One Day, One Job » chemistry

Liquidia Technologies

Willy Franzen — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:49:06 +0000

When I was a kid, there were two kinds of visits to the doctor’s office: ones where I had to get a shot and ones where I didn’t. Children will never be able to understand how lucky they are to have the opportunity to get poked in the arm with a needle so that they can be vaccinated. Tomorrow’s kids will be even luckier to get poked if Liquidia Technologies keeps innovating. They’re a Research Triangle Park, NC based company that is “developing engineered particle-based vaccines and therapeutics that have the potential to dramatically improve the quality of human life.” Liquidia Technologies was founded in 2004 based on discoveries made by a Professor Joseph DeSimone of UNC, and since then they’ve raised a ton of financing.

There’s No Vaccine for Unemployment

I was in over my head as soon as I landed on Liquidia Technologies’ website, but maybe that’s because my Biology education ended after 9th grade. Luckily, I found the company’s corporate video, which does a great job of explaining what they’re all about:

If you’re yearning for more information on the science behind what Liquidia does, you should be able to find a good amount of info on their website. If all the biotechnology lingo makes sense to you without a need for translation, then you might be a good fit for a job at Liquidia Technologies. Right now they’re hiring Associate Scientists in Biology, Drug Delivery, Bio Conjugate Chemistry and Materials Science. They’re looking for people with 0-4 years of experience, so these jobs can be considered entry level. Liquidia also accepts general applications, so that’s an option if you think you could be a good fit in a different role.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you hate getting shots as a kid?

Chemical Heritage Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:06:43 +0000

When I was a kid, I had my own chemistry set. It was pretty cool–I could do things like change the color of a liquid by mixing a few different powders. Ok, so it wasn’t that exciting, especially after I learned that my Dad would make his own gunpowder and blow stuff up when he was a kid. After having a watered down chemistry set as a kid, I ended up having a completely inept chemistry teacher in high school. It should be no surprise that my interest in chemistry fizzled out, but if I wanted to get the reaction going again, I might look to the Chemical Heritage Foundation. They’re a Philadelphia, PA based non-profit organization that “fosters an understanding of chemistry’s impact on society” by “inspiring a passion for chemistry; highlighting chemistry’s role in meeting current social challenges; and preserving the story of chemistry and its technologies and industries across centuries.”

Show Your Chemical Heritage

The Chemical Heritage Foundation has four key program areas. The first is The Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Library of Chemical History, which is exactly what it sounds like. The second is The Roy Eddleman Institute for Interpretation and Education, which is focused on bringing chemistry to a broader audience and includes the Museum at CHF. The third is The Center for Contemporary History and Policy, and it’s all about promoting chemistry’s current and future role in society. Finally, there’s The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry, which “hosts a community of visiting fellows.” As you can see, the CHF is working in every area that it can to connect society with the wonders of chemistry. You can explore CHF’s work much more deeply by browsing their website, so I highly recommend that. And if you really like what you see, you can go to their Jobs page. Oddly enough, the job that they have posted doesn’t require a background in science, as it’s a Project Development Assistant position. It looks like a great opportunity for a new or recent grad, so check it out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you have a chemistry set as a kid?

Forensic Fluids Laboratories

Willy Franzen — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:51:32 +0000

Do you like animals? Need a job? If you said yes to both, then you need to check out entry level opportunities at Nestle Purina. They’re our sponsor this week.

While on a fishing trip last month, I met a guy who was telling me about his daughter’s coursework in forensics. He mentioned that her college’s program has its own house for practicing crime scene investigation. Apparently, it’s filled with all kind of carnage—you know, bullet holes, blood stains, and other—ahem—bodily fluids. I told the guy that I didn’t understand how this house was any different from most college housing after a good weekend, but he didn’t seem to appreciate the humor. My point is that the area of forensics is growing, and Kalamazoo, MI based Forensic Fluids Laboratories is a perfect example of this. They’re an Inc. 500 company with 1,680.7% three-year revenue growth and $2.8 million in annual revenue. Forensic Fluids Laboratories specializes in testing oral fluids—in other words, spit—with a heavy emphasis on drug testing.

