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Bri Barbu

@bribarbu.bsky.social

1.3K followers 1.2K following 220 posts

science reporter @ Chemical & Engineering News | please talk to me about carbon-based molecules | she/her | views mine | @bribarbu.95 on signal

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 10d

Thanks @craigofwaffles.bsky.social for having me on the pod to talk about molecule earrings, pyridine abuse, and the benefits of having people out there who are really, really obsessed with specific elements!

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · 11d

In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host @craigofwaffles.bsky.social speaks with @bribarbu.bsky.social about her article diving into the new and exciting frontier of the skeletal editing of molecules. cen.acs.org/biological-c... #chemsky 🧪

Uncovered: Skeletal editing and the future of cut-and-paste chemistry

Will skeletal editing revolutionize the way we see chemical interactions?

cen.acs.org

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 1d

Objectively it is one of the funniest things to have ever happened in any C&EN staff zoom I've witnessed!

Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 1d

Today, we are all material girls

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 1d

It's the holey grail of chemistry awards! The moment many chemists (including a good chunk of @cenmag.bsky.social staff) have been waiting for!

MOFs finally got a Nobel Prize!

Read more in this story by my amazing colleague Prachi Patel:
cen.acs.org/people/nobel...

The 2025 chemistry Nobel goes to MOFs

Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi win the prize for developing metal–organic frameworks

cen.acs.org

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Reposted by Bri Barbu

Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 2d

Have we written about MOFs before? Um, quite a bit:

cen.acs.org/topics/mater...

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · 2d

The 2025 #NobelPrize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi “for the development of metal–organic frameworks.” Stay tuned for the full story to come! cen.acs.org/people/nobel...

#ChemNobel #Chem #Chemistry #chemsky 🧪

The 2025 chemistry Nobel goes to MOFs

Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi win the prize for developing metal–organic frameworks

cen.acs.org

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 3d

Nobel week is basically the super bowl for science journalists, and @sarahbraner.bsky.social (with @laurahowes.bsky.social & @maxhenrybarnhart.bsky.social) gave us a strong opening play with their coverage of the med+physio prize!
(did i get the sports metaphor right?)

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · 3d

Immunity researchers win the 2025 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine

Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi receive the prize for understanding how the immune system is kept in check. Read more: cen.acs.org/people/nobel...

#chemsky #immunosky 🧪

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 6d

Among the contributors' answers are prizes awarded for:
⚗️cross-coupling reactions
🥪sandwich complexes
⭕ozone chemistry
🪴raising awareness of climate change
which Nobel do you think is the greenest?

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · 6d

What’s the greenest Nobel Prize? Our columnists reflect on how the Nobel prizes—and not just those for science—have recognized green chemistry insights. cen.acs.org/environment/... #chemsky 🧪 #greenchemistry

What’s the greenest Nobel Prize?

Our columnists reflect on how the Nobel prizes—and not just those for science—have recognized green chemistry insights

cen.acs.org

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Reposted by Bri Barbu

Burrito Justice @burritojustice.bsky.social · 9d

quick while the government is shut down let’s all switch to metric

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 6d

Okay, but now I'm curious...#chemsky what's on your science-themed playlists?

Overheard at C&EN @censays.bsky.social · 6d

Have you guys heard of a band called My Chemical Romance?

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 6d

I've never felt prouder of the group of former sad teens that I work with than this moment

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 8d

I was part of the 2021 cohort! Although it as totally a remote experience at the time, I learned so much and made some really great friends in the program!

If you have any inkling that you'd like to try science writing, definitely apply to this!!!

AAAS Mass Media Fellowship @aaasmassmedia.bsky.social · 8d

Are you ready to try something new and work in #SciComm?

Apply now to be a part of the next cohort of @AAAS #MassMediaFellows! Spend the summer using your STEMM background as a journalist writing the news and join an alumni group of almost 900.

🔗 bit.ly/3KugH6D

Graphic promoting the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship application on October 1 and deadline on January 1.

