Christine Dell'Amore

Thanks Jason! You have the same calling!

Paclitaxel saved my life. New discoveries could boost supply After decades, scientists have finally pieced together the 23-step biosynthetic pathway to produce this cancer drug

In my first feature for @cenmag.bsky.social, I wrote about a topic very close to my heart: Life-saving cancer drugs. cen.acs.org/pharmaceutic...

Column | Good news: We saved the bees. Bad news: We saved the wrong ones. Honeybees have never been in danger of extinction. But scientists are finding that they can accelerate the demise of native bee populations.

I have been shouting this from the rooftops for years! European honeybees are not native species, yet there is this false narrative that we must protect them. Meanwhile, North America has 5,000 native bee species that are virtually ignored by the public.

www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

EcoWellness: Polonium's dangerous kin - UPI.com Polonium-210, the rare radioactive substance that fatally poisoned a Russian ex-spy, doesn't pose a threat to most. Found in tiny amounts in the Earth's crust,

Did a trip down my journalistic memory lane today and I discovered I wrote about chemistry back in the day! Looking at some of my old columns from a series I once managed on UPI, EcoWellness, and found this piece on polonium. www.upi.com/Health_News/...

For Venezuela, a post-Maduro boom in chemicals could take years Even if the country’s oil and gas sector gets back on its feet, petrochemical projects may be ill-timed

Producing a significant amount of oil from Venezuela is not like turning on a tap. Alex Tullo writes a timely analysis for @cenmag.bsky.social cen.acs.org/business/pet...

This octopus pigment could lead to a more sustainable sunscreen A new metabolic engineering technique makes xanthommatin cheaper and easy to produce

The color-changing pigment xanthommatin may also lead to better, petroleum-free paints. What can't octopuses do?! 🐙 @theoceanwriter.bsky.social has the story for @cenmag.bsky.social cen.acs.org/biological-c...

The image is of a comic. Panel one depicts Santa Claus. He says, "Have you been naughty or nice?" Panel two depicts a happy dog. He says, "I am ALWAYS a good boy." Santa responds "Very nice!" Panel three depicts Santa again. He says "...And you?" Panel four depicts an orange cat climbing a Christmas tree, turning his head to look back at Santa.

How chemistry makes kefir such a powerful superfood The popular drink has an unusual mixture of organisms that can kill harmful bacteria

I've been adding kefir to my fruit smoothies for years. We did a deep dive into the research of why it's so good for you. cen.acs.org/food/ferment...

Photos capture some of 2025’s most notable events in chemistry Los Angeles wildfires, a CRISPR milestone, and a de-extinction controversy are among 2025’s notable events captured in photos

Our inaugural Year in Pictures at @cenmag.bsky.social takes a visual look at how chemistry shaped the world—and vice versa—in 2025. cen.acs.org/education/sc...

November rose. My house in D.C. came with several rose plants, and they bloom at unexpected times — even apparently in 44-degree weather.

How do I find out if I’m in a starter pack?

Theft of $24,000 wine bottle spurs high-speed chase through Va. countryside A couple talked their way into the Virginia wine cellar, where the woman reportedly distracted their guide while the man slipped bottles into his overcoat.

What a story! Now this is good journalism. www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

Our first-ever Chempics Bracket is here. Vote for your favorite science photo Only one photo will emerge victorious

Sports + science fans, rejoice! @cenmag.bsky.social has a bracket -- for chemistry pictures. Check out our cool new feature. cen.acs.org/education/sc...

Help! In the last 24 hours I've been mass followed by hundreds of accounts, most of which I suspect are bots. Has this happened to anyone?

We only saw a light red blush from our neighborhood before it got cloudy last night, but friends in Colorado sent me amazing photos of red and green pillars. There’s another CME on the way, and depending on when it arrives, we might see the #aurora again tonight

C&EN - 10 Startups to Watch

The next big breakthroughs in chemistry start here. Explore 10 innovative start-ups in fields including food, agriculture, industrial chemicals, textiles, energy, mining, and drug discovery: cen.acs.org/business/sta...

#10StartUpsToWatch #chemsky 🧪

What Does ‘6-7’ Mean? Maybe Tweens Don’t Want You to Know.

