A year and a day ago, the genetic sequence of the virus that has since spread across the world was shared. Though we were yet to appreciate the effect that the virus would come to have on our lives, this was already the moment at which science started to fight back. In this new series of graphics, made with the Royal Society of Chemistry, we’ll be highlighting the key scientific milestones that have brought us treatments, vaccines, and more.
RNA vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna were amongst the first vaccines approved for emergency use in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest edition of Periodic Graphics in Chemical & Engineering News looks at how these vaccines are made. Click through to the C&EN site to view the full graphic.
Relatively hot on the heels of the Pfizer & BioNTech RNA vaccine, today the UK has approved the Oxford University & AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The Oxford vaccine is a viral vector vaccine, which works slightly differently to the RNA vaccines. This graphic, made with the Royal Society of Chemistry, looks at how they work and highlights other vaccines of this type in use or development for COVID-19.
People often worry about the safety of chemicals added to their food. But sometimes, nature itself can produce harmful compounds in the foods we eat. In the latest edition of Periodic Graphics in Chemical & Engineering News, we look at a selection of toxins found in common fruits and vegetables. View the full graphic on the C&EN site.
By now, we’re all familiar with the image of coronavirus. The spikey blob peppers news websites, looms behind reporters during bulletins and frequently punctuates your Twitter doom-scrolling. More recently, the news accompanying this image has taken a positive turn, with promising results from the COVID-19 vaccine trials. It’s the iconic spikes of the coronavirus spikey blob that are a key part of how these vaccines work.
2020’s been a long old year, and we all feel a bit tired and jaded in this, what feels like the 274th day of March. So I’ll confess that the thought of a month of evenings staying up until midnight to post Chemistry Advent instalment didn’t fill me with wild enthusiasm. Having run a Chemistry Advent for the past 6 years, this year I’ve decided to take a break of sorts.