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Laura Howes

@laurahowes.bsky.social
7.6K followers 1.8K following 1.7K posts

Editor (she/her) @cenmag.bsky.social into biomolecules, drug discovery, and biotech. Also beer, skiing, and the joys of being an immigrant in Germany. All views expressed here are absolutely mine, especially when they're right. DM for Signal.

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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
My second 3. Oktober as a German. It's a weird old feeling, to be sure. But also, I've had two glasses of local Sekt and should probably have a lie down.
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Megha Satyanarayana @megha.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
PERSONAL NEWS: Wednesday was my last day at @sciam.bsky.social. I was laid off during another round of restructuring and my department shuttered. If you are looking for a skilled editor, project manager and people manager, I'm your hire. Thanks. #lookingforwork
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Lynn Nothegger @lynnnothegger.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
PSA Germany: Saturday is a public holiday. All the shops will be shut. That includes supermarkets. If you are visiting Germany this weekend, do your grocery shopping tomorrow! But be aware it’ll be utter chaos as everyone panic buys like in a pandemic cause the shops will shut for two days.
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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Do you want to be a science writer? Or just learn more about science writing? This is a fantastic *paid* opportunity to sharpen your skills. @theopennotebook.bsky.social @siricarpenter.bsky.social www.theopennotebook.com/early-career...
theopennotebook.com
Early-Career Fellowship Program - The Open Notebook
Every year, The Open Notebook offers a paid, part-time fellowship program for early-career science journalists. This ten-month program offers fellows the opportunity to explore their career interests and passions and to sharpen their skills as part of a talented, supportive, diverse community of past and present fellows and mentors. This fellowship is made possible through the generous support of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It's quite hard for Americans to understand that our instinct with anything other than genuinely tragic stories is to take the piss.
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Matt Hartings @matthartings.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I gotta say that I’m surprised (delightfully) to see Pat so high on this list. Not sure who is running the Pat Holland for Nobel committee … but great work, team!
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Martin Jönsson-Niedziółka @jonsson-niedziolka.pl · 29/09/2026
Since I’m just a pseudo-chemist, I don’t know most of these people. However, it would be really cool if Krzysztof Matyjaszewski would win, since our Institute has an ongoing collaboration with him and he’s a regular visitor. #NobelPrize
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
New Denglish just dropped: Somehow got confused when signing off on an answerphone message just now and started saying "Bye" before switching to "Tchau" and thus... Byau. At least the Lawyer's office will hopefully get a chuckle.
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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.eu · 28/09/2026
Wow. Check out the European numbers on favourable views of the US versus favourable views of China….
Screenshot showing poll of how 36 countries see the US and China. Large majority has a more favourable view of China than the US including most European contries
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Marcel Swart @marcelswart.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Harry FTW
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Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Some real "chemists' chemists" in here. Interesting to see sugar chemistry getting much love. I confess to being a bit frightened of glyco-related things in biology, as they are scarily complicated. But so important!
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Fabienne Dumoulin @fabdumoulin.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I vote for Jonathan Lindsey, given everything he did in porphyrin and bacteriochlorin chemistry
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Scott Bagley @bagphos.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I do expect DMac to get a 2nd for photochem/SET but it’ll be a while 8-10y
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I think #chemsky has discussed before how NO-ONE should be feeding unpublished or proprietary data into public models. It really feels like that is worth reiterating.
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Michael Lobel @mlobelart.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I've talked to a few journal editors who are concerned about similar problems re: anonymous reviewers. If a peer reviewer wants a little help & feeds your unpublished submission into an AI system, they've just shared your proprietary work & broken confidentiality. A nightmare to think about
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Bethany Halford @bethanyhalford.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This skeletal editing reaction from @levinchem.bsky.social looks simple on its surface, but the overall transformation is incredibly complex. My latest for @cenmag.bsky.social cen.acs.org/synthesis/sk...
cen.acs.org
Skeletal-editing ‘dream’ realized
Second-generation C-to-N swap turns the first generation’s failure into a feature
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I don't know if the Union has an understanding of how to rebuild, but I'm pretty sure this doubling down is not the way
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I get a sneak peek at the votes coming in, but I have to say I was not expecting the non-zero number of people currently voting for David MacMillan to get a 2nd #ChemNobel.
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Twlldun @twlldun.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Man shows ignorance of entire of human history - very particularly ignorance of entire female human history - film at 11.
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Martin Robbins @mjrobbins.com · 20/09/2026
Obviously going to regret this when Claude starts a nuclear war on Monday.
martinrobbins.substack.com
The AI Apocalypse is Extremely Boring Now
Elites are obsessed with the end of the world. Most people have bigger problems.
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Today's German phrase that I just learned: Nieten in Nadelstreifen
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I feel like someone needs to stage an intervention, not commission a column. This is not healthy behavior.
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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Why are Gen Z more anxious and less workplace ready? It’s a mystery.
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I hate to say it, but Nobel season is nearly upon us once again. On October 1 I will be hosting a joint @cenmag.bsky.social/@acs.org webinar to discuss who might be in the running this year, and in the future. Do join us for what is always a fun hour of discussion www.acs.org/acs-webinars...
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Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
There is a fascinating group of papers in the latest issue of Cell on the roles of AI in biology. This is a good one to start with. www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
cell.com
Fifteen challenges for generative AI applications to cell biology
Drawing inspiration from Hilbert’s list of 23 mathematical problems that have focused the mathematical community’s attention for more than a century, we propose fifteen grand AI challenges to focus th...
