Rachel Brazil

Science Writer at Freelance

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Articles

Speeding up ginseng growth to aid drug discovery

6 days ago | nature.com | Rachel Brazil

“In this photo, I’m standing in Kalbe Ubaya Hanbang-Bio Laboratory, the first lab in Indonesia devoted to culturing the root of the ginseng plant (Panax ginseng), at the University of Surabaya in East Java. The main challenge is keeping the lab sterile to make sure that the plant material we culture is not contaminated, which is why I’m wearing disposable clean-room overalls. In Asia, ginseng is valued for its restorative properties.
Women's health | Chemistry World

2 weeks ago | chemistryworld.com | Rachel Brazil |Bárbara Pinho |Julia Robinson |Alice Motion

Fixing medicine’s gender gapFor centuries, the default subject in medicine research and training has been the male. Julia Robinson talks to the scientists and clinicians trying to improve things for the other 51% of humanity Managing the menopauseThe end of ovulation will affect almost all women, but current treatments could be improved. Rachel Brazil reports on the efforts to find a better solutionHow safe and sustainable are period products?
Managing the menopause

2 weeks ago | chemistryworld.com | Rachel Brazil

The end of ovulation will affect almost all women, but current treatments could be improved. Rachel Brazil reports on the efforts to find a better solution Menopause symptoms and treatments: The article discusses common menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and increased risks of heart disease and osteoporosis. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is highlighted as a common treatment, though it has faced controversy and evolving perceptions over the years.
Polymer coatings may damage iron artifacts

1 month ago | cen.acs.org | Rachel Brazil

Conservators use polymer coatings to preserve iron artifacts by keeping out moisture and oxygen to prevent corrosion. But a recent study suggests that as they age, such coatings may trigger a cycle of corrosion, leading to further aging of the coating itself ( ACS Cent. Sci. 2024, DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.5c00067). It's already known that polymer coatings age, potentially generating reactive oxygen radicals such as carboxyls.
Companies seek a second obesity treatment revolution-in pill form

1 month ago | science.org | Rachel Brazil

Drugs that mimic glucagonlike peptide-1 (GLP-1), such as semaglutide—marketed as Ozempic or Wegovy—have revolutionized the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes, but they have major drawbacks.
Putting the F in pharma

2 months ago | sciencelink.net | Rachel Brazil

Adding fluorine to drug molecules can be tricky, but is often worthwhile. Rachel Brazil talks to the chemists trying to tame the ninth element. ‘Fluorine, it’s a magical element,’ says Rob Young, a drug discovery consultant and former GSK chemist.
The circles of DNA that cause cancer

2 months ago | chemistryworld.com | Rachel Brazil

Ring-shaped extrachromosomal DNA is implicated in many cancers. Rachel Brazil talks to the scientists trying to uncover their secrets It was back in 1962 that DNA circles were first spotted in cancer cells. ‘They called them double minutes, ’ says cancer biologist Paul Mischel from the University of Stanford, US. The ‘bunch of dots’ of DNA they saw in the microscope, separated from the chromosomes, but still within the cell nucleus, were often in pairs (now we know because they were replicating).
Sara Shinton’s career developing research leaders

Feb 27, 2025 | chemistryworld.com | Rachel Brazil

UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellows Development Network director is on a mission to improve research culture through good leadership ‘Working in research means you’re working with huge levels of uncertainty,’ says Sara Shinton, the director of UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI’s) Future Leaders Fellows Development Network, which delivers leadership training and mentorship to over 650 fellows across the UK.
Here’s how to bag a hefty research prize to turbocharge innovation

Feb 17, 2025 | nature.com | Rachel Brazil

Could you double the lifespan of a mouse, decipher passages in scrolls destroyed nearly 2,000 years ago or, in less than 30 minutes, detect bacteria that cause urinary-tract infections? If so, you would have been eligible to win one of a barrage of ‘challenge prizes’ — the above examples alone provide rewards of more than £12 million (US$15 million).
Putting the F in pharma

Feb 10, 2025 | chemistryworld.com | Rachel Brazil

Adding fluorine to drug molecules can be tricky, but is often worthwhile. Rachel Brazil talks to the chemists trying to tame the ninth element Significance of fluorine in pharmaceuticals: Fluorine is a crucial element in drug design due to its ability to enhance the properties of drug molecules, such as increasing potency and stability. Approximately 40% of new pharmaceuticals contain fluorine, despite the challenges in creating fluorine–carbon bonds.