Colorado state water quality lab reports problems with metals testing

Via KUSA: 

DENVER — The EPA has revoked a testing certification for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) water quality lab, after an investigation found a chemist intentionally disregarded protocol in a method that tests for traces of metals, 9NEWS Investigates has learned.

The investigation into the chemist’s actions began in February, according to the state health department, but wasn’t made public until 9NEWS Investigates started asking questions about it last week. State health officials said the data problems may impact as many as 3% of the state’s 2,000 public water systems...

...According to the health department, in February, a managing chemist discovered anomalies in test results relating to one water quality method, method 200.7, which tests for metals and trace elements of barium, copper and chromium in drinking water. When the anomalies were discovered, the acting chemist was removed from all laboratory testing and the department launched an investigation, according to Hope Shuler, interim communications director for the department.

But CDPHE had not notified the EPA of the lapse until early April, according to a letter from the EPA to the state health department revoking CDPHE’s certification to test for that method. The letter from mid-April also noted that CDPHE did not have a timeline to determine the scope of the investigation or a communication plan to let the impacted water systems know about the issues with the testing data...

It's hard to know what happened here, but another report has a comment from the state about an "intentional disregard of protocol." I suppose we'll have to wait for more reporting before we'll know what happened...

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 415 research/teaching positions and 58 teaching positions

 The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 415 research/teaching positions and 58 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 November 21, 2023, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 455 research/teaching positions and 47 teaching positions.

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

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 111 research/teaching positions and 17 teaching positions

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List (by Heather LeClerc and Daniyal Kiani) has 111 research/teaching positions and 17 teaching positions. 

Here is a link to the open thread for the year.

C&EN: "Is Europe running out of chemistry teachers?"

Via Chemical and Engineering News, this surprising article (article by Vanessa Zainzinger): 

...In the 2023–24 school year, schools in England were able to recruit only 65% of the teaching staff they needed for chemistry, according to NFER research based on UK Department for Education data. That’s a lot better than staff recruitment for physics, which reached only 17% of its target, but worse than biology—an outlier among science subjects—for which schools recruited 93% of the teachers needed.

Young chemists have many reasons to avoid a teaching career. The most obvious one, Worth says, is that chemistry graduates can earn more money in the chemical industry. On average in the UK, entry-​level chemistry teaching positions start at £32,500 ($42,000) per year. That matches the average starting salary in the chemical industry, but a gap between career paths forms after a few years.

“The starting salary might be relatively attractive, but teachers reach the top of the scale after about 5 years,” says Andy Harvey, national officer for education at the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), a union that represents educators in Scotland. Young teachers soon find themselves without opportunities for promotion, Harvey says. “The thing with chemistry teachers is, they do have marketable skills. They can get better pay elsewhere.”

Unions like the EIS are unimpressed by some widely publicized UK government recruitment schemes, such as grants of up to £28,000 ($36,000) for those enrolling in chemistry teacher training courses and an extensive “Get into Teaching” media campaign. These efforts might lure people to the classroom, but they won’t make them stay, Harvey says. Retention rates are terrible. EIS’s most recent school survey found that 40% of chemistry teachers working in Scotland are considering leaving the profession within the next 5 years.

I guess I don't think about teacher numbers in the UK or Europe (in chemistry or otherwise), but I didn't know the situation wasn't particularly great. It doesn't sound like things are much better in Germany, either. Read the whole thing. 

Have a good weekend

This was a fun week, but you never know what you might find in an Indiana cornfield. I hope that you had a great week, and I hope that you have a wonderful weekend. See you on Monday. 

Sad news from Corteva

Multiple sources have indicated that Corteva Agriscience chemistry (both process and discovery) has suffered a pretty large layoff. That's pretty bad news, and I'm sorry to hear that, especially since Indianapolis does not offer many chemists the opportunity to get a new job without moving. 

Best wishes to all affected. 

Job posting: Associate Research Scientist, Dyes, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York

Via C&EN Jobs, this position: 

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

As the Associate Research Scientist, you will perform analyses and conduct research on natural and synthetic dyes as found in textiles, drawings, prints, paintings and other works of art in the Museum’s collection.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

• Analyze works of art in collaboration with conservators, curators, and colleagues in the Department of Scientific Research, with a particular focus on natural and synthetic dyes.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to conduct research on dyes, their history, provenance, and their degradation mechanisms.
• Develop analytical methods to improve sensitivity and minimize sample size for dye analysis.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. in chemistry or equivalent experience (required).
• 2-4 years experience in analytical chemistry (required).
• Experience working in museum environments, specifically, either with or in proximity of art objects (preferred).
• Experience in gas and liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (required).
• Experience implementing advanced statistical analysis methods on scientific data (preferred).

