It’s me, hi, I’m the chemist, it’s me

I have a confession. I haven't run a laboratory experiment in over 10 years. I decided to leave the bench toward the end of my graduate career. I spent more than 5 years exploring neuronal development using microscale-patterned substrates with beautiful chemistry. I still have some amazing videos capturing cells exploring their environment. I published results demonstrating a new class of self-assembled monolayers. Then I left it all behind. With my days of conducting laboratory research in the distant past, why am I here writing this Comment in the premier publication of the American Chemical Society? Am I really still a chemist? Yes, I am! Like many trained chemists— the majority, in fact, when we look at the numbers—following an academic career path wasn't for me. Instead of diving into untangling the mysteries of the molecular world, I chose a career at the interface of science and business because it