Salivate Over These Jobs

There’s a decent chance that once you land a job, you’ll be subjected to a drug test. It’s become a common practice, mostly because it helps companies limit their liability and reduce turnover costs. The problem with drug tests are that they’re extremely invasive. Both urine and blood samples are difficult to collect, and can only be 100% accurate if the samples are collected under supervision by a reliable source. Hair tests provide another alternative, but apparently they’re quite expensive. Forensic Fluids Laboratories offers the opportunity to test for drugs with a simple swab of the mouth. Within 72 hours they can identify a positive test for a laundry list of drugs, and within 24 hours they can identify a negative test. Forensic Fluids Laboratories’ are extremely reliable, and they’re even court approved. It truly is disruptive technology for the drug testing industry. If you’re fascinated by this kind of stuff, you should check out jobs at Forensic Fluids Laboratories. Right now they’re looking for a Laboratory Technologist, and it seems like a perfect entry level opportunity for someone with a background in “chemistry, medical science, biology, biochemistry, microbiology, toxicology or equivalent.” That’s all they have right now, but they’re growing fast and will likely be hiring more people in the near future.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever had your spit tested?

Nestle Purina

Willy Franzen — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:37:26 +0000

This is a sponsored post for Nestle Purina.

Who else thinks there aren’t enough pets in college? I understand that college students are often stressed, busy, and living in places where animals aren’t permitted, but I’d like to see more pets on campus. My roommates and I had a cat, a bird, a hamster, and an occasionally visiting dog—all of which our landlord didn’t quite know about. We knew we weren’t supposed to have them, but the excitement that the animals constantly brought to the house made it well worth the risk of a $500 fine. I know a few people who decided to get a cat or dog after graduating from college, but most held back because they didn’t know if their work schedule would allow them to give their pets the care that they would need. This isn’t a problem at Nestle Purina, a St. Louis, MO based company (with dozens of other locations) that is a “leader in the pet products industry.” Not only do they offer a pet-friendly workplace, but they also offer a work environment where you’ll be “dedicated to improving the lives of cats and dogs through quality nutrition and care.” You’re probably familiar with a number of Nestle Purina’s brands including Pro Plan, Purina ONE, Dog Chow, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Beggin’ Strips and many more—and I hope your pets are too.

Calling All Animal Lovers

If you’re wondering why there’s a Nestle in front of the Purina name, it’s because of a merger in 2001—they’re not making chocolate flavored dog food. Along with the Purina name, they’ve also held on to the company’s iconic checkerboard logo that you see above. What I like most about Nestle Purina is their commitment to recruiting top talent. For many companies a Jobs page is an afterthought, but Nestle Purina has an entire careers site at NestlePurinaCareers.com. The site provides extremely detailed information on their career opportunities and what it’s like to work for them, so you don’t have to wonder whether it makes sense for you to apply or not. The site include information on Locations, Culture & Benefits, Departments, Company History, and more, but the most important thing for you is their Step One Management Trainee Program. It’s an 18-24 month program that offers opportunities in Engineering (mechanical, industrial, chemical, and more), Food Science, Microbiology, Supply Chain, Occupational/Safety/Health, Packaging Engineering, Packaging Design, Engineering Technology, Human Resources, Information Systems, Computer Science, and Accounting. They even have podcasts that go into great depth about many of these opportunities, and you can also check out their Choosing Your Career Path page and their walk-through of the hiring process.

The Nestle Purina Management Trainee Program is offered in three locations: Jefferson, WI; Davenport, IA; and Bloomfield, MO. Once you’ve completed the program you can expect to relocate to any of Nestlé Purina’s 21 plant locations in the United States. As you can see, Nestle Purina pays a lot of attention to their college recruiting, which is why they were “named by Experience.com and Yahoo!HotJobs as one of the Best Places to Work for Recent Grads in 2010.” They’ve put together some great opportunities for when you graduate, so check them out and Apply for the Nestle Purina Management Trainee Program →.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have any questions about Nestle Purina? Ask them here and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.

