Large Hadron Collider turned lead into gold

Via the CERN website, this important news: 

In a paper published in Physical Review Journals, the ALICE collaboration reports measurements that quantify the transmutation of lead into gold in CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

Transforming the base metal lead into the precious metal gold was a dream of medieval alchemists. This long-standing quest, known as chrysopoeia, may have been motivated by the observation that dull grey, relatively abundant lead is of a similar density to gold, which has long been coveted for its beautiful colour and rarity. It was only much later that it became clear that lead and gold are distinct chemical elements and that chemical methods are powerless to transmute one into the other.

...The ALICE analysis shows that, during Run 2 of the LHC (2015–2018), about 86 billion gold nuclei were created at the four major experiments. In terms of mass, this corresponds to just 29 picograms (2.9 ×10E-11 g). Since the luminosity in the LHC is continually increasing thanks to regular upgrades to the machines, Run 3 has produced almost double the amount of gold that Run 2 did, but the total still amounts to trillions of times less than would be required to make a piece of jewellery. While the dream of medieval alchemists has technically come true, their hopes of riches have once again been dashed.

I calculate the amount of gold created to be in the 0.0000030247 cents range (2.9 X10E-11 grams X $104.30/gram), which won't get you much of a cup of coffee these days. 

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 505 research/teaching positions and 100 teaching positions

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 505 research/teaching positions and 100 teaching positions. 

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

To see trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list.

On May 14, 2024, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 556 research/teaching positions and 86 teaching positions.

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? This is the link to the second open thread. This is the link to 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. 

Job posting: assistant professor (fall 2026), Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC

From the inbox: 

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Victoria invites applications for an Assistant Professor position in experimental chemistry, particularly in one of the areas of physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry or a combination of the two fields. The research area is broadly defined and includes but is not limited to inorganic synthesis, sustainable materials, catalysis, spectroscopy, nanosciences, and/or energy, including energy storage devices. The successful applicant will be offered a tenure-track appointment with an expected start date of July 1, 2026 or as negotiated. A PhD degree in chemistry is required and Post-doctoral experience is strongly preferred. 

In accordance with the University’s Equity Plan and pursuant to section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, the selection will be limited to women and gender diverse peoples. Therefore, all candidates must self-identify as belonging to one of the designated groups in their cover letter to be considered for this position. 

The salary for this position is in a competitive range of $115,000-$125,000. The candidate's qualifications, experience and overall market demand will determine the final salary. The University of Victoria is committed to offering an equitable and competitive salary, inclusive of a generous benefits package, eligible leaves and pension plan. 

Priority date is July 15, 2025. Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

FiercePharma: "FDA misses another approval decision target date, this time for GSK's Nucala in COPD"

Via FiercePharma, this news: 

In the wake of mass restructuring efforts across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the FDA has missed yet another approval decision target date.

GSK had expected to secure an FDA nod for its IL-5 antibody Nucala in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on Wednesday, but the May 7 deadline has come and gone without a decision from the U.S. regulator.

“Based on our latest discussions with the FDA, we continue to expect approval,” a GSK spokesperson said in an email.

“The FDA is actively reviewing our submission for Nucala in COPD and we are working closely with them to help bring this important treatment option to patients as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said, caveating that the company does “not comment on ongoing discussions with regulatory authorities.”

Between the president's new executive order and this news, it very much feels like the Executive Branch is threatening pharma revenue streams directly. I can't imagine this will do anything good for hiring, especially in terms of entry-level R&D positions.  

Have a good weekend

Well, this week is just crazier and crazier but I think I am almost on top of things. I hope that you had a calmer week than I, and that you have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there and we'll see you on Monday. 

TIL Iran sells methanol to China

Via Bloomberg, this story: 

...Iranian methanol exports to China — which have so far flown under Washington’s radar — may be subject to scrutiny after the US threatened to impose secondary sanctions on buyers of the country’s oil.

About 40% of China’s methanol imports, around 5.2 million tons, came from Iran last year, Kpler data show. The chemical compound made from natural gas is used as a feedstock to create olefins, which are in turn used to make plastics. Methanol-to-olefin, or MTO, plants are the biggest buyers of cargoes originating in Iran, according to price-reporting and analytics firm ICIS.

“Iranian methanol is almost the only efficient way” for MTO units to get enough supply, said Ann Sun, a senior analyst at ICIS. Around 60% of standalone Chinese MTO plants are located on the coast, and it’s those facilities that rely on imported methanol, she said.

The MTO process was developed and commercialized in China, with the world’s first such plant built in Baotou in Inner Mongolia in 2010, according to a research paper published by the American Chemical Society. Methanol has become an important alternative to traditional feedstocks used to produce plastics including naphtha...

The global supply chain is fascinating and flows in so many directions... 

