Well, this has been a better week than I thought. Getting things done, but not quite at the rate I hoped. Here's hoping for a great weekend for you, and we'll see you on Monday.  ..read more

Credit: Akron Beacon Journal/News 5 Cleveland Via the Akron Beacon Journal, this news:  A tanker carrying sodium hydroxide exploded at the Royal Chemical plant Wednesday morning in Macedonia resulting in three reported injuries, according to Macedonia Fire Chief Brian Ripley. Two of the three people injured were transported to Metro General Hospital in Cleveland, one of them with life-threatening burns and the other with non-life-threatening, but critical burns, Ripley said. The third individual was evaluated on the scene. Investigators are still unsure what caused the explosion ..read more

Via BlueSky:  We are seeking for a highly motivated organic chemist who is passionate about organic synthesis to join AstraZeneca in our Waltham, MA location. This is laboratory-based position within world-leading global Oncology Chemistry group with a strong record of delivery and innovation. We are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, and we welcome individuals from all backgrounds to apply. You will be responsible for conceiving and implementing innovative synthetic strategies within projects, use your personal lab delivery expertise to help solve complex s ..read more

Via Reuters (May 10), this update to the BIOSECURE Act:  A new version of a congressional bill that would restrict U.S. business with certain Chinese biotechnology companies including WuXi AppTec and BGI would give U.S. companies until 2032 to end work with the firms, extending the amount of time to find new partners. The latest Biosecure Act also adds WuXi Biologics, opens new tab to a list of biotech companies of concern, according to a copy seen by Reuters. The other companies on the list are BGI, MGI, Complete Genomics and WuXi AppTec.  The companies are largely contractors that ..read more

The 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 556 research/teaching positions and 86 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 23, 2023, the 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 627 research/teaching positions and 82 teaching-focused positions. Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's the first open thread. Here's a link to the second, open thread.&n ..read more

Via Bloomberg, this news:  Companies are trying all kinds of things to find their way in the increasingly competitive space industry. A German startup is adding candle wax to that list. HyImpulse Technologies last week launched a sounding rocket powered by a combination of liquid oxygen and solid paraffin – a petroleum byproduct that’s a key ingredient in candles. Mario Kobald, who co-founded the company in 2018, is taking this approach because he saw too many young companies trying to develop rockets similar to Elon Musk’s industry giant SpaceX, which uses liquid oxygen and kerosene to ..read more

So this was a great week, all things considered. Sometimes you feel like you phoned it in, but I guess things turned out all right, and that will have to do. It helps to have a great team around you, and I felt like this week was great for learning about that as well. I hope that you had a great week, that you have a wonderful weekend and that we'll see you on Monday.  ..read more

Via the New York Times, this science news:  ...Kevin Brown, an Australian businessman with a passion for Beethoven, owned three of the locks and wanted to honor Beethoven’s request in 1802 that when he died doctors might attempt to figure out why he had been so ill. Mr. Brown sent two locks to a specialized lab at the Mayo Clinic that has the equipment and expertise to test for heavy metals. The result, said Paul Jannetto, the lab director, was stunning. One of Beethoven’s locks had 258 micrograms of lead per gram of hair and the other had 380 micrograms. A normal level in hair is less t ..read more

Via C&EN Jobs, this positions in Providence, RI:   General Summary: The Formulation Chemist spearheads the development new products through innovative solutions, while also identifying emerging technologies pertinent to business objectives. Collaboratively build systems and support product/engineering teams and offering expertise in energy cure chemistries to build robust systems. Develop and commercialize new products; Provide scale-up support and technical guidance to production. As well as ongoing project assignments, formal project reports writing, and research & develop ..read more

The 2024 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 555 research/teaching positions and 86 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 16, 2023, the 2023 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 626 research/teaching positions and 82 teaching-focused positions. Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's the first open thread. Here's a link to the second, open thread.&n ..read more