Many of the major scientific breakthroughs over recent centuries have been down to chemistry but where will the science be tomorrow? What challenges remain? We dusted off our crystal ball to predict where some of the big breakthroughs will occur in the years to come.
Many of the challenges facing all of the sciences surround a global population that is estimated to increase from 7 to 9 billion people within 35 years, placing terrible pressures on our planet and its dwindling resources.
Figures suggest that that 75% of people will live in cities, up from 50% today, which means our urban areas need to be more sustainable, and given that people in many countries are living longer, another challenge will be coping with the demand for food and energy and the growth of illnesses associated with longevity.
These challenges are daunting but finding solutions to them also offers hard-edged opportunities to chemical companies and research teams who are constantly seeking new applications and new markets for chemistry-based products.
All of them rely on chemists working in collaboration with those specialists from other fields, from biology to engineering, architects to fashion designers.
Some of the major challenges include:
Food for thought – Estimates suggest that if the world’s population grows to 9 billion by 2050, at least a 70% growth in global food production will be needed.
One challenge for chemists is meeting that demand by coming up with improved fertilisers which will boost yields and allow crops to grow in tough, arid areas, something seen as particularly important as climate changes increases the amount of the planet‘s desert areas.
Every year sees the creation of such fertilisers but it is safe to assume that the years to come will see dramatic advances with more truly stunning discovers coming out of laboratories.
Another challenge relates to meeting the demand for fresh water associated with burgeoning populations and increased food production.
Chemists are already working on the next generation of drought-resistant crops and seeds in addition to new types of fertilisers that mean that less water needs to be used by plants.
Chemistry will also be vital in developing new inexpensive water purification techniques such as filtration and disinfection.
Although such water purification technology exists today, the search is on for a solution that is more scalable and accessible to all, a task particularly important given water shortages predicted to be part of climate change.
