Have a good weekend

Uh, I don't think I had a good week, even though I tried mightily to move my 300 balls forward. I hope that you had a good week, and that you have a great weekend. See you on Monday. 

Trump: Pharma tariffs to start

Via the Wall Street Journal on Thursday: 

President Trump reiterated his pledge to impose tariffs on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors during his Air Force One flight Thursday, but he didn't say when they would be announced.

“The chips are starting very soon,” he said. “The pharma is going to start coming in, I think, at a level that we haven’t really seen before. We are looking at pharma right now. Pharmaceuticals. It’s a separate category. We’ll be announcing that sometime in the near future. It’s under review right now.”

Well, I don't know what this all means, but I don't think it means anything good for chemists in the United States. I guess we're going to find out. 

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 501 research/teaching positions and 94 teaching positions

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 501 research/teaching positions and 94 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 2, 2024, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 546 research/teaching positions and 82 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. 

Celanese plant has acid spill on March 20

Via WDBJ: 

NARROWS, Va. (WDBJ) - Six people were injured Thursday morning in an acid spill at the Celanese Corporation chemical plant in Narrows. There were no fatalities, according to the company and the Giles County Sheriff’s Office.

Of the six victims, three are being treated at Carilion Giles Community Hospital; two are in critical condition, according to a Carilion spokesperson. The third is reportedly stable. One more victim was taken to LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, but has been released. The other two were not hospitalized.

Approximately 10 a.m. March 20, 2025. “a release of acetic acid vapor occurred in the Cellulose Acetate Unit at Narrows, Virginia, initially causing injuries to six employees. The release has been contained and is confined to the immediate area of the plant within the fenceline; no additional impact is expected,” according to a company spokesperson.

The Giles County Sheriff’s Office confirms, “The incident was contained to the Celanese Plant property and there no longer appears to be any danger to anyone in the area. The majority of emergency personnel have cleared the scene.”

This is a good reminder that acetic acid is pretty harmful stuff at industrial concentrations and volume. Best wishes to the victims. 

I'd love to understand how the release happened, but I'm guessing it was one of those "turned the wrong valve" situations... 

Have a good weekend

Well, this was a fun week, even as I am enthusiastic for the weekend. I hope you had a week with less driving than I did, but I can't say I didn't sign up for it. I hope you have a good weekend, and we'll see you on Monday. 

Job posting: Principal Chemist - Research, Development and Engineering (RDE), ChampionX, Sugar Land, TX

Via ACS Chemistry Careers: 

The Chemical Technologies RD&E team is seeking a Principal Chemist to support new product development related to oilfield phase separation and flow improvement. The qualified candidate will support the entire life cycle of the Oilfield Chemicals emulsion breaker, reverse emulsion breaker and flow improvers product lines. Job responsibilities include the development of new experimental products and digital solutions, field evaluation at customer sites, new product introduction, manufacturing and supply chain support, and customer-facing technical support.  The ideal candidate is highly versatile, communicates effectively, and thrives in a collaborative environment.  

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, or related technical field. PhD and < 2 years of experience, MS and 3+ years of experience, BS and +5 years of experience.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. 
• Proven innovator and problem solver
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 50%
• No immigration VISA sponsorship will be offered for this role

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience building emulsion breaker or reverse emulsion breaker formulations in a field setting is desired
• Prior experience in the oil and gas industry specifically oilfield chemicals, is desired
• Demonstrated project management and organizational skills

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Pick up the phone?

Via this week's C&EN, this letter to the editor: 

Reproducibility of scientific findings

I found the timing and tone of the article on reproducibility particularly interesting given the current state of politics (C&EN, March 17, 2025, page 20). But that set aside, what I did not read from the author of this article was a little simple advice, like, scientists need to pick up their phones and use them for what they were initially intended for.

This advice, which I was given by professor Peter Schultz in 1992, accelerated my trajectory through the Chemistry Department of the University of California, Berkeley, and thanks to the new friend I made at Harvard University in the process, I published an article in Science and received my doctorate degree 3 years later.