Job posting: Scientist, Encapsys, Appleton, WI

Via Bluesky, this position: 

POSITION TITLE

Scientist, Encapsys

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES 

• New capsule product solutions developed using Six Sigma and other scientific tools. 
• Leadership and management of product development, validation, and scale-up. 
• Safe processes for the handling of raw materials/finished products and production of product solutions. 
• Support of invention disclosures or patent applications. 

QUALIFICATIONS – REQUIRED 

• BS in Chemistry, Engineering, or related scientific field. 
• 5+ years of industry experience in product development/process engineering. 
• Extensive experience in and demonstrates advanced knowledge in an area of science or product technology.   
• Ability to facilitate and drive resolution of complex problems. 
• Ability and proven track record to develop products and technologies. 

QUALIFICATIONS – PREFERRED 

• MS or PhD in Chemistry or related field. 

Best wishes to those interested. 

MilliporeSigma instituting tariff charge in the US

Seen via email (emphasis mine): 

Tariff Impact and Approach

Dear Valued Customer,

MilliporeSigma's top priority is to ensure that patients, researchers, and customers worldwide continue to benefit from our innovations without disruption.

Starting in early April, we have witnessed new tariff schemes across the world. As a global company operating in many regions, we are making every effort to minimize the effect of these changes for our customers. However, like many businesses, the new tariffs are impacting our operations.

To maintain our operational integrity and continue delivering the service and quality our customers rely on, we have made the decision to implement a tariff surcharge. This temporary surcharge is in lieu of a tariff cost passthrough and protects our customers from experiencing the full impact of the broad tariff rates, some of which are very high. By leveraging a surcharge, we retain flexibility to adjust or remove the surcharge if the situation changes in the coming weeks or months.

Effective May 5, the surcharge will be applied to product orders shipped to locations in the United States which reflects the tariffs' broader impacts on our overall global supply chain processes, including production and procurement costs in addition to any direct costs on products. This charge will appear as a separate line item on quotes and invoices.

We understand that surcharges can be challenging, and we appreciate your understanding and continued support. In the meantime, we are working across our teams to reduce further impacts by strengthening our global presence, balancing investments across regions, and ensuring the resilience of our supply chain.

Sincerely,

Jean Charles Wirth

Head of Science and Lab Solutions

Well, that's not good for anyone. 

Have a good weekend

Well, this has been a wild week and it's not over for me. I hope that you have persisted through this week and I will try to as well. I hope the weather is great for your weekend. See you on Monday. 

SCMP: "Former Harvard professor convicted over China ties joins Tsinghua University"

Via the South China Morning Post:

Retired Harvard University chemist and nanoscientist Charles Lieber, who was convicted in 2021 for not disclosing his connections to a Chinese talent programme, has joined Tsinghua University as a chair professor.

Lieber, 66, a pioneer in the integration of nanotechnology for use in biology and medicine, will be researching at the Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, launched by the top Chinese university in 2019.

Lieber said his goal in the next few years was to “work with everyone to build a global science and technology hub and realise more scientific dreams in the vibrant and innovative city of Shenzhen”, according to a social media post by the graduate school on Thursday.

“He is ready to start a new research journey in Shenzhen and cannot wait to get to work as soon as possible,” the post said.

Lieber told the South China Morning Post last year that he was exploring work opportunities in mainland China and Hong Kong. He said at the time that he aimed to find an institution where he could best conduct research to benefit all, and where he would best be able to aid other researchers in their work.

Can't say I'm particularly surprised, but I don't think I would have predicted this after the end of his trial. I really wonder what plea deals were on the table and if he ever wishes he had made different decisions... 

Job posting: Research Chemist, BlueHalo, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States

 Via ACS Chemistry Careers: 

The Research Scientist will join collaborative multidisciplinary team at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) in Dayton, Ohio. The position focuses on basic and applied research projects involving synthesis of novel organic/inorganic small molecules, oligomers, and polymers.  Primary research responsibilities will be to develop synthetic strategies and routes to produce organometallic and inorganic-based polymers.  We are particularly interested in a highly motivated, adaptable, and capable individual with a Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field. 

Requirements

• This position is working within a government facility and requires U.S. Citizenship
• Ph.D. (or to be completed in next 6 mos.) in Polymer Chemistry, Chemistry, Materials Science & Engineering, Ceramic Engineering or a related field
• Experience with glove boxes, Schlenk line and air-free synthetic techniques for the preparation of inorganic, organometallic, or organic molecules and polymers
• Ability to learn and develop new approaches and techniques
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• This position will require a self-motivated individual with good interpersonal skills and careful attention to details
• Adaptable to varying program objectives 

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in polymer or hybrid material synthesis, as evidenced by research publications in peer-reviewed journals and professional society conference presentations.
• Prior experience in the synthesis of oxygen free boron molecules

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

C&EN on the Iranian port explosion

Credit: Planet Labs PBC via AP

Via C&EN, this story (article by Bethany Halford)

An explosion on April 26 at Iran’s largest port, near the southern city of Bandar Abbas killed at least 70 people and injured more than 1,000, according to Iranian state media.

