CHEMISTRY International The News Magazine of IUPAC September-October 2012 Volume 34 No. 5 Repositioning the Chemical Sciences for African Development INTERNATIONAL UNION OF YAC in Tunisia PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY The Future of Drug Discovery SSeptembereptember 22012012 ccovers.inddovers.indd 1 88/24/2012/24/2012 22:01:41:01:41 PPMM From the Editor CHEMISTRY International frica—two features in this issue take us there. One, by Berhanu AAbegaz offers a clear and hopeful vision of how Africa can become The News Magazine of the International Union of Pure and an active participant in the global scientific forum (p. 4). Abegaz Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) presented these views just a year ago during the World Chemistry Leadership Meeting held at the IUPAC Congress in Puerto Rico in August www.iupac.org/publications/ci 2011. The WCLM provided a prelude to the debate about chemistry’s role in sustainable development. A report from that WCLM was presented in Managing Editor: Fabienne Meyers the Mar-Apr 2012 CI. Production Editor: Chris Brouwer Abegaz states that “A challenge of Africa’s strategic planning for Design: pubsimple development is how to unleash the power of this youth to bring about the continent’s development.” Without question, All correspondence to be addressed to: similar debates took place this year during the Fabienne Meyers UN Rio+20 conference, which received abun- IUPAC, c/o Department of Chemistry dant media coverage. Of relevance to chem- Boston University ists was the forum organized by ICSU, the Metcalf Center for Science and Engineering International Council for Science (i.e., IUPAC’s 590 Commonwealth Ave. parent organization), on Science, Technology, Boston, MA 02215, USA and Innovation for Sustainable Development, which provided an opportunity to reflect on science’s contribution to E-mail: [email protected] sustainable development since the first Earth Summit 20 years ago. Just Phone: +1 617 358 0410 as important, the forum explored how science can contribute most effec- Fax: +1 617 353 6466 tively in the future. Read more about the ICSU forum on page 12. Three months after Rio+20, it may be somewhat easier to soak in Printed by: the eloquently branded theme of the meeting: “The Future We Want.” Cadmus Communications, Easton, PA, USA Download the pdf from www.un.org/en/sustainablefuture and there you have it: 49 pages containing 283 concise statements. It is impossible for Subscriptions chemists to ignore the call: Statements 213 to 223 are bundled in a sec- Six issues of Chemistry International (ISSN 0193- tion titled “Chemicals and Waste.” 6484) will be published bimonthly in 2012 (one “We need to better explain what chemistry is all about,” says Abegaz, volume per annum) in January, March, May, July, recalling the story of a chemistry student who tried to explain to his September, and November. The 2012 subscrip- mother what he was studying. That leads to the second feature of this tion rate is USD 110.00 for organizations and USD issue that highlights Africa: a report on the Young Ambassadors for 50.00 for individuals. Subscription orders may be Chemistry—YAC—adventure in Tanzania (p. 7). YAC initiatives, supported placed directly with the IUPAC Secretariat. Affiliate by the IUPAC Committee on Chemistry Education, have been reported Members receive CI as part of their Membership on several times in CI, but this latest experience in Tanzania shows a new subscription, and Members of IUPAC bodies receive level of engagement by the local community. CI free of charge. In these features, the role and importance of youth is prominent. This sentiment was expressed succinctly by Desmond Tutu, who began his Reproduction of Articles video address to Rio+20 with a Keynan proverb: “The world was not Unless there is a footnote to the contrary, repro- given to you by your parents; it was lent to you by your children.” These duction or translation of articles in this issue is words said Tutu, “. tell you everything about the future I want—all the encouraged, provided that it is accompanied things people want for their own children, and for their children’s chil- by a reference to the original in Chemistry dren: A fair society. A healthy planet. Clean air. Safe drinking water. Good International. jobs. Energy security. Food security. The right to develop in a sustainable way . .” (www.un.org/en/sustainablefuture/tutu.shtml). Periodicals postage paid at Durham, NC 27709- 9990 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Fabienne Meyers Send address changes to Chemistry International, [email protected] IUPAC Secretariat, PO Box 13757, Research Triangle www.iupac.org/publications/ci Park, NC 27709-3757, USA. ISSN 0193-6484 SSeptembereptember 22012012 ccovers.inddovers.indd 2 88/23/2012/23/2012 44:54:32:54:32 PPMM Contents CHEMISTRY International September-October 2012 Volume 34 No. 5 Treasurer’s