I write occasionally about my work, like building AI products for scientific R&D, structuring strategic partnerships in B2B science, transforming product operating models, and developing product talent. The curated selection below is grouped along the same four themes you'll find across the rest of this site, plus a section on product careers and craft, and a few pieces on subjects that have nothing to do with work. Earlier academic and popular science writing from my chemistry days is preserved at the bottom of the page.
ai products for scientific R&D
Reproducibility in R&D building trust and digital foundations — Expert perspectives (Part 2) (Springer Nature, Jun 2026). Second of two articles exploring the links between reproducibility and the ongoing digital transformation of research.
Reproducibility in R&D building trust and digital foundations — Expert perspectives (Part 1) (Springer Nature, June 2026). First of two articles exploring the links between reproducibility and the ongoing digital transformation of research labs.
Reproducibility, from abstract to context — A conversation with Emma Ganley and Robin Padilla (Springer Nature, May 2026). A podcast with my colleague at protocols.io, Emma Ganley, as we dive into topics on reproducibility, lab digitization, and AI in the lab.
More high-impact data, in more tools, to help more researchers (CiteAb May 2026) Announcing the partnership expansion between Springer Nature and CiteAb, focusing on lab reagents data.
From silos to systems: building interoperable R&D workflows (Springer Nature, Feb 2026). Exploring why interoperability is the “unglamorous” prerequisite for any agentic-AI play.
From silos to systems: building interoperable R&D workflows (Springer Nature, Feb 2026). Exploring why interoperability is the “unglamorous” prerequisite for any agentic-AI play.
How digital labs enhance reproducibility and accelerate innovation (Springer Nature, Jan 2026).
Springer Nature helps streamline researcher workflows with AI-powered protocols (Press release, Dec 2025). How the AI based Methods Muse moved from beta test into platform integration with protocols.io.
Methods Muse Launches as Open Beta (Springer Nature Research Communities, March 2025). Open beta testing a generative AI based “co-scientist” focusing on experimental design and troubleshooting.
The Digital Transformation of R&D: Navigating the Digital Lab and Solutions for Efficiency (Springer Nature white paper, Dec 2024).
Transforming R&D: A Protocols Perspective(MassBio, May 2024). In this talk, I review developments in the digital transformation of life science labs and explore some emerging opportunity spaces.
AI is Eating Drug Discovery: A Glance at Some Menus (Jan 2020). Believe it or not, AI was a huge topic in pharma and biotech before before the genAI wave in 2022…
Antibody-specific search and filters on Springer Nature Experiments (July 2021). Launch post for the reproducibility-focused search work that seeded the CiteAb partnership.
Antibody search and profiling (Beta version) on Springer Nature Experiments (July 2019). First beta test of the above, which was the foundation for the CiteAb partnership.
The Story Behind Springer Nature Experiments (Springer Nature, April 2018). The origin story for how and why the SN Experiments platform as launched.
Beyond Data: SpringerMaterials Interactive Goes Live (Nature's Of Schemes and Memes Blog, April 2017). A perspective from my early product career on machine-readable data and lab digitization.
More high-impact data, in more tools: CiteAb and Springer Nature expand partnership (CiteAb blog, May 2026). Valuable partnership extension building on the original CiteAb partnership.
Springer Nature continues open research drive with acquisition of protocols.io (press release, July 2023). Acquisition announcement of protocols.io, seeded by the initial pilot partnership in 2021.
Springer Nature X protocols.io: A Pilot Project (Oct 2021). A more granular explanation of the pilot project with protocols.io to understand digital lab behaviors.
Springer Nature and protocols.io partner for open research (press release, Sept 2021). Why open it: the announcement that opens the protocols.io arc; useful as the first link in the three-piece sequence above.
Springer Nature becomes first publisher to partner with CiteAb (press release, Sept 2022). Exploring a pioneering data partnership in the life science reagent sector.
strategic parnterships & open innovation
The Building Blocks of Product Management and Leadership (Tealfeed interview, Feb 2023). A longform interview where I share my thoughts on product management, lab digitisation, and open innovation.
Creating Solutions for COVID-19 Frontliners – A Case Study (Mind the Product, April 2020). How my team abandoned SAFe under pressure and shipping in ten days, aka, the founding story of the operating-model transformation.
Product Operating Model & Practice
Product Careers & Craft
How I got my job in product – Robin Padilla (Mind the Product, June 2022). How did I go from scientist to product management and how the two fields are more related than one might think.