As a mom to a 7yo who grins impishly whenever I ask what 6-7 means, I enjoyed this read! www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...

My Chemical Story: How ‘Frankenstein’ made me want to be a scientist The book is more than a tale of horror; it’s a psychological drama about the drive to develop knowledge and be seen

Reading Frankenstein made him want to be a chemist!?! At this year's ACS fall meeting, Victor Olet said this and caught the attention of several of our editors. What a thrill to work with him on this piece about what he's gained by reading the book 25 times cen.acs.org/people/Chemi...

Spooky will-o’-the-wisps finally explained A newly discovered molecular phenomenon is responsible for the spectral balls of light seen in swamps and cemeteries

No one has ever photographed a will-'o'-the-wisp, and their origins have been shrouded in mystery. Until now! @annieroth.bsky.social has the spooky season tale for @cenmag.bsky.social cen.acs.org/environment/... #halloween #spookyseason #chemsky

This coffee comes from civet poop. What makes it chemically distinct? Kopi luwak is a specialty coffee that’s fermented in the gut of a civet. It’s also rich in fatty acids

What makes civet coffee so special -- from a chemical perspective? @maxhenrybarnhart.bsky.social has the story for @cenmag.bsky.social cen.acs.org/food/ferment...

Here's why we FALL for pumpkin spice every year.

Amen. They have a right to live on this planet just like us.

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe While most pumpkin cookies skew cakey, these bars are as rich and chewy as the center of a chocolate chip cookie To counteract the added moisture from the pumpkin purée, this recipe has a few tricks up its sleeve: For starters, it completely ditches the eggs Browning the butter does double duty, removing water while also giving the dough a deeper flavor with nutty notes

"Ok, these ROCK!... Very easy and delicious fall treat - I will definitely make them again." These pumpkin chocolate chip bars are made for this season.

Why yogurt fermented with live ants is so delicious Scientists explore a traditional Balkan recipe that uses the insect and its microbiome as fermentation

Formic acid, the chemical defense for ants in the Formica genus, lends a zesty, citrusy flavor to yogurt made with ants. Would you try it? Liz Langley writes about a traditional Balkan recipe for @cenmag.bsky.social cen.acs.org/food/ferment...

Chimpanzees use the same plants we do to treat similar illnesses A new review of recent studies shows the great apes rely on medicinal plants to heal infections, but the plants’ chemistry remains mostly a mystery

Primatologist Jane Goodall's recent passing left an incredible legacy that transformed our understanding of chimpanzee behavior and intelligence. New insights show that great apes use medicinal plants to treat wounds like humans. cen.acs.org/pharmaceutic... #chemsky 🧪

Hundreds of Alligator Alcatraz detainees drop off the grid after leaving site As of the end of August, the whereabouts of two-thirds of more than 1,800 men detained at Alligator Alcatraz during the month of July could not be determined by the Miami Herald.

More than 1800 detainees are missing after the closure of Alligator Alcatraz. Their families and lawyers can’t find them and they’ve vanished from the ICE database. Feels like this should be a much bigger story www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

Leaf peepers in Japan finding duller forests thanks to climate change In Japan, warming temperatures may hamper an ancient tradition of leaf-peeping

It's the first day of fall!!!! Psyched for my fav season. Unfortunately, the tree colors are dulling across the planet. Marta Zaraska has the story for @enenkay.bsky.social: cen.acs.org/biological-c... #fall #autumnalequinox #firstdayoffall

7yo at bedtime: “Tell me a story of a toucan hybridizing with a deer.”
Me: “That’s impossible.”
Kid: “It’s an AI story.” 💀

Mystery solved: Jackson Pollock used manganese blue in famous 1948 painting Scientists discover and characterize previously unidentified pigment in the artist's palette

Jackson Pollock’s famous painting Number 1A, 1948 looms large, both physically and in the history of modern art. But the blue pigment that Pollock used in the painting had been something of a mystery, until now. cen.acs.org/analytical-c... #chemsky 🧪

Yes! Paul Colangelo. I edited his story about the snake dens for Nat Geo, though I’m not in touch with him any more. www.instagram.com/paulcolangel...