Laura Howes
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laurahowes.bsky.social
Laura Howes
@laurahowes.bsky.social
7.3K followers 1.6K following 1.2K posts
Editor (she/her) @cenmag.bsky.social into biomolecules, drug discovery, and biotech. Also beer, skiing, and the joys of being an immigrant in Germany. All views expressed here are absolutely mine, especially when they're right. DM for Signal.
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laurahowes.bsky.social
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
A web page asking who will win the #chemnobel?
September 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
I've been helping with a wine harvest over the last few weekends. Yesterday was the final day and we found a bunch of wild hops growing in what had been an abandoned vinyard. So we picked the mixed grapes and the hops and shoved it all in a press as a final experiment.
Hands holding a mix of white and red grapes and hops above a wooden wine press
September 15, 2025 at 8:06 AM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Well Germany, you're stuck with me now...
🍔
My german citizenship certificate
September 3, 2025 at 7:34 AM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Back after two weeks of holiday, where both my walking sticks and the tick removal tool proved themselves again to be worthwhile investments.

Wish me luck with my email inbox.
A landscape of green trees and grey sandstone towers, with blue sky above.
July 28, 2025 at 7:02 AM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Thomas Südhof, who has had some of his papers criticised on pub peer and a couple of retractions, has suggestions for reforming the science publishing business to improve integrity... #lino25
Prepay submissions not publications, publish reviews, monitor the track record of editors, mandatory post-publication assessment, publication priorities for follow up studies, public peer review requirement for authors.
June 30, 2025 at 9:35 AM
laurahowes.bsky.social
At the opening of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, reality cannot help but creep in. Around 10 young scientists have cancelled their participation because of concerns around travel or worries about reentry to their country of study/research after the meeting is over #LINO25
June 29, 2025 at 12:29 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
I have arrived in Lindau for the Nobel Meeting this week #LiNo25
Thoroughly excited about the experience and to finally see more of the island than the train station
Me, squinting because of the sun despite wearing sunglasses, with my back to the harbour, beautiful blue green water, Switzerland on the other side of the lake, blue skies.
June 29, 2025 at 11:26 AM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Ah well, back to Bargeld it is www.reuters.com/business/fin...
Text saying that Europe should reduce its reliance on US card payment companies Mastercard and Visa.
May 21, 2025 at 12:41 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
So ahead of the potential signing of this EO today, trying to think this through.
DJT says he wants to reduce the price of drugs for US consumers. Biopharma will push back, but it seems inevitable that those of us outside the US will see drug prices go up. What happens next?
Truth social screenshot from @realDonaldTrump saying: For many years the World has wondered why Prescription Drugs and Pharmaceuticals in the United States States of America were SO MUCH HIGHER IN PRICE THAN THEY WERE IN ANY OTHER NATION, SOMETIMES BEING FIVE TO TEN TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE SAME DRUG, MANUFACTURED IN THE EXACT SAME LABORATORY OR PLANT, BY THE SAME COMPANY??? It was always difficult to explain and very embarrassing because, in fact, there was no correct or rightful answer. The Pharmaceutical/Drug Companies would say, for years, that it was Research and Development Costs, and that all of these costs were, and would be, for no reason whatsoever, borne by the “suckers” of America, ALONE. Campaign Contributions can do wonders, but not with me, and not with the Republican Party. We are going to do the right thing, something that the Democrats have fought for many years. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that Tomorrow morning, in the White House, at 9:00 A.M., I will be signing one of the most consequential Executive Orders in our Country’s history. Prescription Drug and Pharmaceutical prices will be REDUCED, almost immediately, by 30% to 80%. They will rise throughout the World in order to equalize and, for the first time in many years, bring FAIRNESS TO AMERICA! I will be instituting a MOST FAVORED NATION’S POLICY whereby the United States will pay the same price as the Nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the World. Our Country will finally be treated fairly, and our citizens Healthcare Costs will be reduced by numbers never even thought of before. Additionally, on top of everything else, the United States will save TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
May 12, 2025 at 8:07 AM
laurahowes.bsky.social
German Merck to buy cancer company Springworks for $3.9 billion, boosting its healthcare business and US position.
Springworks has two cancer drugs approved by the FDA, but not yet approved by European regulators (applications are in I think). #biotech 🧪
www.merckgroup.com/en/news/agre...
The blue Merck logo in front of a glass building, with an older white building to the left.
April 28, 2025 at 9:05 AM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Oh Commerzbank...
