Two IPC PAS studies show how lignin-derived molecules can be transformed into compounds relevant to pharmaceutical research - at room temperature and atmospheric pressure and, in one case, without a transition-metal catalyst.

Sustainable packaging is only the beginning. What a medicine is made from - and how its ingredients are produced - matters just as much. Yet the synthesis of compounds for pharmaceutical research can still depend on fossil feedstocks, high temperatures, strong oxidants and metals that raise costs and complicate purification. Two recently published studies from Prof. Colmenares' group at IPC PAS demonstrate that cleaner chemistry can begin at the level of a single chemical bond [1][2].

At the heart of both studies is lignin, one of nature’s most abundant polymers and a major by-product of wood processing. Instead of simply burning it, chemists can use its aromatic structures as building blocks for much more valuable compounds. The teams combined this renewable feedstock with light and ultrasound. Light activates the catalyst, while inaudible sound waves produce cavitation: microscopic bubbles form and collapse violently. Energy is generated locally, where the chemistry happens, without exposing the whole system to extreme heat.

The American Pediatric Society (APS) and the Society for Pediatric Research (SPR) have named Francis Sessions Cole, III, MD, as the recipient of the 2027 Mary Ellen Avery Neonatal Research Award. Dr. Cole, Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a leader in the NIH-funded Undiagnosed Diseases Network, is being recognized for his pioneering contributions to neonatal medicine, including advancing understanding of surfactant dysfunction disorders, genomic medicine, and precision approaches to diagnosing complex pediatric diseases. The award honors a pediatric investigator whose research has significantly improved neonatal health and will be presented in recognition of Dr. Cole's distinguished career in scientific discovery, mentorship, leadership, and advocacy on behalf of children and families.