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Gav Armstrong

@nchemgav.bsky.social
2.4K followers 713 following 92 posts

Chief Ed @naturechemistry.bsky.social (handling physical stuff) #science #chemistry #publishing - Live #Calderdale, work London. No time for hobbies until my kids grow up ….

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Reposted by Gav Armstrong
Derek Lowe @dereklowe.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The craziest compound-impurity story I’ve ever heard:
science.org
Now That's An Impurity Story
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David K Smith @professor-dave.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
One of the most interesting biographies I discovered during my #DecolonisingChemistry project for the @chemistryatyork.bsky.social curriculum was that of Alice Ball a black chemist, whose leprosy treatment, using carbonyl chemistry to build on traditional medicine, was stolen by a male colleague.
Portrait of Alice Ball including images of the Chaulmoogra plant and its conversion into a leprosy treatment.
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Peter Seavill @peterseavill.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
There are still a few days left to apply for this role within the @natureportfolio.nature.com If you're interested in sustainable chemistry, go ahead and apply. Deadline: 30th September
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Nature @nature.com · 23/09/2026
This weird form of boron is a million times more conductive than chemists expected go.nature.com/4dSNi1E
go.nature.com
This weird form of boron is a million times more conductive than chemists expected
A boron phase prepared under pressure can be stretched.
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Virtual ChemBioTalks @chembiotalks.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Are you excited about cutting-edge Chemical Biology? Next week on September 29th, the 6th Virtual ChemBioTalks will happen with an exciting program of world-leading scientists! You can still register for free: events.zoom.us/ev/Ag... (1/4)
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Delius Lab @mvdelius.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Ever since my PhD, I was dreaming of creating 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀🚶 in the same way as Nature's motor proteins. In @natchem.nature.com, we report an autonomous molecular walker that works in this way. Fuel in, two-legged non-equilibrium motion out. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #Chemsky
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Peter Seavill @peterseavill.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
An exciting opportunity to work on a new project at @natureportfolio.nature.com 🎉 Help shape our sustainable materials chemistry content and be part of the @natureportfolio.nature.com 🌍Locations: China or India ⏱️Deadline: 30th September springernature.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/SpringerNatu...
springernature.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
Associate or Senior Editor (Sustainable materials chemistry)
Title: Associate or Senior Editor, Nature Portfolio (Sustainable Materials Chemistry) Locations: Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, New Delhi or Pune (Hybrid) Application Deadline: September 30, 2026 About S...
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Gav Armstrong @nchemgav.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
This is brilliant. I love "behind the paper" stories - especially for papers that I've handled - they connect you to the human side of the science in a way that a Research Article simply can't.
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Nature Chemistry @natchem.nature.com · 12/06/2026
Charge transport through linear carbon atomic chains #chemsky
dlvr.it
Charge transport through linear carbon atomic chains
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 12 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02175-wExtreme reactivity has long hindered the study of linear atomic carbon chains (carbyne). Now it has been shown that transmetallation of suitable precursors overcomes stability issues, delivering 1D Au|Cn|Au junctions that sustain high currents through a cumulene ⋯C=C=C=C⋯ valence structure with 12 or more carbon atoms and enabling their potential for 1D electronics.
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Gav Armstrong @nchemgav.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
‘Footballers are not superheroes’ - Great Q+A in Nature The number of times I've heard football fans say ~ "he gets paid a fortune and he's whinging about X" - as if money makes all problems go away... www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
‘Footballers are not superheroes’: we must tackle the mental and physical pressures of elite sport
As the men’s football World Cup gets under way, how the game weighs on the health of athletes still isn’t talked about enough, says player-turned-medic Vincent Gouttebarge.
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RSC MASC @rsc-masc.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Our next vMASC online seminar will be from: • Akta Ramkishor Singh (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad) • Anette Taylor (University of Southampton) Date 📆 & time 🕰️: Thursday 28th May 2026 at 09:30 (UK time) Register (for free) at mascgroup.co.uk/vmasc-4 to attend! #RSC_MASC #vMASC
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David Abergel @davidabergel.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
I'm really happy that we have published this in @natphys.nature.com -- our second physics education research paper. It compares the pros and cons of four different active learning methods, and finds that SCALE-UP is, on balance, the most effective. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #physics
nature.com
Relative benefits of different active learning methods to conceptual physics learning - Nature Physics
It is known that active learning is more effective than lecturing at improving learning of physics. Now it is shown that some widely used active learning approaches are more effective than others.
