Sarah Braner
@sarahbraner.bsky.social
i write about science a lot and culture very occasionally! current life sciences writer @cenmag.bsky.social, formerly the m*ssenger, business insider, slate, cnn, and one article about goo for the daily beast. views = my own. sorry i don't post much!
WE DID IT!! i got to talk to the incredible @eunayoo.bsky.social and i hope you all think her work is as interesting as i do!
C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News)@cenmag.bsky.social · 3mo agoThey’re here! Introducing the Talented 12 Class for 2026. These early-career scientists are taking on big global #chemistry challenges. Meet the 2026 Class: cen.acs.org/people/profi... #CENT12 #chemsky 🧪
ACIP is likely to discuss metal-based vaccine ingredients at its upcoming meeting on february 25th. we took a deeper look at just what these ingredients are, why vaccines need them, and why they're likely not going anywhere: cen.acs.org/pharmaceutic...
MAHA’s next target: metals in vaccine ingredients
Officials are going after metal-containing ingredients, including aluminum adjuvants. Here’s why vaccines need them
cen.acs.org
muse-scripts for this month courtesy of yours truly! these protein names have fascinated me since high school so it was a total blast to investigate them : )
Bethany Halford@bethanyhalford.bsky.social · 6mo agoLooking for some #FridayFun? In the latest #Newscripts column for @cenmag.bsky.social, @sarahbraner.bsky.social leans into some science-music mashups. #chemsky #chemchat cen.acs.org/biological-c...
also i'm finally back (fully) from vacation, and if you missed this, it's definitely worth a read in my humble, biased (but correct) opinion. thank you evan for sharing your story with me!
Evan Spotte-Smith (they/them)@ewcss.info · 8mo agoWell, it's finally up. Thanks @sarahbraner.bsky.social @cenmag.bsky.social for profiling me and my journey from @cmu.edu to @ucddublin.bsky.social. It's been a hell of a ride. I'm glad I'm here safe, at least. ⚗️ #newpi #disabledinstem #lgbtqinstem #transinstem #leavingus #howtoleave #ireland
happy new year and happy new union! i'm so excited to get to be part of a union for the first time in my career. thank you to everyone who made this happen!
@cenguild.bsky.social · 8mo agoWe are proud to announce the formation of the Chemical & Engineering News Guild. We represent staffers across the editorial and operations teams at C&EN. 1/6
one of my previous editors (she's not on bsky but hi amy!) worked on this project - it's a great resource! as it says on the page, anyone can use these.
Tara C. Smith@aetiology.bsky.social · 9mo agoSelf magazine partnered with AAP awhile back to make some. Some do show needles but they're not huge and the person/ child isn't crying like so many photos. www.flickr.com/photos/selfm...
i've had to be on a swedish fish hiatus for years now because the craving was getting really out of control, and i'm brave enough to admit that to you all. but swedish fish supremacy
Manny I. Fox Morone@mannyfoxmorone.bsky.social · 10mo agoLeading up to Halloween we ask, Why do some gummy brands rock, and why do others feel like you're chewing plastic? 🎃🍬👻 Read my little explainer for @cenmag.bsky.social: cen.acs.org/food/food-in...
I think I might've woken up in the middle of the night muttering "MOFs"
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
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 · 11mo agoImmunity 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 🧪
calling it now: i don't think glp-1 will win for chemistry but i DO think it'll win physiology or medicine. check c&en monday morning to see if some of laura's clairvoyance has passed down to me!
Laura Howes@laurahowes.bsky.social · 11mo agoAnd if you missed it, the recording and our recap is now live Huge thanks to Prachi Patel for her help behind the scenes #chemnobel
last time she totally called it so... you should probably see this one
Laura Howes@laurahowes.bsky.social · 11mo agoIt gets earlier every year... Next Wednesday, join me and an expert panel to discuss who might win the 2025 #ChemNobel. Free to attend. Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Time: 2–3 PM ET Register here: lnkd.in/eD8cdWRS
i know there's already another bonkers speech to unpack (or ignore, which is always a viable option imo!) but i wrote about *last night's* bonkers press conference about acetaminophen during pregnancy: cen.acs.org/policy/RFK-J...
