Highlights
C&EN: Silicon insertion methods join skeletal-editing toolbox
06 May 2026Two teams take different approaches to squeeze silicon atoms into molecular scaffolds.
ACS Central Science: Pharm to Table Podcast Duo Bridges the Academia–Industry Divide
29 April 2026The Merck colleagues and cohosts advocate closer collaboration between academic and industry chemists.
New Scientist: We need more radioactive drugs. Can we make them from nuclear waste?
22 April 2026The rise of a new generation of radiotherapies means we will soon need much greater quantities of radioactive atoms. That’s why companies are scrambling to refine them from all manner of radioactive waste.
Science: Whistleblower alleges Finnish startup’s vaunted solid-state battery isn’t what it claims
22 April 2026Donut Lab’s assertions of lightning-fast charging and high energy storage have led to a criminal complaint.
Nature: Fresh claim of making elusive ‘hexagonal’ diamond is the strongest yet
04 March 2026After decades of debate, researchers say that they have found the clearest evidence yet for this rare form of carbon.
TESTIMONIALS
“As an editor and reporter, Mark Peplow is fast, accurate, and versatile. He covers science policy and pure research with equal passion, and his writing combines a scientist’s precision with a journalist’s verve.” Tim Appenzeller
Former Chief Magazine Editor at Nature, now News Editor at Science
"Mark guided me through some of the most challenging stories I've written. These are pieces I might not have attempted were it not for his steady editorial hand." Linda Nordling
Freelance Journalist, South Africa
“Working with Mark is never anything other than a pleasure. He is the kind of editor that writers hope for: able to identify what needs fixing and what doesn’t, bringing to bear a wealth of knowledge, always clear, prompt and easy to talk with. Much of that comes from being a splendid writer himself.”
Philip Ball
Freelance Science Writer
Category Archives: Highlights
The accelerator
Gold can speed up a multitude of chemical reactions — so why isn’t it widely used in industry?
Posted in Highlights
Comments Off on The accelerator
King’s ‘lionheart’ gets a forensic exam
Analysis of heart of Richard I shows that Christians practiced embalming.
Posted in Highlights
Comments Off on King’s ‘lionheart’ gets a forensic exam
Malaria drug made in yeast causes market ferment
Synthetic biology delivers combination therapies into an uncertain market.
Posted in Highlights
Comments Off on Malaria drug made in yeast causes market ferment
Royal Institution’s chemical heritage for sale
If the RI is to have a future, it cannot be separated from its past.
Posted in Highlights
Comments Off on Royal Institution’s chemical heritage for sale
History of science: Elements of romance
Mark Peplow explores chemistry’s golden age — and its brushes with Romanticism — at London’s Royal Society. (subscription required)
Posted in Highlights
Comments Off on History of science: Elements of romance
Polymer can turn swimming pool to jelly
Stiff supergel mimics cell scaffolding and melts when cooled.
Posted in Highlights
Comments Off on Polymer can turn swimming pool to jelly
Molecular robot mimics life’s protein-builder
Ribosome-inspired nanomachine links amino acids in pre-determined sequence.
Posted in Highlights, Molecular, My Work
Comments Off on Molecular robot mimics life’s protein-builder
Chernobyl’s legacy
A journey to the heart of the exclusion zone, on the 25th anniversary of the nuclear accident.
Posted in Feature reporting, Highlights
Comments Off on Chernobyl’s legacy
