It’s time to say goodbye to 2020 and welcome 2021

I’m pretty confident that I’m not alone when I say I’ll be glad to wave goodbye to 2020. This annus horribilis gave us both a global pandemic and a financial crisis, and it laid bare racial inequalities. It’s probably fair to say that this has been one of the worst years in recent times, with COVID-19 registering more than 1.6 million deaths and 74.3 million cases worldwide as of Dec. 17, according to the New York Times. Many countries are in lockdown—some, like Germany, recently announced more-restrictive measures as the number of infections and deaths reached new records—and struggling with rising unemployment levels.

Could 2021 possibly be worse? It’s difficult to imagine. I certainly hope it isn’t. Those of us whose glass is half full are ending 2020 with hope as the first deliveries of the vaccine are reaching those most at risk in the UK, the US, and other locations around the globe.

Most of us are desperate for a return to some sense of normality and look forward to having access to the vaccine and being able to relax and be hopeful. It’d be a relief to see the job market rebound. The academic sector has been negatively affected, as have the nonpharma sectors of the chemical industry, while pharma remains strong in terms of hiring. Related to this, see page 33 for Chemjobber’s analysis of what’s in store for chemists in the US job market in 2021.

The pandemic has certainly given a boost to the pharma industry, which recorded a good financial year. It has also cast a brighter spotlight on the sector as the public became aware of the complexity of drug manufacturing, gained insight into the difficulties surrounding clinical trial design, and, more broadly, acquired a greater understanding of the scientific process. Because the year was dominated by COVID-19 and the relentless work of the pharmaceutical and other industries to design more-reliable diagnostics, better protective gear, and effective therapeutics and vaccines, our annual Year in Pharma might be more appropriately named Year of Pharma. You can find it at cenm.ag/yip2020.

The issue highlighted how technology that has been around for years, like messenger RNA and rapid antibody development, became the backbone of some of the first COVID-19 drugs and vaccines in testing; how the US’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, became one of 2020’s most prominent figures, sparking both public admiration and ire; and more. As is customary, our Year in Pharma issue is followed by C&EN’s Year in Chemistry issue, which you are reading right now.

In this issue, you can read about C&EN’s top contenders for molecule of the year and find out which one readers selected on page 40, or at cenm.ag/moty2020. You can also find the sensational syntheses of 2020, including pulling nitrogen from thin air to make aniline derivatives, and our favorite laboratory tools, which include a smart magnetic stir bar that can measure temperature, viscosity, and conductivity as it stirs; a rotary reactor that synthesizes molecules at speeds of up to 5,400 revolutions per minute; and a robot that optimizes reactions using artificial intelligence. The smart stir bar would have definitely been on my Santa list were I still working in the lab. Which reminds me—if you’re looking to give some goodies to the chemist in your life, check out our Newscripts holiday gift guide in the Nov. 16 issue for some science-related ideas.

With that, the team and I would like to thank you for reading C&EN during 2020. Your loyalty and support are much appreciated. We look forward to continuing to serve you in 2021. Happy New Year!

Views expressed on this page are those of the author and not necessarily those of ACS.