Main Chemical Feed

Benchmark flaws may be distorting AI drug-discovery leaderboards

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 14:16:00 +0000

Audit identifies subtle but consequential issues, such as conflicting labels and train–test leakage, in numerous benchmark datasets

Sodium batteries’ durability and performance boosted by scandium additive

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:25:00 +0000

A scandium additive appears to improve the lifespan and charging performance of sodium-ion batteries

How to write thesis acknowledgements

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Tips for deciding who and how to thank those who have supported you through your PhD or dissertation

The 2027 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 93 research/teaching positions and 5 teaching positions

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:11:54 +0000

The 2027 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 93 research/teaching positions and 5 teaching positions

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

On August 26, 2025, the 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 99 research/teaching positions and 11 teaching positions. On August 27, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 161 research/teaching positions and ten teaching positions.

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here is the first open thread.

Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread.

Are you having problems accessing the Google Sheet because of a Google Documents error? Email me at chemjobber@gmail.com and I will send you an Excel download of the latest sheet.

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 18 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching positions

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:03:18 +0000

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List (by Todd N. Whittaker) has 18 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching positions.

Want to chat? Go to the open thread.

The twisted chemistry of Narwhal tusks

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Narwhal tusks grow in distinctive shape due to opposing chiral collagen fibrils

Tool for designer disordered proteins unentangles their function

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0000

Mysterious structure–function relationship of intrinsically disordered proteins probed by machine-learning platform

Protein degrader approval offers hope to relapsed multiple myeloma patients

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 08:09:00 +0000

Highly potent molecular glue drug iberdomide doubles the number of patients reaching fewer than one myeloma cell per 100,000 in bone marrow

Baker’s yeast engineered to produce precursor for essential cancer drugs

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0000

Biosynthesis potentially offers a more efficient way to produce etoposide and teniposide than current synthetic pathways

Cracking the ubiquitin code to unlock new drug targets

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 10:27:00 +0000

The approval of the first Protac cancer drug marks a turning point in medicine – but scientists are only beginning to decode the complex molecular language that makes it possible

30 US universities ordered to audit foreign research partnerships

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:46:00 +0000

Pentagon says review must be finished by the end of August to maintain federal funding

Have a great weekend

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Getting those writing vibes back after a summer off, hoping to ease my way back into five-day-a-week posting here. Hope you had a great week - see you on Monday.

If you're going to be at ACS Chicago next week, shoot me an email!

NBC Boston: "Explosive, radioactive substances at late chemist's home bring bomb squad to Lexington"

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:50:00 +0000

Via Google News, this story from July 22:

A highly explosive chemical, radioactive substances and more hazardous materials found at a late chemist's house in Lexington brought out the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad for a complex removal Monday, officials said.
A hazmat team and an FBI bomb technician were also part of the response prompted by a clean-out of a home on Longfellow Road, state and local fire officials said Tuesday. Lexington fire officials called in the help after finding dozens of bottles of powders, liquids and solids, including the highly explosive chemical picric acid and fire hazards.
Police and firefighters secured the area around the home while hazmat and bomb technicians entered and carefully searched it, organizing the materials and removing them to a truck filled with sand over about seven hours. Officials said that an ambulance and firefighters with a charged hose were on standby, just in case.

It's not like local ACS sections don't already have plenty of things to do and not enough resources, but volunteering to help fire departments with household chemical troves might be a good one.

*maybe the right idea is a "chemical will", i.e. you write out an inventory for the authorities?

Do isolated molecules have structure?

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:00:00 +0000

If quantum mechanically described superposition states exist, can a molecule truly have a shape?

