Reducing agents Memes

The virgin vs. chad meme of chemistry! On the left, we have the boring "Average LAH and NaBH4 fan" - the timid chemist who sticks to standard, safe reducing agents like lithium aluminum hydride and sodium borohydride. Meanwhile, the chaotic "Average carrots and mouth bacteria enjoyer" on the right represents the mad scientist who knows that nature's own reducing agents can do the job too. Your mouth bacteria and vegetables contain enzymes that perform reduction reactions - just with more style and fewer safety protocols. Next lab meeting, try telling your PI you're replacing expensive reagents with saliva. The unemployment line has great reducing agents too!