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 10d

Hey #chemsky peeps! Are you or someone you know a grad student that has been affected by changes to the #grfp application rules? @cenmag.bsky.social wants to hear from you! My DMs are open :)

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Reposted by Bri Barbu

Overheard at C&EN @censays.bsky.social · 10d

And then I got excited about complex organic molecules

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 10d

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · 11d

Uncovered: Skeletal editing and the future of cut-and-paste chemistry

Will skeletal editing revolutionize the way we see chemical interactions?

cen.acs.org

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Reposted by Bri Barbu

Demyan 🇺🇦 Prokopchuk ⌬ @dpro.bsky.social · 14d

Thanks so much to @bribarbu.bsky.social and @cenmag.bsky.social for highlighting our recent work! 😊

@tkschramm.bsky.social @unibonn.bsky.social

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · 14d

Chemists finally know why palladium beats nickel at C–H activation

New study examines the precious metal’s ability to acidify bonds in alkanes. cen.acs.org/synthesis/c-... #chemsky 🧪

Chemists finally know why palladium beats nickel at C–H activation

New study examines the precious metal’s ability to acidify bonds in alkanes

cen.acs.org

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 17d

Ever since I read Tim Cernak's "Medicinal Chemistry Gone Wild" Perspective, I knew I wanted to profile him for a @cenmag.bsky.social story! Many months later, here is that story:
cen.acs.org/synthesis/me...

This chemist aims to change the game for species conservation

Tim Cernak is using modern drug development tools to make medicines for endangered plants and animals

cen.acs.org

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 20d

And the Ig Nobel in Physics goes to this delicious work (which I wrote about back in February) unlocking the secret to making clump-free cacio e pepe!
cen.acs.org/food/food-sc...

Reposted by Bri Barbu

Laura Howes @laurahowes.bsky.social · 22d

Probably worth me directing people to Max's story from back in May, again.
🧪

cen.acs.org/biological-c...

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Reposted by Bri Barbu

Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 23d

I ended up writing a short explainer about TPO and why people shouldn't be freaking out about it:
cen.acs.org/safety/consu...

The EU banned a common ingredient in gel nail polish. But don’t panic

TPO, which helps gels harden, may harm reproduction, but exposure levels are minimal, and alternatives are available

cen.acs.org

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 23d

I ended up writing a short explainer about TPO and why people shouldn't be freaking out about it:
cen.acs.org/safety/consu...

The EU banned a common ingredient in gel nail polish. But don’t panic

TPO, which helps gels harden, may harm reproduction, but exposure levels are minimal, and alternatives are available

cen.acs.org

1 2

Reposted by Bri Barbu

Krystal Vasquez @kvasquez.bsky.social · 24d

It so was hard to imagine having successful career in science as a disabled PhD student that eventually I just left.

Who could have guessed that years later I would help create a magazine issue dedicated to highlighting Trailblazing disabled chemists!

cen.acs.org/people/profi...

#DisabledInSTEM

Trailblazers: Chemists with disabilities rethink how we do science

C&EN’s 2025 Trailblazers issue, curated by guest editor Mona Minkara, looks at how chemists can solve problems in new ways

cen.acs.org

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 28d

The EU recently banned TPO, often used in gel nail polish as a photoinitiator to kick off the curing process, because of reproductive toxicity.

Read more about the chemistry of gel polish and its main safety concerns (hint: not TPO) in my story from 2 years ago:

cen.acs.org/business/con...

What is gel nail polish, and how does it create durable manicures?

Light-triggered chemistry opens up a range of nail options

cen.acs.org

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · 29d

"Even without outright misconduct, structural incentives in academia often reward behavior that undermines students. Faculty careers advance on the basis of publications, grant funding, and prestige...even well-intentioned advisers can fall into this trap" ~Emily Mane

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News) @cenmag.bsky.social · 29d

The scientific community must value mentorship, enforce accountability, and make graduate students’ well-being central. cen.acs.org/education/Op... #chemsky 🧪

Opinion: Exploitation persists in academic science—here’s what we can do

The scientific community must value mentorship, enforce accountability, and make graduate students’ well-being central

cen.acs.org

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Bri Barbu @bribarbu.bsky.social · Aug 20

Sorry to report that the folks doing the redesign forgot to consult the feline members of our audience!

Reposted by Bri Barbu

Organic Division of the ACS @organicdivision.org · Aug 18

Behind every bond is a brilliant mind. Organic chemists make the molecules, but they also make the difference. Share your journey, research, its importance to society and your thoughts on how we can expand the reach of organic chemistry. Help us #AmplifyOrganic

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Reposted by Bri Barbu

Fer @gomobel.bsky.social · Aug 17

So great to catch up with my dear @cenmag.bsky.social friends, and meeting some for the first time 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 @bribarbu.bsky.social @laurahowes.bsky.social @ginacvitale.bsky.social @cdellamore.bsky.social #ACSFall2025

Fernando, Laura and Bri smiling in a selfie and wearing conference badges

Fernando, Gina and Bri posing and smiling in front of a panel with logos

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