Busting Common Misconceptions About Plant Growth Regulators Smaller operations may feel they can do everything a PGR will do by hand with extra labor. However, the labor cost of moving the plants and controlling their growth can add up. Photo: Fine Americas Many growers are familiar with plant growth regulators (PGRs). Some use them frequently, yet others shy away for various reasons. Often, those reasons aren’t as valid as they may have been years ago. We talked with Dudley Dabbs, Sales Manager, SE at Fine Americas, and Dr. JC Chong, Ornamental Technical Development Manager at SePRO, to find out what they hear around the watercooler and get the facts.

IFF Pharma Solutions Brings Next-Gen Excipient Innovations to CPHI Japan 2025 TOKYO, March 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IFF (NYSE:IFF) Pharma Solutions will showcase its cutting-edge excipient technologies at CPHI Japan 2025. The IFF Pharma Solutions team will highlight its innovations in oral disintegrating tablets (ODTs), controlled-release formulations, and novel complex formulations on April 9-11. "IFF Pharma Solutions is committed to redefining drug delivery through material science innovation," said Frank Zhao, commercial leader, IFF Pharma Solutions, Asia Pacific. "At CPHI Japan, we will showcase technologies designed to elevate patient outcomes while streamlining pharmaceutical production."

Molecular motors in action: visualizing α-cyclodextrin movement along polymer chains Scientists visualize α-cyclodextrin rings moving along a polymer using fast-scanning atomic force microscopy, aiding molecular machine design Inspired by nature’s molecular machines, scientists have been developing artificial counterparts since the first synthetic molecular machine was created in 1994. This research has progressed rapidly, culminating in the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for breakthroughs in molecular machine design. One promising candidate is polypseudorotaxane, a structure where a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymer chain is threaded through multiple α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) rings. In aqueous solutions, these rings self-assemble onto the PEG chain and move along its length. However, the specific structural changes behind this movement have remained unclear—until now.

New Study Reveals Insights On Remdesivir Stability Aboard ISS Investigation highlights the impact of space conditions on drug formulation integrity and pharmaceutical practices. Research on the stability of pharmaceuticals in space has gained increasing importance, especially for long-term missions like those planned by NASA and other space agencies. A recent study conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) examined the stability of Remdesivir, a drug used to treat COVID-19, when combined with sulfobutylether-beta-cyclodextrin (SBECD), known for its ability to improve solubility and stability of other active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

New salicylic acid-based strategy could balance disease resistance with plant growth Researchers at the University of Georgia have identified a promising approach to addressing a longstanding challenge for plant geneticists: balancing disease resistance and growth in plants. The breakthrough could help protect plants from disease in the future while also promoting higher biomass yields to support sustainable food supplies for both humans and animals, production of biofuels and lumber, and more, according to the new study. The paper is published in The Plant Cell journal. "Combating pathogens has been a top challenge in agriculture," said C.J. Tsai, corresponding author of the study and a professor in UGA's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "Solutions that balance disease resistance and growth are much needed, especially with the ever-increasing disease pressure due to climate change."

Captisol-enabled Contrast Media with Reduced Renal Toxicity in Development This case study was sponsored by Ligand Pharmaceuticals The medical imaging market relies heavily on contrast media, injected into patients to increase the contrast of bodily structures in images and improve diagnostic examinations. In radiographic imaging procedures, iodinated contrast agents can greatly enhance X-rays or computed tomography (CT) images. But many contrast agents carry with them the risk of nephrotoxicity, or renal toxicity, for patients with significant and lingering kidney issues. This risk can lead to the need for renal replacement therapy, or result in rehospitalization and even death. Currently many scientists are searching for ways to develop a more kidney-safe contrast agent for this subgroup of patients. Ligand’s Captisol-enabled iohexol is poised to offer a new opportunity for the diagnostic imaging market.