Not boring at all

The element boron is not renowned among biologists, short of a few specialists who know that it is an essential nutrient for plants and an element in boromycin—an antibiotic compound produced by Streptomyces. Yet, on the whole, molecular biologists and, in particular, those in drug development seem to have little use for carbon’s left-hand neighbour in the periodic table. This is about to change. Currently, boron is largely produced in Turkey and the USA, and is used in a wide range of products, including glass, detergents, fire retardants, fibres to reinforce plane fuselages and body armour, and in superhard materials. Now, both researchers and the pharmaceutical industry are showing an increasing interest in boron as an alternative to carbon in drug design.