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Rachel Courtland @rachelcourtland.com · 17/09/2026
Journalism job opening at @technologyreview.com for a US-based beat reporter www.technologyreview.com/job/reporter-3
technologyreview.com
Reporter
Position Overview:  MIT Technology Review is looking for an ambitious beat reporter to join our award-winning team. We’re particularly interested in bolstering our AI and security coverage right now, ...
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Kevin A. Scott, PhD @sculpturatus.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
found at ucsf
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
All a bit depressing on here today, so I'll just share that earlier today i was reminded of making skittles vodka as a student. Simpler times...
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I've been posting on LI for a while about this... . There is so much wrong here, and I feel awfully for Caroline. But I can tell you with certainty that she isn't the only freelancer being impersonated in this way.
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
But as a dual German/Brit, I gotta point out he has outlasted pretty much all fresh produce points of comparison
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
They have been used safely in Germany for years. Which begs the question of whether these concerns actually well founded.
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Stanley Pignal @spignal.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
People think crude oil is a wild market, but let me tell you about potatoes, man. in Europe we've gone from them being given away for free last year to an impending shortage because of the heat. www.ft.com/content/8eda...
ft.com
Heatwave triggers potato shortage in Europe
Extreme weather wiped out about 3.1mn tonnes of spuds, worth up to €620mn
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Dave Richeson @divbyzero.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Here's a thoughtful blog post about math and AI by Matt Baker. mattbaker.blog/2026/09/10/s...
mattbaker.blog
Some late-night thoughts on AI and the future of research in mathematics
Every time I’ve organized my thoughts sufficiently to finally write a proper blog post about the impact of AI on mathematical research, something massive happens which causes me to delay. I w…
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Actually wrote some #biotech news this week for @cenmag.bsky.social With good Phase 1 results, a Seattle-based biotech has raised $115M to further their approach of using CAR-T to treat cancers in the brain cen.acs.org/business/sta...
cen.acs.org
BrainChild Bio raises over $100 million to treat kids’ cancers with CAR-Ts
Cash will be used for a Phase 2 trial of the company’s treatment for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Kanzler Merz, as ever demonstrating his political nous...
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Public service posting
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Chemistry World @chemistryworld.com · 07/09/2026
In the latest feature from Rachel Brazil, she explores the research into the Bayeux Tapestry, including the medieval natural dyes and synthetic dyes, which provides new clues about the famous details added or altered during its restoration. Read 👇 www.chemistryworld.com/features/the...
chemistryworld.com
The chemistry helping to unravel the Bayeux Tapestry’s secrets
As the Bayeux Tapestry comes to the British Museum, scientists reveal how chemistry and imaging technology are unlocking its hidden history
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Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
So the Far Right deftly uses the levers of the modern information ecosystem while feeding off the very alienation and discontent the surveillance capitalism is producing. Meanwhile the democratic parties’ only version of “Nie Wieder” seems to be “Weiter so”…
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I have so many thoughts about the Reform sting, and I am very much enjoying reading ALL the takes. But I am also weak and easily distracted, and I really could have done with a quiet work day to help me get some stuff written and edited.
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Bethany Halford @bethanyhalford.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Cockroach milk, splash-free urinals, and buried underpants are all celebrated at this year's #IgNobelPrize ceremony. My latest on this annual celebration of silly science for @cenmag.bsky.social. cen.acs.org/education/sc...
cen.acs.org
2026 Ig Nobel Prizes
Awards are given ‘for achievements that first make people LAUGH, and then make them THINK’
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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Well, this is a marmalade dropper
channel4news.substack.com
Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation.
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
What makes dimethylmercury so hazardous?  Is there a test or treatment for dimethylmercury exposure? How do health and safety professionals respond to dimethylmercury contamination?  Today we updated this story to try and answer these Qs
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Rowan Walrath @rowanwalrath.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
What are the most important ingredients for chemical innovation? For @cenmag.bsky.social, my colleague Shea Murphy and I sought to find out. 🧵
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Greg Jenner (Historian) @gregjenner.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
I’m British, so every single one of these pronunciations looks slightly wrong to me… but I approve of the content of the post!
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Oz Katerji @ozkaterji.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Journo request, is there anybody here that knows anyone affiliated with the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq? I would like to get in touch regarding a story I'm working on but all the official channels have gone cold for what should be obvious reasons.
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Also, hi, I'm back from a week of art, pastis, and dancing in the rain. Did I miss much?
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Honestly, I am a protein girl at heart, but I swear gene regulation tickles my mind in that really fun way that a good puzzle can. And boy is it a complex puzzle.
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Bethany Halford @bethanyhalford.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Curious about the clinical candidates presented in #FirstTimeDisclosures at #ACSFall2026? You can now read my write up for @cenmag.bsky.social. It's mostly molecular structures with bullet points, but there are some notes on things I learned during the talks. #chemsky cen.acs.org/pharmaceutic...
cen.acs.org
13 clinical candidates revealed in Chicago
First-time disclosures session at ACS Fall 2026 debuted compounds designed to treat cancer, acne, urinary tract infections, and more
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Madness, I'm trying to WhatsApp my dad a picture I just snapped from outside Marseille station and my phone is blocking it?
A WhatsApp screenshot showing images as Blocked By Autoblocker
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Naomi Alderman @naomialderman.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I begged Woman’s Hour to cover Gamergate in 2014, when it was the NYT front page & UK women in games were living in terror. Gamergate became the model for MAGA. They said they didn’t think it was an important story. That week they covered women mountaineers of the 19th C & new ways with aubergine
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