Novomer

Willy Franzen — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:50:43 +0000

Yesterday we talked about the intersection of science and public relations, but today we’re just going to stick to science—Chemistry to be specific. I struggled with Chemistry in high school. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t my fault though. I had a teacher who wasn’t quite qualified for the job. The amazing thing is that even in high school Chemistry, you’re working with some pretty nasty stuff. That means that a lot of the chemical companies out there aren’t very environmentally friendly. Novomer is an exception. They convert “carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide from pollution into valuable materials [that have] the potential to transform the plastics and materials landscape on a global scale.” And I thought it was cool that trees could turn carbon dioxide into wood. Novomer is based in Waltham, MA, but their R&D lab is in my favorite college town, Ithaca, NY.

Making Chemistry Green

Since I wasn’t a very good Chemistry student, I probably won’t be able to shed much light on the nitty gritty details of what Novomer actually does. I will tell you that the flow chart on their Technology page is probably as simple as it gets though. You should also note that 10% of the oil that our country used is for manufacturing plastics and chemicals. Novomer’s technology not only negates the need for oil in the manufacturing process, but it also locks up carbon dioxide in the good that are produced. That’s pretty amazing. Even the government is impressed, as Novomer was awarded $2.1 million in federal stimulus money. If you’re impressed, check out jobs at Novomer. Right now they’re looking for a Research Technician in the Ithaca R&D lab. The job looks entry level, but you definitely need a background in chemistry.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Novomer?

Intellectual Ventures

Willy Franzen — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:30:53 +0000

One of the books that I’ve been reading lately is SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance. It’s a great follow-up to the original Freakonomics, and it once again shows how changing your mindset can lead you to all kinds of new ideas (this is a really important lesson for job seekers). One of the companies that is mentioned in the book is Intellectual Ventures, a Bellevue, WA based invention company. They’re all about ideas. Things like product design, product development, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and service all come later, and Intellectual Ventures doesn’t want anything thing to do with those processes. They just invent, invent, invent. The company isn’t tied to one specific area—they’re working on problems like stopping Malaria, preventing hurricanes, and counteracting negative effects from climate change should they ever happen.

An Intellectual Venture for Your Career

For Intellectual Ventures it’s all about owning the intellectual property. They want to come up with the ideas, make them work, and then let other companies do the rest. The business side will be about licensing the technology to the right people on a non-exclusive basis possibly including spin-off companies, but for now it’s all about building a technology portfolio. Intellectual Ventures has been actively inventing since 2003, and since then they’ve filed thousands of patents. These patent applications “span a broad range of areas including computer software and hardware, user interface design, semiconductors, biomedical devices, advanced medical procedures, digital imaging, nanotechnology, nuclear energy and advanced particle physics.” As you can probably tell from that list of topic area (and the company’s name), Intellectual Ventures is filled with extremely smart people. It was founded by two former C level Microsoft executives.

If you’ve always been fascinated by invention and you think that you have the intellect, then you should check out Intellectual Ventures’ Jobs page. They have 50 positions posted right now, and most require a high level of education and experience, but a few seem suitable for new grads. Whether or not a position is right for you will rely heavily on how relevant your background is, so it makes more sense to browse the listings yourself to see what fits. You should also note that Intellectual Ventures has satellite offices in Silicon Valley, Austin, Tokyo, Beijing, Singapore, Seoul, and Bangalore.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you read SuperFreakonomics yet?

Green Seal

Willy Franzen — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:25:07 +0000

Whether or not we’re really going through a green revolution is up for debate, but I can assure you that Marketing departments across the world are taking advantage of the public’s appetite for “green” products. Unfortunately, “green” doesn’t really mean anything. To you it might mean one thing, and to me it might mean another. We assume that something that is labeled or advertised as green will be better for the environment, but how do we really know? That’s where Green Seal comes in. They are Washington, DC based “independent non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and service.” They do this by certifying products that meet their Green Seal standards. By having an independent third party set standards, consumers can actually make informed choices about the products they buy (as long as they’re Green Seal certified, of course).

Are You Green Seal Certified?

