Well, this week didn't quite go as I hoped, but I think it's going to go all right. Thought I would throw in a tribute to Toby Keith, whose music I quite enjoyed in the late 90s. There is something about this song that reminds me of how I feel about this blog, which is why I chose it.
Hope that you have a great weekend, and we'll see you on Monday.
Via Ars Technica's Beth Mole, this news about the lead-contaminated applesauce:
A spice grinder named Carlos Aguilera of Ecuador is the likely source of contaminated cinnamon containing extremely high levels of lead and chromium, which made its way into the apple cinnamon fruit pouches of US toddlers, according to an announcement by the Food and Drug Administration this week.
To date, there have been 413 cases of poisoning across 43 US states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The FDA said Ecuadorian officials at the Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (ARCSA) identified Aguilera as the cinnamon processor and reported to the FDA that his business is no longer operating. Aguilera received raw cinnamon sticks sourced from Sri Lanka, which, according to raw sample testing conducted by ARCSA, had no lead contamination upon their arrival. After Aguilera processed the cinnamon, it was supplied by a company called Negasmart to Austrofoods, the manufacturer of the apple cinnamon pouches.
Being a lead level extremist*, I think this guy is a terrible person. I am glad that this was caught before it could become a worse problem, but it seems to me that it should not have gotten this far. I don't think it's practical or desirable to test every single molecule of every single lot of food that is imported, but it is genuinely alarming that we have a hole wide enough for lead-contaminated applesauce to actively destroy the minds of American children.
*my definition: I believe there is no safe level of lead exposure for children.
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I've long admired Keith Hornberger's writings on med chem, and his new work with Vega Shah "The Pharma & Biotech Layoff Survival Guide" is no different. This paragraph near the introduction is a good summary:
I’ve been in the pharma & biotech industry for almost 22 years and am now on my fourth job. Of the three partings I’ve gone through, one was a relatively traumatic layoff and the other two were initiated by me for my own career advancement — although in both of those cases, as fate would have it, I narrowly dodged layoffs that followed within months of my departure. When I share that anecdote with people, I’m sometimes asked if I have a “Spidey Sense” about layoffs. Indeed, folks in my current workplace who hear this tale will half-jokingly ask me to give them a heads-up if I’m thinking about leaving. While I don’t believe in the Spidey Sense, I do believe that active career management is the way to go for your long term happiness — and the preparedness that goes into a planned move will also serve you well for the unfortunate unplanned moves too.
It is a great bit of advice, and I am glad that Keith and Vega wrote it. Read the whole thing.
The 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 521 research/teaching positions and 73 teaching positions.
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The Department of Chemistry at the University of Rhode Island invites applications for a full-time Assistant Teaching Professor position beginning July 1, 2024. Depending on the candidate’s expertise and departmental needs, there may also be opportunities to teach other introductory chemistry courses in the Department’s Curriculum.Teaching faculty at URI are represented by URI’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). The AAUP collective bargaining agreement includes opportunities for promotion, multiyear appointments upon promotion, a defined salary structure, and protections of academic freedom.The successful candidate will receive a starting salary of $75,523, along with comprehensive benefits offered by the State of Rhode Island.Duties and Responsibilities:The successful candidate will primarily teach two to three sections of General Chemistry or sophomore Organic Chemistry courses per semester.The search will remain open until the position has been filled. First consideration will be given to applications received by February 29, 2024. Applications received after February 29, 2024, may be reviewed depending on search progress and needs, but are not guaranteed full consideration.
The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List has 135 positions. Find an error or have a question? Find an error? Contact @Heatherlec620 or @G_sribala.
Via the New York Times, this pretty cool new paper:
With restrictions on space and weight, what would you bring if you were going to Mars? An ideal option might be a single material that can shift shapes into any object you imagine.
In the morning, you could mold that material into utensils for eating. When breakfast is done, you could transform your fork and knife into a spade to tend to your Martian garden. And then when it’s happy hour on the red planet, that spade could become a cup for your Martian beer.
What sounds like science fiction is, perhaps, one step closer to reality. Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have created a new type of plastic with properties that can be set with heat and then locked in with rapid cooling, a process known as tempering. Unlike classic plastics, the material retains this stiffness when returned to room temperature.
The findings, published in the journal Science on Thursday, could someday change how astronauts pack for space.