Meet the scientific-database developer (Nature, Dec 2018). A career-pivot story from my early product management career.
earlier academic & scientific publications
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9) Padilla, R. Metallophilic crosslinking: a silver bullet for self-healing polyurethanes. AdvancedScienceNews. March 16, 2015. http://www.advancedsciencenews.com/metallophilic-crosslinking-silver-bullet-self-healing-polyurethanes
8) Padilla, R. The End is Just the Beginning: A Review of End-Functional Poly(3-Hexylthiophene) AdvancedScienceNews. March 6, 2015. http://www.advancedsciencenews.com/end-just-beginning-review-end-functional-poly3-hexylthiophene
7) Padilla, R. A New Review of Nanocellulose for Biomedical Applications. AdvancedScienceNews. February 27, 2015. http://www.advancedsciencenews.com/new-review-nanocellulose-biomedical-applications
6) Padilla, R. Flexible Electronic Devices Experience Organic Growth. AdvancedScienceNews. January 30, 2015. http://www.advancedsciencenews.com/flexible-electronic-devices-experience-organic-growth
5) Padilla, R. Journal of Polymer Science: Special Issue Dedicated to Jean Fréchet. AdvancedScienceNews. December 12, 2014. https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/journal-polymer-science-special-issue-dedicated-jean-frechet
4) Padilla, R. Acid-resistant epoxy resin trips up decomposition. AdvancedScienceNews. November 6, 2014. http://www.advancedsciencenews.com/acid-resistant-epoxy-resin-trips-decomposition
3) Padilla, R. A consistent search for low-defect polymers. AdvancedScienceNews. October 1, 2014. http://www.advancedsciencenews.com/consistent-search-low-defect-polymers
2) Padilla, R. Beams Away: Nuclear Fusion Research at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Berkeley Science Review, Fall 2008, vol. 15, p 7. https://web.archive.org/web/20100610102732/http://sciencereview.berkeley.edu/articles.php?issue=15&article=labscopes
1) Padilla, R. Karma and the Cortex: Buddhist Monks and Brain Researchers Have a Meeting of the Minds. Berkeley Science Review, Spring 2008, vol. 15, p 11. https://web.archive.org/web/20100609224514/http://sciencereview.berkeley.edu/articles.php?issue=14&article=briefs_3
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9) Albright, T.A.; Drissi, R.; Gandon, V.; Oldenhof, S.; Oloba-Whenu, O. A.; Padilla, R.; Shen, H.; Vollhardt, K. P. C.; Vreeken, V. A Terminal, Fluxional η4-Benzene Complex with a Thermally Accessible Triplet State is the Primary Photoproduct in the Intercyclobutadiene Haptotropism of (CpCo)phenylenes. Chem. Eur. J.2015, 21, 4546–4550. (DOI: 10.1002/chem.201406211).
8) Cabrera, J.; Padilla, R.; Bru, M.; Lindner, R.; Kageyama, T.; Wilckens, K.; Balof, S. L.; Schanz, H.-J.; Dehn, R.; Teles, J. H.; Deuerlein, S.; Müller, K.; Rominger, F.; Limbach, M. Linker-Free, Silica-Bound Olefin Metathesis Catalysts: Applications in Heterogeneous Catalysis. Chem. Eur. J.2012, 18, 14717–14724. (DOI: 10.1002/chem.201202248).
7) Cabrera, J.; Padilla, R.; Teles, H. J.; Dehn, R.; Deuerlein, S.; Gułajski, Ł.; Chomiszczak, E.; Teles, H. J.; Limbach, M.; Grela, K. Olefin Metathesis on a TLC Plate as a Tool for a High-Throughput Screening of Catalyst-Substrate Sets. Adv. Synth. Catal. 2012, 354, 1043–1051. (DOI: 10.1002/adsc.201100863).
6) Cao, P.; Cabrera, J.; Padilla, R.; Serra, D.; Rominger, F.; Limbach, M. Hydroamination of Unactivated Alkenes Catalyzed by Novel Platinum(II) N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes. Organometallics2012, 31, 921–929. (DOI: 10.1021/om200964u).
