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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 15h

Big party at the other end of town, but very deserved! Glad some aussie science is shining this year in the nobels!

Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 2d

It is great honour to be this years recipient of the RACI HG Smith Memorial Award. Looking at the list of previous awardees, I am very humbled to be named among many heroes of Australian chemistry.

Thanks to my entire group for making all the wonderful research happening!

#ozchem

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 2d

that is very fucked up. I am so sorry you folks have to deal with this.

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 3d

bless your, Jane Goodall. If humans overall would just be 5% of what she was, we would be in a much better place

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 3d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

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Reposted by Tanja Junkers

Chemical Science @chemicalscience.rsc.org · 8d

This week's #ChemSciPicks is "Synthesis of Biodegradable Vinyl Copolymers via Enforced Regular Sequence Distribution from Automated Radical Ring Opening Polymerisation" by Tanja Junkers et al. @polymerreaction.bsky.social

Read it here: doi.org/10.1039/D5SC...

Graphical abstract image for the paper titled Synthesis of biodegradable vinyl copolymers via enforced regular sequence distribution from automated radical ring opening polymerisation. The image shows a scheme of how the reaction monitoring and monomer feed optimisation work to produce a regular product distribution of block copolymers with automation.

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 8d

Given how scarce it is (and on sale immediately) makes me think im the only person who actually thinks this flavor combination works well.

Anyhow, happy find at the shops!

Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 9d

On one hand I am flattered to get all the invitations, but having to repeatedly write emails to explain that I wont travel to the US anymore for the foreseeable future is quite frustrating.

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 13d

Some shameless self-promotion:
tinyurl.com/yc7hk3mb

Congrats again to Lily for doing amazing work. Using ML to trick copolymerizations into ideal behaviour is such a powerful method. Biodegradable plastics is only the beginning!

Smart chemistry meets sustainability: AI-driven breakthrough may forge new era of biodegradable plastics

Researchers at Monash University have pioneered an AI-driven method to produce biodegradable vinyl copolymers with precise control, marking a major advance in sustainable chemistry. By integrating rob...

tinyurl.com

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 15d

Dito! I hope you have safe travels homea

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 15d

Wrap up after a truly inspiring conference here in Hefei, Anhui. I learned so much! The future of Chemistry is here.

Now its for keeping my fingers crossed that Typhoon Ragasa will allow me to get home...

#ozchem #chemsky #labsofthefuture

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 17d

...now I am scared

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 17d

A grand conference with mind-blowing talks here in Hefei just started.

While Im very inspired, it also shows how far behind we are in the #Ozchem community. Robotics, ML/AI in chemistry isn't just an idea of the future. It is the present and we need to make sure to stay up to date.

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 18d

I mean, i knew that people use WeChat and AliPay here. I just hadnt experienced it to that extend yet.

Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 18d

Arrived in Hefei for a conference on Automation in Chemistry. I am stoked for the presentations and discussions, but first I just realize how different the internet micro (macro?) cosmos in China is. And how reliant I am on Google for literally everything in my conference travels.

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 20d

Yesterday, our very own Bo Zhang gave his thesis submission seminar.

Bo did incredible work on transient kinetic screening of very fast and of very slow polymerizations. Im immensely proud that I was his supervisor!

#ozchem #flowchem #chemsky #monash

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 24d

#Jetlag is when you are in your office, craving your 2nd coffee at 7:20am, and have done most of the emails already that piled up over the last 4 days.

On the flipside, I am not sure if packing my gym bag for sports after work was not too optimistic. I have an inkling that I wont survive that long.

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · 28d

On my way home from the 2025 Faraday Discussions on Polymerization and Depolymerization. It was great fun with lots of good science and many discussions. I learned a lot!
Thanks Charlotte Williams and @antoinebuchard.bsky.social for the organization and the invitation!
#FD2025 #ozchem #chemsky

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · Sep 8

Faraday Discussions on the 2nd century of polymerization and depolymerization is on with an introductory lecture by Marc
Hillmyer. Good science, with Oxfords Trinity college as backdrop. Looking forward to all interactions!

#ozchem #chemsky #polymerchem #Monash

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · Sep 8

im not sure im more worried about the price or the fact that it probably only exists because someone ordered it before

#chemsky

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · Sep 5

Hey, they will have to put a pdf on a server afterwards and promise real hard not to delete it in the future. Do you know hat that costs?

The pdf is also in color!

Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · Sep 4

Trick your copolymerization to do things it wouldnt do by itself. Make statistical copolymers where normally they would give you gradients. Make gradients where there normally wouldnt be any.

All by the power of automation and data driven chemistry!

pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

#ChemSky #Ozchem

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · Sep 2

Lots of SEC samples ready to be shipped. It took some time to find the capacity to work on it, but now our @iupacpolymer.bsky.social project on SEC accuracy is taking final shape!

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · Aug 31

Editors are part of the problem. I fully acknowledge that.

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · Aug 31

It's a difficult thing, but yes, we can and frankly should. The issue on side of the editor is to not undermine the authority of our reviewers.

Also, we can't always tell if what they say is valid concern or merely "i want green"

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Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · Aug 30

Editors (and I include myself there) need to get better and do that more often..

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