I use this page to write all the things that do not fit in a tweet or in a scientific paper. Discussing recent results from our research group or from others, advertising interesting events job offers, sharing comments and opinions (science, education, publishing, science communication, etc.).
“The paper is open for discussion” is a sentence often pronounced by the chairman after an oral communication at scientific conferences. As a non-native speaker, I was always surprised by the use of the word “paper” in this popular expression. The sentence invites the audience to asking questions to the speaker. From that moment on, everything is possible for the 5-10 upcoming minutes. The session can rapidly turn into a wild and passionate debate between more or less civilized and more or less arrogant scientists. This is usually a good sign that the work presented is interesting, at least in the sense that it triggers some reaction from the community. The audience can also look down on their cell phones, leaving the speaker alone on stage, showing no interest for what has just been communicated. How cruel! I think these few seconds of hesitation between both scenarios are thrilling.
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Damien was interviewed in celebration of his Young Researcher Award 2020, Catalysis Division of the French Chemical Society. In fact, ChemCatChem holds a Special Collection which serves to highlight the profiles of scientists who have received awards in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the field of catalysis. Discover some insights on Damien’s career and […]
Building multifunctional hybrid materials that integrate both bio- and chemo-catalytic functionalities is a promising way to carry out multistep chemical reactions in a more sustainable fashion. Yet, the combination of an enzyme and a heterogeneous catalyst is not straightforward, for example in the case of zeolite catalysts: the enzyme cannot be inserted in the microporosity […]
The dehydration of bio-alcohols is an important catalytic reaction in the perspective of the development of a bio-based industry. Bioethanol, for example, is a major bio-based platform chemical as its production via fermentation processes is now well-established. Its dehydration produces ethylene – a broadly used stock chemical important mainly in polymer industry. In a recent […]
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