C&EN: "Indian fertilizer, specialty chemical industries hit by US-Iran war"

Via C&EN, this bad news (article by Aayushi Pratap): 

India, one of the world’s largest importers of oil and natural gas, is among the countries hardest hit by breaks in the natural gas and petrochemical supply chains caused by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to attacks by the US and Israel.

In the Indian chemical industry, fertilizer makers were the first affected. Now, even specialty chemical makers are beginning to feel the pain. The woes of both sectors are largely due to the scarce availability of a single molecule: ammonia, a pungent gas that is a lifeline for many chemical plants. India is one of the world’s leading importers of ammonia, with most of its supplies coming from Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

Mumbai-based Alkyl Amines Chemicals announced March 16 that it has suspended manufacturing of methyl and ethyl amines and their derivatives at three of its sites due to ammonia shortages.

I know that there is a global impact to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but it is good/helpful to understand who is impacted the most. This article (linked in the C&EN piece) is also helpful for understanding context. 

Have a great weekend

Well, this week wasn't so bad (although the spontaneous basketball game with ten year olds was probably not a great idea.) I hope I'm not too sore. Have a great weekend. We'll see you on Monday. 

C&EN: "Samples from asteroid Ryugu contain all five nucleobases"

Pretty cool astrochemistry news (article by Fionna Samuels): 

In December 2020, a capsule containing precious cargo fell from the sky and crashed into the Australian outback. The container carried a small amount of dust from the distant asteroid Ryugu. Its return marked the end of the primary Hayabusa2 mission. In the years since, scientists have meticulously studied every aspect of the grains. Now they’ve discovered that the grains contain all five nucleobases—nitrogen-containing organic molecules fundamental to DNA and RNA (Nat. Astron. 2026, DOI: 10.1038/s41550-026-02791-z).

This is not the first time scientists have detected a nucleobase in the Ryugu sample. “I was involved in the initial analysis of Ryugu samples and contributed to the study that reported the detection of uracil,” astrochemist Toshiki Koga of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology writes in an email. But at the time, the amount of material that his team was given was too small to do a more detailed analysis.

Pretty cool that they were able to do a successful analysis on just 11 mg of sample (although from a total synthesis perspective, that seems like so much!) 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 393 research/teaching positions and 89 teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 393 research/teaching positions and 89 teaching positions. 

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

On March 25, 2025, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 500 research/teaching positions and 93 teaching positions. On March 26, 2024, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 545 research/teaching positions and 82 teaching positions. To see long-term trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list. 

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 more chill week, but I still definitely have stress, and won't not have it for a while. I hope that you had a good week, and that you have a wonderful weekend. I know I will give it a shot. See you on Monday. 

C&EN: "University of California backs plan for $23 billion research bond"

From C&EN's Krystal Vasquez, this news: 

The University of California (UC) system announced March 5 that it’s sponsoring a bipartisan state senate bill that proposes a $23 billion bond to fund research across California, which would be the largest state-level investment in scientific research in US history.

S.B. 895, introduced by California senator Scott Wiener (D) in January, would also establish the California Foundation for Science and Health Research, which would use the money to provide grants and loans to public and private universities, research companies, and health-care organizations across the state.

The bill comes after a year of major turmoil over federal funding in support of the US scientific community. Although fiscal year (FY) 2025 budgets for federal science-funding agencies weren’t too different from FY 2024 levels, federally funded research at more than 600 colleges and universities still saw significant disruptions after the Donald J. Trump administration terminated or froze thousands of research grants last year.

I am sad that it has come to this, but from a broad perspective, it seems like a good move to support scientists in the current system. We can't do this forever. 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 390 research/teaching positions and 87 teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 390 research/teaching positions and 87 teaching positions. 

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

On March 11, 2025, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 496 research/teaching positions and 88 teaching positions. On March 12, 2024, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 534 research/teaching positions and 82 teaching positions. To see long-term trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list. 

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.

