Chempod

Every other month the Nature journals are publishing a FREE audio show, 'ChemPod', specifically for the chemistry community, from interviews with Nobel Prize winners, to discussions on nanotechnology research and much, much more...

The shows will feature important research from the Nature journals as well as interviews with the people behind the science, in-depth commentary, location reports and analysis from journalists covering chemistry around the world.

To receive updates on the Chempod, as well as the latest chemistry research from the Nature journals, directly in your email box sign up for the Chemistry email alert.

For complete access to the original papers featured in the Chempod, subscribe to Nature, Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, Nature Chemical Biology, Nature Materials, Nature Methods and Nature Nanotechnology.

To download a show to your computer, right click the Audio link and select 'Save target as/Save link as' and save the file to your computer or a CD.

• 2009 podcasts

  • September/October 2009 Audio (mp3 file)

    Ribosomes are the stars of this show, as we chat to two scientists awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry for figuring out their structure, and find out how they're being reprogrammed to use artificial amino acids. Plus: polymer-based solar cells, nanoparticle assembly, and a round-up of the best chemistry papers in Nature from editor Andy Mitchinson.

  • July/August 2009 Audio (mp3 file)

    In this episode, host Mark Peplow talks to the scientists behind mini DNA 'circuit boards', protein sensing with gold nanoparticles, and measuring what happens when you rip an electron from its molecule. Plus, reporter Katharine Sanderson looks into the best way to store hydrogen if you want to use it to power your car.

  • May/June 2009 Audio (mp3 file)

    On this episode, hear how mass spectrometry is helping to identify particular assemblies of proteins that could be responsible for Alzheimer's, find out how to synthesise terpenes in a new way, and discover carbon behaving like a metal, and metals behaving like carbon. Plus, the debate over whether pre-clinical drug discovery should be open access.

  • March/April 2009 Audio (mp3 file)

    On this show, how DNA can measure the pH inside living cells, a way to speed up drug screening, all the gossip from the American Chemical Society's spring meeting, and we crack one of the toughest problems in organic chemistry: breaking the carbon-hydrogen bond. Plus, tune in to enter the ChemPod competition for a chance to win a Nature Chemistry goodie bag.

  • January/February 2009 Audio (mp3 file)

    This show features the very first paper from our brand new journal Nature Chemistry; listen in to discover how to pair nucleotides in a cage. Plus, a new form of the element boron, how to make a nasty seafood toxin in the lab, and eccentric English chemist Martyn Poliakoff tells us about his Periodic Table of Videos on YouTube.

• 2008 podcasts

  • September/October 2008: Audio (mp3 file)

    In this bumper episode, we meet the researchers who've created a colour-changing polymer that could be used in electronic books, celebrate the extraordinary life and work of 'Mr Stereochemistry', survey the organo-catalysis landscape, and find out what's been reinvigorating the field of metabolomics. Plus we hear from one of this year's Nobel Prize winners.

  • ChemPod Extra: Martin Chalfie: Audio (mp3 file)

    Martin Chalfie has just been awarded a Nobel Prize for the discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein, or GFP. In this exclusive interview for ChemPod, he tells us how he found out that he'd won the Prize, how he first came across the protein and what a fantastic tool it has become, with new applications still being invented today.

  • July/August 2008: Audio (mp3 file)

    Chempod is going green this episode as we report from the latest American Chemical Society meeting where sustainability was big on the agenda. Plus gold catalysis, self-assembling molecules and the terrorism suspect who's been banned from studying school chemistry.

  • May/June 2008: Audio (mp3 file)

    In this special nanotechnology show, we discover how a team from MIT are getting nanoparticles into cells, do a spot of interstellar chemistry with an escaping sugar molecule, issue a health warning for those working with carbon nanotubes, and we take a look at the latest online tool helping chemists get hold of chemical information – for free.

  • March/April 2008: Audio (mp3 file)

    In this episode of Chempod, we get caught up in catalysis, discover drawbacks to some Alzheimer's drug candidates, and bring you a round up of the best of the American Chemical Society meeting in New Orleans.

  • January/February 2008: Audio (mp3 file)

    In this show, we find out how DNA is helping researches build crystals out of nanoparticles, discover a clever chemical trick for manipulating uranium, explore the controversial field of DNA conductivity and talk to chemist Bruce Gibb about re-building life and lab after hurricane Katrina.

• 2007 podcasts

  • October/November 2007: Audio (mp3 file)

    In this show, find out about an exciting new approach to mass spectrometry, how tiny graphite particles replace biological membranes to couple redox enzymes and we speak to Nobel prize winner Richard Schrock about metathesis.

  • August/September 2007: Audio (mp3 file)

    In this show, we discover a new enzyme working in a surprising way, explore why chemists make molecules that mimic nature, find out how to fish for drug targets with high-throughput screening, and meet Roald Hoffmann, who shows us the poetic side of the ACS meeting in Boston.

  • June/July 2007: Audio (mp3 file)

    In this show Gareth Mitchell keeps an eye out for how our eyes work, takes a tour of the chemistry blogosphere, and speaks to Nobel prize winner Harry Kroto about whether the British government is killing chemistry.

• 2006 podcasts

  • September 2006: Audio (mp3 file)

    Simon Frantz delves into the chemistry behind microscopic tags, molecular handedness, improving DNA and RNA, protease drugs and suicidal cancer cells.

  • March 2006: Audio (mp3 file)

    Dr Chris Smith investigates the science behind The firefly light, biomolecular labelling, polymeric transistors, DNA self assembly and nanotechnology, microfluidics and sulfur chemistry.