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, insider, slate, cnn, and one article about stranger things goo for the daily beast. views = my own.
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
Leading 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...
🎃🍬👻 Read my little explainer for @cenmag.bsky.social: cen.acs.org/food/food-in...
October 28, 2025 at 6:55 PM
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
Reposted by Sarah Braner
I think I might've woken up in the middle of the night muttering "MOFs"
October 8, 2025 at 1:00 PM
I think I might've woken up in the middle of the night muttering "MOFs"
Reposted by Sarah Braner
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...
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
October 8, 2025 at 1:12 PM
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...
MOFs finally got a Nobel Prize!
Read more in this story by my amazing colleague Prachi Patel:
cen.acs.org/people/nobel...
Reposted by Sarah Braner
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?)
(did i get the sports metaphor right?)
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 🧪
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 🧪
October 6, 2025 at 1:36 PM
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?)
(did i get the sports metaphor right?)
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!
And if you missed it, the recording and our recap is now live
Huge thanks to Prachi Patel for her help behind the scenes #chemnobel
Huge thanks to Prachi Patel for her help behind the scenes #chemnobel
October 2, 2025 at 7:05 PM
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!
last time she totally called it so... you should probably see this one
It 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
Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Time: 2–3 PM ET
Register here: lnkd.in/eD8cdWRS
September 24, 2025 at 3:23 PM
last time she totally called it so... you should probably see this one
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
September 23, 2025 at 6:02 PM
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...
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!
I 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
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
September 19, 2025 at 6:17 PM
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!
Reposted by Sarah Braner
And this was published only hours before the CDC chaos!
Always fun to catch up on the US news when I wake up and log on in the morning... @rowanwalrath.bsky.social for @cenmag.bsky.social
#vaccines
#vaccines
Confusion persists after US FDA approves new COVID-19 vaccines
The 2025–26 shots are approved only for certain risk groups, but one insurer tells C&EN it’ll cover the shots for everyone
cen.acs.org
August 28, 2025 at 12:26 PM
And this was published only hours before the CDC chaos!
Reposted by Sarah Braner
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
August 27, 2025 at 4:24 PM
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...
Reposted by Sarah Braner
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
August 27, 2025 at 1:57 PM
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 🧪
na na na na na na na na na, bat labs
cen.acs.org/biological-c...
cen.acs.org/biological-c...
Could bats help us fight the very diseases they give us?
Bats’ unique physiology provides ample opportunities—and research difficulties
cen.acs.org
July 29, 2025 at 7:10 PM
na na na na na na na na na, bat labs
cen.acs.org/biological-c...
cen.acs.org/biological-c...
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...
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
July 22, 2025 at 4:48 PM
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...
cen.acs.org/biological-c...
so shiny, so chrome
July 22, 2025 at 4:43 PM
so shiny, so chrome
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.
June 24, 2025 at 8:53 PM
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
If there’s one person at C&EN you don’t want to cross it’s Sarah Braner
June 20, 2025 at 5:55 PM
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
Reposted by 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
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
June 20, 2025 at 3:49 PM
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
cen.acs.org/policy/resea...
#ChemSky @cenmag.bsky.social
Reposted by Sarah Braner
So excited to have Delfi joining us this summer!! We'll be publishing her first Sick Times story next week.
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.
June 20, 2025 at 5:10 PM
So excited to have Delfi joining us this summer!! We'll be publishing her first Sick Times story next week.
Reposted by Sarah Braner
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...
www.compoundchem.com
June 9, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Feels relevant: www.compoundchem.com/2020/06/09/t...
Reposted by Sarah Braner
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
June 9, 2025 at 3:38 PM
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...
Reposted by Sarah Braner
Reposted by Sarah Braner
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...
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
June 6, 2025 at 6:05 PM
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...
cen.acs.org/policy/resea...
Reposted by Sarah Braner
A couple of us on the science reporting team decided to start skeeting out some of the weird things our coworkers say on Slack!
One SHOULD be able to simply walk into Mordor. Mordor needs more walkable city infrastructure
May 29, 2025 at 5:58 PM
A couple of us on the science reporting team decided to start skeeting out some of the weird things our coworkers say on Slack!
Reposted by Sarah Braner
RFK Jr. says his “Make America Healthy Again” Commission report harnesses “gold-standard” science.
Its citations, however, are rife with errors, from broken links to misstated conclusions -- and seven of the cited sources don't appear to exist at all.
Its citations, however, are rife with errors, from broken links to misstated conclusions -- and seven of the cited sources don't appear to exist at all.
The MAHA Report Cites Studies That Don’t Exist
The Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” report misinterprets some studies and cites others that don’t exist, according to the listed authors.
www.notus.org
May 29, 2025 at 2:07 PM
RFK Jr. says his “Make America Healthy Again” Commission report harnesses “gold-standard” science.
Its citations, however, are rife with errors, from broken links to misstated conclusions -- and seven of the cited sources don't appear to exist at all.
Its citations, however, are rife with errors, from broken links to misstated conclusions -- and seven of the cited sources don't appear to exist at all.
Reposted by Sarah Braner
I'm looking to talk to international students in the chemical sciences at #Harvard about the Trump administration's halt on the school's ability to enroll international students for @cenmag.bsky.social. #chemsky
Signal: bethanyhalford.29
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...
Signal: bethanyhalford.29
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...
Trump Administration Halts Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students
www.nytimes.com
May 22, 2025 at 7:16 PM
I'm looking to talk to international students in the chemical sciences at #Harvard about the Trump administration's halt on the school's ability to enroll international students for @cenmag.bsky.social. #chemsky
Signal: bethanyhalford.29
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...
Signal: bethanyhalford.29
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...