Chemistry in its element

The whitest smile, the blondest blonde, the clearest complexion – all from one essential compound. Fernando Gomollón-Bel introduces benzoyl peroxide

Brian Clegg introduces a crystalline hydrocarbon that isn't as tough as it sounds, but is the basis of a wide range of medicines

Kat Arney explains how a protein that repairs broken DNA holds the key to killing cancer cells – but only if you stop it from doing its job

From medicine to the military, this compound makes lasers for a range of applications. Brian Clegg discovers neodymium chloride

With thoughts turning to our festively-expanded waistlines, Kit Chapman looks at a poster child in the battle against obesity

Katrina Krämer investigates the sad case of Christopher McCandless, who some believe consumed the poison swainsonine in the Alaskan wilderness

Acetylcysteine is a versatile drug, helping manage lung conditions and treat paracetamol overdose. But, as Ben Valsler discovers, it has found itself at the centre of a cycling controversy

How did a tree bark from Sri Lanka become one of the essential flavours of the festive season? We explore the history of cinnamon and the compound that gives it its distinctive taste and aroma  

How one of mankind's oldest pigments helped shepherds secure their sheep and inspired one of the most popular songs of the twentieth century

A sweet compound that provides ample energy for extreme endurance events – find out how maltodextrin helped Anna Ploszajski swim the English channel

Liquid salts, ionic melts, fused salts, or ionic glasses – call them what you like, these much-hyped solvents show great promise. Katrina Krämer speaks to chemical engineer Jason Bara about ionic liquids.

An antimicrobial compound that kills bacteria and viruses quickly – found in some of the most colourful antiseptic solutions 

Does asparagus give you foul-smelling urine? Helen Arney investigates asparagusic acid, and the lavatorial genetic lottery that controls whether or not you can smell its distinctive aroma

A sweet treat with a deadly trick for Halloween – glycyrrhizic acid, or glycyrrhizin, is found in black liquorice and sweeter than sucrose, but can cause heart problems and even prove fatal if consumed in excess

Also known as 'milk of amnesia', propofol helps to prevent perception of pain in surgery – just don't forget its dangerous side

Hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir made waves when first launched – quicker to work and with fewer side effects than existing drugs, but it came with a hefty price tag

Meera Senthilingam makes a welcome return to the podcast with a drug that gives hope to the many sufferers of drug-resistant TB – still one of the world's biggest killers

This summer's extreme weather prompts Katrina Krämer to investigate the history of sunblock and the ingredient blamed by some for bleaching coral reefs

From Lavoisier’s experiments with plaster of paris to the the ‘Sistine Chapel of crystals’ in Mexico, Mike Freemantle explores the history of gypsum

Originally developed to treat flu and marketed in Japan as Avigan, promising Covid-19 trial results have seen countries stockpiling this medication by the millions

Tannic acid in green acorns can kill wild animals and livestock, but in this podcast Mike Freemantle makes plain that you can prevent poisoning with pannage pigs.

Common in the US but banned in the EU, this animal feed additive makes for muscular pigs and beefy international trade disputes. 

Frances Addison on the aromatic compound found in both buttered popcorn and the bearcat’s scent glands, and responsible for the distinctive smell of both

News that this cheap, ubiquitous steroid drug may reduce deaths in Covid-19 cases has been greeted with cautious optimism. Ben Valsler looks at the history of dexamethasone and the promising Recovery trial results.