Elemental mass spectrometry imaging of biomolecules provides detailed knowledge of their abundance and location within tissue samples. This Review highlights the analytical instrumentation and strategies used to bring this technique from a research tool to clinical studies.

Ultraviolet irradiation of simple ice mixtures present in the interstellar medium can lead to the synthesis of organic species, which could behave as the precursors to life on primordial Earth following asteroidal and cometary delivery. These reactions and their products are discussed herein.

The periodic table is not only a foundational tool of chemistry, but also a strategic map of the elements. Here we trace how the value of elements has shifted through history — shaping war, trade, and diplomacy — and call for consideration on how to manage growing global competition over critical materials.

Following the success of our current journal club collaborations, we would like to encourage more groups of early-career researchers to get involved.

Time flies when you’re having fun, they say. And so it is that we welcome you to the 10th volume of Nature Reviews Chemistry.

Chemistry is an experimental science that for many learners only comes alive in the laboratory. But specialized equipment is increasingly out of reach of school budgets. Strengthening school–university collaborations can help to bridge the gap.

Metal–organic frameworks are increasingly used in environmental technologies, whereby their biomolecular coronas determine their identity, transport, persistence and ecosystem effects. We argue that further research is needed to embed corona considerations into framework systems design and regulation, and we outline the minimal, actionable steps needed to achieve this.

Ahead of his 80th birthday, Steven V. Ley, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, discussed his career from drawing chemicals by hand to his work generating complex natural product architectures using machines.

As scientists, our instinct is often to view physical systems within a Euclidean geometric space, defined by distances and angles measurable through techniques like X-ray scattering and imaging. Yet, history shows that our disciplines have repeatedly adapted their mathematical languages to better process data, interpret observations and build new theories.

Photochemical labelling of proteins mediated by a small organic molecule has enabled researchers to track the progress of peptides through a cell — from entry and trafficking to endocytosis.