Environmental contamination is in the news more than ever. Shira Joudan introduces key concepts to talk about what happens to chemicals in the environment and what chemists should consider in their day-to-day lives, both at work and at home.

Multi-payload antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are an emerging class of targeted therapeutics. Comprising a monoclonal antibody with multiple unique payloads attached, these constructs have the potential to produce synergistic anticancer effects with reduced therapeutic resistance. In this Review, methods for generating multi-payload ADCs are discussed, highlighting some key preclinical results.

In molecular biology, few molecules have had as profound an impact as Cas9. Madeleine King, Kayla Perry, Mitchell McAndrew and Audrone Lapinaite discuss how this multifunctional molecular tool of genetic engineering is revolutionizing multiple fields.

Excited by the prospect of future missions to the Jupiter system, Bruce Gibb explores the chemistry of Jupiter’s moons and wonders whether there could be life on Europa.

Organic photoredox catalysts enable diverse chemical transformations, but predicting their activity is challenging due to complex properties. Now, a two-step data-driven approach is introduced for targeted organic photoredox catalysts synthesis and reaction optimization. Using Bayesian optimization, promising catalysts can be efficiently identified, yielding competitive results with iridium catalysts.

Standard DNA is limited by low information density and functional diversity. Now it has been shown that an expanded genetic alphabet—incorporating a synthetic nucleotide, dZ—allows for the creation of stable three-dimensional DNA structures under mild alkaline conditions. Such stable structures enrich our understanding of DNA’s structural diversity and its potential in synthetic biology applications.

In the original Maxwell’s demon thought experiment, a potential gradient of particles between two neighbouring compartments is created without the apparent use of work. Now a functional example of this experiment where material is pumped over centimetres has been reported—o-fluoroazobenzene is transported unidirectionally under light stimulation between two arms of a U-tube across an aqueous layer containing coordination cages.

The presence of halogens in halogenated organic pollutants has negative impacts on the environment; however, they serve as valuable sources for halogenation reactions. Now it has been shown that transfer chlorination reactions enable the repurposing of halogenated organic pollutants for the synthesis of chlorides and bromides.

Deciphering the sulfation and sialylation codes of ganglioside glycans is impeded by the limited accessibility of well-defined structures. Now, an integrated chemoenzymatic strategy has been developed for efficient synthesis of a comprehensive 65-membered ganglioside glycan library, enabling an extensive exploration into their structure–function relationships using glycan microarray technology.

Chemical probes that selectively react with histidine could afford functional insight for those located in vital protein regions, but the moderate nucleophilicity of histidine and interference from other residues pose challenges. A singlet oxygen and chemical probe relay labelling approach demonstrates high selectivity, enabling comprehensive histidine profiling and providing crucial functional insights.

In molecular biology, few molecules have had as profound an impact as Cas9. Madeleine King, Kayla Perry, Mitchell McAndrew and Audrone Lapinaite discuss how this multifunctional molecular tool of genetic engineering is revolutionizing multiple fields.

Environmental contamination is in the news more than ever. Shira Joudan introduces key concepts to talk about what happens to chemicals in the environment and what chemists should consider in their day-to-day lives, both at work and at home.

John Steele and Stephen Wallace discuss recent advances in the chemical and biotechnological synthesis of the prolific platform chemical adipic acid.

Excited by the prospect of future missions to the Jupiter system, Bruce Gibb explores the chemistry of Jupiter’s moons and wonders whether there could be life on Europa.

Serotonin is known by many names — in science as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) or enteramine, and in popular culture as the ‘feel good’ chemical or the ‘happy hormone’. Cameron Movassaghi and Anne Andrews discuss the knowns and unknowns of this well-studied yet elusive neurotransmitter.

Becoming an assistant professor brings with it several challenges, one of which is developing new relationships that can be professionally and personally beneficial. Shira Joudan reflects on getting to know people at a new institution, having different types of relationships, and how they help with happiness and success.