The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element
The chemical breakdown is your biweekly source of the latest chemistry news, featuring discussions by our Chemistry World writers on the most exciting announcements and innovations in the field.Plus the full archive of C...
Insights from recent episode analysis
On the show
- Mason Wakley4 eps
- Phillip Broadwith3 eps
- Neil Withers3 eps
Also: Jennifer Newton, Emma Pewsey, Rebecca Trager, Frances Briggs, Patrick Walter, Philip Robinson, Frankie Macpherson
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
Publishing Consistency
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
Brands & references
Total monthly reach
Based on 1 signal.
Built from
By chart position
- 🇺🇸United States · ChemistryHOME#11496K to 2.6M
- 🇮🇳India · Chemistry#1217K to 1.1M
- 🇰🇷South Korea · Chemistry#187K to 460K
- 🇬🇧United Kingdom · Chemistry#585K to 451K
- 🇦🇺Australia · Chemistry#368K to 362K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
1.3M to 7.0M🎙 Weekly cadence·639 episodes·Last published 1w ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
2.6M to 14M🇺🇸38%🇮🇳16%🇰🇷7%+19 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
1.5M to 7.7M
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
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Total Plays
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Total Reviews
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/14/26 | Waterproof white inspired by nature & low-stakes mistakes | The chemical breakdown podcast | This week we discuss a new light-controlled technique that creates structural color and water repellent properties in polymer films and discuss our low-stakes mistakes with Mason Wakley and Frankie Macpherson. What do lotus leaves and plastic sheets have in common? We discuss how structural colour provides an alternative for pigments and chemicals and their environmental cost. And, have you ever panicked over a broken a piece of lab equipment or a ruined experiment, only to realize it wasn't as big a deal as you thought? This week, we are discussing our low-stakes mistakes, why they feel so dire in the moment, and what we can learn from them. Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/biomimetic-foaming-photopolymers-offer-new-waterproof-white-material/4024218.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/the-chemistry-world-team-shares-some-of-its-low-stakes-mistakes/4024104.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/merck-and-cos-us-antibiotic-withdrawal-sends-the-wrong-signals-for-combating-resistance/4024343.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/lunar-samples-returned-by-chinas-change-6-mission-contain-rare-highly-magnetic-iron-allotrope/4024261.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/two-accidental-nitroalkane-reactions-reveal-complementary-photochemical-routes-to-alkenes-and-unite-their-discoverers/4024314.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/syngenta-plans-to-close-grangemouth-manufacturing-site/4024349.article | 38m 43s | ||||||
| 9/30/26 | Nobel prize in chemistry 2026: predictions | The chemical breakdown podcast | It's Nobel season again! And we're doing something a little different here on The chemical breakdown. Instead of our usual stories, in this episode we are turning the microphone to speculation and discussing who we think will be taking home the chemistry Nobel prize this year with Jamie Durrani and Neil Withers. Each year the Nobel prize is awarded across six categories, including physiology/medicine, physics, literature, peace, economic sciences, and chemistry. This year the announcement of the chemistry prize is set for Wednesday 7 October. Past winners have included last year's metal organic frameworks, protein structure prediction and design, and quantum dots. Who is slated to win the prize this year? We trace trends in previous award winners, current predictions being discussed including the Clarivate citation laureates, and chat through our own Chemistry World team's predictions. Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/who-will-win-the-2026-nobel-prize-in-chemistry/4024197.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/nobel-prize/the-data-behind-the-nobel-prizes/4010453.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/hats-off-for-new-lower-temperature-route-to-unzip-plexiglass-for-recycling/4024240.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/300mw-electrolyser-construction-starts-off-spanish-hydrogen-valley/4024272.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/elemental-sulfur-found-in-mammalian-cells-for-first-time/4024258.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/simple-organic-catalyst-walks-phosphate-groups-along-sugar-backbones/4024254.article | 39m 56s | ||||||
| 9/16/26 | Drugging the 'undruggable' cancer proteins & conserving the Bayeux Tapestry | The chemical breakdown podcast | This week, we explore how molecular glues have revolutionized how we treat previously 'undruggable' cancers and explore how modern scientific techniques are teasing apart the mysteries of one of the most iconic historical artefacts with Phillip Broadwith and Neil Withers. A ground-breaking new drug has become the first of its kind to win FDA approval for metastatic pancreatic cancer. Could it mark the beginning of a new era for cancers that have long been considered impossible to target? We'll also uncover the chemistry behind the investigation and conservation of the Bayeux Tapestry. What secrets have scientists already revealed, and what questions about this iconic artefact remain unanswered? Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/us-approves-pancreatic-cancer-treatment-that-targets-undruggable-proteins/4024110.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/the-chemistry-helping-to-unravel-the-bayeux-tapestrys-secrets/4024093.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/does-the-discovery-of-a-new-coronavirus-upend-the-covid-19-lab-leak-hypothesis/4024170.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/uk-funding-agency-to-spend-66-million-on-new-methods-for-engineering-the-mitochondrial-genome/4024165.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/chinas-scientific-rise-is-being-driven-by-returning-expertise-especially-chemists/4024149.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/growing-confidence-of-africas-chemical-societies-brings-chemistrys-benefits-to-continent/4024137.article | 31m 41s | ||||||