Home page of my bank, advertising the bank's options for investing in the securities a picture of a woman surfing
April 8, 2025 at 11:58 AM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Gone skiing, back in a week
A snowy mountain scene with fir tree to the right
January 12, 2025 at 4:12 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
The FDA approved 50 new medicines in 2024, and our team assembled them all into an interactive table...
cen.acs.org/content/cen/...
Gif showing the full table of drugs, then a cursor explores the table pulling up data for small molecule Rapiblyk and antibody drug Niktimvo
January 9, 2025 at 2:18 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Raclette is go... Here’s to 2024
A table laid with a tea light raclette cheese melter, various pickles, and some orange wine from Jura
December 31, 2024 at 5:53 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Cheers
An empty bottle of von Winning pinot noir next to a full conical flask decanter
December 25, 2024 at 1:32 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Went for a walk to clear my head. Got a bit emotional.
The back of a man, sat in front of the reflecting pool in DC. The sunset is reflected in the water and at the end of the pool the Lincoln Memorial is lit up
November 5, 2024 at 11:29 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
And at the top of the hill we find 1931 Nobel prize winner Carl Bosch (1874-1940). The man who scaled up Fritz Harber's nitrogen-fixing to make it an industrial process and helped found IG Farben. Bosch was critic of some Nazi policies and was relieved from positions in the 30s.
A simple standing stone with Carl Bosch's name on it, pink flowers in front.
November 1, 2024 at 1:04 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Chemistry's role in Nazi Germany is illustrated by the case of Richard Kuhn (1900-1967). Awarded the 1938 #ChemNobel, he refused it until after the war. Never a party member, he collaborated, denounced Jewish coworkers and developed the nerve agent Soman. More details: cen.acs.org/articles/91/...
A red rugged standing stone with the names of Richard, his wife Daisy and some other family members
November 1, 2024 at 12:57 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
The way gets steeper as you head up the hill to Theodore Curtius (1857-1928) of rearrangement fame. He studied with Bunsen here, then got his doctorate in Leipzig before working at multiple German universities. He returned to Heidelberg to succeed Viktor Meyer (up thread) as professor of chemistry.
A simpler small grave stone with a bronze plaque with Curtius' name and profile surrounded by ivy and foliage
November 1, 2024 at 12:41 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Then, a little way along is Leopold Gmelin (1788-1853), who worked on physiological chemistry at the university here. He developed the eponymous test for detecting bile pigments in urine, discovered potassium ferricyanide, and introduced the terms ester and ketone to our vocabulary.
A plinth style gravestone with Gmelin's name as well as his wife Luise and other family members.
November 1, 2024 at 12:35 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Speaking of BASF, this grave of Rudolf Knietsch (1854-1906) specifically mentions his role as Director at the Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik. There he developed the sulfuric acid contact process to make fuming sulfuric acid and also made the liquefaction of the chlorine possible.
A low rectangular grave with a life sized classical bronze figure sat atop it with the torch of life upsidedown in his left hand, and a laurel wreath held his right hand
November 1, 2024 at 12:27 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Along from Bunsen is Carl Clemms (1818-1887). Two Clemms were cofounders of BASF so there's a big grave in Mannheim to the family, but here we have those guys' uncle: Student of Justus von Liebig and founder of Mannheim-Ludwigshafen chemical industry).
Wiki auf DE: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Cl...
A classical grave stone with the names of Carl Clemm, his wife Anna and two of the children (I think)
November 1, 2024 at 12:17 PM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Speaking of Bunsen... Robert Bunsen (1811-1899) studied the emission spectra of elements, discovered cesium and rubidium, developed his eponymous burner and more.
(The chemistry dept's "Sightseeing with Bunsen" walk through the Old Town: www.uni-heidelberg.de/fakultaeten/...)
A large square plot bordered by a grey, mottled stone, at the back there is a gravestone with a bronze relief of Bunsen
November 1, 2024 at 11:38 AM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Viktor Meyer (1848-1897) studied under Bunsen at Heidelberg Uni and later came back to replace Bunsen as professor of chemistry. His career was cut short, but his work saw him awarded the Davy Medal by the Royal Society. (Nature obit: www.nature.com/articles/056...)
A rough grey standing rock with a bronze square with the side profile of Meyer in relief. Below, a small plaque commemorates Meyer's wife Hedwig.
November 1, 2024 at 11:27 AM
laurahowes.bsky.social
Julius Brühl (1850-1911) moved to Heidelberg Uni in 1888. worked on spectrochemistry and helped bring evidence for the structure of the "benzene "ring"" per his obituary.
(Nature obit: nature.com/articles/085...)
A grey stone grave with a triangular roof with a carved stone urn on a pedestal. The names of Julius and his wife Lili and son Felix Johann Rudolf Erich
November 1, 2024 at 11:22 AM