Spring 2015 Synthetic polymers with DNA properties Automated synthesis : joining the dots Wood preservation on the Mary Rose The impact of atmospheric chemistry As I see it... How did your education lead to your job as a journalist? Cambridge chemistry (and Chem@Cam) alumnus Phillip Broadwith I really enjoyed chemistry at school, and is now business editor at Chemistry World. He explains to Sarah after my A-levels I spent a year in indus - try at GlaxoWellcome (as it then was) in Houlton how he got there, and what makes his job so exciting Ware. I was doing analytical chemistry, testing how new valve designs for chemistry community, at least at a asthma inhalers affect how the drug superficial level. Sometimes we spot inside is delivered. During my degree I connections between scientific fields was geared up to work in pharma – I that seem disparate, and it’s the same on went back to the same lab the summer the business side – you get a view of after my first year, then had a synthetic what’s going on in the tumultuously placement at GSK in Harlow after my changing landscape, and can pick out second, and another summer doing trends. Being in the middle gives us the synthesis with AstraZeneca at Alderley opportunity to see things as they are Park after my third year. happening, and draw them together. I stayed on in Cambridge for a total Our new editor is keen that we should synthesis PhD with Jon Burton – he was become more involved in the chemical fantastic to work with and was doing sciences community, and use that top- interesting chemistry. I moved to level view of what’s going on across the Oxford with him at the beginning of chemical sciences, how industry inte - 2007, so I actually have a DPhil from grates with academia, and what’s hap - Oxford rather than a PhD from pening on the political side. Cambridge! But I slowly realised that while I enjoyed mixing chemicals in the How has your Cambridge lab, I didn’t have a particularly strong chemistry experience assisted interest in strategic planning and work - you in your career? ing out what molecules to make next. I Natural sciences was an absolute boon. was much more interested in what ing at the atomic scale, on interstellar I took chemistry, materials science and other chemists were doing – I’d be the chemistry, or even synthetic biology. It biology of cells in the first year, so that one bringing wacky papers to literature was an amazing way to broaden my was quite broad. Physics was a bit too meetings, while everyone else brought horizons. I then spent a year covering hard! I followed that with chemistry hardcore total synthesis. the features editor position, which is and pharmacology in Part Ib, gaining a I entered the Daily Telegraph ’s science very different – the articles are longer, good grounding in general chemistry writing competition, and somehow and the role was much more editorial, and how it feeds into other subjects. My managed to win. This led to me going dealing with other people’s writing. It experiences in pharma helped, too, as to conferences with BASF and Bayer, also helped me develop my own style. I’ve seen what an industrial lab is like and I wrote a piece for Chem@Cam on Then, two years ago, I became busi - from the inside. I still supervise Part IA sustainability after meeting you there. I ness editor. This means I’ve moved chemistry students at Robinson, which also wrote a few more things for the slightly away from the science, but I helps me keep in touch with basic Telegraph . This made me think I should have a strong desire to bring the science chem istry knowledge. Chemistry gave seriously consider writing as a career. done in industry into the magazine’s me the critical and analytical eye that I finished my PhD in 2008 and I business section. There’s a lot of really allows me stand back and ask the returned to Cambridge as my fiancée interesting chemistry going on in the important questions. (now wife) Jess was still there as a post - commercial sector, and I want people to doc in materials science, having already see that. It can be difficult to get people You must always be on the look- finished her PhD in biomedical materi - to tell you about it, but if you get hold out for stories! als. She’s more efficient than me! I of someone who knows what they are Absolutely! We have a staff of seven or applied for the Royal Society of allowed to talk about and exactly how eight journalists, but there’s no way we Chemistry’s graduate scheme, and was far they can go into the chemistry can cover every journal, every company, given a place. I spent four months in the before it becomes sensitive, you can and know everything significant that’s international development team look - find out some really interesting things. going on. We do try, but some of our ing at opportunities for RSC involve - best stories come from people who’ve ment in advancing the chemical sci - The internet has made a huge got in touch with us. I would encourage ences in India and the Middle and Far difference to the way many anyone with an interesting story to tell, East. It was fascinating. magazines work, hasn’t it? whether it’s academic or from industry, But my aim was a job on Chemistry Yes, it means we’re constantly putting to tell us about it. World and, luckily, one came up four news items up on the website, and once It’s not always clear from the informa - months after I joined. I’ve now been on a month many of them are packaged up tion in an academic paper or a company the magazine just over six years. and put into the print magazine. The press release what the most interesting printed version isn’t an afterthought, parts really are. We want to know the What roles have you had on the though – it does a very different job. human angle. How long did it take? magazine? We’re lucky to get the time and resources Where did the idea come from? These I started out as a science correspondent, to pursue some longer term, more inves - things bring a story to life, and allow and I think it’s the best non-lab-based tigational work, as well as having a pool people to relate to it, but they’re system - job any chemist could want to have. I of talented freelancers to call on. atically removed from papers! was reading a lot more papers than I The role of the editor, in some ways, It’s usually best to go to a named per - ever would as a student, on much more is to be mindful of the wider trends, son, and people can email ideas to me at varied topics. I would be speaking to and see the bigger picture. I think that [email protected]. Of course not the people doing the most cutting edge because we talk to so many people and everything we’re sent will go in, but if chemistry in the world on a daily basis see so many papers, we’re some of the we don’t hear about it, we can’t write – Nobel prize winners, chemists work - best informed people in the general about it. 2 Chem@Cam Spring 2015 Reluctant reactions Letters A thank you eChem@Cam Letter from the editor Sarah Houlton, who has been the writer, Regular readers may have spotted that the Autumn editor, designer and producer of Chem@Cam is now being sent out by 2014 issue did not happen. There’s a good reason for Chem@Cam since the Spring 2003 issue, email to those who have asked for a pdf this – as I was putting the pages together in December, has told us that she will be stepping down version rather than a hard copy in the mail . I had a subarachnoid haemorrhage. Thanks to an after the current issue. If you would like to swap your paper exceptionally talented vascular neurosurgeon and his For more than a decade she has brought magazine for an e-version, send an email team, I am still here, and in remarkably good shape, us a lively mixture of stories, from heavy- with the subject line ‘eChem@Cam’ to albeit with rather more titanium in my brain and skull duty science and personal profiles of staff to [email protected], and we’ll send it to than is normal. I have been incredibly lucky. news of weddings, births, parties, prizes you electronically from the next issue. However, it’s rather difficult to craft stories and and deaths. Don’t forget to tell us your postal address wield Quark XPress page layout software when one’s in She refreshed the design some years ago, so we can check that the correct person is an ICU bed, and the magazine was somewhat delayed. and took over all the production steps her - removed from the mailing list for the But here, finally, is another issue of Chem@Cam for self except the printing and posting. paper magazine. your delectation. Her articles have helped inform past and You can check out e-back issues at It will also be my last. I had already decided before present members of the department with www.ch.cam.ac.uk that recent brain surgery escapade that it was time to clarity, humanity and humour.