There’s a lot that goes into the certification process, and there are plenty of other organizations and businesses that work in the green certification field. The reason that Green Seal is different is that their “standard-setting process is open, collaborative, fair, and completely transparent.” There are no trade secrets. That means that even the most environmentally conscious customers will be able to know if Green Seal meets their personal standards. If Green Seal meets your personal standards, you may want to think about a job with them. I couldn’t find a Jobs page on their website, but they do post open positions on Idealist. Right now they have two opportunities that appear to be suitable for new grads: Environmental Scientist and Environmental Engineer. The jobs sound pretty similar, and they require a strong science background, so check out the full job descriptions and see if you’re the right fit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you try to buy certified products? Which certifications?

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Willy Franzen — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:21:05 +0000

I love writing these holiday posts. It’s always fun to think of holiday related jobs, and since today is President’s Day, I had a lot of options. I could have looked at car dealerships or retailers that celebrate with a President’s Day sale, but I wanted to feature some jobs that honor our past presidents. Since Washington and Lincoln are all over our money, we’re going to check out jobs with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re responsible for printing all of our paper money, but that’s not all that they do. The BEP is also the country’s largest producer of security documents, which includes “U.S. passports, materials for Homeland Security, military identification cards, and Immigration and Naturalization Certificates.” They don’t produce our coinage – that’s the United States Mint, but they do have the coolest domain name in the government – MoneyFactory.gov – even though it kind of sounds like a get rich quick scheme’s web site. And last but not least, they must be pretty busy because the current low interest rates mean that the government is printing a lot of new money.

Jobs in the Money

If you don’t believe the saying that “money can’t make you happy,” then you might be well suited for a job with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. You’re probably not going to get rich with a job in the Federal government, but you’ll certainly be surrounded by cold, hard cash. The BEP looks like a fascinating place to work, and they have quite a few job offerings that might interest new college grads. They have two locations – Washington, DC and Fort Worth, TX – but they only have job openings in DC right now. The BEP’s job listings are some of the most confusing that I’ve ever read, so it’s really hard to tell what the experience requirements are for each job. With that said, I think that you might want to check out jobs like Quality Assurance Specialist, Human Resources Specialist (Employee & Labor Relations), Management Assistant, Chemist, Picture Engraver (Banknote) Apprentice, and Research Chemist. It’s hard to say whether all of these jobs are entry level, but give them a good look if you’re intrigued by the titles. You should also note that the BEP has some Special Hiring Programs. These include the Outstanding Scholar Program, which “exempts qualified applicants from normal competitive hiring procedures who have obtained Superior Academic Achievement,” and a Merit Promotions Program. The application instructions for jobs with the BEP are at the end of each job posting, and they’re onerous to say the least, but if you want to be surrounded by money, there’s no better option.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite bill produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing?

New York Structural Biology Center

Willy Franzen — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:53:45 +0000

When I was in college, the only studying of proteins that I did was in a class called Intro to Meat Science. Don’t believe me? Here’s the course listing. Learning how meat proteins react to salt or heat is extremely useful (and delicious) but not at all relevant to the non-profit organization that we’re featuring today (or if it is, I’ll be shocked). Unfortunately, I know absolutely nothing about biomedical research or cell biophysics, so all I can do is tell you a little bit about the New York Structural Biology Center and the entry-level jobs that they’re offering for new grads.

I Love Membrane Proteins Structure

If you own a t-shirt with the above saying, then the New York Structural Biology Center should be a great fit for you. The Center’s research goals are based around “understanding of the role that proteins play in disease pathways” and “[carrying] out advanced biomedical research in a number of areas including the new fields of structural genomics.” The NYSBC is the core facility of the New York Consortium on Membrane Proteins Structure, which consists of laboratories in and around New York City that are working together to “determine the structures of integral membrane proteins using high throughput methodologies.” The NYSBC is governed by a Board of representatives from the ten institutional members: Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, City University of New York, Columbia University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York University, The Rockefeller University, Wadsworth Center of the Department of Health, the Joan and Sanford Weill Medical College of Cornell University (Go Big Red!), and the State University of New York. It appears that the NYSBC is making significant progress, and the successes seem to be enabling them to expand by hiring new people and beginning new projects.