What I have found since is that there is much more to the methods section than most journals allow one to write, and thus simple but important details are left out­—and probably more than 90% of the time. So even though I do think there are some bad scientists and some findings cannot be reproduced, I also believe that 90% of scientists may be too intimidated to simply pick up the phone and get the details. If they do, maybe they, too, will make a new friend.

James Prudent 
Madison, Wisconsin

I like the idea of picking up the phone, but...

I have to say that a phone call should not be required for normal reproduction of a paper. I think it's probably better to talk on the phone than to publish something on PubPeer first, but the goal of writing a paper should be providing sufficient information to enable independent reproduction by another scientist. 

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 500 research/teaching positions and 93 teaching positions

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 500 research/teaching positions and 93 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 March 26, 2024, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 545 research/teaching positions and 82 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: "Trickles of layoff plans at EPA, NIH hint at big cuts"

Also in this week's C&EN, this summary of cuts at EPA and NIH (article by Leigh Krietsch Boerner and Rowan Walrath)

Federal agencies are awash in uncertainty as details about reduction-in-force (RIF) plans, ordered by President Donald J. Trump, slowly seep out. As part of his Feb. 11 executive order to “eliminat[e] waste, bloat, and insularity,” Trump required federal agencies to prepare and submit reorganization plans by March 13 that include large-scale RIFs.

Many federal scientific agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Agriculture, have yet to share details of their RIF plans. But parts of plans at other science agencies suggest that many federal workers may soon lose their jobs. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a few details of its plans ahead of the March 13 deadline, but employees mostly remain unaware of what’s to come, according to NIH staffers. And parts of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s plans were first reported March 17 by the New York Times.

According to a portion of the EPA’s reorganization plan shared with C&EN by Democratic staff on the US House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the EPA is proposing to eliminate the Office of Research Development (ORD), the agency’s research arm.

The reorganization plan reviewed by the committee’s Democratic staff says the ORD has 1,540 employees, not counting special government employees and public health officers, “of which we anticipate a majority (50–75%) will not be retained.” The remaining ORD employees will be transferred to other EPA program offices, the plan says.

This is grim news for federal scientists. If any of the RIF'd scientists are readers, please feel free to email: chemjobber -at- gmail dot com. 

C&EN: "European states push Critical Chemicals Act"

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

Led by Marc Ferracci, France’s minister for industry and energy, eight European countries have released a series of measures they want the European Union (EU) to adopt to protect the region’s ailing chemical industry.

Called the EU Critical Chemicals Act and outlined in a joint statement by the countries, the proposed legislation is a response to the European chemical industry’s lack of global competitiveness, a situation that has led to a series of plant closures across the region.

The EU Critical Chemicals Act would protect “building block” molecules considered important to the European chemical industry, the countries state. The act would replace current state aid rules so that countries can support the modernization of strategic facilities and protect manufacturers from high energy prices and low-cost products from competitors outside the region. Additionally, the act would foster R&D.

The countries have identified 18 chemicals that are critical to the region and need protection: ammonia, benzene, butadiene, chlorine, ethylene, hydrofluoric acid, lysine, methanol, methionine, phenol, propylene, silicon, sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, styrene, sulfur, toluene, and xylene.

“They form the building-blocks that are essential in the upstream to the defense, health, food, automotive, construction, green tech and other major industries—the absence of which could pose a threat to public and societal interests,” the statement says.

Pretty interesting list of chemicals. I know a lot of these are manufactured in the US, but I wonder if that's the case for the amino acids. 

(There is a weird aspect of the last ten years where government aid for private industry is going up - I wonder where it ends.) 

Have a great weekend

This has been a very long week, with a lot of ups and downs. Hopefully you had a great week. I can't wait to get home, and I can't wait to have a quiet weekend. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. See you for a (hopefully) normal week around here on Monday! 