| 9/2/26 | Advances in CAR-T cancer therapy & carbon materials' hidden defects | The chemical breakdown podcast | This week, we discuss a study showing promise in applying CAR-T immunotherapy in bladder cancer tumours and breakdown how scientists have uncovered spectral signatures previously misassigned in carbon materials – with Frankie Macpherson and Mason Wakley. CAR-T therapy has been a game changer for blood cancers, yet solid tumours have been largely resistant to this treatment. We discuss a new study that shows promise in applying this immunotherapy in bladder cancer tumours. And, we discuss why scientists are rethinking how they assign peaks in spectra of carbon-based materials. What does this mean for the technologies that rely on them, and do we need to rethink some long-held assumptions? Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/step-forward-for-car-t-therapy-as-it-shows-promise-in-solid-bladder-tumours/4024034.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/chemists-may-be-misassigning-defects-in-carbon-materials-study-suggests/4024018.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/copper-chains-more-than-4000-atoms-long-are-the-longest-ever-produced/4024095.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/hokkaido-university-graduate-student-dies-after-exposure-to-hydrofluoric-acid/4024098.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/sodium-batteries-durability-and-performance-boosted-by-scandium-additive/4024088.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/molecular-dyes-outside-of-the-srgb-colour-gamut-present-a-challenge-for-digital-chemistry/4024094.article | 33m 36s | ||||||
| 8/19/26 | UK science department abolished & Ireland's crumbling concrete | The chemical breakdown podcast | In this episode, we discuss the changes to science policy made by the new UK prime minister and breakdown the chemistry behind crumbling concrete in Ireland. On July 21, new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham abolished the government's department of science and absorbing its functions into the business department. What does this mean for UK research? And, thousands of Irish buildings are cracking apart, but the culprit may not be what scientists first thought. We discuss the mica crisis and the chemistry behind it. Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/science-department-abolished-as-uks-new-prime-minister-andy-burnham-appoints-first-cabinet/4023895.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/why-are-buildings-cracking-up-in-ireland/4023916.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/chemistry-can-feel-inaccessible-to-british-asian-students-survey-finds/4024036.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/step-forward-for-car-t-therapy-as-it-shows-promise-in-solid-bladder-tumours/4024034.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/uranium-complex-smashes-record-for-consecutive-bonds-between-atoms/4024012.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/organisations-cant-solve-a-problem-they-cant-measure-industry-framework-aims-to-improve-chemical-hazard-monitoring/4024049.article | 31m 24s | ||||||
| 8/5/26 | Thermo Fisher antibody data manipulation & the shrinking chemical recycling industry | The chemical breakdown podcast | In this episode, we breakdown the controversy behind a collection of altered images in the online catalogue of one of the largest laboratory suppliers, and discuss the complexity behind chemical recycling of plastics with Frankie Macpherson and Phillip Broadwith. Multinational laboratory supplier Thermo Fisher Scientific has been criticized after hundreds of doctored images of validation Western blots were found on their online antibody reagent catalogue. We discuss the latest reactions from the scientific community. And, why hasn't chemical recycling been as successful with plastics? We explain some of the reasons behind the industry's contraction and what it means for the future of plastic recycling. Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/thermo-fisher-antibody-data-manipulation-is-a-breach-of-trust-say-researchers/4023854.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/chemical-recycling-plants-closing-in-eu-and-us/4023904.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/the-genius-narrative-isnt-inspiring-science-biographies-for-children-may-send-a-demotivating-message/4023970.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/re-engineered-psychedelic-drug-retains-therapeutic-activity-in-mice-while-limiting-negative-side-effects/4023982.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/japan-finalises-joining-the-eus-flagship-research-programme-horizon-europe/4023981.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/oral-cholesterol-lowering-peptide-approved-after-a-decade-in-development/4023991.article | 29m 47s | ||||||
