Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · 29d

Past and present collide as @rjmayer.bsky.social and @yannickgeiger.bsky.social, now both leading groups of their own, meet @noeminogal.bsky.social at @esor2025.bsky.social in beautiful Padova.

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · 29d

A great start to @esor2025.bsky.social in beauitiful Padova today. An introduction by our conference chair @leonardprins.bsky.social

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · Sep 4

Yes, unfortunately not for me either, as much as I'd like it to be. Chem Twitter/X 2017-2023 was wild. Almost no engagement now on either platform.

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · Aug 27

@uottawa.ca is hiring a Full Professor and Tier 1 CRC in Sustainable Catalyst Design. Ability to teach inorganic and organometallic chemistry especially welcome. Comes with dedicated funding, teaching reduction, and substantial startup funds. Ottawa is a great place to live!

tinyurl.com/bdcm5hw6

Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Catalyst Design - Ottawa, Ontario (CA) job with University of Ottawa, Ontario CANADA | 12844053

The University of Ottawa invites applications for a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Sustainable Catalyst Design. The successful candidate wil...

tinyurl.com

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · Aug 4

www.quantamagazine.org/at-17-hannah...

At 17, Hannah Cairo Solved a Major Math Mystery | Quanta Magazine

After finding the homeschooling life confining, the teen petitioned her way into a graduate class at Berkeley, where she ended up disproving a 40-year-old conjecture.

www.quantamagazine.org

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · Jun 19

This was a great kick-off and I wish the team much luck moving forward!

Groupe thématique chimie des origines @gt-chimie-origines.bsky.social · Jun 11

Il ne reste plus que 2 jours pour s'inscrire à notre journée inaugurale! La date limite est fixée au 13 juin.

sites.google.com/view/gt-chim...

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Reposted by Joseph Moran

Groupe thématique chimie des origines @gt-chimie-origines.bsky.social · Jun 19

Et pour terminer la journée, Joseph Moran nous parle de l'origine du métabolisme.

@gregoiredanger.bsky.social @pauline-poinot.bsky.social @ytrolez.bsky.social

@moranlabchem.bsky.social

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Reposted by Joseph Moran

John Hayward 🏳️‍🌈 @johnjhayward.bsky.social · Jun 16

In the Interdisciplinarity in Organic Chemistry symposium at #CSC2025.
Started out with @moranlabchem.bsky.social telling us about the metabolic origins of life, and now hearing from Eda Kilic from @theprattgroup.bsky.social about organelle targeting dyes.

Organic chemistry is so cool 🥰

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Reposted by Joseph Moran

Scott McIndoe @mcindoe.bsky.social · Jun 15

What better to do on the morning of #CSC2025 than explore some Ottawa trails with @leitchlab.bsky.social, @nelsonyslam.bsky.social and @hoflab.bsky.social ?

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Reposted by Joseph Moran

Knowable Magazine @knowablemag.bsky.social · May 11

At the dawn of life, did metabolism come first? Some scientists propose that in the beginning, geochemistry gave way to biochemistry — with no genetic material necessary. Only later did RNA and DNA appear.

At the dawn of life, did metabolism come first?

Some scientists propose that in the beginning, geochemistry gave way to biochemistry — with no genetic material necessary. Only later did RNA and DNA appear.

knowablemagazine.org

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · May 8

Was a JSP Fellow more than a decade ago and it was so critical to integration of this Canadian (who barely knew anyone on the continent) into the European scene. Thank you, @swisschemistry.bsky.social

Swiss Chemical Society (SCS) @swisschemistry.bsky.social · May 7

JSP program at the Bürgenstock conference 2025 promotes Scientific Leaders of the next Generation from both academia and industry! Class 2025 JSP together with the Bürgenstock president José Luis Mascareñas. #SCS_BC25 #JSPFellow2025 #scs

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · May 8

It feels strange to be in Switzerland in April/May for something other than the #Burgenstock meeting, but it was a pleasure to be the external speaker at the last retreat of the NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering in Grindelwald.

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Reposted by Joseph Moran

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · May 4

I think a lot about what Carl Sagan said in one of his final interviews.

"WE'VE ARRANGED A society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. And this combustible mixture of ignorance and power, sooner or later, is going to blow up in our faces. Who is running the science and technology in a democracy if the people don't know anything about it?"
"Science is more than a body of knowledge, it's a way of thinking. A way of skeptically interrogating the universe with a fine understanding of human fallibility. If we are not able to ask skeptical questions, to interrogate those who tell us that something is true, to be skeptical of those in authority, then we're up for grabs for the next charlatan, political or religious, who comes ambling along."