Salary: $105,000 - $110,000. Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Large explosion at Louisville, KY food coloring plant

credit: Michael Clevenger / Courier Journal 

Via WHII, this news: 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A large explosion was reported Tuesday afternoon in Louisville's Clifton neighborhood, and it wasn't the first time the factory experienced a hazardous materials incident.

MetroSafe confirmed a large explosion occurred in the 1900 block of Payne Street at about 3 p.m. 

Louisville Metro police advised the public to stay away from the area.

The business located at the address is the Givaudan Sense Colour company was formerly known as D.D. Williamson Company. It's known for producing the caramel color in soft drinks. 

D.D. Williams and Company started in 1865 and was bought by Givaudan Sense Colour in 2021. 

Givaudan Sense Colour also has facilities in the US, Ireland, and UK but they are headquartered in Louisville.

The Tuesday explosion is not the first time the plant on Payne Street has had issues.

In April 2003, one person was killed at the plant after a catastrophic vessel failure, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB).

That building sure looks like it was a pretty bad explosion. I'd love to know what caused such a large explosion, but I suppose we'll find out eventually. 

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 408 research/teaching positions and 54 teaching positions

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 408 research/teaching positions and 54 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 November 14, 2023, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 440 research/teaching positions and 40 teaching positions.

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

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 107 research/teaching positions and 15 teaching positions

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List (by Heather LeClerc and Daniyal Kiani) has 107 research/teaching positions and 15 teaching positions. 

Here is a link to the open thread for the year.

C&EN: "The chemical enterprise braces for a second Trump presidency"

In this week's Chemical and Engineering News, this summary (article by Leigh Krietsch Boerner and Rowan Walrath)

With the dust settling after the US elections, chemists are trying to work out how a second Donald J. Trump presidency will affect their work and lives.

Scientists in many corners are concerned—about their funding, about the politicization of their research areas, and about their intellectual freedom. Jennifer Jones, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, says scientists in federal and state governments who work in politicized fields like climate change are worried that “their name is going on a list.”

“President Trump has promised to fire government scientists and to dismantle scientific agencies,” Jones says. “Without strong federal science, historically marginalized communities bear the brunt of policies that benefit corporate profit over people and communities.”

A scientist in the federal government, who spoke to C&EN on the condition of anonymity because they fear retribution, worries that some government scientists “might just choose to throw in the towel.” That would leave the federal government without the staff needed to assess data and enact evidence-based policies, the person says.

It will be fascinating to see if the BIOSECURE Act is passed, and if it is signed in the lame duck session. I would expect yes, but we shall see. 

Give your instruments to the museums?

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

We read with much interest the article discussing options of what to do with old laboratory equipment and instruments (C&EN, June 17, 2024, page 16). The article describes an ad hoc approach to dealing with surplus equipment, which is not dissimilar to our experiences at other institutions.

The author points out that less attention tends to be paid to expensive instruments after they have been superseded, and she lists three options: “Sell, donate, or scrap.” We would like to propose a fourth option: consider archiving old documents and equipment. Science and medicine museums, such as the Wellcome Collection and Science Museum in London, are considered national treasures in the UK: 89% of adults surveyed earlier this year said museums are important to UK culture. Museums attract visitors. The Science Museum, for example, attracts nearly 3 million visitors per year and appeared in the top 10 visitor attractions in the UK in 2013 and 2023.

People experience and learn science in many different places and ways, not just at school, and science museums are informal learning experiences that help broaden people’s perception of science and medicine. They also have the potential to inspire a broader range of people and bring about more diversity in the field.d

Please consider archiving documents and equipment, and remember that a beaker or an ordinary piece of kit today might constitute a precious artifact tomorrow.

Sami A. Al-Ani and Ilaria Scaglia 

Birmingham, England

Uh, I think that the available old scientific instruments could easily overwhelm museums. But hey, you can ask! 

Have a good weekend

Well, this week hasn't gone exactly the way I'd like. I hope that your week was better? I am very much looking forward to the weekend. I hope you have a great one. See you on Monday! 

