Bethany Halford
Science Writer and Senior Correspondent at C&EN
Science writer (she/her) at @cenmag. Interested in molecules and molecule makers. Any opinions here are mine.
Articles
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2 weeks ago |
cen.acs.org | Bethany Halford
Mosquito nets are low-cost weapons in the war on malaria, but the biting bugs have become resistant to the insecticides used on these nets. Researchers have now created a chemical arsenal that doesn't kill mosquitoes but destroys the malaria parasites within them instead. These inexpensive, long-lasting compounds could be incorporated into netting to prevent malaria transmission ( Nature 2025, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09039-2).
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3 weeks ago |
cen.acs.org | Bethany Halford
Enzymes are masters of making molecules. They accomplish exquisitely selective chemistry in water, and scientists have used the technique of directed evolution to modify existing enzymes to carry out chemical reactions not found in nature, like creating cyclopropanes and doing silicon-hydrogen bond insertions.
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3 weeks ago |
cen.acs.org | Prachi Patel |Bethany Halford
Every year since 2015, C&EN has introduced readers to a dozen early-career scientists who use their chemistry know-how to make a real-world impact. This year's Talented 12 cohort embodies the same smarts, creativity, and grit. These scientists are advancing practical solutions for plastics recycling and sustainable agriculture. They are developing a deeper understanding of protein function, atmospheric aerosols, and the fate of persistent pollutants. And that's just a start.
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1 month ago |
cen.acs.org | Bethany Halford
Perfecting pour-over coffee Coffee is a ubiquitous pick-me-up, but climate change is making Arabica coffee plants-which are temperature sensitive-more challenging to grow. And that means coffee could become a liquid luxury. Physicists at the University of Pennsylvania wondered if they could use science to get more out of pour-over coffee.
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1 month ago |
cen.acs.org | Bethany Halford
By constructing an aromatic hydrocarbon framework around an osmium ion, chemists have created a new class of organometallic compound. The in-plane metallo-annulenes are essentially carbon clusters embedded with transition metals. The molecules could have applications in high-performance electronics or could be used to make graphene doped with metal ( Nature 2025, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08841-2).
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Check out this supramolecular snub cube. Cool chemistry from Huang Wu and the late @sirfrasersays of the University of Hong Kong along with Wenping Hu and Yu Wang of Tianjin University. My latest in @cenmag https://t.co/SOfaDLlQ0o https://t.co/UxIpOBSuZb
So sad to hear we've lost @sirfrasersays. He was always generous to me as a reporter for @cenmag and kind to me as a human being. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues. https://t.co/92uAzyT6z0
With apologies to @ChappellRoan and @LongLabCal Baby, do you like this zinc(H)? We made this MOF to capture C(O2) Over 199 degrees When you’re tackling global warming, tackling global warming Thanks to my @cenmag colleagues who encouraged the lede https://t.co/pV9ohu7yyy