Have a great weekend

Well, this has been a wild week for me so far. Next week is a vacation week for me (I hope). I hope that you have a wonderful weekend. Limited posting next week, but we'll see you (guaranteed) a week from Monday. 

Brookline, MA student injured in IPA fire

Via Vivi Smilgius of Brookline News: 

A Brookline High School student and teacher were burned when a fire broke out on July 3 during a chemistry experiment in a summer school class, according to Brookline and state fire authorities.

The student, a 15-year-old, was treated at the scene by Brookline firefighters and taken to Boston Children’s Hospital for first- and second-degree burns to the hands, chest and face, according to Brookline Fire Chief John Sullivan.

The student was the only person treated by the Brookline Fire Department, Sullivan said. The teacher sustained “burns that were less serious,” according to Jake Wark, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Fire Marshal. Fire officials did not identify the student or teacher.

Brookline’s fire investigation team is investigating the incident, assisted by the state marshal’s office.

“The preliminary evidence suggests that a teacher was conducting an experiment that involved isopropyl alcohol, which is highly flammable. During this process, the alcohol ignited and the shirt of a student in close proximity caught fire, causing serious burn injuries,” Wark said in a statement to Brookline.News.

The teacher immediately helped the student, and another student used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire, Wark said.

The Public Schools of Brookline did not respond to requests for comment from Brookline.News.

Justin Brown, the president of the Brookline Educators’ Union, declined to comment on the incident.

Seems to me that if we keep having teachers making mistakes with flammable solvents, we will continue to have injured students. It's a shame America can't seem to stop this from happening. 

Media report: "Israeli chemist faced unrelenting antisemitism at Stanford lab, lawsuit alleges"

Via the Jewish News of Northern California, this report: 

An Israeli scientist who came to Stanford as a postdoctoral fellow is suing the university, alleging it failed to take seriously the extreme antisemitic discrimination he said he experienced while researching treatments for diabetes from April 2024 to February 2025.

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Los Angeles-based law firm Cohen Williams filed the suit on his behalf Thursday morning in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

The lawsuit makes 17 allegations of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, defamation, withholding pay and breach of contract. The allegations include violations of both the federal Civil Rights Act and the state Unruh Civil Rights Act.

Shay Laps, a chemist from the Haifa area, said he faced hostility “from the moment of his arrival” in April 2024 at the Stanford Diabetes Research Center, which is part of Stanford’s School of Medicine. According to the lawsuit, as the months went on Laps was subjected to attempts at intimidation by his supervisor and efforts to remove him from the lab.

On reading the lawsuit, it appears that neither his coworker nor his PI was particularly friendly nor professional. Here's hoping that he ends up in a better laboratory. 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 28 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 28 research/teaching positions and 3 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 July 16, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 35 research/teaching positions and four teaching positions. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's a 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. 

Have a good weekend

Well, this was a relatively quiet week. I hope that you had a quiet week, and that you have as restful and fun of a weekend as I am hoping to have. We'll see you on Monday. 

FiercePharma: "Trump renews 200% tariff threat on pharmaceuticals, indicates plan for grace period"

Via FiercePharma: 

Already late with carrying out his administration's prior threats around pharmaceutical tariffs, President Donald Trump has again renewed his pledge of quickly imposing drug levies.

During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the President raised the prospect of slapping tariffs as high as 200% on foreign-made pharmaceutical products. In addition, he said he plans to give manufacturers at least a year to move their operations to the U.S.

“We’re going to give people about a year, a year and a half, to come in,” Trump said, as quoted by Bloomberg. “And after that they’re going to be tariffed if they have to bring the pharmaceuticals into the country, the drugs and other things, into the country. They’re going to be tariffed at a very, very high rate, like 200%. We’ll give them a certain period of time to get their act together.”

I have been on record for a while observing that these tariffs seem unlikely to happen. I continue to believe this, especially since this is such a vital industry and the blowback would be almost immediate. Will the President pullet out? We shall see. 

I was also interested to note this obscure Bloomberg item: 

"Australia is “urgently seeking” more detail on President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 200% tariffs on pharmaceutical imports to the US, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said... 

Australia exported A$2.1 billion ($1.4 billion) worth of medicinal/pharmaceutical products to the US in 2024, or 38% of the nation’s overseas shipments of pharmaceuticals. That accounted for 0.4% of total goods exports, according to AMP Ltd."

I don't think of Australia as a major exporter of pharma goods into the US (they are not a large portion (I estimate them to be 0.5% or so ($1.4 billion and US imports overall appear to be in the $200 billion range)), but who knew? 

We'll see how this shakes out...

Thea Ekins-Coward receives $6.7 million dollar settlement from University of Hawaii-Manoa

Via KHON, this news at the end of a nine year legal saga: 

HONOLULU (KHON2) — An academic researcher who was severely injured in a lab explosion at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa reached a $6.7 million settlement after an almost decade-long legal battle.

Dr. Thea Ekins-Coward lost a portion of her right arm when her experiment exploded back in March 2016.

Following the incident, the university denied liability, saying Ekins-Coward was an employee covered by limited workers’ compensation.

Here's her legal firm's public statement: 

An academic researcher was seriously injured when her laboratory experiment exploded.  The university who sponsored the research denied liability. The university first claimed that, as our client’s employer, her claims against it were barred by the workers’ compensation statutes.  So, we obtained a ruling that our client was not the university’s employee, even though the university paid her a stipend and provided her certain benefits.