RFK Jr.’s claim that Tylenol causes autism has no backing
Genetic factors are far more likely to influence a child’s later diagnosis
cen.acs.org
if you're looking for some weekend reads, we've published our annual trailblazers series! this year, we highlighted some amazing chemists with disabilities. a belated congratulations to @mannyfoxmorone.bsky.social and @kvasquez.bsky.social for getting this out!
Manny I. Fox Morone@mannyfoxmorone.bsky.social · 11mo agoI admit that when i started working on this project with @kvasquez.bsky.social, i didn’t think i knew any chemists with disabilities 🧵1/ cen.acs.org/people/profi... @cenmag.bsky.social
Did you know Dorothy Hodgkin had a disability? I did not! This is a little taster before @cenmag.bsky.social drops our big Trailblazers package featuring chemists with disabilities in Sept: cen.acs.org/careers/dive...
8 chemists with disabilities who left their mark on history
Scientists with disabilities ascended to the forefronts of their fields long before labs were accessible and civil rights were codified
cen.acs.org
As human habitation expands into undeveloped areas, homes and businesses creep closer to forests, grasslands, and scrub. In this series, we examine the unique chemistry of these fires and how it might affect air quality and human health: cen.acs.org/environment/... #forestfires #chemsky 🧪
New Normal
Living at wildfires' edge
cen.acs.org
also while you're on our NEWLY REDESIGNED WEBSITE, check out this measles q&a from @maxhenrybarnhart.bsky.social and (new editorial fellow!) elizabeth walsh! featuring some actually good news about how durable the existing vaccines are cen.acs.org/biological-c...
Measles cases are rising. Here’s a deep dive into 6 key questions
Experts tell C&EN whether the measles virus can mutate, how durable the vaccine is, and more
cen.acs.org
go vote and stay cool!! tldr, if you registered between 6/9 - 6/14 it may not show up in the system. but your affidavit vote WILL count - i forgot to update my residential address (🤦♂️) and the poll workers were super kind and helpful! it just might take a bit longer but it's extremely worthwhile.
true to the account's purpose, i have no idea what the context is here but yeah uhh don't cross me i'm tall and i know how to fight. definitely. i'm sure someone will back me up on this
Overheard at C&EN@censays.bsky.social · last yr.If there’s one person at C&EN you don’t want to cross it’s Sarah Braner
From @maxhenrybarnhart.bsky.social: 36 chem department chairs have published an open letter calling out recent federal policy decisions impacting science. cen.acs.org/policy/resea... #ChemSky @cenmag.bsky.social
Chairs of 36 US chemistry departments call to restore funding
Open letter in <i>Science</i> says federal policy decisions ‘threaten the strength of the US research enterprise’
cen.acs.org
So excited to have Delfi joining us this summer!! We'll be publishing her first Sick Times story next week.
The Sick Times@thesicktimes.org · last yr.Drop a heart for our first summer newsroom intern! In partnership with the CUNY Newmark J-Corps, Delfi Marchese is joining The Sick Times! She’s especially looking forward to using her experience in visual data to report on the Long COVID crisis this summer.
Feels relevant: www.compoundchem.com/2020/06/09/t...
Tear gas: Chemistry, dispersal methods, and effects
Click to enlarge The US government have been busy this week denying that pepper spray is a chemical (spoiler, it is a chemical). They've also been at pains to point out that it's not the same as te...
compoundchem.com
Back in 2020, when protesters gathered around the country calling for the end of police brutality and were met with tear gas and pepper spray, my colleague @craigofwaffles.bsky.social reported on the chemistry of such riot-control agents. The story still seems pertinent: cen.acs.org/policy/chemi...
Tear gas and pepper spray: What protesters need to know
Experts discuss the use and chemistry of the riot-control agents and how to neutralize their effects
cen.acs.org
Lots of people are keeping silent, because lots of people are scared. But my colleague Aayushi Pratap found a group of chemists at Columbia willing to talk about what's going on in the labs they lead. Her story, and Natalie Keyssar's portraits, are worth your time. cen.acs.org/policy/resea...
At Columbia, dismay among chemical scientists
Some have already lost grants, while others fear for students and future funding
cen.acs.org
A couple of us on the science reporting team decided to start skeeting out some of the weird things our coworkers say on Slack!
Overheard at C&EN@censays.bsky.social · last yr.One SHOULD be able to simply walk into Mordor. Mordor needs more walkable city infrastructure