The Islamic Republic News Agency, a state-run outlet, quotes an official who says containers of chemicals set off the explosion, though they do not specify the chemicals’ identity. The New York Times reports that a person with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, says the explosion was caused by sodium perchlorate—a strong oxidizer that is used as part of rocket fuel.

But that seems unlikely, according to Andrea Sella, a chemist at University College London. Sella says that although sodium perchlorate is a powerful oxidizer, it needs fuel to generate gaseous products that could cause an explosion like the one seen at the Iranian port. “Sodium perchlorate, on its own, to my knowledge, is not explosive and certainly doesn't detonate like that,” he says.

Sella initially thought the material might have been ammonium nitrate because of the intensity of the blast and the orange-brown plume of smoke—a hallmark of nitrogen dioxide from the burning of that bulk commodity chemical—that appears in videos of the incident. But he now suspects that it may have been ammonium perchlorate, a material that’s used as a solid-state propellant for missiles.

The combustion of ammonium perchlorate—a salt that combines the oxidant perchlorate and the reductant ammonium—is quite complex. It produces what Sella calls “a menagerie of gaseous products.” One of those is nitrogen dioxide, which could account for the orange-brown plume. Videos of the early stages of the fire also show black smoke, which Sella says indicates organic material also caught on fire. As the fire intensifies, the flame is a bright orange, which suggests that sodium is present.

A New York Times article says that the Iranian authorities are blaming incorrectly labeled goods. That certainly could be a problem, but I guess I don't understand why someone is shipping (or receiving) perchlorates seemingly without extra care? 

If you get a moment, go to the NYT article to watch the video of the explosion. (scroll down) The initial fire-resulting-in-explosion is both faster and slower than I expected. I'd love to know what actually happened.

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 505 research/teaching positions and 100 teaching positions

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 505 research/teaching positions and 100 teaching positions. 

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

To see trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list.

On April 23, 2024, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 552 research/teaching positions and 86 teaching positions.

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? This is the link to the second open thread. This is the link to 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. 

C&EN: "Dow plans deep cuts amid poor economy"

Via C&EN, this bad news (article by Alexander Tullo):

Responding to economic uncertainty and a longer and deeper chemical industry downturn than it had anticipated, Dow is planning further cuts to manufacturing. The company, the largest US chemical maker, is delaying an ethylene project in Alberta and may idle or permanently shut down three large facilities in Europe, including its ethylene cracker in Böhlen, Germany.

“The reality is our industry is in one of the most protracted downcycles in decades, facing a third consecutive year of below 3% GDP growth,” CEO Jim Fitterling said in an April 24 conference call with analysts. “This has been further exacerbated by geopolitical and macroeconomic concerns, which are weighing on demand globally.”

Dow is delaying its so-called Path2Zero project in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. The $6.5 billion project includes the construction of new ethylene and polyethylene plants. Instead of using fossil fuels to heat the furnaces, the company plans to use hydrogen produced by feeding cracker off-gases into an autothermal reformer. The carbon dioxide emissions would be captured and stored underground.

“We now see a higher probability of a lower-for-longer earnings environment, which changes our expectations for when the capacity from this project will be needed,” Fitterling said.

Earlier this year, Dow announced plans to reduce capital spending by $300 million to $500 million in 2025. At the time, it also unveiled a $1 billion cost-reduction program that would lead to 1,500 layoffs, or about 4% of its staff.

Well, that doesn't sound like great news for Dow or for hiring for this fall. Best wishes to those affected, and all of us. 

C&EN: "More hurt for European chemical firms"

Via C&EN, this bad news (article by Alex Scott): 

The European chemical sector isn’t getting out of its slump quite yet. In fact, a number of indicators suggest that the outlook today is worse than it was at the start of the year.

German chemical executives had hoped that their country’s new government, which is set to receive parliamentary confirmation on May 6, would ease their plight. But there is “little to enthuse investors in energy-intensive German industrials,” says Sebastian Bray, Berenberg Bank’s chemical analyst, in a note to investors.

Instead, leading German companies such as BASF are likely to be casualties of the trade war launched with the tariffs announced April 2 imposed by US president Donald J. Trump. Any commitment by the new German government to cut the price of industrial power is not likely to happen before 2026, Bray states. Meanwhile, “the outlook for Q2 2025 earnings is growing more precarious.”

The UK’s leading industry body, the Chemical Industries Association (CIA), is also concerned about the impact that higher US tariffs may have on the UK chemical sector. In 2023, 23.6% of all UK chemical exports went to the US, according to the UK Office for National Statistics, and the 10% tariff that the US has imposed on most countries could stem that flow.