The university next blamed our client for using inappropriate and unsafe equipment.  But we showed that the university approved the equipment, and that the university should have better trained our client on safety measures that should be taken when working with explosive gasses.

The settlement we achieved was calculated to take care of our client’s needs going forward. And as a result of the investigation, universities across the country changed their laboratory safety practices so that other researchers would not suffer similar injuries.

I hope the settlement ends this long and painful chapter for Dr. Ekins-Coward, who appears to have moved on with her life in science. 

From the broad academic chemical/laboratory safety perspective, I simply do not think anymore (after the Beacon rainbow flame incident) that large settlements actually make a national impact. Individual PIs and researchers will definitely not hesitate to set up risky experiments because (I suspect) they are simply not experienced enough or not trained enough to recognize that (for example) a gas mixture of hydrogen and oxygen would require strict control of static electricity in the research environment. 

Best wishes to Dr. Ekins-Coward. 

I cannot help but also think that in today's clearly restricted funding environment, one possible outcome may be that schools will cut down on research safety oversight. I'm not sure that will have a dramatic impact on overall incidences of laboratory safety incidents in either direction, but it sure won't help. 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 19 research/teaching positions and 3 teaching positions

 The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 19 research/teaching positions and 3 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 July 9, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 24 research/teaching positions and two teaching positions. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's a 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. 

Postdoctoral position: computational biology, Han Lab, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas

From the inbox: 

The Department of Biological Sciences at the University of North Texas is seeking to hire a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join Dr. Yanxiao Han’s computational biological laboratory. The Han Lab is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to contribute to interdisciplinary research at the interface of molecular biophysics, hormone signaling, and therapeutic design. 

The primary focus of the lab is on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), particularly those involved in cardiovascular and hormone signaling pathways. Using multiscale simulations—combining molecular dynamics, enhanced sampling, and kinetic modeling—the team investigates how neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and hormones such as estrogen interact with β-adrenergic and estrogen-related GPCRs. 

These studies aim to uncover the molecular basis of GPCR cross-talk and its impact on sex-specific cardiovascular function and disease. The lab is also interested in AI-driven design of peptides and proteins for therapeutic applications. This includes previously developed novel peptide drugs inspired by natural toxins to selectively target ion channels, as well as engineering antimicrobial peptides using machine learning and structural modeling approaches. This position offers an exciting opportunity to work on the mechanistic study of GPCR-mediated signaling, the rational design of next-generation biologics for precision medicine, and beyond.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in biophysics, computational biology, chemistry, pharmacology, or a related field
• Strong background in molecular dynamics simulations and/or protein modeling
• Experience with enhanced sampling methods, multiscale modeling, and/or kinetic modeling is highly desirable
• Interest in translational applications, including peptide/protein therapeutics or cardiovascular drug development
• Experience mentoring students in a collaborative research environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Development and application of AI-driven methods in computational biomedical/biological related research
• Experience collaborating with experimental (wet-lab) researchers
• Strong communication skills

Full link here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Independence Day

It's Independence Day in the United States, which is a national holiday. We'll see you on Monday. 

 

Job posting: Senior Process Development Engineer/Chemist, Evonik, Allentown, PA

Via LinkedIn, this position: 

As a Senior Process Development Engineer, you will:

• Lead research, development, and scale-up of next generation, sustainable, and complex products across various assets.
• Design and execute experiments using reaction engineering, chemistry, and chemical engineering fundamentals, leveraging tools like DOE, chemical analysis, and data modeling, while encouraging diverse perspectives in problem-solving and decision-making.

Education and Experience

• MS or PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field
• Minimum of 7 years of industrial experience in a chemical laboratory research setting
• Experience in manufacturing or pilot plant settings strongly preferred

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested.

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 16 research/teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 16 research/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 July 2, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 17 research/teaching positions and two teaching position. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's a 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. 

Postdoctoral position: computational biology, Han Lab, University of North Texas, Denton, TX

From the inbox: 

The Department of Biological Sciences at the University of North Texas is seeking to hire a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join Dr. Yanxiao Han’s computational biological laboratory. The Han Lab is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to contribute to interdisciplinary research at the interface of molecular biophysics, hormone signaling, and therapeutic design. 

The primary focus of the lab is on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), particularly those involved in cardiovascular and hormone signaling pathways. Using multiscale simulations—combining molecular dynamics, enhanced sampling, and kinetic modeling—the team investigates how neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and hormones such as estrogen interact with β-adrenergic and estrogen-related GPCRs. 

These studies aim to uncover the molecular basis of GPCR cross-talk and its impact on sex-specific cardiovascular function and disease. The lab is also interested in AI-driven design of peptides and proteins for therapeutic applications. This includes previously developed novel peptide drugs inspired by natural toxins to selectively target ion channels, as well as engineering antimicrobial peptides using machine learning and structural modeling approaches. This position offers an exciting opportunity to work on the mechanistic study of GPCR-mediated signaling, the rational design of next-generation biologics for precision medicine, and beyond.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in biophysics, computational biology, chemistry, pharmacology, or a related field
• Strong background in molecular dynamics simulations and/or protein modeling
• Experience with enhanced sampling methods, multiscale modeling, and/or kinetic modeling is highly desirable
• Interest in translational applications, including peptide/protein therapeutics or cardiovascular drug development
• Experience mentoring students in a collaborative research environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Development and application of AI-driven methods in computational biomedical/biological related research
• Experience collaborating with experimental (wet-lab) researchers
• Strong communication skills

Full link here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Have a great weekend

Well, this was a short and fun week for me. I hope that you had a better meal in Minneapolis than I did, but hey, gotta go with what works. Have a great weekend and we'll see you on Monday. 

