american chemical society

Contact lenses that dispense prescription drugs

Eye diseases like glaucoma could one day be treated by pharmaceuticals delivered through contact lenses. Chemical engineers from the University of Florida say they’ve been able to make soft contact lenses containing tiny embedded particles that slowly release drugs directly where they’re needed. The research was presented today at the 225th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, held this week in New Orleans.

Researchers develop 'natural bandages' that mimic body's healing process

With the same compound the body uses to clot blood, scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University have created a nano-fiber mat that could eventually become a “natural bandage.” Spun from strands of fibrinogen 1,000 times thinner than a human hair, the fabric could be placed on a wound and never taken off — minimizing blood loss and encouraging the natural healing process.

Even boffins hit by down market; employment sags for chemists

It’s a tough time to be a young chemist. Last year’s demand for new graduates was down substantially from the previous year as companies have been hiring fewer people, a new study finds. Even pharmaceutical companies, a good source of jobs for chemists in recent years, have cut back on hiring. Because drug companies and universities are delaying hiring while they wait for signs of economic recovery, new graduates in chemistry or chemical engineering are going to have a more difficult time finding their first job than they have had in many years.