Life

Chemistry, the intricate dance of atoms and molecules, fuels life's essence. It molds DNA, drives metabolism, enables reactions, and unlocks the secrets of medicines, materials, and the natural world.

Michael Edmonds

Michael is a passionate science and education advocate, and augmented his PhD in organic chemistry (1995) with a Masters in organisational psychology (2023). His Master’s thesis focused on student/learner motivation and wellbeing.

Naphthoquinone and anthraquinone derivatives: their properties, occurrence and traditional uses

Joshua G. Bristowe

Latest

Jan 2026

Naphthoquinone and anthraquinone derivatives: their properties, occurrence and traditional uses

In search of a deeper understanding of Indigenous plants: Applications and traditional use

Joshua G. Bristowe

Jan 2026

From carbon to civilisation: the role of radiocarbon dating in archaeology

Unravelling the history and use of carbon dating

Amara Rassooluni

Jul 2025

Tuberculosis: A 21st century problem

Tuberculosis is still prevalent in low-income countries, where it is closely linked to the broader challenges of poverty and limited access to healthcare. Why is it so resistant and hard to treat?

Emily J Mason (1), Farah Lamiable-Oulaidi (2)

Jul 2025

Azo food dyes - a global and NZ perspective

Azo dyes, with vibrant and tunable colours, are prevalent in processed food and drink – what should we know about their chemistry and health implications?

Joanne E. Harvey

Jun 2025

Pterin compounds: from butterflies to biochemistry

First discovered in 1889, pterins are one of the major compounds in natural pigments. Beyond their vivid hues, these compounds are leading to medicinal breakthroughs and new therapeutic strategies.

Jessica Siesicki

Jun 2025

Spot the difference: how the immune system recognises foreign structures

A brief overview of how the innate immune system recognises foreign pathogens, and how vaccines can utilise these markers to elicit an adaptive (memory) immune response.

Anya Franziska Weth

Apr 2025

Enhancing plant protein functionality by using physical modification techniques

Plant proteins have attracted attention recently as a possible food source for the growing world population. However with limited applications in their current form, modification would be necessary. This article discusses their importance, the reasons for modification, and their potential applications.

Qayyum Shehzad and Catherine Whitby*‍

Jan 2025

Lives of their own: a possible consequence of self-organisation?

Peter Hodder explores how aspects of complexity’s similarity to self-organisation appears to enable its extension to chemical processes and physics, and thereby may have the potential to redefine what constitutes life.

Oct 2024

Profile: Distinguished Professor Sir Bill Denny

Celebrating the life and works of Distinguished Professor Sir Bill Denny, who recently retired from the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre after a 52-year career dedicated to medicinal chemistry.

Michael Hay* and Brian Palmer

Sep 2024

A glowing story: the chemical mechanisms behind marine bioluminescence

Dive into the world of marine bioluminescence and uncover the chemistry behind this exciting phenomenon.

Oct 2024

Canine chemistry: nutritional biochemistry and chemical safety

Xinhan (Jemma) Zhang explores the magical chemistry of our best friends.

Xinhan (Jemma) Zhang

Jan 2024

Sweet as: exemplars of carbohydrate analysis

Starch is the main source of digestible energy in humans, and a major component of our diet. This article analyses polysaccharides, and what they mean to life on this planet.

Simon F. R. Hinkley,* Cara A. Luiten, Ian M. Sims, Susan M. Carnachan, Alison M. Daines and Mahdieh Ghofrani

Jan 2024

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: mRNA wins at last

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.

Antony Fairbanks

Oct 2023

Making Waves

Oct 2023

The double helix revisited

This paper uses metadata about the three papers that collectively announced the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953, specifically looking at references and citations. These data together with sentiment analysis of the books written by two of the scientists involved – James Watson and Maurice Wilkins – suggest that while an authoritative version of the history of the science might be possible, an authoritative history that includes the social dynamics of the research environment is unlikely. The closing section of the paper alludes to the advances in Māori and Polynesian ethnography made possible by post-discovery DNA-related research.

Classical DNA synthesis or enzymatic DNA printing: a comparison of methods

Ansa Biotechnologies, Inc., a US biotech company, have reported new enzymatic DNA synthesis which enable similarly controllable synthesis of oligonucleotides of considerably longer lengths.

Bruce Chilton and Vyacheslav V. Filichev

Jul 2023

A beginner’s guide to studying the origins of life

Is life unique to Earth? As the saying goes, you never really understand how something works until you can take it apart and put it together again - so how is modern research responding to the puzzle of what life is, and how it came about?

Jan 2023

Biosensors: tools for the future with a spectrum of applications

Mohamed Sharafeldin

Apr 2023

CLN5 neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL): from analytical chemistry to clinical neuroscience

Work on sheep in New Zealand has led to US Federal Drug agency (FDA) sanctioned clinical trials to treat the fatal inherited neurodegenerative disease in children, CLN5 Batten disease.

David N. Palmer

Apr 2023

Metallodrugs: a brief overview

While cisplatin was discovered in 1845, it was not until its discovery as a cytotoxic agent by Rosenberg et al. in 1965 that the complex gained prominence.

Jan 2023

Kaimoana molecules: can we make the world our oyster?

Today, kaimoana shellfish are still highly prized for their nutritional value and are regularly consumed, though more commonly as a product of farming than of foraging.

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