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Gav Armstrong @nchemgav.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
The title of this In Your Element article made me involuntarily sing Zombie by the Cranberries Niacin in your bread, NAD in your lab www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Niacin in your bread, NAD in your lab - Nature Chemistry
Wylan Wong and Craig P. Johnston explore the enduring legacy of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and its analogues, from their early biochemical discovery to their resurgence in anti-ageing research ...
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Flora Graham @floragraham.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Nature Magazine is hiring! This is a rare and wonderful chance to join our US news team as a physical sciences reporter. US$85,000 - $100,000. Based in Washington, DC or New York City (you must have the right to work in the US, sorry). springernature.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/SpringerNatu...
springernature.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
Reporter, Nature News
Job Title: Reporter, Nature Location: Washington DC or New York (Hybrid Working Model) Application Deadline: March 27, 2026 About Springer Nature Springer Nature is one of the leading publishers of re...
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Gav Armstrong @nchemgav.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
This stock image from alamy is a bit harsh
Image of a man (from the Royle family TV show) sat on a chair with a TV remote with the words "Typical UK person: 15 tonnes"
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Gav Armstrong @nchemgav.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Come work with us at Nature Chemistry! We're hiring a locum editor to handle our chembio content in London or Pune.
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Gav Armstrong @nchemgav.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Come work with us at Nature Chemistry! We're hiring a locum editor to handle our chembio content in London or Pune.
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David Abergel @davidabergel.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
I wrote a research highlight on a paper in @physreve.bsky.social that uses statistical physics to analyse football matches. ⚛️ www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Preferential play - Nature Physics
Nature Physics - Preferential play
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Michelle Francl @michellefrancl.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Working on a piece about reading scientific journal articles in languages other than English. I got my PhD (chem) in 1983, no language requirement; my youngest got his (math) in 2024 and had a language requirement. Wondering what #chemsky's experiences have been. Did you have a language req?
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Anne Pichon @annenotintokyo.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
All I want for Christmas is books! I asked 10 researchers about a book that galvanized them; they cooked up a poignant, serious yet joyful and ultimately uplifting collection. "I have never read a book like this before — deeply personal, yet relevant to everyone." www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
In praise of inefficiency, failure and friendship: ten galvanizing reads for this festive season
In a world that can seem lacking in optimism, researchers share their opinions on books that stimulate thoughts — and actions — for a better future.
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Jeremy Baskin @jeremybaskin.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
We just took a deep dive into this tour-de-force chemoproteomics paper from @stephanhacker2.bsky.social and colleagues in our journal club today — really interesting findings about selectivity and coverage of 56 different electrophilic warheads, and great experimental and analysis workflows. Bravo!
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Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 08/10/2025
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi “for the development of metal–organic frameworks.” This Collection recognises the achievements of the Laureates. #chemsky 🧪
go.nature.com
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi “for the development of metal–organic frameworks.”
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Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 09/10/2025
Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE
nyti.ms
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Gav Armstrong @nchemgav.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
If you've not got The Police/Sting in your head at the moment then you've clearly never seen this cover before.
Cover of the journal Nature Chemistry with the cover line "Every MOF you make"
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Nature @nature.com · 08/10/2025
BREAKING: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi “for the development of metal-organic frameworks” Stay tuned for more. #NobelPrize
A Nobel medal
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Michelle Francl @michellefrancl.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
Why should scientists write op-eds? It's tempting to say the facts ought to speak for themselves. But the facts are largely whispering among themselves in the scientific literature. They need us to give them a voice. How? Advice in my latest @natchem.nature.com Thesis rdcu.be/eJlGL #chemsky 1/3
rdcu.be
Opinionated science
Nature Chemistry - When the facts can’t speak for themselves, scientists can give them a voice, argues Michelle Francl.
