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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · 17d

On my way to the PhD defenses of two of my students at the University of Würzburg, maybe the final endpoint of this chapter of my academic life. Finally daring to travel from Helsinki to Germany only by ferry and train. Right now riding the overnight train from Stockholm to Hamburg.

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Jul 6

Just came across this very interesting paper on academic ethics by Yasemim J Erden. Perfect weekend or summer read for anybody interested in addressing the rampant issues in current academia around the replicstion crisis and the obvious failure of academic metrics.

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Hyper-ambition and the Replication Crisis: Why Measures to Promote Research Integrity can Falter - Journal of Academic Ethics

This paper introduces the concept of ‘hyper-ambition’ in academia as a contributing factor to what has been termed a ‘replication crisis’ across some sciences. The replication crisis is an umbrella te...

link.springer.com

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Jun 27

What a wrap-up of #EPF2025. Florian Kaps, PhD student in our lab, received one of the poster prizes. We are very proud of his great work and thankful to allwho voted for Florian! Also congrats to all other awardees, including Julian Schmidt (Frey Lab) and one from the Jordan group at TU Dresden.

Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Jun 25

Very proud supervisor! My team won the pub quiz at #EPF2025!!

Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Jun 25

That's fantastic!! In particular that you donated the prize money!

Jens Gaitzsch @jgaitzsch.bsky.social · Jun 24

Honored to be one of the Awardees of this years' Andrew Keller Award. Truely appreciate the acknowledgment of our work and the opportunity to give an invited presentation at the #EPF2025
The prize money got matched and donated to @missionlifeline.bsky.social, Break the Fake and Panama e.V.

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Jun 24

Florian Kaps, PhD researcher in our group giving a short poster pitch at #EPF2024.

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Reposted by Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki

UnterlassLAB @unterlasslab.bsky.social · Jun 24

This week our PhD student @celinekuchler.bsky.social is attending the 10th European #Crystallography School in Ohrid, Macedonia.
She presents a poster "Controlled Crystallization and Morphological Studies of All-organic Salt Particles" and is looking forward to interesting lectures and discussions!

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Reposted by Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki

Nico Bruns @bruns-lab.bsky.social · Jun 22

My train is my office! On the way to #EPF2025 in Groningen, enjoying my favorite music and the scenery were I grew up, Germany's flatlands...

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Jun 24

Great talk by Jörg Tiller at #EPF2025

MSCA DN MetRaZymes @metrazymes.bsky.social · Jun 24

And here is some science from @metrazymes.bsky.social members at the European Polymer Congress @epf2025.bsky.social: PI Prof. Joerg Tiller presenting work of his group on double network hydrogels!

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Reposted by Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki

MSCA DN MetRaZymes @metrazymes.bsky.social · Jun 24

And here is some science from
@metrazymes.bsky.social members at the European Polymer Congress @epf2025.bsky.social: PI Prof. Nico Bruns @bruns-lab.bsky.social presenting enzymatic radical polymerizations!

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Reposted by Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki

Nico Bruns @bruns-lab.bsky.social · Jun 24

Andrea on the big stage! Indeed,a very large lecture theater @epf2025.bsky.social!

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Reposted by Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki

Yinyin Bao @ybao.bsky.social · Apr 5

It’s a great pleasure to host the group of Prof. Arn Mignon @kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social under the support of @unaeuropa.bsky.social @helsinki.fi Looking forward to the trip to Leuven soon!

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Jun 24

Correction, the polymers are supposed to become prostate cancer theranostics, not pancreatic cancer

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Jun 24

...a great collab with the TRIM group in Helsinki. (@msarparanta.bsky.social lab).

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Jun 24

Day 2 is starting at #EPF2025. From our Lab, Maurice Pütz is presenting his poster on bioinks (#289) Florian T. Kaps a poster on our cool lipopolymer platform (#291). But the star of the day, Yuquan Chi will present in the big Theaterzaal her work on starpolymers for pancreatic cancer radiotherapy..

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Jun 23

Askican Hacioglu just presented results from his PhD thesis and Ilia Elizbarian's MSc thesis at #EPF2025. Really interesting results on the tionation of different water-soluble amide bearing polymers. We are still working on the full picture, but really interesting, non-trivial effects observed.

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Jun 23

#EPF2025 is starting!! Katja Loos is opening, looking forward to a great week, great talks and inspiration! @polymerreaction.bsky.social

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Reposted by Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki

Tanja Junkers @polymerreaction.bsky.social · May 21

*looking for reviewers who reviewed a recent opinion piece of mine*

An unusual request, I know. I wrote an opinion article on my experience as trans person in science upon invitation of a journal. Despite mostly good reviews, the article was rejected.

#trans #academicchatter

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · May 19

I have a variation.... I find chemistry the most creative of sciences, and incredibly rewarding... you think of a molecule, never existed in the history of the univery.... you design a synthesis, make it and hold it in your hand.... first ever, anywhere...

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · May 16

Traceless red-light induced polymerization of hydrogels, safe for cells, possible deep in tissue, completely colorless products! Great collaboratiob with the teams of Nikita Durandin and @timolaaksonen.bsky.social.

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · May 16

You want to crosslinked bioprinted samples with red light, because it is particularly safe and penetrates deep? But you don't like that the products are colored, as they need to interact with the red light? We have a solution!

advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Traceless Photopolymerization with Non‐Pulsed Red Light Enables 3D‐Printable Cell‐Laden Hydrogels

The paper presents a red-light-induced polymerization process, initiated by the FDA-approved dye methylene blue and the cytocompatible co-initiator triethanolamine, for fabricating hydrogels. This ph...

advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Apr 30

Recently, we published a very nice paper with the team of @daltonlab.bsky.social on volumetric 3D printing. Check out the videos too! Now I brewed the corresponding paperbeer. A Westcoast IPA called Volumetric Vision. It turned out quite alright!

advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

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Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Apr 9

Chemistry is the perfect mixture of hands-on work, deep theoretical scientific concepts of the foundations of matter and all things and incredibly creative. In what other profession can you think of new molecules that never before existed, make them from scratch and test their properties? #chemistry

Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki @luxenhoferlab.bsky.social · Jan 30

It has been quite a while in the making, but now finally out, Julian's work, wrapped up by Aaron, shows new thiophene bearing poly(2-oxazoline)s and poly(2-oxazine)s. These could be quite interesting precursors for conductive polymers. Have a look!

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Synthesis and Polymerization of Thiophene‐Bearing 2‐Oxazolines and 2‐Oxazines

Thiophene-bearing 2Ox and 2Ozi monomers are produced by utilizing the Witte and Seeliger method. The monomers are characterized by spectroscopic methods and x-ray diffraction to resolve structural da....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Soft Matter Chemistry @ University of Helsinki

Auschwitz Memorial @auschwitzmemorial.bsky.social · Jan 27

Auschwitz was at the end of a long process. It did not start from gas chambers.

This hatred was gradually developed by humans. From ideas, words, stereotypes & prejudice through legal exclusion, dehumanization & escalating violence... to systematic and industrial murder.

Auschwitz took time.

A bird's-eye view of a former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp showing a wide dirt pathway flanked by parallel rows of barbed-wire fences. Groups of visitors walk along the path, surrounded by the remnants of brick structures and barracks, now reduced to foundations. Green grass contrasts with the somber history of the site, as the path leads toward a guard tower in the distance.

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