Going big with δ-cyclodextrin The first scaled-up synthesis of this 9-sugar ring could expand its applications Chemists have a sweet spot for cyclodextrin (CD) rings, cyclic molecules made of glucose sugars linked together like dancers in a Henri Matisse painting. Cyclodextrins have found use as drug delivery agents that encapsulate active pharmaceutical ingredients, as air fresheners that soak up stinky compounds, and as water purification systems that capture and destroy pollutants. Each year, chemical makers churn out thousands of metric tons of the most common ones: six-, seven-, and eight-sugar rings, known as α-, β-, and γ-CD, respectively.

Vector-borne diseases are found at almost every travel destination. Because few vaccines are available to protect travelers, the best way to prevent vector-borne diseases is to avoid being bitten by ticks and insects, including mosquitoes, fleas, chiggers, and flies, that transmit pathogens that cause disease. Travel medicine specialists should advise travelers to use repellents and take other precautions to prevent bites.

EXPLAINER | How do mosquito repellants work? To ward off mosquitoes, there are a wide variety of repellants, with the most tried-and-true products based on a substance called DEET. DEET acts as a contact-based repellent and conveys a chemical message to mosquitoes to leave. Citronella products are also used to keep mosquitoes away, but testing shows these products are far less effective than DEET. It's summertime, and for many of us that means plenty of time outside - and, unfortunately, mosquitoes. The combination of the increase in temperature and plenty of water is ideal for these blood- sucking insects to make their presence felt.

Busting Common Misconceptions About Plant Growth Regulators Smaller operations may feel they can do everything a PGR will do by hand with extra labor. However, the labor cost of moving the plants and controlling their growth can add up. Photo: Fine Americas Many growers are familiar with plant growth regulators (PGRs). Some use them frequently, yet others shy away for various reasons. Often, those reasons aren’t as valid as they may have been years ago. We talked with Dudley Dabbs, Sales Manager, SE at Fine Americas, and Dr. JC Chong, Ornamental Technical Development Manager at SePRO, to find out what they hear around the watercooler and get the facts.

IFF Pharma Solutions Brings Next-Gen Excipient Innovations to CPHI Japan 2025 TOKYO, March 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IFF (NYSE:IFF) Pharma Solutions will showcase its cutting-edge excipient technologies at CPHI Japan 2025. The IFF Pharma Solutions team will highlight its innovations in oral disintegrating tablets (ODTs), controlled-release formulations, and novel complex formulations on April 9-11. "IFF Pharma Solutions is committed to redefining drug delivery through material science innovation," said Frank Zhao, commercial leader, IFF Pharma Solutions, Asia Pacific. "At CPHI Japan, we will showcase technologies designed to elevate patient outcomes while streamlining pharmaceutical production."

Molecular motors in action: visualizing α-cyclodextrin movement along polymer chains Scientists visualize α-cyclodextrin rings moving along a polymer using fast-scanning atomic force microscopy, aiding molecular machine design Inspired by nature’s molecular machines, scientists have been developing artificial counterparts since the first synthetic molecular machine was created in 1994. This research has progressed rapidly, culminating in the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for breakthroughs in molecular machine design. One promising candidate is polypseudorotaxane, a structure where a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymer chain is threaded through multiple α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) rings. In aqueous solutions, these rings self-assemble onto the PEG chain and move along its length. However, the specific structural changes behind this movement have remained unclear—until now.