Thinking about a second Trump Administration

Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States. I’m not happy about that. 

But this is not a blog about my personal feelings about politics; it is a blog to help chemists find jobs, and to help understand how to measure the quality of the job market. 

We have a couple of months before he takes office. I plan to spend some time between now and then making predictions as to actual Trump Administration policy, and how it might impact the readers of this blog. 

Five topics I can think of immediately: 

• Immigration: What will immigration policy be under the second Trump Administration? 
• Tariffs: How will Trump’s threatened tariffs impact American chemists? 
• Regulation: How will the EPA and the FDA be impacted under their new leadership? 
• Academic science: How will US academic science be impacted, in terms of funding for NIH and other federal funding agencies? 
• Employment: How will this change the long-term trajectory of employment for American chemists? 

What topics do you suggest I tackle? Please respond in the comments with specific topics and NOT predictions. (Please avoid posting lengthy political opinions in this thread. If you must post your political opinion, I ask that each person limit themselves to the same number of words as me - 6 words.) E-mails welcome: chemjobber@gmail.com 

Job posting: forensic drug analyst, Ministry of Health, Government of Bermuda

Via C&EN, this position: 

The Government Analyst works under the direction of the Senior Government Analyst to provide Forensic Drug Chemistry and technical analysis to assist in crime detection and associated reporting and presentation of evidence in court.

Applicants must possess BSc in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry or a related science degree together with a wide knowledge in Forensic Science and three (3) years relevant experience in Forensic Science or related Laboratory Science is required. In lieu of the requisite years of experience, consideration will be taken into applicants whom possess a Post-graduate degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Forensic Science along with at least one (1) years relevant experience.

This post is offered on a three year contract. Qualified persons wishing to be considered for the post may apply online at www.govtcareers.gov.bm by the specified closing date of 27th November, 2024.

Salary:  PS28 $93,610.96 (=US$ Equivalent)

Curious what the standard of living is on Bermuda (probably quite pricey). Best wishes to those interested. 

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 396 research/teaching positions and 45 teaching positions

The 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 396 research/teaching positions and 45 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 November 7, 2023, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 424 research/teaching positions and 40 teaching positions.

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

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 102 research/teaching positions and 14 teaching positions

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List (by Heather LeClerc and Daniyal Kiani) has 102 research/teaching positions and 14 teaching positions. 

Here is a link to the open thread for the year.

Harvard Crimson: Charles Lieber to visit Beijing for "employment networking"

Via the Harvard Crimson, this unusual news: 

A federal judge gave former Harvard Chemistry professor Charles M. Lieber permission to visit China for “employment networking” and give a lecture in Beijing — nearly three years after Lieber was convicted for lying to federal investigators about his relationship to China.

Lieber is currently serving a 18-month term of supervised release after completing six months of house arrest.

Lieber has been actively searching for employment in China since at least June, when he asked a judge if he could visit the University of Hong Kong the next month “to discuss potential faculty appointment and employment opportunities.”

In July, Lieber requested to attend the International Beijing Brain Conference in August to deliver a keynote speech and “discuss research and potential collaborations with local students.”

All three of Lieber’s requests were approved by U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper. The most recent request, which Casper signed off on last week, did not specify Lieber’s planned dates of travel.

In the requests, Lieber’s attorneys wrote that they had sought approval for Lieber’s travel from the Chinese consulate but had not heard back.

The Crimson could not determine whether Lieber has visited China yet, and neither Lieber nor his attorneys responded to requests for comment. In August, he told the South China Morning Post via email that he had “not yet visited Hong Kong, but may do so this fall.”

In some sense, this is reasonable, i.e. China pays significant money to be associated with prominent academics, and Charles Lieber is certainly very prominent. Also, I presume that he needs employment. However, it was his past associations with Chinese academia that got him into trouble, and in that sense, this move is rather surprising. I guess we'll see where Dr. Lieber ends up. 

C&EN on horseshoe crab blood testing

In the latest issue of C&EN, this fascinating feature by Laurel Oldach:

At a recent meeting of the Parenteral Drug Association, where industry microbiologists discussed ways to make drugs without a trace of unwanted biological material, photos of horseshoe crabs danced across a screen between sessions. The sediment-snuffling arthropod with a dozen legs and a shell like a helmet may seem like an unlikely pairing with the sleek, highly engineered robotics of a pharmaceutical production line. But estuaries teeming with life and clean rooms where it should be all but absent are linked by their dependence on this animal.

