Scientists in the US have developed a new microchip that they believe could "significantly" increase efficiency in the pharmaceuticals manufacturing industry.
The new chip is packed with highly-sensitive nanosensors, which analyse how proteins bind with each other.
According to the developers from Stanford University, this is a crucial step for evaluating the effectiveness of a drug, and this new device can potentially check the drug's reaction with every protein in the body in one go.
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Firms working in the chemicals manufacturing sector are developing strong links with biotech companies, it is claimed.
There are an increasing number of collaborative partnerships between the sectors, Engineer magazine reports, with firms striving to find new, sustainable solutions for the plastics and energy industries.
One of the collaborations, between Total Petrochemicals, IFP Energies Nouvelles and its subsidiary Axens, will strive to develop a new optimised technology for the production of bio-ethylene by dehydration of ethanol.
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Firms in the pharmaceuticals industry may be interested to hear that researchers in Germany are investigating techniques for the development of a new "smart" plastic film.
The polymer substances, sometimes only one molecule thick, can be used in a variety of different industries, according to Plastics and Rubber Weekly.
Thin plastic films can be used on paper induce the release of printing inks when required, as well as in pharmaceutical manufacturing, to help drugs activate at the right time.
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Scientists have achieved a breakthrough by developing an improvement to a popular method for creating coatings, adhesives and drug delivery systems.
Atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP) is widely used for creating industrial plastics, and scientists from Carnegie Mellon University have successfully developed an environmentally-friendly approach to this technique which also allows for the creation of more complex and specialised materials.
Using an electric battery, researchers led by chemist Krzysztof Matyjaszewski were able to control the speed of the reaction, while also reducing toxic copper levels produced during the process.
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Firms in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry must seriously consider printing serial numbers on their products, an expert says.
Mark Davison of Blue Sphere Health, the author of a new executive briefing for Securing Pharma, says that serialisation is a vital weapon in the fight against counterfeit medicine.
Serialisation involves placing a unique identification code on each individual piece of packaging.
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North Lincolnshire is stepping up its recycle programme by offering kerbside collections of electric goods.
The region's council believes that around 1,000 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) could be sent to recycling firms rather than landfill sites each year under the scheme, BBC News reports.
North Lincolnshire Council made the decision to collect WEEE items from residents after a pilot scheme involving more than 3,000 local people was deemed a success.
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The EU is being urged to eliminate environmentally-harmful subsidies, which could have far-reaching implications for firms in the food manufacturing industry.
A total of 89 international organisations have sent a letter to EU Commission president Jose Barroso, asking for the removal of such subsidies to be made a priority.
The EU committed to defining a roadmap for progression on the issue back in 2006, though little progress has been made.
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A new report suggests that global reliance on biomass energy production is set to treble by the year 2050.
Research from the International Institute for Environment and Development finds that biomass fuel will be responsible for 30 per cent of global energy production by this date.
This is down to the swift advancement of new technology that can convert wood to liquid and gaseous fuel that can be converted to electricity.
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An innovative camera technology could revolutionise the baking industry, by accurately and automatically adjusting oven temperatures to suit environmental conditions.
Bakers employ strict quality control methods in pursuit of consistent, high-quality bun production, but researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute have developed a system that could help react to problems early.
Researchers created a closed loop system that automatically inspects the quality of sandwich buns and adjusts oven temperatures if poorly baked products are detected.
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Scientists in the US have developed a new microchip that they believe could "significantly" increase efficiency in the pharmaceuticals manufacturing industry.
