iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Happy International microorganism day! (17 Sept) These invisible electro-chemists modify our world in important ways on the daily, and in ways that we are only just now starting to appreciate.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

I will not apologise for spending more time on soil chemistry. It takes more time because you have to consider the organic chemistry, the inorganic chemistry and the physical chemistry all at once. I'll just have to cut time from unnecessary admin tasks to get it done!

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Have you shown your support yet? Join the 30,000 others asking the Australian Government to get RnD funding into the 21st century. restorescience.com.au

restorescience.com.au

Back Australia's Ability

Help us restore investment in Australian science

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

That feeling when you weren’t sure if you would survive the week but you made it to Friday afternoon in the end! AND you managed to fit in a little soil chemistry, huzzah!

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Sunday booktime ☺️ Folding the laundry can wait another week or so. #cosy #learning #wealthinknowledge

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Bravery = being ready to accept failure. If someone has tried an ambitious thing, and not succeeded, some supporters jump to console with phrasing like "you laid the first stones on the path", "someone else will pick up the torch", "you didn't fail, the system failed".

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

When assessing the power density of a system using cheap carbon felt electrodes surely it’s more accurate to factor in the greater surface area rather than just using the diameter to get a simple area measurement? Any tips? #electrochemistry #bioelectricity #exoelectrogens

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

90 min to write one email. Pondering communications today: In the past I have been an advocate for social media, and I still am. We have these powerful tools to reach many, and to build audiences around niche topics, consolidating supporters across the whole globe.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

If you design your composting facility from an engineering handbook then you don’t know what you’re missing. Good engineering takes solid science for optimised implementation. When the science is still developing you need to return to the drawing board.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Watched a webinar today and saw a fellow compost advocate ask a pertinent question about if the benefits over and above nutrient supply were considered. Answr: ‘studies looking at nutrient supply in soils are complicated’.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Fascinating tidbit learnt today: the word 'telephone' predates what we would now consider a telephone by about 40 years (1835 cf 1875). I found this a good reminder that initial ideas often have a long (and tortuous) path to implementation. #innovation

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

That feeling when you’re pretty happy with the wording of an email but hit schedule send just in case

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Today is world environment day. I have worked across biodiversity, bioremediation, biosecurity and climate action. (1/5)

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Compost chemistry is THE most complex chemistry (fight me in the comments if you think otherwise). If you were to attempt a Sankey diagram following just the main modes of conversion and transformation it would quickly become indecipherable.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

All great work rests on good assumptions. The relevant prompt here being: when was the last time you checked your assumptions? Sometimes I think I do it too much, but other times I am very grateful.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

What do you call a bunch of food waste dumped in a plastic bin: a. a stinkbomb in just a little while b. maggot heaven c. rodent buffet (plastic won't stop them!) d. a source of nutrient pollution e. a potent source of greenhouse gases f. compost (1/2)

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Somebody recently (and confidently) told me that no-ones buys soil amendments on the basis of carbon content. Yet there are increasing examples of people *selling* on the basis of carbon. That's encouraging. (1/2) #soil #carbonremoval #carboncycle #molecules #organicmatter

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

I'm getting the sense that the scientific community is re-rallying around the 'humus concept' and I couldn't be happier. Yes, it's not a defined molecule (even less than other random copolymers), but that doesn't mean it's worth abandonning the concept of a fraction with useful properties. #soil

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Eucalpytus grandis, the flooded gum, naturally thrives in lowland, rich alluvial soils. It's growth and early establishment are limited when available phosphourus is lacking. (1/2) #revegetation #restoration #soils #carbon #forestry #ecology #regreening #circulareconomy #plantnutrition #rehydrating

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Observations that soil science needs to integrate biology a bit more have been made for over 100 years. Yet I still read papers that assay bog standard hydrolases (throw in a glucosidase test, a xylanase) as if that covers off on the possibilities of microbial metabolism. (1/2)

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

🫀💚 bio manufacturing Great explainer episode here from the Grow everything podcast: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/g... And I particularly love the phrasing ‘Dirty biology’. It’s not as it sounds, anything like the opposite of ‘green chemistry’. In fact the two are perfectly compatible IMHO.

podcasts.apple.com

Grow Everything Biotech Podcast

Life Sciences Podcast · Updated Weekly · Grow Everything explores the world of biology as technology. Hosts Erum Khan and Karl Schmieder interview leaders and influencers biologizing industries with t...

