Phil Knutson, PhD

Thanks! Haha

I’m absolutely devastated by what’s going on in Minneapolis. As a Minnesota-native living elsewhere, it’s killing me seeing what’s going on in the streets of my home state. I hope this ends soon. I hope republicans come to their senses. This is war against our own country. Murder.

At my blog, I write more about my concerns for aspiring entering grad students in chemistry for Fall 2026. To reiterate - if you don't have a plan for next fall RIGHT NOW, you need to talk to your professors and advisers and develop a plan NOW: chemjobber.blogspot.com/2025/11/towa...

#chemchat 🧪⚗️

8*7=56, 8*20=160... 160+56=216

Opinion | More Democrats Need to Follow Pelosi’s Example and Retire

Yes, please. And then apply it to both sides of the aisle
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/o...

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9-Oxodecenoic acid (9-ODA)!

It’s an unsaturated fatty acid pheromone secreted by honeybee queens (Apis mellifera). It attracts male drones and helps regulate colony structure by suppressing worker ovary development, an effect strengthened by 9-hydroxydecenoic acid. #chemsky #sciart

Prints are 20% off!

Humulone! 🍻

Humulone is a complex organic acid found in hop resin and plays a huge role in beer bitterness. When hops are boiled during brewing, humulone isomerizes to form iso-alpha acids meaning more soluble and intensely bitter isomers.

And it’s in my beer art! #chemsky #sciart

Thanks for that advice. I'll try to ask around about recent apps from labs I've been in. That's smart.

Yes yes yes! We had all these conversations. I've made sure they have all the information I would have wanted. And we have some fresh PhDs that we've recently hired in the field that they want to go into. That's helped fill in my gaps of unis and specific labs to avoid or focus on

That makes sense. I guess I haven't run across many departments in the US that are supervisor first

Oh great point! Thanks! I'll absolutely try that approach

Great advice. I'm drafting the rec letters and working to express my thoughts and opinions in the right way

Thanks for the tip! That's great advice

That's a great anecdote!

Thankfully, we are in industry so their backup plan is to keep their job. They're in a good situation that way. We've talked about the toughness of this cycle. It's a big bummer but I've tried to motivate them to try despite the challenges

That's what I was thinking. I'll try to email folks in departments I've crossed paths with or have connections with first. We're definitely working on the writing skills with their statements of research and purpose!

What's the best way to help a mentee get into grad school? I'm in industry and I have a lab tech that is really good and I think he'd do really well in grad school. Do I email professors? Email department grad school coordinators? Don't email anyone? #chemsky

I’ll pretend my typo was intentional because Colorado = peaks

Went a took a quick peak at where my chemistry career began!

A summer REU 14 yrs ago and then first year of grad school 12 yrs ago 🤯

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My piece on molecules found in magnolia trees. Some of these are magnolol, honokiol, and magnoflorine but there are many more and I’ve drawn just a few. Hope you like it! #sciart #chemsky #art

✨suspended disbelief✨ is a wonderful thing lol

Thanks for this list!

I’m really loving the sci-fi space operas. I might look into Expanse next. I’ve heard that’s excellent

Oooo thanks for the tip!

I haven't read for pleasure since... maybe early college. I'm finally getting back into it with audiobooks. Recently. I've read six books of the Red Rising series, six books of the Sun Eater series, working through the Mistborn series, and a hand full of others. All of them are sooo good

I'm still muting so many accounts lol please make it stop