C&EN: "Veolia opens PFAS removal plant in Delaware"

Via C&EN, this news (article by Craig Bettenhausen): 

Wilmington, Delaware—At a water treatment plant outside Wilmington, Delaware, last week, officials cut the ribbon on a facility that will remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the water consumed by more than 100,000 Delaware residents. The facility, one of the largest of its kind in the US, is part of an emerging business in getting the unwanted fluorochemicals out of drinking water.

The complex represents a $35 million investment by Veolia, which operates the public water utility for the area. State and company officials at the event said the utility will ask for a 44% rate increase to make the investment pay off and cover the plant’s operation and maintenance. For an average household, they said, that will mean about $19 more each month. In similar infrastructure upgrades across the country, the actual rate increase is usually smaller than the utility’s initial proposal.

The installation consists of 42 filter tanks, each about the size of a shipping container, in a building about the size of a hockey rink. Larry Finnicum, Veolia’s mid-Atlantic regional president, said each tank is filled with granulated activated carbon (GAC), a filtering media provided by Calgon Carbon. Finnicum said Calgon’s GAC was the top performer in pilot tests on the plant’s source water, but the design of the tanks allows operators to switch filter media if better materials emerge or water conditions change.

Mohamed Ateia Ibrahim, an environmental engineer who studies PFAS treatment and substitution, tells C&EN that the upgrade is significant from the standpoints of public health and compliance. “The project uses GAC, which is a primary solution for water utilities taking proactive actions against PFAS,” he says. “It is a proven and reliable technology, but it also comes with persistent challenges that the water treatment industry continues to face.”

It will be interesting to see how successful this facility is (i.e. does it turn into an enormous boondoggle?) and if it stays relatively inexpensive for areas that have serious PFAS contamination, I predict that this will be the first of many... 

Job posting: Senior/Principal Synthetic Materials Chemist, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM

Via Bluesky, this position: 

We are seeking an outstanding synthetic materials chemist to establish both an independent research program and a develop a user program with capabilities on offer to the external user community at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT), a DOE-funded user facility. The successful candidate will be a synthetic chemist working in an area of interest to the Soft, Biological, and Composite Nanomaterials Thrust at CINT. Of particular interest are synthesis, characterization, and applications of polymers and/or nanoparticles, but outstanding candidates working to synthesize other materials that have synergistic opportunities will be considered.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Lead the development of new synthetic techniques in materials chemistry
• Collaborate with other researchers at the laboratory, around the country, or around the world
• Lead or collaborate in the development of new projects from a variety of funding agencies
• Communicate results through high impact journals and conference presentations

Due to the nature of the work the selected applicant must be able to work onsite in Albuquerque, New Mexico Relocation will be provided for those that qualify.

Salary Range:

$114,000 - $227,500

Qualifications We Require:

• PhD in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or a related field, plus 2 or more years post degree experience
• Significant experience in the synthesis of nanomaterials
• Record of technical achievement as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications in high profile journals
• Able to acquire and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

How many fluorines make a PFAS?

the compounds in question
Credit: C&EN

Via Chemical and Engineering News, this funny news (article by Britt Erickson): 

The US Environmental Protection Agency is doubling down on efforts to
decrease a backlog of new pesticide active ingredients waiting for EPA approval to enter the marketplace. Since April, the agency has proposed registering four of them—cyclobutrifluram, diflufenican, isocycloseram, and trifludimoxazin.

All four pesticides contain a fully fluorinated methyl or methylene group, raising concerns that they will persist in soil and water for many years. Environmental groups argue that the chemicals are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the definition recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2021. PFAS are notoriously difficult to remove from the environment, and some of them are toxic at extremely low levels. 

The proposed active ingredients have half-lives of over 3 years, which means that half of what is sprayed today will still be contaminating soil and water in 3 years, at the time of the next US presidential election, Nathan Donley, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said during a meeting of the EPA’s Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) on June 17. Donley is a member of the PPDC, representing the environmental group’s perspective.

“It’s like PFAS pollution on steroids these past few months,” he said, referring to the EPA’s plan to approve the four pesticides. The EPA’s pesticides office “appears to have absolutely no plan to account for the fact that actives are getting more persistent and fluorinated breakdown products are essentially going to be around forever.” 

The proposed pesticide active ingredients can degrade into trifluoroacetic acid, which persists in the environment for more than 100 years, Donley noted.

Of course, there actually IS an apparent definition of PFAS: 

The EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs considers PFAS to be chemicals containing at least two saturated, fully fluorinated carbons, either CF₂ or CF₃. The OECD defines PFAS as any chemical with at least one saturated CF₂ or CF₃. The European Union has adopted a definition that is closer to that recommended by the OECD.

I am rather shocked that a legal definition of PFAS is about the number of saturated CF₂ or CF₃ and that is set so low. I mean, perfluorooctanoic acid has, I dunno, fifteen of them? But what do I know, I'm not a PFAS expert, I'm just a dumb organic chemist. 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 9 research/teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 9 research/teaching positions. 