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Susan Weatherby @susanfjw.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
#ChemSky had the best time at this year's chemistry conferences and wondering what to attend in 2026?! The full #FaradayDiscussion programme for 2026 is announced at www.rsc.org/our-events/a...
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Adam Weingarten @adamsweingarten.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Fire is wonderful and does so much for us. So congrats to Guo, Caruso, Pan and team for the work on the flame-synthesis of high-entropy nanomaterials! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Flame synthesis achieves compositionally tailorable high-entropy metal-containing nanomaterials - Nature Chemistry
High-entropy nanomaterials, which incorporate multiple homogeneously dispersed elements, are promising for energy conversion, but typically require complex, high-temperature synthesis. Now a scalable ...
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Chemistry World @chemistryworld.com · 22/08/2025
Water-splitting devices could provide oxygen for astronauts on long-term space missions but microgravity presents an issue. One team has found that off-the-shelf neodymium magnets are a simple addition that much improves these devices' efficiency.
chemistryworld.com
Magnets could be simple way to enhance oxygen generation on a mission to Mars
Strategy sets free gas that normally gets trapped on electrodes in microgravity during water splitting
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Julia Robinson @robinson-julia.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
University chemistry departments & course closures in the UK is leading to the emergence of ‘cold spots’ - areas where the subject cannot be studied within a reasonable travel time - says @rsc.org. Students from lower SE backgrounds could be affected the most: www.chemistryworld.com/news/chemist...
chemistryworld.com
Chemistry ‘cold spots’ emerging across the UK, RSC warns
Some regions face a future with fewer chemists
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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
My latest feature for @cenmag.bsky.social is about organic chemists' continuing quest for ultimate control over molecular structures! 🛠️⚗️🔄💊 That's right...it's... the rise of the atom-swappers! cen.acs.org/synthesis/Sk...
cen.acs.org
Skeletal editing: How close are we to true cut-and-paste chemistry?
Reactions that alter organic scaffolds by a single atom are already proving useful, but time will tell if they’ll fundamentally change how molecules are made
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Rita Strack @ritastrack.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
Come work at Nature Methods! A dream job. I know from experience 😄
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Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
It's Friday, and I haven't done a @cenmag.bsky.social thread for a while, so... First up, our editorial fellow Elizabeth Walsh had two stories published this week, and I love this one about disrupting pheromone biosynthesis to break up locus swarms. cen.acs.org/biological-c...
cen.acs.org
How to break up a locust party? Disrupt their pheromones
Researchers have mapped the chemical pathway for 4-vinylanisole that causes locusts to swarm and figured out how to inhibit it
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Gav Armstrong @nchemgav.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
This is so cool.
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Johannes Kreutzer @jkreutzer1.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
@natcomms.nature.com is hiring! Loking for an Editor with experience in Polymer Chemistry. 📍New York, Jersey City, China Offices, Milan or Madrid ⏱️ July 5th 2025 Send me a message if you want to have an informal chat about this position. springernature.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/SpringerNatu...
springernature.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
Associate or Senior Editor, Nature Communications (Polymer Chemistry)
Job Title: Associate or Senior Editor, Nature Communications (Polymer Chemistry) Locations: New York, Jersey City, Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Milan or Madrid - Hybrid working model  Closing date: Jul...
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Mark Levin @levinchem.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
Online today @natchem.nature.com - we show how to turn a deletion reaction into an insertion reaction: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Accessing sulfonamides via formal SO2 insertion into C–N bonds - Nature Chemistry
Despite recent advances in primary sulfonamide synthesis, approaches using primary amines as starting points for direct sulfonamide construction remain elusive. Now a formal SO2 insertion into the C–N...
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Magdalena Skipper @magdalenaskipper.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
From today, every paper submitted to Nature -if published - will be accompanied by peer reviewers comments & authors rebuttal. We started the trial in 2020; we now want to open up the review process & showcase its role in shaping & improving papers 🧪 #AcademicSky www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Transparent peer review to be extended to all of Nature’s research papers
From today, all new submissions to Nature that are published will be accompanied by referees’ reports and author responses — to illuminate the process of producing rigorous science.
