News

Lab Notes

On the glut of patenting, BASF's rising research budget, football fever in the Commons, and other insights into R&D management

The price of research

"Basic research may seem very expensive. I am a well-paid scientist. My hourly wage is equal to that of a plumber..." Albert Szent-Györgyi, Nobel-winning chemist

IP in China: a risky business

When Google hired Kai-fu Lee from Microsoft to set up the internet company's new R&D centre in Beijing in July, it set off a legal battle that highlights how much is at stake in the rush to cash in on the country's booming economy and vast scientific labour force.