| 7/22/26 | 50 years after Seveso & changing the way we separate hydrocarbons | The chemical breakdown podcast | In this episode, we reflect on the lessons learned and the impacts of the Seveso chemical disaster of 1976, and discuss the latest membrane materials that could slash the energy required to refine crude oil with Jamie Durrani and Mason Wakley. Fifty years ago, a major accident at an Italian chemical plant released a cloud of dioxin that spread across 18 square kilometres, exposing 35,000 residents to the toxin. We discuss the legacy of Seveso and its impact on chemical regulation. And, a new method of separating hydrocarbons using membranes could replace fractional distillation in crude oil refineries, slashing energy costs. But what does this mean for a world trying to move beyond fossil fuels altogether? Main stories: https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/seveso-disaster-at-50-how-italys-dioxin-catastrophe-transformed-chemical-safety/4023734.articledisaster https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/a-materials-breakthrough-membranes-to-separate-crude-oil-could-slash-energy-costs/4023811.article Headlines: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/losing-an-entire-generation-of-scientific-talent-top-us-universities-accepted-15-fewer-phds/4023877.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/stfcs-160-million-cost-cutting-plan-prompts-concern-over-future-access-to-key-uk-research-facilities/4023862.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/german-research-funder-issues-warning-over-threats-to-academic-freedom/4023880.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/thermo-fisher-antibody-data-manipulation-is-a-breach-of-trust-say-researchers/4023854.article | 34m 49s | ||||||
| 7/8/26 | Strait of Hormuzexplosives+4 | Phillip BroadwithFrances Briggs | USIran+1 | Strait of HormuzAntarctic | Strait of Hormuzexplosives+7 | — | 27m 30s | ||
| 6/24/26 | US science challengeswool chemistry+3 | Neil WithersRebecca Trager | US National Academy of Sciences | — | US scienceMarcia McNutt+3 | — | 30m 15s | ||
| 6/10/26 | click chemistrycovalent bonding+4 | Mason WakleyFrances Briggs | click chemistry | — | click chemistrycovalent bonding+4 | — | 27m 54s | ||
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| 5/28/26 | quantum computingmicroplastics research+3 | Frankie MacphersonPatrick Walter | IBM | — | quantum computational modellingmicroplastics+4 | — | 34m 15s | ||
| 5/13/26 | electric vehiclesbattery materials+3 | Neil WithersPatrick Walter | Chemistry World | — | battery cathodeselectric vehicles+4 | — | 24m 57s | ||
| 4/29/26 | vanadiummedicine+3 | Jennifer NewtonEmma Pewsey | vanadiumChemistry World | — | vanadiummedicine+3 | — | 24m 05s | ||
| 4/16/26 | inert materialsexperimental instruments+4 | Phillip BroadwithMason Wakley | Mary Celeste | — | inert materialsexperimental instruments+4 | — | 31m 16s | ||
| 4/7/26 | water behaviorscience sleuths+3 | Philip RobinsonEmma Pewsey | ImageTwinProofig+5 | — | watersupercooled water+3 | — | 30m 01s | ||
| 3/11/26 | atomic radiisynthetic food dyes+3 | Jennifer NewtonPhillip Broadwith | US | — | atomic radiussynthetic dyes+3 | — | 28m 45s | ||
| 2/26/26 | AAAS annual meetingplasma chemistry+3 | Rebecca TragerMason Wakley | American Association for the Advancement of Science | Phoenix | AAASplasma chemistry+4 | — | 30m 04s | ||
| 2/11/26 | AlphaGenomeRNA world hypothesis+3 | Mason WakleyNeil Withers | Google DeepMindChemistry World+1 | — | AlphaGenomeRNA world hypothesis+3 | — | 26m 41s | ||
| 6/1/21 | batteriessustainability+3 | — | — | — | batteriessustainable future+4 | Waters Corporation | 21m 33s | ||
| 12/21/20 | cinnamoncinnamaldehyde+3 | — | cinnamoncinnamaldehyde | Sri Lanka | cinnamoncinnamaldehyde+4 | — | 7m 44s | ||
| 12/11/20 | explosive compoundschemical stability+3 | — | Chemistry WorldAzidoazide azide | — | azidoazide azideexplosive instability+3 | — | 5m 54s | ||
| 12/4/20 | pigmentshistory of art+3 | — | Ochreone of the most popular songs of the twentieth century | — | ochrepigment+5 | — | 7m 33s | ||
| 11/27/20 | Maltodextrin: Chemistry in its element | A sweet compound that provides ample energy for extreme endurance events – find out how maltodextrin helped Anna Ploszajski swim the English channel | 7m 27s | ||||||
| 11/20/20 | Ionic liquids: Chemistry in its element | 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. | 11m 53s | ||||||
| 11/13/20 | Chlorhexidine: Chemistry in its element | An antimicrobial compound that kills bacteria and viruses quickly – found in some of the most colourful antiseptic solutions | 8m 09s | ||||||
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Chart history for The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element
Peaked at #1 in Ireland, top 10 in 28 of 42 tracked markets, currently #1 in Ireland.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | — | #1 | #1 | — |
| South Korea | — | #1 | #1 | — |
| India | — | #1 | #1 | — |
| South Africa | — | #2 | #2 | — |
| Australia | — | #3 | #3 | — |
| Netherlands | — | #3 | #3 | — |
| IL | — | #3 | #3 | — |
| HK | — | #4 | #4 | — |
| United Kingdom | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| Canada | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| BE | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| PL | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| GR | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| VN | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| NG | — | #5 | #5 | — |
| CH | — | #6 | #6 | — |
| Sweden | — | #6 | #6 | — |
| Norway | — | #6 | #6 | — |
| Brazil | — | #6 | #6 | — |
| HU | — | #7 | #7 | — |
Chart Positions
42 placements across 39 markets.
Chart Positions
42 placements across 39 markets.