Letters to the editor: "Federal layoffs"

In this week's C&EN, this letter to the editor: 

The Feb. 24 report on the dismissal of employees from US regulatory and science funding agencies (C&EN Feb. 24, 2025, page 14) highlights ongoing concerns about the impact of antiscience sentiments. For the sake of brevity, I’ll illustrate the real-world consequences of such a misguided view by focusing on Donald J. Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

During the blizzard of ’78, I struggled more than a mile uphill through an intense snowstorm, battling 50 mi/h (80 km/h) winds that were pummeling my face and body with freezing snow, and trudging through snowdrifts—some as high as my waist—to get to the laboratories of Worcester Foundation in Massachusetts. My steadfast focus was on preventing the loss of more than a year’s worth of research; missing but a single day of injecting the animals would have delayed a project that ultimately delivered a life-extending drug to women with breast cancer.

Last month, in stark contrast to the efforts above, DOGE carelessly and needlessly shut the funding spigot for medical care and research, delaying treatments for childhood cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, mental health, and diabetes research. Even worse, DOGE’s uncaring termination of the US Agency for International Development, created by John F. Kennedy in 1961, risks that highly contagious lethal diseases will spread worldwide.

It’s a simple task for one of Elon Musk’s whiz kids to lean forward in an easy chair—perhaps while sipping a brew—going about the task of slashing the US debt, giving no more thought to their actions than crushing an ant underfoot.

Quite to the contrary, both before and after my 1978 trudge, scientists have worked diligently—sometimes at great personal sacrifice—to achieve medical breakthroughs that have benefited both the US and the world.

The current administration should be carefully assessing the potential consequences of its policy changes to ensure the continued advancement of medical research and the protection of public health. It obviously is not.

The root cause of this ignorance is the underlying antiscience rhetoric. The proliferation of misinformation has become a dangerous trend, eroding public trust in scientific endeavors and undermining critical advancements. This ignorance is perpetuated by a myriad of sources, each contributing to the chaos.

We scientists must find ways to make our voices heard.  

David Allen Marsh 

Bonita Beach, Florida 

It's remarkable what sacrifices scientists make for their experiments. 

Have a great weekend

Well, I need to get more work done, but I think I will be able to manage it. I hope that you have a wonderful weekend, and we will see you on Monday. 

ACS takes down Inclusivity Style Guide for revision

Via Bluesky, the American Chemical Society worked on a very thorough style guide for inclusivity. The portions on “Gender and Sexuality” and on “Race, Ethnicity, and Sexuality” were apparently recently taken down. Here is the response from Rajendrani Mukhopadhyay, the senior vice president for Inclusion and Belonging when Kelly Sheppard of Skidmore College wrote in: 

Dear Dr. Sheppard,

Thank you for reaching out about the American Chemical Society's Inclusivity Style Guide.

As part of our work to develop a new strategic plan, ACS updated one of our core values to recognize inclusion and belonging for all people, as follows: "We create environments where people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences thrive."

This core value is at the heart of all ACS resources, including the Inclusivity Style Guide.

The updated core value reflects the long and transformative work ACS has done to create an inclusive environment where everyone belongs and flourishes. It builds on ACS' past work and prioritizes the ongoing achievement of certain goals, including attainment of full, authentic participation and fair treatment across all identities and experiences.

ACS remains fully committed to inclusion and belonging. We have not abandoned our core value; rather, we are refining our resources to ensure they remain impactful in current times.

We want to ensure that the guide continues be a useful and accurate tool for creating inclusive content and communications. To protect the integrity of the guide, we have paused specific sections for review and refinement, so they remain effective. Once this review is completed, we will repost the updated sections.

We understand the frustration, concern and hurt this has caused. We welcome constructive dialogue and input to ensure that our inclusivity resources meet the needs of our community. This guide is one tool in ACS' broader effort to foster inclusion.

We truly value your membership in ACS. Please let me know if you'd like to discuss this matter.

Best regards, Rajendrani (Raj) Mukhopadhyay

Rajendrani Mukhopadhyay (she/her) Senior Vice President, Inclusion and Belonging

It is both very weird and very emblematic of ACS that they would make these changes without really answering any questions about it (and pretending that it isn't about our current political climate.) I guess we'll see what the new sections look like when they come out, and then we can make further judgments. 

WB DVDs from the 2000s are malfunctioning?