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

On June 25, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 10 research/teaching positions and one teaching position. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's a 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: "Chairs of 36 US chemistry departments call to restore funding"

In this week's C&EN, this news (article by Max Barnhart): 

A coalition of 36 chemistry department chairs from US universities has published an open letter in Science highlighting their concern over recent federal policy decisions impacting science (2025, DOI: 10.1126/science.adx8085).

The letter calls out decisions to decrease overhead rates, reduce funding for science, lay off program managers at scientific agencies, and restrict efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion as detrimental to chemistry research in the US. It states that “failing to support the scientific enterprise will erode decades of progress in research and innovation, ceding leadership in key technological areas to global competitors.”

The authors of the letter are listed alphabetically, and the letter states that the authors’ opinions do not reflect those of their home universities.

Amanda Morris, chair of the chemistry department at Virginia Tech, took the lead in drafting and organizing support for the letter. “We didn’t want the letter to be political,” she says. “We wanted to make an economic stance for why chemical research is critical to the United States and our world prowess as a scientific leader.”

The letter cites American Chemistry Council data that say the chemical industry contributes over $600 billion annually to the US economy and supports over 4 million jobs. But maintaining stable research funding for academic labs is critical for sustaining this economic output, according to the letter’s authors.

Peter B. Armentrout, chair of the chemistry department at the University of Utah and signee of the letter, says that recent policy decisions “may have cost savings in the short term, but it’s going to cause long-term damage to the ability of the United States to perform scientific research and to lead in scientific research.”

It's a good thing to push all the buttons to see what works. Best wishes to them, and to all of us. 

Job posting: Director of Formulation Chemistry, Monarch, Oakland, CA

Via ACS Chemistry Careers: 

Director of Formulation Chemistry

You’ll translate our hit Monarch repellent compounds from milligram-scale discoveries into pilot and manufacturing scale formulations. You’ll optimize solvent systems, work on controlled release systems, and ensure robust, reproducible processes for field trials and commercial production. 

Key Responsibilities

• Lead bench-to-pilot scale-up of candidate compounds, focusing on solvent selection, solvent recovery, controlled release, and other critical scale-up variables
• Design and execute experiments to assess solubility, stability, and volatility 
• Troubleshoot formulation issues and iterate quickly under real-world constraints
• Collaborate cross-functionally with predictive-modeling, behavioral assay, and computational chemist groups 

Requirements

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field
• 3+ years’ hands-on scale-up or process chemistry experience
• Deep understanding of solvent properties, controlled release phenomena, and formulation principles 

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 6 research/teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 6 research/teaching positions. 

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

On June 18, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 9 research/teaching positions and one teaching position. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's a 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 Teaching Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami, FL

From the inbox: 

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University invites applications to fill a full-time and permanent Teaching position starting in August 2025.  The position requires a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry or related field and experience teaching undergraduate students. At FIU we encourage faculty to incorporate innovative teaching methods into their classroom such as but not limited to active learning methods and use of simulations in our general chemistry courses. Duties of the position will include teaching in the area of general chemistry at the undergraduate level.  The ideal candidate is expected to continue to take an active role in curriculum reform efforts, developing potential online/hybrid courses, and pursuing educational grants. The candidate is expected to have departmental administration and committee duties as a full-time teaching faculty and is expected to have full-time presence on campus.  The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, with over 40 faculty from 13 different countries, has dynamic and growing Ph.D. programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry supporting over 100 graduate students, as well as a vibrant undergraduate program with over 100 B.A. and B.S. graduates each year. 

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply to Job Opening ID 534949 at careers.fiu.edu and provide a cover letter, C.V. and teaching philosophy. Candidates will be requested to provide names and contact information for at least 3 references who will be contacted as determined by the search committee. To receive full consideration, applications and required materials should be received by June 29, 2025. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Have a great weekend

Well, this was a boring and wild week. I hope that you had more of a boring week than my wild week, but hey, it's Friday and I am very much looking forward to this weekend. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I will see you on Monday. 

"Unknown contaminant" (?) causes nitric acid tank release of NOX in Ohio

Via Ohio TV station WXIX, this chemical news: 

VINTON COUNTY, Ohio (WXIX) - Residents in Vinton County are back in their homes after they were evacuated due to a chemical release at a southeast Ohio explosives manufacturing facility.

Emergency crews issued an evacuation order within a three-mile radius of the Austin Powder Red Diamond Company in McArthur Wednesday morning after a 5,000-gallon tank with nitric acid released 3,000 gallons of nitric oxide into the atmosphere.

According to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, an “unknown contaminant entered the nitric acid tank,” causing the chemical reaction to occur.

Although the release was stopped, the lingering chemical plume prompted an evacuation of the small Village of Zaleski and several roads surrounding the Austin Powder Plant. Residents were able to go home at 4:40 p.m.

I too do not know what the contaminant was, but I'm guessing it was water or air. No fun for the local birds for sure. 

Job posting: Director of Research & Development, ELANTAS North America, St. Louis, MO

Via ACS Chemistry Careers, this position: 

ELANTAS North America is seeking a Director of Research & Development (R&D) to lead the creation, alignment, and execution of strategies for R&D programs, policies, and procedures. This role is based on-site in St. Louis, MO, and requires travel to other US facilities.

