Tim Smith
chemsmith.bsky.social
Tim Smith
@chemsmith.bsky.social
Chemist, dad, husband, slow endurance athlete. Currently make/purify stable isotope compounds at MilliporeSigma. I like being with my wife and daughter, working out, traveling, hiking, broadway shows, rock n roll, tolerant joyful smart people.
ORRRC (Ohio) Veterans 10 Miler. Finished it 2 min slower than my half marathon PR. 🤨 🧑🏻‍🦯
November 8, 2025 at 6:47 PM
It’s that time of year.
November 6, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Anyone here with practical knowledge about making phenylalanine from phenylpyruvate using phenylalanine dehydrogenase (or similar)? #chemsky 🧪
November 5, 2025 at 4:47 PM
October 31, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Is anyone here good at separating amino acids from one another (on gram scale). E.g., using resins? For example separating methionine from isoleucine. I’m a bit new at it. #chemsky 🧪
October 30, 2025 at 3:55 PM
It’s easy to forget that Isaac Asimov was once just a biochemist. Journal of the American Chemical Society 1950. #bluesky 🧪
October 21, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Pretty sure THIS is the year I finally nab that Chemistry Nobel Prize! #chemsky 🧪
October 7, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Benzyl chloroformate is not trivial to come by. Been waiting on an order from Acros. Does anyone know 1. where to get it from fairly quickly and/or 2. alternatives to benzyl chloroformate for making Cbz-protected amines. (Yes it needs to be Cbz protected.) #chemsky 🧪
October 1, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Always feels pretentious to mention books I’ve read, and I’m not really a voracious reader. But, this book is super interesting, full of history I never knew, and funny as hell.
September 30, 2025 at 3:41 PM
From this 2+ kg of almost-tar I need to produce about 30 g of an oil at 99% purity. Gonna be fun. 🤔 #chemsky 🧪
September 9, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Has anyone had issues/troubles getting Glutamine synthetase to "work well?" I keep getting low conversions and can't seem to resolve this. Pretty frustrated/embarrassed.

Alternatively, if you know a NON-enzymatic way to do this, I'd be very interested! I feel like it should be doable. #chemsky 🧪
July 26, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Why do I always want to capitalize the name of chemicals? E.g., “Do we have any L-Serine around here?” Am I the only one who has to fight this tendency? From where did I get it? Max Jr. also wants to know. 🧪 #chemsky
June 27, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Queen City (Cincinnati) Triathlon. Well, it should’ve been a triathlon. The swim was canceled so it became a duathlon. (River too high/fast/dirty due to too much rain. )
June 22, 2025 at 5:07 PM
No kings. Fund science. 🧪
June 14, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Fun fact: According to Reaxys, this has never been done. #chemsky 🧪
June 12, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Does anyone know of a presentation/place/anything for a synthetic chemist to learn the PRACTICAL aspects of using ENZYMES in synthesis? It’s not my strength. 🧪 #chemsky

These cicadas want to know too.
June 10, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Has anyone used Chelex 100 (or similar) to *remove* Cu+2 (or similar) from an amino acid (or similar) mixture? And would be able to suggest a good procedure/publication? (Pic for no reason) #chemsky 🧪
May 28, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Kiss the Goat 10K. Hazard KY.
May 27, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Spotted in the morning.
May 24, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Made friends on the trail yesterday.
May 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
I swear if I hear one more “Better Help” online therapy advertisement I’m going to have a mental breakdown.

Max Jr agrees.
May 6, 2025 at 6:14 PM
In episode 76 of Topics in Endurance Sports podcast I talk about a couple of short races I did...a year ago! The Madison Athletic Boosters Spring 5K, and the Lincoln Memorial Garden Trail Race 8K.
April 28, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Anyone have thoughts on recrystallizing WITH or WITHOUT stirring? E.g., when you might prefer one case over the other? Or maybe you never stir? Or rules of thumb? Or how to decide? I find it can make a difference but it's feeling a bit random. #chemsky 🧪
April 27, 2025 at 11:29 PM
*Fairly strong for an old man.

*Fairly weak for an old man who lifts seriously, or a young man who lifts at all.

Happy with progress over the last year. Not real deep - protecting the knees.
April 27, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Capybaras at Westmeister Farm Animal Encounters in Ohio! Winnie and Winston are still very young, less than six months old. Native to South America, they can get to over 4 feet in length and nearly 150 pounds.
April 14, 2025 at 12:28 AM