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Reposted by Joseph Moran

Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · Apr 29

I check the little screen, I check the big screen, I check the watch screen, I check the tablet screen. I check the screen that reminds me of the good times, I check the screen that reminds me of the better times.

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · Apr 25

Things are moving fast on this topic. Zare's team observes "microlightning" between charged droplets using a high-speed camera. The charges build up during the spraying process itself. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Spraying of water microdroplets forms luminescence and causes chemical reactions in surrounding gas

Spraying water microdroplets causes an electrical discharge between oppositely charged droplets that enables chemical reactions.

www.science.org

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Reposted by Joseph Moran

Tobias Schnitzer – Group Leader @ Uni Freiburg @schnitzerlab.bsky.social · Apr 23

🎉 Big day for our group: our first publication is out!
Tom did a fantastic job highlighting current trends & opportunities in peptide catalysis — now published in Chem Catalysis (open access). Huge congrats, Tom!
www.cell.com/chem-catalys...

Peptide catalysis: Trends and opportunities

Peptides are highly selective organocatalysts, with intrinsic modularity allowing precise control over structure and function. Advances in peptide synthesis, biotechnology, and cheminformatics will en...

www.cell.com

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Reposted by Joseph Moran

Knowable Magazine @knowablemag.bsky.social · Apr 10

Some scientists propose that in the beginning, geochemistry gave way to biochemistry — with no genetic material necessary. Only later did RNA and DNA appear.

✍️ Viviane Callier

At the dawn of life, did metabolism come first?

Some scientists propose that in the beginning, geochemistry gave way to biochemistry — with no genetic material necessary. Only later did RNA and DNA appear.

knowablemagazine.org

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Reposted by Joseph Moran

uOttawa Science @uottawascience.bsky.social · Apr 16

From cutting-edge materials to the origins of life, plus how climate change affects everything—from mountain peaks to your plate—learn about the discoveries that are shaping our future. Don’t miss our New Professor Lecture! 🌍🔬

✨ www.uottawa.ca/faculty-scie...

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · Apr 11

Thank you for the kind highlight of our work. There is so much more to come.

Knowable Magazine @knowablemag.bsky.social · Apr 10

Some scientists propose that in the beginning, geochemistry gave way to biochemistry — with no genetic material necessary. Only later did RNA and DNA appear.

✍️ Viviane Callier

At the dawn of life, did metabolism come first?

Some scientists propose that in the beginning, geochemistry gave way to biochemistry — with no genetic material necessary. Only later did RNA and DNA appear.

knowablemagazine.org

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Reposted by Joseph Moran

Daumann Lab @daumannl.bsky.social · Mar 28

Influence of Rare-Earth-Elements on Prebiotic Reaction Networks Resembling the Biologically Relevant Krebs Cycle | ChemRxiv - doi.org/10.26434/che... by @joguti.bsky.social is our groups first contribution to the OoL field! We would love some feedback #chemsky 🤓🧪

Reaction network arising from the La3+-catalyzed reaction of glyoxylate and pyruvate, including non-detected intermediates with the most probable routes represented by arrows requiring either one or both of the reactants are shown. Some can be deteced by GC-MS others only by NMR, some by both.

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · Mar 28

This is a big nothingburger. It’s all about context. His PhD advisor is right. He cites the work in question 20 times and mentions it extensively. Obviously no intent to take credit for those ideas. Probably should have used quotation marks in some places. That’s about it. Who wrote this article?

National Post @nationalpost.com.web.brid.gy · Mar 28

EXCLUSIVE: Mark Carney faces plagiarism accusations for 1995 Oxford doctoral thesis

OTTAWA — Liberal Leader Mark Carney has been accused of taking other people's ideas as his own in the federal election campaign. Read More

nationalpost.com

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · Mar 27

I join researchers from Coast to Coast to Coast to demonstrate and exercise my voting power. In #Elxn45, I will vote for the Member of Parliament who recognises the importance of research to Canada’s success and prioritizes excellence in research. #ResearchersVote #VotonsRecherche #CdnPoli

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · Mar 21

NC State and UNC Chapel Hill.

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Joseph Moran @moranlabchem.bsky.social · Mar 21

Looking forward to visiting in a few weeks!

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Ulrich Hintermair @hintermairlab.bsky.social · Mar 20

academic.oup.com/brain/articl...

On the responsibilities of intellectuals and the rise of bullshit jobs in universities

You may never have considered yourself to be one. Why would you? But if you’re reading this, there is more than a likelihood that you are one. If you’re a

academic.oup.com

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