Do click through to see the pretty cool video of the plastic doing its work. What a cool material - will be interesting to see what uses it gets up to.
It feels like this week was a maelstrom that kept growing and growing, but this piece is a tiny bit of tranquility and beauty. It had its good moments, though. Here is hoping that your week was calmer than mine, and I hope that you have a wonderful weekend. See you on Monday.
This news (that I somehow missed) from friend of the blog Michael McCoy:
The stock prices of the pharmaceutical outsourcing providers WuXi AppTec and WuXi Biologics were pummeled after a US House of Representatives committee introduced a bill that would restrict federally funded medical providers from using several Chinese outsourcing firms.
Based in Shanghai, WuXi AppTec is a top drug service provider and one of the world’s largest employers of chemists. WuXi Biologics is a separate company that WuXi AppTec spun off in 2017. The bill also mentions the private genomics firm BGI Group.
The draft bill, from the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, cites US national security concerns. It says WuXi AppTec has sponsored “military-civil fusion” events in China and received investments from a military-civil integration investment fund.
The bill also says WuXi Biologics CEO Chris Chen was previously an adjunct professor at the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Military Medical Sciences. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate.
WuXi AppTec says in a stock market announcement the findings stated in the draft bill are not accurate. “We are confident that the business development of WuXi AppTec will not pose a security risk to any country,” it says. In its own announcement, WuXi Biologics says the bill references a courtesy designation that Chen received after a guest lecture in 2013.
The language of the draft bill states the following (I think I got the key section):
The head of an executive agency may not procure or obtain any biotechnology equipment or service produced or provided by a biotechnology company of concern; or enter into a contract or extend or renew a contract with any entity that uses biotechnology equipment or services produced or provided by a biotechnology company of concern and acquired after the applicable effective date in subsection (c) in performance of the contract; or enters into any contract the perform-19 ance of which will require the direct use of biotechnology equipment or services produced or provided by a biotechnology company of concern and acquired after the applicable effective date in subsection (c).
I have to say, I am pretty unimpressed with this. First, it will never make it out of Congress. Second, what federal organizations contract with WuXi for drug development services? None of them, I bet. Finally, Congress isn't dumb enough (I think) to say "welp, Merck (or whoever), you're just going to have to stop doing business with WuXi." This is a bluff, and a stupid one.
...We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Synthetic Physical Organic Chemistry who will focus on organic synthesis of novel monomers and polymers, supramolecular catalysts, and structural characterization of depolymerization products and other relevant small organic molecules. This position resides in the Nanomaterials Chemistry Group in the Separations & Polymer Chemistry Section, Chemical Sciences Division, Physical Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).As part of our research team, you will be responsible for delivering high impact research results to advance the work on polymer upcycling, cation separation and elucidation of reaction mechanisms. You will be very closely working with specialists in synthesis, separations chemistry, theory, spectroscopy, and materials characterization...
Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested.
Via Scientific American, a fascinating article about the illegal sand trade:
...Sand is any hard, granular material—stones, shells, whatever—between 0.0625 and two millimeters in diameter. Fine-quality sand is used in glass, and still-finer grades appear in solar panels and silicon chips for electronics. Desert sand typically consists of grains rounded like tiny marbles from constant weathering. The best sand for construction, however, has angular grains, which helps concrete mixtures bind. River sand is preferable to coastal sand, partly because coastal sand has to be washed free of salt. But coastal sand does get used, especially when builders take shortcuts, leading to buildings that have shorter life spans and pose greater risks for inhabitants. Such shortcuts worsened the damage from the disastrous February 2023 earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria, says Mette Bendixen, a physical geographer at McGill University who has investigated the effects of sand mining since 2017.
I was first alerted to sand mafias by Louise Shelley, who leads the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center at George Mason University. Shelley realized sand mining could be a natural evolution of organized crime when, five years ago, she was a guest at a NATO lunch conference held near the Pentagon. A top NATO official approached her to talk about illegal fishing off West Africa, saying it posed a serious threat to European and NATO security. They talked about how the low threshold for entry into an environmental crime such as wildlife poaching can draw criminal rings and then lead them into other types of organized environmental crime, such as illegal logging. Sand mining was another case in point. Shelley says in northwestern Africa there is a confluence of trafficking factors: the region offers entry to European markets, and its mosaic of fragile governments, terrorist groups and corrupt international corporations makes it vulnerable....