That is poised to change. In November, US regulators will formally announce their acceptance of alternatives to a key test that ensures drug products are not contaminated. The new tests will use proteins produced in bioreactors rather than in wild horseshoe crabs.

The change was hard fought. Arguments played out in the technical literature and in expert committee meetings. The stakes included hundreds of millions of dollars in annual sales for the company with the most to lose from a switch and the professional reputations of a group of industry insiders who were fired from their volunteer jobs. Now it appears that the tide may be turning on endotoxin tests made from horseshoe crab blood—but it hasn’t gone out just yet.

This piece is pretty long and detailed, but it is definitely worth it, as it explains the rather labyrinthine process of changing USP standards, and how it is its own bureaucratic battlefield. Read the whole thing. 

Have a great week

This has been kind of a wild week, but here I am, I guess, with a larger project due. At least I got a couple of decent meals out of it. Hope you had a great week, and have a great weekend. See you on Monday. 

Meet a candy scientist and their IP

Via the Wall Street Journal, this fun bit of intellectual property trivia: 

...Taste testers wanted more flavor and felt the chewing experience wasn’t gummy enough, so Ferrara made the product even tangier and tweaked the crunch-to-chew ratio. 

In the summer of 2020, the candy company and the inventor of Nerds Gummy Clusters, a Ferrara scientist named Sean Oomens, filed for a patent on a “dual-textured confectionery” with a “chewy center” and “crunchy coating.” 

The details in the application, which is pending, included an exact definition of gummy (“a springy, resilient character with varying degrees of firmness”) and a less exact shape of the cluster (“generally ovoid, spherical or bean-shaped”). 

...Ferrara’s experiments with Gummy Clusters did result in batches of soggy Nerds, according to a person familiar with the process. The patent on Gummy Clusters suggests that Ferrara’s candy scientists solved their problem with additives such as gum arabic, an additive that prevents moisture from the chewy center from seeping into the candy pebble’s coating...

I bet it's a lot of fun to be a candy scientist, but you probably have a serious salt tooth at the end of a work day... 

makes you wonder who the PHOSITA for candy science would be... 

Job posting: Head of R&D, Sironix Renewables, Seattle, WA

Via BlueSky, this position: 

About us: We’re a startup company with proven technology developing eco-friendly and bio-renewable surfactant chemicals for consumer products, such as laundry detergents and personal care products. Sironix has invented and developed a series of new surfactant molecules that will make our consumer products work better and benefit our environment. We have received over $7M in government investment and partnerships along with recent venture funding. We are searching for an applicant who can help us refine and scale our surfactant manufacturing process, overcome barriers to technology commercialization and achieve a more responsible future for the cleaning and personal care industry.

Summary: As Head of Research and Development at Sironix Renewables, you will be joining a company at the forefront of green chemistry, bio-renewables, and product development. You will be aiding the development and scale-up of surfactant production methods as we transition from pre-pilot toward commercial scale manufacturing. Responsibilities primarily involve coordinating with contract and chemical manufacturers to de-risk and scale manufacturing processes, designing and implementing experimental plans to meet customer product specifications, supporting R&D efforts as they relate to intellectual property and grants management, as well as performing equipment maintenance as required. 

They will lead a small team of full-time research scientists while managing relationships with contract engineers. Quality control, including use and maintenance of chromatography, spectroscopy and surfactant performance test instrumentation, will be an important focus to assure our product continues to meet our standards as scaling continues. Tasks require management of simultaneous research projects, effective communication with customers, collaborators, and other team members, as well as auxiliary technical tasks outside of typical lab work to help grow our business. As is the nature of research, creative problem solving is required in order to ensure consistent and confident data. The working conditions and fellow employees are relaxed, but we are motivated and determined to build a name for ourselves and change the way the world cleans!

Salary: A starting salary of $110,000 to $150,000 per year is expected.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, or related Engineering discipline with 2 years of relevant industry experience, or M.S. with 4 years of relevant industry experience, or B.S. with 6 years of relevant industry experience required
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience working independently to design and implement chemistry experiments in the laboratory, including demonstrated wet chemistry skills as well as analytical and problem-solving skills to interpret and refine results
• High mechanical aptitude and knowledge of mechanical concepts needed to maintain, troubleshoot and repair mechanical equipment and electrical device

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested.