If you thought that palladium - the metal - is expensive, and it no doubt is that, be glad you’re not running a biochemical lab with funding issues. This precious metal is indispensable in sustaining chemical reactions through its unequaled function as a catalyst; a chemical present in a solution which does not undergo a change in chemical state but which aids other reactions. Those biochemists have to shell out truly horrifying amounts of money to get their precious little bottles of liquid. A recent report in the journal Nature recounts how one such chemical engineer working for Merck, the pharmaceutical giant, is billed to the tune of $100,000 for the palladium catalyst needed to turn out just 3kg of a particular drug. This goes some way in explaining the absurdly high cost of some drugs - and the article goes on to suggest that the manufacture of most drugs needs these types of catalysts.

So… be happy you’re only paying this much for the palladium here?