Column The Times They Are a Changing . by John Corish 2 Features Repositioning the Chemical Sciences for African Development by Berhanu M. Abegaz 4 The Young Ambassadors of Chemistry Program Visits Tanzania by Lida Schoen, Erica Steenberg, and Mei-Hung Chíu 7 On the Future of Drug Discovery by Simon Campbell 10 IUPAC Wire Linking Science and Policy at Rio+20 12 ICSU Grants Programme 2013 Call for Applications 13 ICSU Issues Recommendations for Organizing International Scientific Meetings 13 CHF Catalyst Series on Women in Chemistry 14 The Global Young Academy Calls on Scientific Community to Promote Sustainability 14 In Memoriam 15 The Project Place Impact of Nanotechnology on Chemistry: A Terminology Conundrum 16 Chemical Kinetic Data Evaluation for Atmospheric Chemistry and the IUPAC Kinetics Database 17 Global Chemical Safety and Sustainability 19 Provisional Recommendations IUPAC seeks your comments 23 Making an imPACt IUPAC Glossary of Terms Used in Immunotoxicology 24 Names and Symbols of the Elements with Atomic Numbers 114 and 116 24 Analogue-Based Drug Discovery: Contributions to Medicinal Chemistry Principles and Drug Design Strategies. Microtubule Stabilizers as a Case in Point 24 Bookworm Macromolecular Symposia 25 Internet Connection Periodic Tables on the World Wide Web by Leslie Glasser 26 Nomenclature Notes Systematic and Trivial Nomenclature by Jeffery Leigh 28 Conference Call Advanced Materials: Stories of Innovation by Neil Gussman 30 How Many Miles Have We Gone, InChI by InChI? Stamps International, 3 by Alex Tropsha and Antony Williams 33 Advanced Polymeric Materials by Vera Kovacevic and Michael Hess 35 Where 2B & Y 38 Mark Your Calendar 40 SSeptembereptember 22012.indd012.indd 1 88/24/2012/24/2012 22:06:03:06:03 PPMM Treasurer’s Column have been even more severe than had been antici- The Times They Are a pated. In addition, the challenge, not unique to us, of striking the correct balance in production between the Changing . printed and electronic versions of the journal remains. by John Corish One idea that has been introduced for discussion, and which we are currently considering, is to seek new hree years ago in this column I com- arrangements possibly entailing forming a relationship mented on the rapidity with which with an established publishing house that will result in Tthe global recession had descended reduced costs for us as well as gaining access for our upon us and on its severity. Unfortunately, publications to enhanced marketing capabilities. It is it has not yet gone away but continues to important to remember that the publication and dis- influence, and in some cases control, almost semination of Pure and Applied Chemistry is an essen- every aspect of our lives. tial link in bringing the fruits of our nomenclature, terminology, and standardization work to the world- Despite the recessionary times, the International Year wide community of chemists. The Union has always of Chemistry was a very significant success for us been most generous in making the fruits of its work chemists, which we will better be able to quantify available as freely and widely as possible. It is becom- when the analyses that are underway have been com- ing clear that the changed circumstances in which we pleted. From a financial viewpoint, and as I indicated now operate make it imperative that we seek to realize in an interim report on the IYC last year, we managed at least some of the value of the work undertaken by to live well within the monetary limit of half-a-million our members by putting in place mechanisms that will U.S. dollars of direct expenditure set by the Executive charge and produce income for us in return for the Committee. This was due principally to the generous benefits of its usage. sponsorship provided for the cornerstone events and The second change that has asserted itself, particu- general facilities, such as the website. The best esti- larly during the past six months, is that the type of mate that is available for the direct cost to the Union investment instrument–namely bonds—that was best is USD 146 000. There were, of course, also somewhat suited to our needs is simply no longer available on larger uptakes of some parts of our regular budgets, the market to us or to anyone else. At its meeting in such as for printing and February 2012, the Finance Committee had decided to We remain most travel, because of the continue to place a part of our portfolio in bonds, but grateful for the increased activity at the now the rates have declined to such an extent that the support given by our Secretariat and by the resulting returns would cau se a substantial reduction officers. Given the pre- in our ability to carry out the data collection and colla- sponsors to the IYC, vailing financial climate tion, research, and projects necessary to maintain the as well as to all who this is a very commend- flow of information and services as we now do.