As a critical resource, the Director will collaborate with Global R&D teams and Business Line Directors to align development, lab testing, and technical services resources with business priorities.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Develops and recommends organization-wide technical research policies and programs needed to support profitable growth of the organization.
• Establishes & administers procedures pertaining to the discovery of new products, the alteration & improvement of existing products, and to the design of procedures and specifications of these products.
• Recommends budget requirements and takes action to guarantee effective research and development performance within approved budgets.

Requirements

Education & Experience:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry
• Minimum of 10 years related experience.
• Experience leading New Product Introduction (NPI) processes.

Via their website, this bit of info: "ELANTAS North America, Inc. is a premier global supplier of specialty resins for applications in the electrical and electronic industries." Best wishes to those interested. 

Now I've seen it all: NJ municipal workers steal pool chemicals for their own business

Via Patch:

SECAUCUS, NJ — On Tuesday, Secaucus Recreation Department employees John Schwartz, Frank Flanagan, Joseph Ferrara and Megan Wofsy-Flanagan were all arrested by Secaucus Police. All four are accused of stealing chemicals from the town pool and re-using them for their private pool maintenance business.

...Secaucus Police detectives used surveillance and undercover police officers to investigate. Police allege all four stole various pool chemicals purchased by the town and stored at the Secaucus town pool on Koelle Boulevard. Thefts sometimes occurred on a daily basis when these individuals were both on the clock and off the clock of the town’s payroll. They stole chemical amounts valued in the thousands, said police.

They would use the stolen chemicals to service pools for Crystal Clear Pool and Spa Management, said police, charging customers thousands of dollars. These private pools were located in Secaucus, but also in towns in Hudson, Bergen, Morris and Somerset counties. Also, some of these four town employees would work for their private company while getting paid on the clock by the town of Secaucus, allege police and the town.

Read the whole sorry article. I often joke with my management about the difficulty in fencing chemicals, but I guess I was wrong! 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 4 research/teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 4 research/teaching positions. 

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

On June 11, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 4 research/teaching positions and one teaching position. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's a 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: "At Columbia University, chemical scientists are dismayed by funding cuts"

In this week's C&EN, this news (article by Aayushi Pratap): 

...About 40 blocks north of Columbia’s main campus is the university’s Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, located in the Washington Heights neighborhood. It’s the research home of Barry Honig, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics who has spent over 4 decades as a researcher at Columbia studying protein interactions.

Honig was one of the collaborators on a project valued at over $1 million that lost its NIH grant. The group was investigating how proteins implicated in cancers interact with each other and the most effective ways to target them with drugs. “One day, the grant just didn't exist anymore—it is nothing like we have seen before,” he says. Columbia is currently in the process of negotiating the terms to restore the funding, he adds.

Honig says the research is fundamental to the field because scientists are only beginning to understand how proteins interact with each other. “We need this information to understand how drugs might bind to these proteins,” he says.

Looks like California is next. What a mess. 

Have a great weekend

Well, this was a fun and busy week. Looks like things are going to get busier, but who knows. I hope that you had a great week and that you have a wonderful weekend. See you on Monday. 

Job posting: Scientist III, Process R&D, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Florence, SC

Via ACS Chemistry Careers: 

You will join a team of synthetic organic chemists to support the manufacturing of pharmaceutical ingredients at the Florence, SC - East site. Many of our products are already in the market, serving patients. We work on a variety of projects for existing and new clients. At this position, you will perform hands-on experimentation and learn knowledge and skills for process development of pharmaceutical products. We have a fast-paced working environment while keeping a good work-and-life balance. We encourage employees to participate in technical discussions.

Responsibilities: 

• Develop chemical processes to synthesize drug intermediates and APIs that meet or exceed the quality requirements from clients.
• Collect process data through laboratory experiments with accurate, detailed documentation for process evaluation, development, and troubleshooting.
• Record and analyze scientific data/observations in detail. Summarize and interpret process data to draw conclusions. Write updates/reports. Participate in discussions with colleagues and clients.

Education: PhD in Chemistry or related discipline with commensurate experience

Experience: 0-2 years of experience

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

RIP Robert Holton

Via the Tallahassee Democrat, this sad news: 

Dr. Robert Anthony Holton, known as “Bob” to friends and colleagues, was a groundbreaking chemist and the scientist behind the first total synthesis of the cancer drug Taxol. He died peacefully at his home in Tallahassee, Florida, on May 21, 2025. He was 81.

Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and raised in Charlotte, he was the son of Marion Downing Holton and Aaron T. Holton. He met his first wife, Juanita Bird, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill while earning his undergraduate degree in chemistry. They moved to Tallahassee, where he earned his doctorate from Florida State University and had their first son, Robert. After postdoctoral work at Stanford University, where their second son, David, was born, he held faculty positions at Purdue University and Virginia Tech. He returned to FSU in 1986 with his second wife, Dr. Marie E. Krafft, where they both held faculty appointments in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and had their son, Paul. He spent the remainder of his career at FSU.

He is best known for his work on Taxol, a potent chemotherapy agent originally derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree. The semisynthetic process he developed was the first commercially viable method for large-scale production. In 1993, he and his research group achieved the first successful total synthesis of Taxol, one of the most intricate and celebrated accomplishments in synthetic organic chemistry. His breakthroughs helped expand access to a critical cancer treatment and marked a milestone in the history of medicinal chemistry.

A teenage memory: hearing about the wonder drug Taxol, and then (while volunteering at a hospital) hearing one physician say to another: "I'm going to be on [local TV show] and they're going to ask me about Taxol - what should I say?" 