It seems to me that you should be able to track sand, kind of like you can come up with the basic impurity profiles of olive oil and the like. That said, I can't imagine the dense network of large construction companies and (lol) sand brokers really care about the provenance of such a basic raw material...
The 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 513 research/teaching positions and 72 teaching positions.
Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread.
The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List has 135 positions. Find an error or have a question? Find an error? Contact @Heatherlec620 or @G_sribala.
Also in this week's C&EN, this update to the goings on with the federal helium system (article by Craig Bettenhausen):
Privatization of the US Federal Helium System limped ahead yesterday as the General Services Administration concluded its auction with only one realistic offer. The industrial gas company Messer, which currently operates the system on a contract basis, bid $353,350,000.
About 28 million m3 of federally-owned helium contained in the system was also for sale; Messer placed the only bid, offering $21 million. Helium consultant Phil Kornbluth writes in the industrial gas magazine Gasworld that the price offered for the helium itself is far below current market values. “I believe there is a good chance that it will be rejected,” he writes.
The anemic auction, which began accepting bids in July of last year, went forward despite protests and lawsuits from the industrial gas, chemical, semiconductor, medical, and aerospace industries. “The bid opening was anticlimactic, to say the least,” Kornbluth says. “But in line with my expectations.”
What I think is most interesting is this comment:
Under the terms of the auction, the General Services Administration now has 130 days to make a decision, which could include rejecting the two bids. The agency also faces an ongoing lawsuit from Air Products. The industrial gas firm claims the sale will cause major disruptions to the US helium supply, which would violate the underlying legislation.
It is fascinating to me that no one is particularly enthusiastic (including Messer!) about the sale of this helium system. Also, I don't understand why Congress hasn't walked this back?
Of all the historical ramifications of the 1994 Congressional election, this is definitely the one that was probably least predictable.
Chemical companies’ 2023 financial results are starting to trickle in: with meek performance in Europe and China, a sluggish construction market, and industry-wide inventory destocking, it was an awful year for chemical makers. And company executives expect a turbulent start to 2024.Dow, the first major chemical maker to report complete results, posted a 21.6% sales decline from 2022. Net income before unusual items dropped 64.9%.Volume gains in Dow’s polyethylene and performance material and coatings businesses were more than offset by lower prices. “As we enter 2024, we expect near-term demand to remain pressured by elevated inflation, high interest rates, and geopolitical tension,” Dow chief financial officer Jeffery L. Tate said in a conference call with analysts.BASF, the world’s largest chemical maker, had expected 2023 to be a terrible year, but the company revealed in a Jan. 19 preview that results would fall short of even its own dour expectations. Sales of $75.7 billion came in below the $79 billion–$82 billion that BASF had forecast in July. Its sales in 2022 were $94.7 billion.
Well, that's not really great news for hiring this year, but let's hope things turn around...
Via the New York Times, this news from friend of the blog Michelle Francl's new book:
Can a simple cup of tea stir a dispute between two mighty countries on opposite sides of the Atlantic? Just ask the ragtag group of patriots who crudely disguised themselves and hurled chests of tea into Boston Harbor.
For a new book, an academic took a look at papers and texts covering more than 1,000 years to try to determine the best way to make a cuppa.
The conclusions of this author, Michelle Francl, a chemistry professor at Bryn Mawr College, included the expected (use tea bags only once) and the interesting (add warm milk after pouring the tea to prevent curdling).
But at least one of the recommendations was incendiary. Professor Francl advised adding a pinch of salt. Salt!
The theory is that sodium makes the tea taste less bitter.
Once again, in case you missed it: Salt. In your tea.
Professor Francl hastens to say she doesn’t dump a shakerful in every cup. The main reason to add salt is that it can rescue tea if the bag has been left too long in the water. “The sodium blocks the bitter receptors,” she said. “The tea tastes smoother and less bitter.” She advises adding just a pinch: “so little that you can’t taste the saltiness of it.”
If you read further, you'll see that a number of UK-based publications rather choked on this suggestion. I can't say I blame them for being bothered, but I think it makes a lot of sense from a chemistry perspective. I don't think I'll try it (I mostly don't drink tea enough to notice the bitter taste? And if I did, I'd think I'd just make a fresh cup. But who knows?)