Chemistry contains multitudes

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:42:00 +0000

There’s room (and need) for all the various subspecies of chemical scientists

Organocatalyst streamlines oligonucleotide drug synthesis

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:14:00 +0000

New reaction controls phosphorus stereochemistry during the synthesis of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides

Job posting, Scientist, SMDD, Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, IN

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Via ACS Chemistry Careers:

Job Position Overview
In the synthesis of pharmaceutical candidate compounds, this role is to develop chemical processes, which minimize the cost of production while maximizing manufacturing capacity. The position requires a high degree of synthetic organic chemistry skill and excellent problem-solving capability. The ability to collaborate with multi-functional teams and effectively communicating the appropriate level of scientific data is important.
Responsibilities:

Contribute to a healthy, supportive work culture and maintain a highly organized laboratory area with a strong focus on all aspects of chemical and occupational safety.
Plan and execute laboratory experiments, analyze outcomes, optimize conditions, and document and communicate experimental findings.
Preparing various quantities of materials (milligrams to grams) for use by the program/project team customers, and interfacing with other chemists, analysts, and engineers for the successful scale-up of the chemical process.

Basic Qualifications:

BS/MS in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or closely related organic chemistry STEM degree

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested.

Investigation flags chemical incompatibility in deadly US incident

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:13:00 +0000

Mixing nitric acid with sodium trithiocarbonate at Catalyst Refiners formed hydrogen sulfide

UK science department abolished & Ireland’s crumbling concrete

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 08:01:00 +0000

What does a new prime minister mean for UK science? Plus, why are thousands of Irish buildings falling apart?

Artificial intelligence or clever artifice?

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 14:12:00 +0000

It’s important to be realistic about what AI can, and can’t, achieve, across the chemistry enterprise

‘Organisations can’t solve a problem they can’t measure’: industry framework aims to improve chemical hazard monitoring

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0000

Colour-coded system could help companies benchmark progress as they transition to using ‘lower-risk’ chemicals

The 2027 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 70 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching positions

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The 2027 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 70 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching positions

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

On August 19, 2025, the 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 86 research/teaching positions and nine teaching positions. On August 20, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 131 research/teaching positions and seven teaching positions.

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here is the first open thread.

Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread.

Are you having problems accessing the Google Sheet because of a Google Documents error? Email me at chemjobber@gmail.com and I will send you an Excel download of the latest sheet.

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 13 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching positions

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:50:00 +0000

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List (by Todd N. Whittaker) has 13 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching positions.

Want to chat? Go to the open thread.

Uranium complex smashes record for consecutive bonds between atoms

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Linear complex is the first all-metal compound to have more than two triple bonds in a row

Step forward for CAR-T therapy as it shows promise in solid bladder tumours

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:55:00 +0000

Animal tests show targeting bladder cancer specific protein can treat tumours and could cut need for surgery

The sticky problem of detecting fake honey

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:29:00 +0000

Nobody knows how much of the honey we buy is pure or adulterated, as detecting fraud remains surprisingly difficult. Nina Notman examines why finding fake honey is so analytically challenging — and what researchers are doing about it.

Chemistry can feel inaccessible to British Asian students, survey finds

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:09:00 +0000

Interviews with current students revealed recurring concerns about a lack of representation, difficulties reporting racism and challenges fitting in with peers

Chemists may be misassigning defects in carbon materials, study suggests

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:56:00 +0000

Peaks in certain spectra are likely a combination of several defects, such as heteroatoms, different ring sizes and vacancies

Record low European river levels threaten chemical freight and process cooling

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:12:00 +0000

Cutting off bulk barges leaves few options for high-volume gaseous cargoes, where road and rail options are unsuitable

How Robert Crapnell carved out a new role between technician and academic

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:30:00 +0000

The research technical manager at Manchester Metropolitan University was awarded this year’s RSC Technical Excellence Prize

Simple reagent slices open phenol rings, converts them into various nitrogen-containing products

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Strategy adds to the skeletal editing toolbox, creating flexible chains from flat arene rings

Combining AI with experiments to solve real-world materials problems

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:58:00 +0000

CuspAI’s Materials Foundry partner network includes 45 technology, data and materials chemistry companies to make and test its predictions