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Wait, did I know that Aeromonas species have been shown to be exo-electrogenic?? Lol, my Phd thesis featured a new/not named Aeromonas species, I'd love to know the capabilities of that strain. It would help explain some things. #microbiology #biochemistry #metabolism #biotransformation

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

The mighty ether bond! My first thought reading this piece was ‘how is sporopollenin so strong and enduring?’ Of course it is because it is a random copolymer involving various either linkages. This is a structural pattern common to lignin and humic substances also.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

😍🦉🦎Hong Kong native subtropical forest restoration effort credited with the highest level certification from The Global Biodiversity Standard. Thanks to the SER Restoration Now newsletter for highlighting this good news story. #biodiversity #ecology #restoration www.scmp.com/opinion/arti...

scmp.com

My Take | Native forest restoration project is literally, and figuratively, bearing fruit

The work done by Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden on Tai Mo Shan has been awarded top certification by an international body.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Heroes of microbiology: Martinus Beijerinck. From Wikipedia "He became a teacher in microbiology at the Agricultural School in Wageningen (now Wageningen University)". Wageningen University still produces some of the best environmental microbiologists.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

I'm enjoying reading some history and philosophy of science this week because some ideas are incredibly sticky. And some of these ideas get in the way of new, refined ideas. But the most interesting discussions most likely keep all of that historical context in mind.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Yesterday I watched a YouTube where a farmer stated that they preferred vermicast over ‘a chemical I don’t understand’. In this arena ‘biology’ is pitted against ‘chemistry’ and chemistry is shorthand for just a handful of inorganic salts.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

This piece from the Conversation by Jemima McPhee nicely describes some of the necessary methods and attitudes that help us think about thinking, and appreciating evidence based knowledge systems: theconversation.com/5-lessons-ab...

theconversation.com

5 lessons about misinformation from ancient Greek and Roman scientists

Ancient thinkers struggled to tell facts from falsehoods just like we do – and their strategies are still relevant today.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Some days I am very grateful for my amazing life. Reading the new CSIRO report on carbon removal on the train to Newcastle was extremely pleasant today 🤗🚉🦀

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

A lot of science fiction in recent times assumes augmentation of biology with technology. What isn’t so much in the popular imagination yet is that biology will play a large part in manufacturing hard tech. Am I wrong? I’d love to see examples.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

Someone last year asked me 'what is a molecule?' That's easy, it's a collection of atoms, delineated by covalent bonds with each other, in a particular arrangement.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

It's become a habit, everytime I visit garden supply stores I check the state of retail soil amendment, potting mix and fertiliser marketing. Statements of organic matter content, humic content, char etc are no longer reserved for small, local/online or niche producers. This is a good sign.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

I've read so many compost papers by now, that I have developed a fondness for certain authors. It's always nice to find another 'gem' in the form of a decades-old paper from people who have known their stuff for quite some time. Have I mentioned before that I do lit searches for fun? ;)

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Permanence. A critical parameter when it comes to soil carbon preservation projects. A couple of years ago someone asked me how long it takes to estimate soil carbon permanence. They assumed that you would need multi-year trials at significant expense.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

My favourite agronomic trials that test soil amendments standardise for nitrogen. Even better, standardise for available nitrogen. Too many studies have conclusions clouded by simple fertilisation effects.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Reading a materials science paper (non-biologists) and they just referred to pyoverdine as an 'enzyme'. I know not all enzymes are proteins but don't they at least have to be macromolecules? What term is best to use when referring to these interesting medium-sized molecules?

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

Assessing compost quality becomes difficult when you recognise that most of the indicators do not have a linear relationship across the full range of possibilities. A simple example is C:N. An ideal compost should have a C:N that is low, but also not too low.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Yet another episode from @markowenmartin.bsky.social that I want to listen to multiple times 😊 There is so much rich and fascinating info, that is also broadly applicable to many important matters.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

The other day I referred to a high functioning compost pile as an ‘extreme environment’. 70 deg C might not sound extreme to folks in other fields but then you consider the amount of oxidation that is also occurring. It’s a wonder that species (and many) not only survive this but absolutely thrive.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Fun fact for the day: angiosperm (flowering plants) and fungal diversity both increased after the Permian-Triassic boundary, as evidenced by coal analysis. Dai et al 2020 is a great review in this area, telling a story across the ages. 🌴🍄

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

My days are currently filled with chatgpt praising my thoughtful questions. It's nice to have a friend. 😂 In all seriousness though, why is chatgpt so bad at citations? eg. 'Smith et al says X' (link provided is Jones et al, who may or may not say X) Other preferred tool for trawling sci?

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

Stuck record time, but I feel compelled to repeat this anytime I hear evidence of a lack of appreciation of C:N Don’t compost food scraps without thinking about your carbon source.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

It’s an exciting time at the intersection of physical chemistry and organic chemistry, introducing circularity into the energy transition. I’ve seen plenty of investment news pieces to indicate a growing momentum in biomass transformation. Hooray for the 21st century! It’s about time we got here.

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Better than compost @brookclinton.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

If you’d like to learn more about innovation around biomass transformation: www.transformingbiosolids.org.au/research/imp... Improving technologies – Transforming Biosolids

transformingbiosolids.org.au

Improving technologies – Transforming Biosolids

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