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Operates and maintains highly technical chemistry scientific equipment, same as or equivalent to the examples previously listed. Conducts studies and approved industry analytical procedures in various areas of agency concern to identify and quantify contaminants and adulterants in FDA-regulated products. May be required to troubleshoot the instrumentation such as hands-on maintenance and repair. Formulates and conducts research that evaluates new chemistry instrumentation and its applicability to the required analyses. Plans and performs the development of analytical methods in accordance with FDA needs and priorities, which requires a strong understanding of the ISO 17025 accreditation requirements as they apply to maintaining and verifying instrumentation performance. Performs verifications and validations of new chemistry methods.
Applications will be accepted from qualified applicants. This position is being filled under an excepted hiring authority, Title 21, Section 3072 of the 21st Century Cures Act. The candidate selected for this position will serve under a career or career-conditional appointment and be paid under the provisions of the authority. All qualified candidates should email letter of interest addressing your experience in the major duties and responsibilities of the position, detailed current resume, SF-50 (redacted for SSN and birth year, for federal employees only), and college transcript(s) (with foreign credentials evaluation, if applicable) to the ORA Executive Recruitment and Scientific Staffing Committee: ORAExecutiveandScientificRecruitment@fda.hhs.gov. Applications will be accepted through March 18, 2024. Applicants must reference: 4-Chemist-SF in the email subject line.
Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested.
Via Chemistry World (article by Maria Burke):
A 29-year-old man living in Knutsford, Cheshire, has been found guilty of possessing hydrochloric and sulfuric acids without a licence. The case raises questions about the responsibilities of wholesalers selling regulated chemicals to members of the public.
Concentrated hydrochloric and sulfuric acids are regulated because they can be used in the illicit manufacture of explosives or to cause harm. In November 2018, it became a criminal offence in the UK to possess sulfuric acid above a concentration of 15% without a licence. The law was tightened to combat rising acid attacks across the country. In October last year, hydrochloric acid above 10% w/w was among several chemicals added to the list of regulated substances. Others include hexamine, phosphoric acid (above 30% w/w) and zinc phosphide.
In a raid last November, police found a ‘makeshift chemistry lab’ in the bedroom of Ashlea Henderson. According to police reports, this consisted of 21 unknown chemicals, both in and out of their containers, along with a range of equipment. As a precautionary measure the police evacuated over 100 households and called in the bomb squad. It was seven hours before residents could return to their homes.
It is interesting to me that the phenomenon of home chemists exists outside the United States (this is the first report I've seen in 10+ years.) Nevertheless, I had not idea such legal strictures existed in the UK.
It seems to me that some enterprising small laboratory could make a bit of money by renting out a bit of space to local men who were interested in doing home chemistry, but I suspect that the legal risk would outweigh any revenue.
Via Reuters, this news:
FRANKFURT, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Germany's chemicals sector, Europe's largest, is starting to feel the pinch from delayed shipments via the Red Sea, becoming the latest industry to warn of supply disruptions that have forced some companies to curb production.
Crucial Asian imports to Europe ranging from car parts and engineering equipment to chemicals and toys are currently taking longer to arrive as container shippers have diverted vessels around Africa and away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal, following attacks by Yemen's Houthis.
..."My procurement department is currently working three times as hard to get something," said Martina Nighswonger, CEO and owner of Gechem GmbH & Co KG, which mixes and bottles chemicals for big industrial clients.
As a result of the delays, Gechem, which makes annual sales in the double-digit millions of euros, has lowered production of dishwasher and toilet tablets because it can't get enough trisodium citrate as well as sulfamic and citric acid.
The company is therefore reviewing its three-shift system, Nighswonger said, adding the ripple effects from the transport squeeze could remain a problem for the first half of 2024 at least. This is causing frank discussions with customers, Nighswonger added. "If we get three truck loads instead of six, each customer only gets part of their order quantity, but at least everybody gets something," she said.
Bigger speciality chemicals maker Evonik also said it was being hit by "short notice routing changes and delays", adding some ships had changed direction as many as three times within a few days.
The company said it was trying to mitigate the impact by ordering earlier and switching to air freight, which is considered a stopgap because some chemicals are not allowed to be transported by plane.
Sure wish the German chemicals sector got a better shake these days, but it sure doesn't seem like it...
The 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 511 research/teaching positions and 71 teaching positions.
Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread.
The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List has 134 positions. Find an error or have a question? Find an error? Contact @Heatherlec620 or @G_sribala.