A grad student memory: learning about the semisynthesis from 10-deacetylbaccatin III, and thinking "that's really cool." 

A professional memory: learning about the facility in Michigan where the trees are grown for taxol synthesis, and thinking "that's really cool." 

Rest in peace, Professor Holton.

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 2 research/teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 2 research/teaching positions. 

On June 4, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 3 research/teaching positions and one teaching position. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? This 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. 

Is the generics market well-structured or poorly structured?

Via Marginal Revolution, libertarian economics professor and FDA commentator Alex Tabarrok on the generics market.

The United States has some of the lowest prices in the world for most drugs. The U.S. generic drug market is competitive and robust—but its success is not accidental. It is the result of a series of deliberate, well-designed policy interventions.

The 1984 Hatch-Waxman Act allowed generic drug manufacturers to bypass costly safety and efficacy trials for previously approved drugs by demonstrating bioequivalence through Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs). To spur competition, the Act also granted 180 days of market exclusivity to the first generic filer who challenges a brand-name patent—a mini-monopoly as a reward for initiative. Balancing static efficiency (P=MC) with dynamic efficiency (incentives for innovation) is hard, but Hatch-Waxman mostly got it right.

The Generic Drug User Fee Amendments (GDUFA), modeled after the very successful Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), require generic manufacturers to pay user fees to the FDA. These funds allow the Office of Generic Drugs to hire more staff and meet stricter approval timelines. GDUFA dramatically reduced ANDA backlogs and accelerated market entry, especially under GDUFA II.

He also mentioned the FDA’s Division of Policy Development in the Office of Generic Drug Policy, which was apparently helpful in accelerating generics to market. 

Here's another viewpoint on a specific arm of the generics market, via an article in JAMA by Eli Cahan: 

One family of drugs that has remained stubbornly susceptible to shortage is what experts call generic sterile injectables (GSIs). This class—which includes non–brand-name IV medications like fluids as well as many antibiotics and chemotherapies—accounts for a disproportionate share of the problem: between 2017 and 2023, 67% of all drugs in shortage were GSIs, according to data from IQVIA.

Part of the supply chain vulnerability derives from GSIs being less than enticing from the manufactures’ perspective, explained Erin Fox, PharmD, MHA, associate chief pharmacy officer at University of Utah.

An April 2025 report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) characterized “low price and low-profit margins” as key drivers of the GSI shortages. Late last year, a US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report likewise found that 70% of GSIs do not achieve profitability by 3 years. This limited upside has led to manufacturers exiting the market, according to the GAO report.

I think this is the core issue that isn't mentioned by Prof. Tabarrok - in some places, the generics market is genuinely neither competitive nor robust. Instead, there are not enough players in the market, the margins seem to be razor-thin, quality is lacking and the only profits to be made are in the times of shortage when prices spike. I am not saying that Prof. Tabarrok is wrong, but I think I am saying his praise is incomplete.

(In truth, I think Prof. Tabarrok is praising the policy responses from both Congress and the FDA for creating the correct conditions for the strengths of the American generics market and not the weaknesses...)

What if Harvard Chemistry were structured as a for-profit corporation?

Bloomberg's Matt Levine is a very fun financial writer, and this week's column as to how to avoid the new potential 21% endowment tax is hilarious. 

In the current framework, a big capital gain is good, for the university. In a 21% excise tax framework, it is less good. (It’s 21% less good.) In the excise-tax framework, $100 of endowment income would pay for $79 of professors’ salaries. But if a for-profit corporation were to pay $100 of professors’ salaries, that payment would be tax-deductible (for the corporation). And so the trade is something like:

1. The for-profit Chemistry Corporation hires all of Harvard’s chemistry professors, sets them up with labs, buys their equipment and pays their graduate students. Let’s say the operating budget of the chemistry department is $8 million, a number I just made up. The Chemistry Corporation takes over the responsibility for that budget.
2. Harvard invests $100 million in the Chemistry Corporation and gets 95% of the stock; the professors get the rest.
3. The Chemistry Corporation re-invests that cash with whoever currently manages Harvard’s endowment, targeting an 8% annual return.
4. The Chemistry Corporation makes $8 million a year on its investments, and pays $8 million a year in operating expenses, for a net income of $0.
5. It pays no taxes, because it has no net income.
6. Harvard doesn’t pay any excise tax on the return on its $100 million Chemistry Corporation investment, because that return is zero.
7. Harvard also rents office space to the Chemistry Corporation (not taxable, because not investment income?) and pays, you know, $1 a year for the Chemistry Corporation to provide teachers for undergraduate chemistry classes.
8. I guess if they discover a valuable new chemical that’s gravy.

There is a precisely analogous approach for the Harvard Professional Football Team Inc., though it could also earn revenue from ticket sales. Or for the Classics Corporation, which probably couldn’t.

First of all, surely the Harvard chemistry department's annual budget is much more than $8 million. I'm guessing it's closer to $80 million, but university department finances are weird, especially since each professor can bring in their own money, etc, etc. 

Second, I would be interested in hearing about the vague ratios of grant funds brought in versus startup package, and how those "ROIs" compare to 8% annual returns. 

Large organizations seem to spend a lot of time working around tax avoidance, so it seems reasonable that if the US government began levying further excise taxes on endowments that universities would begin doing odd things to structure their finances to avoid them. 

Have a great weekend

It would be nice if life slowed down just a little bit, but there you are. I hope that you had a calmer week than I did and that you have a great weekend. See you on Monday. 

