The drug industry may finally phase out using horseshoe crab blood. What took so long?

In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN assistant editor Laurel Oldach about the use of horseshoe crab blood in pharmaceutical endotoxin testing, the challenges of transitioning to synthetic alternatives, and the regulatory hurdles involved.

Stereo Chemistry offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories pulled from the pages of Chemical & Engineering News. Check out Laurel’s story on the fight over horseshoe crab blood at https://cen.acs.org/safety/drug-safety/Turning-tides-endotoxin-testing/102/i34.

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The new podcast Inflection Point leans on C&EN’s 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this new show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and will change our future.

In our first episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three events that ultimately led to the development of green hydrogen. They also bring in C&EN reporter Craig Bettenhausen to analyze how this emerging technology could shape our future.

Subscribe to Inflection Point now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A transcript of this episode can be found here.

The COVID-19 pandemic put the importance of indoor air quality in stark relief. The air in schools was of particular concern, and that concern spurred collaboration between researchers and school staff to find interventions to improve air quality to safeguard the health of students and staff. Data from indoor air monitors revealed that filter-based portable air cleaners were effective at removing airborne particulates. Ongoing research and monitoring will determine whether this effort is making a beneficial health impact and will be used to decide how to manage indoor air quality going forward. C&EN Uncovered, a project from C&EN’s podcast, Stereo Chemistry, offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories. Check out the full story about air quality monitoring in schools at cenm.ag/airqualityinschools.

Cover photo: Undergraduate student Ricardo Reyes collects air quality measurements from the back of a classroom in Colorado.

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A transcript of this episode will be available soon at cen.acs.org.

Credits

Executive producer: David Anderson

C&EN Uncovered host: Craig Bettenhausen

Reporter: Fionna Samuels

Audio editor: Ted Woods

Copyeditor: Brian Vickers

Episode artwork: Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado Boulder

Music: “Hot Chocolate,” by Aves

Contact Stereo Chemistry: Contact us on social media at @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org.