Since the establishment of the Periodic Table of Elements (PSE) 150 years ago, not only the number of known elements has increased, but new technologies have also emerged: Chemical pesticides to protect the harvest, batteries for energy on the move and plastics in every form, color, and function. The current focus is on the sustainability aspect. But here, too, chemistry offers new solutions. The 10 most promising technologies for a more sustainable world have been selected by the chemical association IUPAC.

The board game Go was long considered to be a bastion reserved for human players due to its complexity. Nowadays, however, the world’s best players no longer have any chance of winning against the “Alpha Go” software. Researchers at the University of Münster have now demonstrated that the recipe for the success of this software can be put to excellent use to plan chemical syntheses. The study has been published in the current issue of the “Nature” journal.

When influenza viruses enter our body, the immune system recognises them as being foreign by means of various receptors and starts a defence programme.Scientists of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and of the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg recently studied the detailed role of a certain receptor in this first line of defence. They discovered that the receptor activates natural killer cells, which use messenger substances to activate other immune cells and then eliminate body cells that are infected by viruses.

Freezers are among the biggest energy consumers in a lab, and as a result they can cost a lab a lot of money. The International Freezer Challenge promotes best practices in cold storage management and awards the labs who have done the most to save energy and improve their sample storage.

Abandoning exotic pets is not only an ethical issue. It can also lead to biological invasions that threaten conservation of biodiversity in the environment. An article published in the journal Biological Invasions, reveals that the release of invasive species in the environment has not been reduced despite the regulation that prohibits the possession of these species since 2011.

In its Status of Microfluidics Industry report published this year, Yole highlights the numerous acquisitions that have been taking place over the last few years. With more than 700 companies worldwide, almost 300 million products sold in 2016, and 4,500+ patent publications, the microfluidics market is becoming the playground for a lot of financial movements.

CFD Simulation in Chemical Reaction Engineering — The goal of reaction engineering is to optimize transport processes (heat transfer, mass transfer and mixing) in order to improve yield/conversion of desired products whilst ensuring the safe operation of the reactor. CFD simulation can help maximizing yield while minimizing costs.

Much better treatment options now exist for many illnesses compared to what was available ten years ago. Their effectiveness depends, however, on early detection. Laboratory diagnostics create a highly dynamic bond between scientific progress and medical applications.

At the Julius Kühn Institute, the Federal Research Institute for Cultivated Plants in Germany, a young working group is trying to specifically modify the genetic material of plants, through genome editing. In this way, they also want to investigate possible risks of this technology. LAB Worldwide visited the team for one day.

Dr. Thomas Schinecker talks about demographic change, health policy and how increasing complexity can be managed for the benefit of patients, physicians, laboratories and the health care system. The interview was conducted by Dr. Ilka Ottleben from the LP editorial team.