Free Daily Podcast Summary
The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Chemistry World
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.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 weeks ago38 min
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 dire in the moment, and what we can learn from them. Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/biomimetic-foaming-photopolymers-offer-new-waterproof-white-material/4024218.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/the-chemistry-world-team-shares-some-of-its-low-stakes-mistakes/4024104.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/merck-and-cos-us-antibiotic-withdrawal-sends-the-wrong-signals-for-combating-resistance/4024343.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/lunar-samples-returned-by-chinas-change-6-mission-contain-rare-highly-magnetic-iron-allotrope/4024261.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/two-accidental-nitroalkane-reactions-reveal-complementary-photochemical-routes-to-alkenes-and-unite-their-discoverers/4024314.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/syngenta-plans-to-close-grangemouth-manufacturing-site/4024349.article
- Sep 30, 202639 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 organic frameworks, protein structure prediction and design, and quantum dots. Who is slated to win the prize this year? We trace trends in previous award winners, current predictions being discussed including the Clarivate citation laureates, and chat through our own Chemistry World team's predictions. Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/who-will-win-the-2026-nobel-prize-in-chemistry/4024197.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/nobel-prize/the-data-behind-the-nobel-prizes/4010453.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/hats-off-for-new-lower-temperature-route-to-unzip-plexiglass-for-recycling/4024240.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/300mw-electrolyser-construction-starts-off-spanish-hydrogen-valley/4024272.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/elemental-sulfur-found-in-mammalian-cells-for-first-time/4024258.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/simple-organic-catalyst-walks-phosphate-groups-along-sugar-backbones/4024254.article
- Sep 16, 202631 min
Drugging the 'undruggable' cancers & 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 secrets have scientists already revealed, and what questions about this iconic artefact remain unanswered? Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/us-approves-pancreatic-cancer-treatment-that-targets-undruggable-proteins/4024110.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/the-chemistry-helping-to-unravel-the-bayeux-tapestrys-secrets/4024093.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/does-the-discovery-of-a-new-coronavirus-upend-the-covid-19-lab-leak-hypothesis/4024170.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/uk-funding-agency-to-spend-66-million-on-new-methods-for-engineering-the-mitochondrial-genome/4024165.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/chinas-scientific-rise-is-being-driven-by-returning-expertise-especially-chemists/4024149.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/growing-confidence-of-africas-chemical-societies-brings-chemistrys-benefits-to-continent/4024137.article
- Sep 2, 202633 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 mean for the technologies that rely on them, and do we need to rethink some long-held assumptions? Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/step-forward-for-car-t-therapy-as-it-shows-promise-in-solid-bladder-tumours/4024034.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/chemists-may-be-misassigning-defects-in-carbon-materials-study-suggests/4024018.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/copper-chains-more-than-4000-atoms-long-are-the-longest-ever-produced/4024095.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/hokkaido-university-graduate-student-dies-after-exposure-to-hydrofluoric-acid/4024098.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/sodium-batteries-durability-and-performance-boosted-by-scandium-additive/4024088.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/molecular-dyes-outside-of-the-srgb-colour-gamut-present-a-challenge-for-digital-chemistry/4024094.article
- Aug 19, 202631 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: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/science-department-abolished-as-uks-new-prime-minister-andy-burnham-appoints-first-cabinet/4023895.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/why-are-buildings-cracking-up-in-ireland/4023916.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/chemistry-can-feel-inaccessible-to-british-asian-students-survey-finds/4024036.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/step-forward-for-car-t-therapy-as-it-shows-promise-in-solid-bladder-tumours/4024034.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/uranium-complex-smashes-record-for-consecutive-bonds-between-atoms/4024012.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/organisations-cant-solve-a-problem-they-cant-measure-industry-framework-aims-to-improve-chemical-hazard-monitoring/4024049.article
- Aug 5, 202629 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 explain some of the reasons behind the industry's contraction and what it means for the future of plastic recycling. Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/thermo-fisher-antibody-data-manipulation-is-a-breach-of-trust-say-researchers/4023854.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/chemical-recycling-plants-closing-in-eu-and-us/4023904.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/the-genius-narrative-isnt-inspiring-science-biographies-for-children-may-send-a-demotivating-message/4023970.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/re-engineered-psychedelic-drug-retains-therapeutic-activity-in-mice-while-limiting-negative-side-effects/4023982.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/japan-finalises-joining-the-eus-flagship-research-programme-horizon-europe/4023981.article
- Jul 22, 202634 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 refineries, slashing energy costs. But what does this mean for a world trying to move beyond fossil fuels altogether? Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/seveso-disaster-at-50-how-italys-dioxin-catastrophe-transformed-chemical-safety/4023734.articledisaster https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/a-materials-breakthrough-membranes-to-separate-crude-oil-could-slash-energy-costs/4023811.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/losing-an-entire-generation-of-scientific-talent-top-us-universities-accepted-15-fewer-phds/4023877.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/stfcs-160-million-cost-cutting-plan-prompts-concern-over-future-access-to-key-uk-research-facilities/4023862.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/german-research-funder-issues-warning-over-threats-to-academic-freedom/4023880.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/thermo-fisher-antibody-data-manipulation-is-a-breach-of-trust-say-researchers/4023854.article
- Jul 8, 202627 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 Antarctic Laboratories left behind by explorers Robert Scott and Ernest Shakleton. We explain the chemistry underpinning the substances.
Get The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Listeners also like.
Bringing Chemistry to Life
Talks with leading chemists about their discoveries, careers, and the science shaping our world.
Stereo Chemistry
Voices and stories from the world of chemistry, reported by Chemical & Engineering News.
Modern Chemistry Podcast
Paul Orange Ph.D.
Unexpected Elements
Explores hidden scientific connections behind global news and everyday phenomena.
Elementary
A student-run podcast exploring a different chemical element each episode through fun facts, science games, and interviews with researchers.
Periodically
A University of Oxford podcast exploring how menstruation impacts undergraduate life in chemistry, from tutorials to labs.
The World, the Universe and Us
Explores big scientific questions about life, consciousness, climate, and the cosmos with expert scientists and New Scientist journalists.
ScienceSphere
A weekly exploration of scientific discoveries across physics, biology, astronomy, and technology, explained clearly for all listeners.
Science Magazine Podcast
Weekly episodes covering original scientific research, global science news, and expert commentary.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week
Three science journalists share bizarre and little-known facts they’ve recently discovered.
Seeking A Scientist
A chemist hosts conversations with scientists to explore futuristic scientific possibilities and their real-world implications.
🎙️ Science News Daily | Peer Review'd
Daily science news covering space, biology, physics, and technology breakthroughs.
About The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element
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.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Chemistry World.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts, any in the catalog. Basic raises that to 15, Pro to 40 and Max to 100. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element release new episodes?
The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element publishes biweekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element cover?
The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element covers topics including Science, Chemistry, Natural Sciences. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.