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 387 research/teaching positions and 86 teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 387 research/teaching positions and 86 teaching positions. 

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

On March 4, 2025, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 496 research/teaching positions and 88 teaching positions. On March 5, 2024, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 534 research/teaching positions and 80 teaching positions. To see long-term trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list. 

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: "The chemical industry promises another year of cutbacks"

This bad news from C&EN (article by Alexander Tullo, emphasis mine):

...BASF, the world’s largest chemical maker, wrapped up its earnings season posting a 2.9% decline in 2025 sales and a 38.8% drop in earnings from the previous year. Sales volumes increased for all its businesses except basic chemicals, but prices and currency exchange rates worked against the German firm.

Eastman Chemical cut costs by about $100 million in 2025 and is planning to shed another $125 million–$150 million in expenses this year. Despite that, Eastman’s earnings sunk by 32.7% in 2025 to $627 million, on a 6.5% decline in sales over 2024 values.

Eastman CEO Mark Costa vented his frustrations about the economy to analysts in a conference call. “Everyone’s talking about how great GDP is and its growth last year. [But] if you back out data centers, [artificial intelligence], health care, GDP is sort of flat,” he said, referring to the US gross domestic product. “Eighty percent of our consumers out there are really struggling with the economic challenges they have and the affordability, the fear of what tariffs are going to do, fear about ‘Can I get a new job if I lose mine?’ ”

This more or less confirms what we've known, i.e. things aren't so great for the chemical industry right now. It's not a major source of jobs for entry-level chemists, I suspect, but this doesn't bode well for employment in that sector. 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 386 research/teaching positions and 84 teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 386 research/teaching positions and 84 teaching positions. 

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

On February 25, 2025, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 492 research/teaching positions and 85 teaching positions. On February 27, 2024, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 532 research/teaching positions and 80 teaching positions. To see long-term trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list. 

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.

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 101 research/teaching positions and 20 teaching positions

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List (by Arvind Ganesan and Todd N. Whittaker) has 101 research/teaching positions and 20 teaching positions. 

Want to chat? Go to the open thread.  

Have a great weekend

I'm in the middle of a wild three weeks, and hey! It's wild. I hope that you're having fun yourself. Have a  great weekend. We'll see you on Monday. 

Job posting: coatings/formulation chemist, southwest Michigan

From the inbox: 

I'm working with a specialty coatings manufacturer in southwest Michigan to fill a Chemist II role focused on end-use coating formulation. It's not a narrowly defined bench seat, chemists own their projects, work directly with customers, and have real influence on product outcomes. The work involves true formulation (not QC or process support), a meaningful mix of product modifications and new development, and some interesting military-related work. The lab team has doubled in size in recent years, which speaks to the company's momentum.

The ideal candidate has 4+ years of formulation experience in industrial, protective, or commercial coatings - especially anyone with epoxy, urethane, or polysiloxane background. Strong project management and communication skills matter just as much as the chemistry.

Email me at chemjobber -at- gmail dot com and I will connect you with the recruiter. Best wishes to those interested. 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 384 research/teaching positions and 84 teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 384 research/teaching positions and 84 teaching positions. 

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

On February 18, 2025, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 486 research/teaching positions and 85 teaching positions. On February 20, 2024, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 526 research/teaching positions and 80 teaching positions. To see long-term trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list. 

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: STEM+ Education Research Institute, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM

From the inbox: 

The STEM+ Education Research Institute (SERI) at New Mexico State University is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to support its mission.

Primary duties and responsibilities include:

• Design, conduct, and disseminate independent and collaborative research in STEM education or DBER using qualitative, quantitative, and/or mixed-methods approaches. Lead projects, and collaborate with existing SERI faculty to do so.
• Analyze research data, prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication, and present findings at professional conferences.
• Contribute substantively to grant writing, proposal development, and reporting for externally funded research projects.

Review of applications starts March 9th. Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested.