Job posting: Senior Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry, Septerna, South San Francisco, CA

Via Stephanie on Bluesky: 

We are seeking a medicinal chemist to contribute to the chemistry efforts for one or more of our drug discovery programs working as part of a cross-functional team. Design of compounds,  ability to execute synthesis within our internal laboratories, collaboration with CROs, and broad general chemistry department support will be key components of the position. This is an outstanding opportunity to learn from experienced medicinal chemists and drug hunters applying structure based-drug design, modern hit-identification strategies (including virtual screening and DEL), and advanced pharmacology, to GPCR targets to address unmet medical needs. 

QUALIFICATIONS

This position requires a Ph.D. in organic chemistry with at least 3+ years of experience in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical setting. The successful candidate will have expertise in synthetic/medicinal chemistry. He/she will have experience in designing drug-like molecules and experience optimizing compounds towards drug development candidate selection. Experience with structure-based drug design is preferred.

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Xenon for mountain climbing?

Via the New York Times: 

Climbing Mount Everest typically takes weeks, with most of that time spent at the foot of the mountain adjusting to the thin air. But four British men last week shrank that timeline dramatically, traveling from London to the summit and back in less than a week, according to the organizer of their expedition.

They skipped the adjustment period, in part, by inhaling a secret weapon: xenon gas.

Their feat has roiled the world of mountaineering and prompted an investigation by the Nepalese government, as use of the gas is fiercely debated. Some research has shown that xenon can quickly acclimatize people to high altitudes, even as some experts say the benefits, if any, are negligible and the side effects of its use remain unclear.

Organizers said the gas was key to the speed of the climb, but their approach has prompted a broader debate that strikes at the core of mountaineering: Should scaling Mount Everest, one of sporting’s greatest accomplishments, be made easier — available to more people during a quick vacation — with the help of a performance enhancer?

Xenon, an odorless gas, has been known for years to activate a molecule called the hypoxia-inducible factor, which is also turned on when people acclimate to low oxygen, said Hugh Montgomery, a professor of intensive care medicine at University College London and a mountaineer who led an expedition to Mount Everest to study how humans respond to low oxygen.

“So what these people claim to have done,” he said, “is basically found a way to switch on the adaptation to low oxygen levels.”

The group took what was known from medical science, he said, “and have now applied it, recreationally, to sport mountaineering.”

Professor Montgomery said scientists were still unsure how xenon triggers this response.

This is pretty wild. I don't think this will change much of society (other than elite mountaineering) but I am curious if this will ultimately find applications in military scenarios. 

Chemical plant explosion in Shandong province; 5 dead, 19 injured

Via South China Morning Post: 

An explosion at a chemical plant in Shandong province in eastern China on Tuesday has killed five people with a further six still missing, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The explosion, which occurred at a site owned by Shandong Youdao Chemical in Gaomi city just before noon, also left 19 people injured.

The local emergency management bureau said on-site search and rescue operations and clean-up work had continued into the night.

The cause is yet to be determined.

The accident created a large fireball and sent clouds of smoke hundreds of metres into the air. Residents reported hearing a loud bang and said the blast had shattered the windows of many houses.

My sense is that this is one of the many thousands of smaller-scale (relatively speaking) chemical plants in China. Best wishes to the victims and their families. 

Memorial Day; back tomorrow

Philadelphia National Cemetery
Credit: the Veterans Administration

Today is Memorial Day in the United States; it's a national holiday.

Back tomorrow.

Have a great weekend

This was an adventurous week (in part) and I enjoyed it very much. I hope that you also had a wonderful week and I hope you have a great weekend. See you on Tuesday. 

C&EN: EPA proposes to delay methylene chloride rule implementation by 18 months

Via C&EN's Krystal Vasquez: 

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on May 20 proposed to extend the deadline for laboratories to comply with its methylene chloride rule by 18 months. The rule, finalized in May 2024, bans nearly all uses of methylene chloride, a popular solvent that has been linked to adverse health effects and 85 workplace and consumer deaths.

The regulation carves out an exception for the solvent’s use as a laboratory chemical. But it requires all nonfederal labs still using the compound to implement strict workplace safety measures between May and October of this year. The first deadline, which passed on May 5, requires labs to measure workers’ initial exposure levels.

Under the May 20 proposal, labs would instead need to implement these requirements between November 2026 and May 2027.

Shortly after the initial rule was finalized, several lab safety professionals told C&EN that the short timeline could pose considerable challenges, particularly to smaller institutions with fewer resources. In its announcement of the possible extension, the EPA says it heard similar concerns from labs associated with universities and local governments.

“EPA’s proposal would avoid disrupting important environmental monitoring and associated activities, while these non-federal labs work to comply with the rule’s new requirements,” the agency says.

Having watched how the government works a little more closely over the last four years or so, this is not that surprising. Nevertheless (as one of the academics says), chemical academia is mostly ready, but I am guessing individual laboratories are not. This will be interesting to see what the Zeldin-directed EPA decides to do. 

Job posting: R&D Analytical Chemist, Sherwin-Williams, Cleveland, OH

Via Google searches, this position in Cleveland: 

Job Description

The position is an excellent opportunity for an individual to contribute to the long-term growth and development of the North American Analytical Center of Excellence. This position is primarily accountable for using scientific approaches to provide support to our applied research & product development programs and solve paint & coating problems for our North American businesses.

