Organic chemist interested in the origins of life. Moranlab.com 🇨🇦 CRC1 and Prof @uottawa.ca 🇫🇷 part-time @unistra.frhttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3mtn4ivmoic22@stephy.bsky.social Please add me to ChemFolk. Thanks!22 Aug 2026 01:24 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtn4ivmoic22https://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3mtml4onnxc2sOne of my favorite science writers has covered our recent paper, in collaboration with the group of Bill Martin. [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Aug 2026 20:13 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtml4onnxc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3msesww47hs2qTwo origins of life? https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aef3128?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D63400198313981576420330390104598525667%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D178597706606 Aug 2026 00:46 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3msesww47hs2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3mq7wjofnk22tCongrats to recent PhD graduate Maciej Piejko for winning the thesis prize from the Fondation Jean-Marie Lehn! Your future is bright! https://fondation-lehn.fr/prix-de-these-2026-la-fondation-jean-marie-lehn-recompense-deux-travaux-interdisciplinaires-en-chimie-sante-et-science-quantique/09 Jul 2026 15:17 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq7wjofnk22thttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3mpgtiosvhs2iA nice News highlight in @science.org on the work of my collaborator Bill Martin (we pitched in on one of the pre-prints). https://www.science.org/content/article/metal-driven-chemical-reaction-deep-sea-may-explain-origin-life29 Jun 2026 15:46 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpgtiosvhs2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3mpgssueogs2aThree back-to-back-to-back conference is probably too much of a good thing, but thoroughly enjoyed the Reaction Mechanisms Conference in Holland, MI, the GRC Metallocofactors in Portland, ME , and the French-American Chemical Symposium in Ottawa (photo from FACS below).29 Jun 2026 15:34 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpgssueogs2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3mnd7engjg22lhttps://www.quantamagazine.org/the-dirt-that-refused-to-die-20260601/02 Jun 2026 18:18 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnd7engjg22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3mmhn2ga5gk2sEnzymes use strong electric fields to catalyze metabolism. Could abiotic electric fields have kickstarted a proto-metabolism before enzymes? @noeminogal.bsky.social's paper in @jacs.acspublications.org hints that, at least for pyridoxal biosynthesis, the answer might be yes. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.6c0167722 May 2026 19:08 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmhn2ga5gk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3mmhn2ga5gk2sEnzymes use strong electric fields to catalyze metabolism. Could abiotic electric fields have kickstarted a proto-metabolism before enzymes? @noeminogal.bsky.social's paper in @jacs.acspublications.org hints that, at least for pyridoxal biosynthesis, the answer might be yes. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.6c0167722 May 2026 19:08 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmhn2ga5gk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3mkqv4qam4224Thanks for sending Jon our way, John. We’ll take good care of him! [contains quote post or other embedded content]01 May 2026 00:36 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkqv4qam4224https://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3mdinlpyygs2yHad a great visit at McGill Chemistry in my home town of Montréal. Thanks to Thomas Preston for hosting, Janine Mauzeroll for the invitation, and everyone else for their time.28 Jan 2026 16:03 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdinlpyygs2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3maeokqr5cc2bYes, indeed! First time in Hawaii and at this conference. [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Dec 2025 21:55 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3maeokqr5cc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3maef5qyyck2rThe jet lag helped the family get up early on Tuesday and we made it to the top of Diamond Head just after sunrise.19 Dec 2025 19:06 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3maef5qyyck2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3maeey7u6ws2rEnjoying science and (occasional) sun at @pacifichem.bsky.social Thanks to Yoshiyuki Kageyama and Neal Devaraj for organizing the session on "Frontiers in Dynamic Supramolecular Chemistry: Towards Practical Functions".19 Dec 2025 19:03 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3maeey7u6ws2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3m5hfzocyi22rGreat news for astrobiology in Ontario and Canada! https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/sara-seager-uoft-exoplanet-research-9.697117612 Nov 2025 19:44 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5hfzocyi22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3m4ix6ydbqc2tThey say grad students start to resemble their chemicals. Very creative, Jack! Happy Halloween!31 Oct 2025 16:59 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4ix6ydbqc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3m4eblt6m6s2yYes! I have been advocating for this viewpoint for years. [contains quote post or other embedded content]29 Oct 2025 20:22 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4eblt6m6s2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3m3dg5eoshk2510 days left to apply. A view from my 13 min bike commute downtown - not always possible in North America! [contains quote post or other embedded content]16 Oct 2025 18:45 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3dg5eoshk25https://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3lygswjbyx224Past and present collide as @rjmayer.bsky.social and @yannickgeiger.bsky.social, now both leading groups of their own, meet @noeminogal.bsky.social at @esor2025.bsky.social in beautiful Padova. [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 Sep 2025 22:57 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3lygswjbyx224https://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3lygs4bpcl224A great start to @esor2025.bsky.social in beauitiful Padova today. An introduction by our conference chair @leonardprins.bsky.social [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 Sep 2025 22:42 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3lygs4bpcl224https://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3lxfgzeur5s2g@uottawa.ca is hiring a Full Professor and Tier 1 CRC in Sustainable Catalyst Design. Ability to teach inorganic and organometallic chemistry especially welcome. Comes with dedicated funding, teaching reduction, and substantial startup funds. Ottawa is a great place to live! tinyurl.com/bdcm5hw6 https://tinyurl.com/bdcm5hw627 Aug 2025 16:26 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxfgzeur5s2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3lvk5b6ur4c2dhttps://www.quantamagazine.org/at-17-hannah-cairo-solved-a-major-math-mystery-20250801/04 Aug 2025 02:24 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvk5b6ur4c2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3lry5ek3p422gThis was a great kick-off and I wish the team much luck moving forward! [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Jun 2025 18:22 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3lry5ek3p422ghttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3loo5nczrq22qWas a JSP Fellow more than a decade ago and it was so critical to integration of this Canadian (who barely knew anyone on the continent) into the European scene. Thank you, @swisschemistry.bsky.social [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 May 2025 14:45 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3loo5nczrq22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/moranlabchem.bsky.social/post/3lonmhzohrc2tIt feels strange to be in Switzerland in April/May for something other than the #Burgenstock meeting, but it was a pleasure to be the external speaker at the last retreat of the NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering in Grindelwald.08 May 2025 09:38 +0000at://did:plc:7tmitzcjrh74u6uw6dee3opy/app.bsky.feed.post/3lonmhzohrc2t