Contel Lab

In a world full of princesses, be a scientist

We are really excited to advertise the upcoming GRS Metals in Medicine, for early career researchers! 🧪 🧫 💊

Registration is open and a flyer with the relevant info is below.

@kanishkasikligar.bsky.social and I hope to see you there! 😄

*Please repost to help us spread the word*

This line graph illustrates the percentage change in agency staff levels from the previous year for nine major U.S. federal scientific and health organizations between the fiscal years 2016 and 2025. The agencies tracked include the CDC, Department of Energy, EPA, FDA, NASA, NIH, NIST, NOAA, and NSF. For the majority of the timeline between 2016 and 2023, the agencies show relatively stable fluctuations, generally staying within a range of +5% to -5% change per year. However, there is a dramatic and uniform plummet starting in the 2024–25 period. Every agency depicted shows a sharp downward trajectory, with staffing losses ranging from approximately -15% to over -25%. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows the most significant decline, dropping to roughly -26%, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the least severe but still substantial drop at approximately -15%.

This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.

www.nature.com/immersive/d4...

A Gold-PROTAC Degrades the Oncogenic Tyrosine Kinase MERTK: Insights into the Degradome from a Steady-State System Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are bifunctional molecules designed to induce the degradation of specific proteins within a cell. While most PROTACs are noncovalent interactors, covalent PROT...

A Gold-PROTAC Degrades the Oncogenic Tyrosine Kinase MERTK: Insights into the Degradome from a Steady-State System | ACS Chemical Biology pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

"At our particular institute I can see how the main science is needed, but I'm finding that myself and my colleagues need to add on a bit more extra knowledge from other areas to enhance what you can do from a chemical sciences perspective".

What skills should trained chemists have for the future? Dr. Victor Olet recently joined C&EN's Future of Chemistry Degrees Panel at #ACSFall2025, you can listen to the full discussion wherever you get your podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b... #chemsky

First Group Meeting of the Fall that coincided with doctoral student Aaron Manu’s birthday. Happiest of birthdays Aaron, and best of luck to all members of the Contel team during the Fall of 2025!

Congrats!

Chemical industry group praises 2-year pass from 2024 air-toxics requirements The Clean Air Act exemptions for certain chemical production and other facilities come as EPA continues its deregulation and reorganization actions, announcing the shutdown of its Office of Research a...

cen.acs.org/policy/regul...

More than 170 undergraduate students from community and senior colleges funded by the CUNY Research Scholar/Immersive Research Programs presented posters and talks at the 2025 CRSP/CIRE Symposium on July 8/9. Marayke Mayrata was one of the 4 “best of the best” Presenters. Undergrad research rocks!

Chemistry majors, set to graduate in May, stress over their futures Federal funding cuts to universities are another hurdle in a challenging career course for young people

This year, in light of uncertainty about federal funding, US universities are shrinking incoming classes, rescinding admissions to PhD programs and canceling summer research opportunities. cen.acs.org/careers/empl... #chemsky 🧪

Dr. Alvaro Lopez Sanchez (American Cancer Society - Brooklyn College Cancer Center Postdoctoral Fellow) from our lab presented a talk on June 13th at the XVI International School on Organometallic Chemistry « Marcial Moreno Mañas » in Castellon, Spain. Go Alvaro! @americancancersoc.bsky.social

“I’ve studied McCarthyism’s impact on higher education for 50 years. What’s happening now is worse.” -Ellen Schrecker, historian

Academic freedom in the United States has found itself periodically under siege, but the current attacks from the federal government raise a new level of alarm. nyer.cm/u405qvQ

Trump’s Cuts to Science Funding Could Hurt U.S. Economy, Study Shows Reducing federal support for research and development could cause long-run economic damage and reduce government revenue.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/b...

Disheartened by funding cuts, international students look beyond the US Chemistry students are exploring programs in Canada, China, and Europe

Research funding cuts, fluctuating international relations, and rescinded offer letters from US universities are discouraging some prospective students from applying to graduate programs in the US. cen.acs.org/policy/resea...

#chemsky🧪 #phdsky #academicsky #STEM #phdchat #academicchatter

Eid Mubarak! Happy Iftar to those celebrating today, most especially current and former researchers and friends!

A few scenes from the 2025 ACS spring meeting that I attended as NYACS councilor. Brooklyn College students Rebecca Turay (Contel Lab) and Yelyzaveta Kurchak (Jain Lab) did a great job presenting their posters. I met many colleagues and was able to attend talks but I didnt take many pics…

Time to speak up.

“If Columbia or another university confronts the administration on its own, it will lose. If America’s nearly 6,000 universities and colleges launch a campaign in defense of higher education, odds are that Trump will lose.” www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

10 per cent?

Paul Anastas, father of the principles for green and sustainable chemistry

The coolest thing I’ve seen today is that a bunch of volunteer public health professionals and developers have restored the CDC website from before January 20th 2025.

This differs from an archive in that they want to rebuild the links between pages and replicate the full website.

Happy International Women’s Day! Sisters, resist and continue the fight for equal rights!

I know this account should post scientific content, but I (Maria Contel) find it very difficult to think about anything other than what we are living at present. My energy level just allows me going to work, deliver for the commitments I made prior this chaos and support my lab.

Friendly reminder: if you are waiting on something from a US-based scientist/reviewer/editor, please realize that we're barely making it through each day putting out non-stop fires and trying not to collapse into tears. We're trying our best, but things will take longer right now. Give grace.

NSF downsizes summer research program for undergraduates Many participants are from groups underrepresented in science

"downsizes" is a weak way of saying "forced to cancel dozens of programs, which jeopardizes future STEM careers of talented undergrads" @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...

Trump 2.0: an assault on science anywhere is an assault on science everywhere US President Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to science and to international institutions. The global research community must take a stand against these attacks.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Diversity is our greatest asset, even if the government disagrees… They not like us! POC in STEM are here to stay.

They tried to rig the game but you can’t fake influence!
Mustard on the [Be][At] bro.

Happy Black History Month!

I maxed out my credit card, emptied my savings account, and took out a loan to move from Alabama to Bethesda, MD. I don’t even qualify for unemployment since I’ve only worked at NIH for a month. I will be financially and medically devastated.

Seeking suggestions for anywhere that’s hiring!!

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Fund Don't Freeze: National Higher Education Strategy Call. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Join higher education workers from around the country on 2/13 at 8 PM Eastern / 7 PM Central / 6 PM Mountain / 5 PM Pacific for a national strategy call on the federal attack on higher education and h...

The higher ed union coalition (including AAUP and AFT) is holding a call about health research funding on Feb 13th at 8 pm. We are not powerless. Details below, register and repost. Thanks!

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