5) Gu, Z.; Boursalian, G.B.; Gandon, V.; Padilla, R.; Shen, H.; Timofeeva, T.V.; Tongwa, P.; Vollhardt, K. P. C.; Yakovenko, A. A. Activated Phenacenes from Phenylenes by Nickel-Catalyzed Alkyne Cycloadditions. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2011, 50, 9413–9417. (DOI: 10.1002/anie.201103428).
4) Albright, T. A.; Oldenhof, S.; Oluwakemi, O.; Padilla, R.; Stanger, A.; Vollhardt, K. P. C. Reversible Intercyclobutadiene Haptotropism in Cyclopentadienylcobalt Linear [4]Phenylene. Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 9039–9041. (DOI: 10.1039/C1CC13405A).
3) Schachner, J.; Cabrera, J.; Padilla, R.; Rominger, F.; Limbach, M. A Set of Olefin Metathesis Catalysts with Extraordinary Stickiness to Silica. ACS Catal.2011, 1, 872–876. (DOI: 10.1021/cs2002109).
2) Serra, D.; Cao, P.; Cabrera, J.; Padilla, R.; Rominger, F.; Limbach, M. Development of Platinum(II) and -(IV) CNC Pincer Complexes and Their Application in a Hydrovinylation Reaction. Organometallics, 2011, 30, 1885–1895. (DOI: 10.1021/om101128f).
1) Albright, T. A.; Dosa, P. I.; Grossman, T. N.; Oluwakemi, O.; Padilla, R.; Paubelle, R.; Timofeeva, T.; Vollhardt, K. P. C. Photo-Thermal Haptotropism in Cyclopentadienylcobalt Complexes of Linear Phenylenes: First Examples of Intercyclobutadiene Metal Migration. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2009, 48, 9853–9857. (DOI: 10.1002/anie.200905088).
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7) Schaal, P.; Padilla, R.; Chalk, S.; Klinge, M. Shoring up the (data)base: Advances in materials data processing and visualization. Book of Abstracts, 253rd American Chemical Society National Meeting San Francisco, USA. April 2–6, 2017; American Chemical Society; CINF-69 (Talk).
6) Padilla, R.; Klinge, M. Building a better materials science database: Challenges and opportunities. Book of Abstracts, 251st American Chemical Society National Meeting San Diego, USA. March 13–17, 2016; American Chemical Society; CINF-110 (Talk).
5) Padilla, R.; Cabrera, J.; Balof, S.-L.; Schanz, H.-J.; Dehn, R.; Limbach, M. “Linker-Free” Olefin Metathesis Catalysts: Applications in Heterogeneous Catalysis. International Symposium on Catalysis and Fine Chemicals, 2011, Nara, Japan. Dec. 4–8, 2011; Catalysis Society of Japan; CP-3 (Talk).
4) Cao, P.; Cabrera, C.; Padilla, R.; Ye, X.; Hofmann, P.; Limbach, M. Catalytic Reactions of Unactivated Alkenes. Heidelberg Forum of Molecular Catalysis, Heidelberg, Germany. July 22, 2011; University of Heidelberg, Sonderforschungsbereich 623 Molecular Catalysts; P21 (Poster).
3) Cao, P.; Padilla, R.; Limbach, M. Hydroamination of Ethylene Catalyzed by Novel Platinum(II) N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes. 22nd North American Catalysis Society Meeting, Detroit, USA. June 6– 11, 2011; North American Catalysis Society; P-Tu-6 (Poster).
2) Gandon, V.; Gu, Z.; Padilla, R.; Timofeeva, T.; Vollhardt, K. P. C. Mechanistic Investigations and Optimization of Nickel-Catalyzed Cycloaddition Reactions for the Preparation of [N]Phenacene Derivatives. Book of Abstracts, 239th American Chemical Society National Meeting San Francisco, USA. March 21–25, 2010; American Chemical Society; ORGN-545 (Talk).
1) Albright, T. A.; Dosa, P. I.; Grossman, T. N.; Oluwakemi, O.; Padilla, R.; Paubelle, R.; Stanger, A.; Timofeeva, T.; Vollhardt, K. P. C. Light-Induced, Thermally Reversible Haptotropic Shifts in Linear[5]- and Linear[3]-Phenylene Cyclopentadienyl Cobalt Complexes: The First Examples of Cyclobutadiene-to-Cyclobutadiene Haptotropism. Book of Abstracts, 238th American Chemical Society National Meeting, Washington D.C., USA. August 16–20, 2009; American Chemical Society; INOR-625 (Poster).