Entry-Level Is a Broad Term

We have a love-hate relationship with the term “entry-level.” It’s the only way to consistently identify job opportunities for new college grads, but the definition is way too broad to actually be useful. The jobs that the New York Structural Biology Center are listed as entry-level, and they are definitely directed at new college grads, but there is no way that most college kids would qualify. The job title is Technician, and there are 2 openings. Applicants are expected to have majored in Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Previous experience in a laboratory research setting will also be a major advantage, although it’s not required. Tasks that NYSBC Technicians are expected to work on include: preparation of buffers and bacteriological media, growth and harvesting of bacteria cultures, basic molecular biology, and routine laboratory maintenance. You can apply by sending your cover letter and resume to Brian Kloss, Ph.D. at bkloss@nysbc.org.

Sorry for all the quotes today, but I’m going to stick with my steak cooking skills. This stuff is way over my head, but if it’s in your realm, please share any insight that you have in the comments. Hopefully we gave you enough to get you started on your own research of jobs at the New York Structural Biology Center.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

See those 3 big buttons on the top of the web page? Yeah, scroll up! When you click those, you directly boost our egos. Go do it. Now.

Burt’s Bees

Willy Franzen — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:41:21 +0000

It always seems like you never have Chapstik – er, lip balm – when you really need it. Even Napoleon Dynamite was plagued by that little tube’s ability to disappear from his pocket and end up sitting on his desk at home. Some will argue that they never use lip balm because it just makes the problem of chapped lips worse, but I know for a fact that those people give in as soon as their “lips hurt real bad.” As life saving as lip balm can be at the right time, you’d still never expect it to allow a guy who lived in a turkey coop to be the face of a billion dollar business. Yes, Burt’s Bees was sold last year to Clorox for just shy of a billion dollars.

From Rags to… Rags

Apparently the whole story is quite contentious, as Burt of Burt’s Bees was bought out for just a few hundred thousand dollars by his then lover and business partner. She eventually sold the business for a much larger sum. Burt now has about $4 million to his name, but still chooses to live in a turkey coop with no electricity or running water; however, he has expanded the coop. The whole story is worth a read, and can be found at the NY Times. So, how did this cottage enterprise in Maine turn into a billion dollar business located in Durham, NC? Organic and all-natural products got hot. People will pay more for their lip balm (or cream, or shampoo, or soap) if it’s produced in an environmentally sound way with ingredients that are organic or all-natural. This is what Burt’s Bees is all about, although it stands to be determined whether consumers will still trust the authenticity of the company, now that it’s owned and operated by a bleach company.

Organic Chemistry (Not the Kind That Breaks Pre-Meds)

Although most of the jobs at Burt’s Bees require a moderate amount of experience, there are a couple that might be good fits for a college chemist. Burt’s Bees is looking for an Industrial Chemist and a Junior Quality Control Chemist. The first position appears to be more entry-level than the second, but both are worth a look. Although our chemistry knowledge is limited, we can imagine that spending a few years as a chemist with an all-natural / organic products company will open the doors for many future opportunities. The market for such products is only going to grow, and having a background in working with natural ingredients seems be something that you’ll be able to leverage quite nicely down the road.

Burt’s Bees’ Careers page is really simple, and the job descriptions are really clear about what they’re looking for. We love that! We also like their Working at Burt’s Bees page, although they’ve overlooked the fact that they should probably link to it from the Careers page. We can’t speak to whether the culture at Burt’s has changed since the company was acquired, but we imagine that it’s in Clorox’s best interest to do whatever it takes to maintain the brand’s authenticity. That should start with treating their people the same way they were treated when it was just Burt’s Bees.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Burt’s Bees
Jobs at Burt’s Bees
Working at Burt’s Bees
About Burt’s Bees
The History of Burt’s Bees (No mention of Clorox…)
The Culture of Burt’s Bees
Burt’s Bees’ Leadership Team
Research & Development at Burt’s Bees

Now where’s my lip balm…