It will be grimly ironic if the effect of the Trump Administration's tariffs is to additionally advantage the Chinese chemical industry over the American and European ones. 

Have a great weekend

This was a weird week, but I'm not going to complain about it. Hope that you had a great week and a wonderful weekend. See you on Monday. 

Letter to the editor: "If ACS won’t stand up now, it should stand down."

Via Chemical and Engineering News, this letter: 

ACS Comment on supporting science

The March 24, 2025, edition of C&EN had a report by Wayne E. Jones Jr., chair of the American Chemical Society Board of Directors (page 41). Dr. Jones, you are complicit in your silence: the elephant in the room is Donald J. Trump. The president has single-handedly destroyed one of the greatest science enterprises the world has ever seen. I am reminded of Germany circa the 1930s. Things are not OK.

I have been a member of ACS for nearly 50 years. It seems that the organization is a clique whose mission is to give one another awards, ensure promotion and tenure, and receive grants. Thanks to the attack on science by this administration, the clique is about to crumble. Your colleagues will lose grant money, their students won’t get jobs or even graduate, the international postdocs you thought you would hire won’t get visas, and universities won’t get funding for overhead. In short, the research environment in the US is in shambles.

Jones’s report is spineless­—unwilling to take a risk, timid—and irrelevant. If ACS won’t stand up now, it should stand down.

Larry Lewis 

Niskayuna, New York

Well, I can't say I disagree much.  

 

Job posting: Fermentation Manager, BioVerde, Akron, OH

Via ACS Chemistry Careers: 

BioVerde Tech, LLC is seeking a talented and motivated Fermentation Manager to lead methanotroph fermentation research, development and scaleup activities at its Ohio laboratory and pilot site on the campus of the University of Akron. Thorough hands-on understanding of gas fermentation technology is required along with experience in process design and optimization, technical transfer, control system implementation, analytical process monitoring, and scaleup from bench to pilot. The successful candidate will have a current operational knowledge of high cell-density industrial gas fermentation platforms and methodologies, including fed-batch and continuous processes and harvest operations. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking advancements in biotechnology while working with a passionate and innovative team committed to a sustainable future.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Successfully lead the process development, scale-up and upstream production of engineered methanotrophic bacteria for biomass and chemical products derived from aerobic methane fermentation
• Bioreactor / gas feed setup, operation and proper handling of samples (gas, liquid, cell mass) and harvested biomass and broth at benchtop and pilot scales

Requirements

• BS (+10 y), MS(+5 y) or PhD (+5 y) degree in Life Sciences, Chemistry, Chemical/Biochemical Engineering or related discipline is required. A PhD is preferred but not essential depending upon relevant experience
• Minimum 5 – 10 years of relevant fermentation experience in an industrial setting

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Did you work with Jiri Jonas or interact with his work?

A relative of his current caregiver provides this note about emeritus professor Jiri Jonas who is 90: 

His wife passed a couple years ago and he never had kids and lives a pretty solitary life. 

I know his work has had impact on so many chemists and he accomplished some amazing things, so I'm reaching out to chemists around the world to send letters to an old giant in your field to let him know how much his contribution to the rich vastness of human knowledge has been appreciated.  It's really all about letting a lonely old man know that he has not been forgotten by the world he touched.

I just want to collect some letters or maybe postcards even to have my mom hand to him once in a while to read.  I'm a sociologist and and economist by graduate training so I have no familiarity with his work, but from what I've been told, his contributions to the literature have been great.  

Interested? Send me an email at chemjobber -at- gmail dot com 

How do they make the white and black smoke?

Via an old BBC article by Philip Ball, this article by Vatican News: 

How The White And Black “Fumate” Are Produced

Vatican City, 12 March 2013 (VIS) – Beginning with the Conclave in 2005, in order to better distinguish the colour of the “fumate” (smoke signalling the election or non-election of a pontiff), a secondary apparatus is used to generate the smoke in addition to the traditional stove in which the Cardinal electors’ ballots are burned. This device stands next to the ballot-burning stove and has a compartment where, according to the results of the vote, different coloured-smoke generating compounds can be mixed. The result is requested by means of an electronic control panel and lasts for several minutes while the ballots are burning in the other stove.

For a black “fumata” the chemical compound is made of potassium perchlorate, anthracene, and sulphur. The white “fumata” is a mixture of potassium chlorate, lactose, and rosin. The rosin is a natural amber resin obtained from conifers. Prior to 2005 the black smoke was obtained by using smoke black or pitch and the white smoke by using wet straw.

The stove-pipes of the stove and the smoke-producing device join up and exit the roof of the Sistine Chapel as one pipe leading to the chimney installed on the ridge of the roof, which is visible from St. Peter’s Square. To improve the airflow the pipe is pre-heated by electrical resistance and it also has a backup fan.

Pretty cool, I think.