latest advances in plasma chemistry with Rebecca Trager and Mason Wakley. The annual meeting of the AAAS kicked off in Phoenix, on the heels of the recent minibus spending package announcement, as well as the rescinding of the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. We'll fill you in on some of the conversations that took place that weekend. And, plasma is often described as the fourth state of matter, but what exactly is it made of? We'll explain it's…
11 Feb 2026 · 27 min
AlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis | The chemical breakdown podcast
Welcome to our latest podcast series, The chemical breakdown. Each week, we dive deeper into two stories we've covered here at Chemistry World, providing insight into the facts, why you should care, and what it means for the chemistry community. We also give you that week's headlines to keep you up to date with what's happening in the chemistry community. And finally, we'll end each episode with a brief section on what was happening this week in chemistry history. This week, we discuss the new deep learning model AlphaGenome and visit the very beginning of life on Earth with Mason Wakley and…
1 Jun 2021 · 22 min
Batteries: The bedrock of the sustainable future
In this special podcast produced in partnership with Waters Corporation, find out how understanding the chemistry and materials that go into batteries marks the first step towards making them safer and increasing energy density, and unlocks new opportunities for reuse and recycling
21 Dec 2020 · 8 min
Cinnamaldehyde: Chemistry in its element
How did a tree bark from Sri Lanka become one of the essential flavours of the festive season? We explore the history of cinnamon and the compound that gives it its distinctive taste and aroma
11 Dec 2020 · 6 min
Azidoazide azide: Chemistry in its element
A compound so explosively unstable that nobody has been able to measure how sensitive it is without it, well, exploding.
4 Dec 2020 · 8 min
Ochre: Chemistry in its element
How one of mankind's oldest pigments helped shepherds secure their sheep and inspired one of the most popular songs of the twentieth century
27 Nov 2020 · 7 min
Maltodextrin: Chemistry in its element
A sweet compound that provides ample energy for extreme endurance events – find out how maltodextrin helped Anna Ploszajski swim the English channel
20 Nov 2020 · 12 min
Ionic liquids: Chemistry in its element
Liquid salts, ionic melts, fused salts, or ionic glasses – call them what you like, these much-hyped solvents show great promise. Katrina Krämer speaks to chemical engineer Jason Bara about ionic liquids.
13 Nov 2020 · 8 min
Chlorhexidine: Chemistry in its element
An antimicrobial compound that kills bacteria and viruses quickly – found in some of the most colourful antiseptic solutions
5 Nov 2020 · 8 min
Asparagusic acid: Chemistry in its element
Does asparagus give you foul-smelling urine? Helen Arney investigates asparagusic acid, and the lavatorial genetic lottery that controls whether or not you can smell its distinctive aroma
30 Oct 2020 · 7 min
Glycyrrhizic acid: Chemistry in its element
A sweet treat with a deadly trick for Halloween – glycyrrhizic acid, or glycyrrhizin, is found in black liquorice and sweeter than sucrose, but can cause heart problems and even prove fatal if consumed in excess
23 Oct 2020 · 7 min
Propofol: Chemistry in its element
Also known as 'milk of amnesia', propofol helps to prevent perception of pain in surgery – just don't forget its dangerous side
16 Oct 2020 · 6 min
Sofosbuvir: Chemistry in its element
Hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir made waves when first launched – quicker to work and with fewer side effects than existing drugs, but it came with a hefty price tag
9 Oct 2020 · 9 min
Bedaquiline: Chemistry in its element
Meera Senthilingam makes a welcome return to the podcast with a drug that gives hope to the many sufferers of drug-resistant TB – still one of the world's biggest killers

About The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element

The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element is a English tech & science podcast from Chemistry World. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Chemistry World
Language: English
Category: Tech & Science
New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 28 min
Latest episode: 14 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1162733995
Rights: This podcast is provided by the Royal Society of Chemistry, and no part may be redistributed without prior permission from [email protected]

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