Via Ars Technica, this unusual news: 

In a statement to JoBlo shared on Tuesday, WBD confirmed widespread complaints about DVDs manufactured between 2006 and 2008. The statement said:

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is aware of potential issues affecting select DVD titles manufactured between 2006 – 2008, and the company has been actively working with consumers to replace defective discs.

Where possible, the defective discs have been replaced with the same title. However, as some of the affected titles are no longer in print or the rights have expired, consumers have been offered an exchange for a title of like-value.

Consumers with affected product can contact the customer support team at whv@wbd.com.

This was an interesting comment on the potential chemistry issues: 

its oxidation of the metal substrate that is encased in the plastic outer disc. The readable surface in there needs to stay sealed between the layers but eventually the bonding between them can fail and let in air which is why the rot usually starts from the inside of the disc and spreads outward. I worked on the blu-ray standard and this was a big concern when designing that format as the disc itself was even more prone to quickly degrading due to the even smaller physical indentations that designate a 1/0 on the disc media (compared to a dvd).

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the composition of optical discs: 

Write-once optical discs commonly have an organic dye (may also be a (phthalocyanine) azo dye, mainly used by Verbatim, or an oxonol dye, used by Fujifilm[4]) recording layer between the substrate and the reflective layer. Rewritable discs typically contain an alloy recording layer composed of a phase change material, most often AgInSbTe, an alloy of silver, indium, antimony, and tellurium.[5] Azo dyes were introduced in 1996 and phthalocyanine only began to see wide use in 2002. The type of dye and the material used on the reflective layer on an optical disc may be determined by shining a light through the disc, as different dye and material combinations have different colors.

Sounds like it's probably not actually the metal? Pretty interesting to think about, though. 

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 496 research/teaching positions and 88 teaching positions

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 497 research/teaching positions and 91 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 March 12, 2024, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 534 research/teaching positions and 82 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: visiting assistant professor, general/organic, Murray State University, Murray, KY

Via LinkedIn: 

Murray State's Department of Chemistry is looking for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor for the next academic year (25-26). The candidate must have a PhD in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering, and must be able to teach general and/or organic chemistry (biochemistry is also an option). MSU is an ACS accredited, primarily undergraduate department with nearly 75 majors and over 100 minors in rural western Kentucky. Research space for the candidate is also an option. Please provide CV if interested.

Email Professor Kevin Miller (kmiller38 -at- murraystate.edu) if interested. 

C&EN: "Chemical makers brace for trade war"

In this week's C&EN, this article by Alex Tullo: 

...A trade war would be disruptive to the chemical industry. Canada, Mexico, and China are the top three US trading partners generally and the three leading export destinations for chemicals. Canada imported $29.5 billion worth of chemicals, excluding pharmaceuticals, from the US in 2024; Mexico imported $27.6 billion, and China, $14.7 billion.

Over the past decade, exports have become increasingly important to the US chemical industry. Because US petrochemical makers have access to cheap raw materials extracted from natural gas found in shale, they enjoy a cost advantage over their foreign counterparts. They have spent hundreds of billions of dollars on new capacity for products sold into export markets. For example, according to the Census Bureau, US exports of polyethylene and copolymers have more than doubled since 2014, hitting $16.5 billion in 2024. New tariffs imposed by other countries on products like these would chip away at the US advantage.

The US is also a major destination for exports from Canada, China, and Mexico. It imported $24.1 billion in chemicals from Canada, $13.8 billion from China, and $7.8 billion from Mexico last year.

Many US specialty and fine chemical makers depend on chemical intermediates that are produced mainly or exclusively in China. In 2019, the previous Trump administration erected tariffs of around 25% on many Chinese imports. At the time, US specialty chemical makers were able to appeal to the Office of the US Trade Representative to secure exclusions so that the raw materials they needed wouldn’t appear on duty lists.

Fewer than 20% of the exclusion requests were granted, notes Robert Helminiak, vice president of legal and government relations for the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA), a trade group. Now there will be no such process, and US importers will have to pay the duty on all products.

“The executive order is explicit in that there are no exemptions,” Helminiak says.

It will be really interesting to see what the Chinese do in response. The Trump Administration folks seem to think that the Chinese will simply lower their prices (and there appears to be deflation in China already?). I suppose we shall see.