Prof R.N. Butler of the Chemistry Department, NUI Galway, has won the Boyle-Higgins Gold Medal of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland for his contribution to the advancement of chemistry. He and his students are working on what are referred to as "domino reactions" or "cascades", which involve initiating a series of reactions. The early steps of this chain produce unstable and unpredictable results, and scientists, particularly in the chemotherapeutical area, are interested in these short-lived products. Many have unusual structures that may hold promise in new pharmaceuticals.