Job duties include contact with other employees and access to confidential and proprietary information and/or other items of value, and such access may be supervised or unsupervised. The Company therefore has determined that a review of criminal history is necessary to protect the business and its operations and reputation and is necessary to protect the safety of the Company’s staff, employees, and business relationships.

Responsibilities

In this role, there will be emphasis on providing support for field failure investigations, manufacturing issues, and physical characterization

The successful candidate will be well organized, capable of managing multiple project assignments and communicate effectively in written and verbal formats.

Responsibilities include:

• Using a variety of instruments/methods to generate valid, high quality, defensible analytical results.

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

CBS: FDA to review use of azodicarbonamide in bread preparation

Via CBS News, this update: 

The Food and Drug Administration is planning to revisit its approval of the food additive ADA, the agency's top foods official announced Thursday, after longstanding questions over the safety of the so-called "yoga mat" chemical that can be a bread ingredient in the U.S. but is banned in Europe. 

Also called azodicarbonamide, the FDA previously approved ADA's use to whiten cereal flour and improve baking bread dough. 

Advocacy groups have criticized the use of this chemical in food for years, over concerns about its potential health risks. The "yoga mat" nickname comes from ADA's other uses in the manufacturing of plastics and rubbers. 

In Europe, it is illegal to add the ingredient to bread, given the possibility it could result in a possible carcinogen called semicarbazide when it breaks down into other chemicals during bread making. 

I never predicted that Va/ni Har/i would be running the FDA, but here we are. 

Trump Administration gives final federal approval needed for Idaho gold and antimony mine

Via Bloomberg, this news: 

The Trump administration granted the final federal permit for a mine in Idaho that will produce gold and antimony, a critical mineral used in munitions and other applications.

The US Army Corps of Engineers issued the Clean Water Act permit needed for Perpetua Resources Corp.’s Stibnite project in Idaho. The move was facilitated by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, according to a statement from his department.

“This mine marks a major step by this administration to secure critical mineral supply chains, reduce reliance on foreign countries, accelerate energy projects, unlock domestic resources, and drive American energy dominance on the global stage,” the department said.

Stibnite was one of 10 mine projects awarded fast-track status in April to speed the approvals process. Others included the Resolution Copper mine in Arizona, owned by Rio Tinto Group and BHP Group.

Perpetua is now focused on securing state permits and financing, the company said in a separate statement Monday. Stibnite can meet about 35% of US antimony demand during the first six years of production, the company estimates. The project is also expected to produce about 450,000 ounces of gold annually during its first four years of output.

 It will be interesting to see how long it takes before this mine actually begins producing antimony...

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 508 research/teaching positions and 100 teaching positions

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 508 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 21, 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, Canada

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. 

C&EN: "Bayer to slash agrochemical jobs in Germany"

In this week's C&EN (article by Alex Scott): 

Bayer is restructuring Crop Science, its agrochemical and seed business, in a bid to “ensure the division’s global competitiveness” in the face of competition from low-cost Chinese generic products, Bayer says in a press release.

Measures the firm will take include closing a site in Frankfurt, Germany, by the end of 2028 that produces active ingredients and formulations for herbicides. An undisclosed number of the 500 plant workers at the site will move to locations in Dormagen and Knapsack, Germany, or Bayer’s other pesticide formulation sites, the company says. Bayer will relocate R&D staff at the Frankfurt site to Monheim am Rhein, Germany, where the firm already conducts R&D on insecticides and fungicides.

Additionally, Bayer says that by 2028 it will “streamline” its pesticide plant in Dormagen by discontinuing the production of generic active ingredients that are available elsewhere at significantly lower prices. The changes will result in the loss of about 200 of the 1,200 jobs at the site.

The planned restructure is a response to low-cost competition, especially from China, where the spot price of pesticide active ingredients has dropped by more than 20% in recent years, Bayer says.

Following a presentation by Bayer board members, BNP Paribas stock analyst Laurent Fevre asked whether pressure on profits in Bayer’s crop protection business could get worse. Crop Science president Rodrigo Santos’s response was that he does not expect the problem to go away anytime soon. “We do see competitive pricing pressure for the next quarters, as we have a significant build-up of capacity in China,” he said.

Sales in Bayer Crop Science’s division fell 3.3% in the first quarter of the year to $8.2 billion; pretax profits were down 10.2% to $2.6 billion.

I suppose I cannot be surprised by this, but it's got to be tough for Bayer. Best wishes to those affected, and to us all. 

Have a good weekend

Well, this was a weird week, but there you are. I hope that you had a good week, and we'll see you on Monday. 

C&EN wants to know - do you want to leave the US?

Via C&EN: 

Science has no passport, no gender, no ethnicity or political party,” said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, in a May 5 speech in Paris. That’s why, she continued, “Europe will always make the case for the world's scientists to Choose Europe.”

The Choose Europe initiative, launched in Paris, includes funding of €500 million ($556 million) over the next 2 years intended to make Europe a “magnet” for researchers. On the same day, French president Emmanuel Macron pledged another €1 million ($1.1 million) to attract researchers to France specifically.

Other national governments worldwide are doing the same.

While few of the recruitment initiatives explicitly mention the US in their materials, multiple governments see opportunities to attract bright minds to their shores. Are you a chemist or chemical engineer who is considering leaving the US to take up one of these offers? Or are you already buying plane tickets?

Link to form here.

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.