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Richard M. Carpiano, PhD, MPH @rmcarpiano.medsky.social · 17/06/2025
Wondering what's the big fuss about US fed cuts to research grant indirect costs? Very informative details & interactive map here on the big impacts nationwide. America: Your tax dollars fund these science & economic benefits and return on investment. 🧪🛟📈 Sociology demography 😷 Medsky health policy
rdcu.be
NIH indirect cost cuts will affect the economy and employment
Nature Human Behaviour - NIH indirect cost cuts will affect the economy and employment
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Stu Cantrill @stuartcantrill.com · 16/06/2025
I have poked the @rsc.org on X/Twitter a bit over the years (sorry folks...), but huge kudos to them for leaving what has become even more of a toxic and hateful platform www.rsc.org/news-events/... 👏 #chemsky
rsc.org
Social media and connecting with our community
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
The #BethesdaDeclaration coalition expands. Let keep these numbers growing. Sign up and reach out to friends and family. @standupforscience.bsky.social
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SellaTheChemist @sellathechemist.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/06/2025
It is with great sadness that I am doing what I would once have thought unthinkable. Following Salim Abdool Karim's superb Faraday Lecture 10 days ago, i have decided to return my own Faraday prize, awarded in 2014. The silence of the Royal Society in the face of Elon Musk's rampage (a member […]
mastodon.social
Original post on mastodon.social
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
@sellathechemist.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy, a @ucl.ac.uk chemistry professor, has returned his 2014 Michael Faraday Prize to protest the @royalsociety.org's failure to take more decisive (or any) action against Elon Musk for his attack on science. 👏
ft.com
Royal Society prize winner returns award in protest over Elon Musk
[FREE TO READ] Andrea Sella is latest scientist to express dismay over UK science academy’s refusal to criticise tech billionaire
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FX Coudert @nanoporous.net · 06/06/2025
📢 chemists: annual ChemRxiv survey is now live, to better understand the community's use and perception of preprints, your thoughts and needs. americanchemical.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... Survey takes about ten minutes, and you can enter a drawing for one of three $100 gift cards
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie says survey said in front of a crowd
ALT: a man in a suit and tie says survey said in front of a crowd
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Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University @tamuchemistry.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
🧪✨🧫 Texas A&M Chemistry's Dr. James Batteas was recently featured in New Scientist for his insights into an emerging push to use dry powders instead of traditional liquids in the lab—a shift that’s showing real promise. 🔗 www.newscientist.com/article/2479...
Promotional graphic for Texas A&M University's Chemistry department featuring the logo and text "Chemistry" and an image of faculty member James Batteas. Background includes blurred images of scientific activities and equipment.
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Neil Withers @neilwithers.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
I'm very pleased to see this collection live – links to individual stories to follow below...
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Nature Methods @natmethods.nature.com · 09/05/2025
Exciting news...Nature Methods is hiring a new editor! This exciting and dynamic role will be shared with the Nature Research Cross-Journal Editorial Team. Apply here by June 1! springernature.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/SpringerNatu...
media.tenor.com
a yellow sign that says we 're hiring
ALT: a yellow sign that says we 're hiring
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Jacob Aron @jjaron.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Would you like to write for New Scientist? We always work with freelancers, but occasionally I put out a call like this for new writers. I'm looking for 300-700 word news stories about new discoveries. Don't pitch us press releases or the big journals, we have those covered. Pay starts at 51p/word
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Charlie Hind @hindcharlie.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
New study from the Women in Supramolecular Chemistry (WISC) revealing the unique challenges resulting from being First Gen (first generation of a family to access Higher Education) in science and showing how these persist at every stage of a career in academia: pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
pubs.rsc.org
Being a first generation university graduate, the impact on a career in science
Being in the first generation to access Higher Education (First Gen) is a barrier to academic success. First Gens face difficulties transitioning into, completing, and attaining competitive grades in ...
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Gav Armstrong @nchemgav.bsky.social · 03/05/2025
What a crazy/amazing story www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
'Unparalleled' snake antivenom made from man bitten 200 times
Scientists hope to make a universal antivenom from the extraordinary blood of a man exposed to snake venom for decades.
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