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 101 research/teaching positions and 20 teaching positions

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List (by Arvind Ganesan and Todd N. Whittaker) has 101 research/teaching positions and 20 teaching positions. 

Want to chat? Go to the open thread.  

Have a great weekend

Well, this was a busy week for me. I hope that you had a good week and that you have a good weekend. I will be traveling, so that's different. See you on Monday. 

World's largest urea plant to be built in Nigeria

Via ChemAnalyst, this news (via a press release): 

Toyo Engineering Corporation is pleased to announce that its proprietary urea synthesis and granulation license has been selected for the world's largest urea plant planned by BUA Chemicals Limited ("BUA"), a chemical fertilizer manufacturer in Nigeria. The plant will consist of two production lines, each with a capacity of 4,000 tons per day.

The project is currently in the FEED (Front End Engineering Design) stage. With a view to future license provision, TOYO will serve as the licensor for urea synthesis and granulation, delivering the Process Design Package (PDP). 

I have long been curious as to the chemical industry in Africa, and it's pretty cool that the world's largest urea plant will be there. Will have to track its progress. 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 381 research/teaching positions and 82 teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 381 research/teaching positions and 82 teaching positions. 

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

On February 11, 2025, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 480 research/teaching positions and 81 teaching positions. On February 13, 2024, the 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 524 research/teaching positions and 75 teaching positions. To see long-term trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list. 

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.

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List: 100 research/teaching positions and 20 teaching positions

The Chemical Engineering Faculty Jobs List (by Arvind Ganesan and Todd N. Whittaker) has 100 research/teaching positions and 20 teaching positions. 

Want to chat? Go to the open thread.  

C&EN: "An old cholesterol drug could help clear PFAS"

In Chemical and Engineering News, this news (article by Saima Sidik)

Paul Smith, a retired nurse anesthetist, has been contending with chronic lymphocytic leukemia since 2012, and his doctor suspects a tumor is forming in his pituitary gland. But despite the uncertainty about his health, a well-known cholesterol management drug is giving him a bit of hope.

Smith lives in a part of Barnstable, Massachusetts, called Centerville, where a local firefighter-training school and nearby airport contaminated the water supply for decades. The facilities allowed environmental leaks of fire-suppressing foam laden with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals.”

Smith had been drinking the tainted water for years before he learned that it was sending his levels of certain PFAS soaring. 

...Smith sought out cholestyramine after finding publications in the scientific literature about its potential benefit for people with high PFAS exposure. Smith’s gastroenterologist was familiar with cholestyramine and considered it safe, so he agreed to give Smith a prescription.

After about 8 months of taking cholestyramine, Smith has seen his PFAS levels drop dramatically. Two fluorinated chemicals became almost undetectable in his blood, and PFHxS dropped to about 30% of what it once was. “It was definitely a psychological boost,” he says.

It's probably not a surprise that there is some kind of drug that will absorb PFAS, but I'm glad there is one that seems to be readily available. 

Have a good weekend!

Well, sometimes you gotta work a Saturday and that's life in the big city. But that's all right - this hasn't been a bad week all around. I hope that you're had a good week and that you have a wonderful weekend. See you on Monday. 

C&EN: "How chemistry helps make a highlight-reel catch"

It's either sweeps month at C&EN or it's Superbowl time (article by Max Barnhardt): 

...But part of what made the Helmet Catch—and so many other spectacular catches in the National Football League (NFL)—possible is a little bit of chemistry baked into the gloves worn by receivers.

Most football gloves are made from a fabric that has been coated on the palm and fingers with a silicone that gives players extra grip as they make a catch.

Manufacturers probably use polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the main polymer on the surface of their gloves. Chains of PDMS are cross-linked to form a 3D network. Mike Brook, a synthetic polymer chemist at McMaster University, says chemists can give silicone all kinds of different properties by controlling the length of chains between cross-links.

Pretty cool article. I'm surprised this hasn't been covered before by C&EN, but I'm glad that it has. Read the whole thing!