Here’s the weekly summary of both new chemistry research and studies that have been in the news. This week features research on a compound in nutmeg which tastes cooler than menthol, a polymer worm which can move at the speed of a caterpillar in UV light, and more. As always links to further articles and original research papers are provided below.

Note: links to studies behind a journal paywall are indicated with (£). Studies without this symbol are open access, and can be accessed and read for free. Asterisked studies are free but require logging in to read.

Featured Stories

Nutmeg compound is cooler than minty menthol: [Article] [Study (£)]

How plants release fragrant molecules discovered: [Article] [Study (£)]

Polymer strip ‘worm’ crawls in response to UV light: [Article] [Study (£)]

Laser technique improves detection of trace pollutant gases: [Article] [Study (£)]

Claim that seabirds mistake plastics for food disputed: [Article] [Study]

Keep track of older ‘This Week in Chemistry’ posts on the category page, or via the #TWIChem hashtag on Twitter.

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