Pfizer’s green chemistry team turns 25

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:16:00 +0000

What began as a grassroots initiative has become embedded across Pfizer’s research and manufacturing operations, helping reshape processes from Viagra to Paxlovid

Shape-shifting MOF works wonders for heating and cooling across climates

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:14:00 +0000

A pressurised system self-regulates to trigger temperature changes without external electrical inputs

Messy megamergers

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 14:26:00 +0000

Rumoured merger between AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb has collapsed, and that’s probably a good thing

The 2027 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 59 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching positions

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The 2027 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 59 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching positions

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

On August 12, 2025, the 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 80 research/teaching positions and seven teaching positions. On August 13, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 105 research/teaching positions and seven teaching positions.

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here is the first open thread.

Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread.

Are you having problems accessing the Google Sheet because of a Google Documents error? Email me at chemjobber@gmail.com and I will send you an Excel download of the latest sheet.

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 11 research/teaching positions

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:55:00 +0000

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List (by Todd N. Whittaker) has 11 research/teaching positions.

This is the first post of the series, so it will serve as the open thread for the year.

Is this painting of a Roman emperor a lost Leonardo da Vinci?

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:34:00 +0000

Pigment analysis sheds light on Renaissance painting mystery

Updated Appel reaction finally fluorinates alcohols

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0000

Simple reaction allows access to wide range of fluorinated molecules, without using hazardous hydrogen fluoride

150 years of Gibbs’ phase rule

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 09:29:00 +0000

In 1873, Josiah Willard Gibbs published an equation that would transform chemistry – yet barely anyone noticed at the time. The story of his phase rule is one of delayed recognition, mathematical abstraction and enduring scientific legacy

Anthony Fauci found in contempt of Congress with case sent to Department of Justice

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 14:09:00 +0000

Senate panel vote could see key scientific figure in the US efforts to combat Covid-19 sent to prison

Covalent drugs just got a new ‘spring-loaded’ warhead

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Sulfur(IV) reagent allows late-stage installation of bicyclobutanes to drug molecules, expanding a limited tool box

Oral cholesterol-lowering peptide approved after a decade in development

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Merck & Co’s Lipfendra (enlicitide) employs 13 enzymes in biocatalytic synthesis

Thermo Fisher data manipulation & the shrinking chemical recycling industry

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We discuss fabricated images in Thermo Fisher’s online catalogue. And, what barriers are preventing chemical plastic recycling from taking off?

House of Lords committee calls for ban on over-the-counter flea and tick treatments

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 08:59:00 +0000

Overuse of these treatments is potentially causing widespread damage to the environment

How to translate your research into a commercial idea

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 08:00:00 +0000

University spin-outs, technology licensing and venture creation are opening up a new generation of career paths for researchers. Here is how to find your route into the commercial world.

Trump threatens generic drug tariffs

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:39:00 +0000

Plan aims to encourage domestic US supplies, but will it work?

Maiden voyage for India’s first hydrogen train signals the country’s ambitions in this area

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:26:00 +0000

Strategy targets domestic production of 5 million tonnes of hydrogen by 2030 but concerns remain over technological bottlenecks

“Postdoc-to-PI” workshop, Penn State University, August 31 - September 1

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

From the inbox:

The Department of Chemistry at Penn State University is holding a “Postdoc-to-PI” symposium/workshop designed to help postdocs applying for tenure-track positions in chemistry prepare for on-site interviews.

Participants will deliver a public research seminar, a short proposal talk, and meet with faculty and students over two days, 8/31 & 9/1, leading into the fall hiring cycle. Our faculty will also provide constructive, written feedback.

All expenses are paid by our department. Interested postdocs should complete a short application by 8/14 at bit.ly/postdoc-to-pi, which also contains further information. We aim to select 6-7 applicants from a range of fields who are currently based in the US or Canada, irrespective of national origin or immigration status.

Best wishes to those interested.

EU relaxes methane and carbon emission rules

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:51:00 +0000

Methane regulation fines delayed carbon trading restrictions eased amid concerns over energy supply and security