NEW ACS Virtual Press Center
The American Chemical Society (ACS) Office of Public Affairs is offering the news media the opportunity to join press briefings whether covering the meeting onsite or from a remote location. This new updated format during ACS’ 236th National Meeting Aug. 17-21 Philadelphia will provide access to the increasing number of journalists who cover scientific meetings from their home base.
Join the sessions live online at their scheduled times or watch archived footage at http://ustream.tv/channel/acslive. Reporters attending the meeting can gather with scientists in an informal setting in our Press Briefing Room at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 303 A-B, in Philadelphia.
11:30 a.m. EDT — Embargoed for Sunday, Aug. 17 at 1:30 p.m., EDT
Chemists move closer toward developing safer, fully-synthetic form of heparin
Cut-away view of a blood clot inside a vein.
Credit: A.D.A.M., National Library of Medicine
Chemists are reporting a major advance toward developing a safer, fully-synthetic version of heparin, the widely used blood thinner now produced from pig intestines. The purer, non-animal version could improve the drug’s safety and bolster regulatory control of its manufacture, the researchers say. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for
CARB 012.
Robert J. Linhardt, Ph.D., is a professor in the departments of Chemistry, Chemical & Biological Engineering, and Biology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. He is also Acting Director of RPI’s Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies.
1:30 p.m.- Sunday, Aug. 17 (continued)
Heads-up study of hair dynamics may lead to better hair-care products
A bad hair day. Magnified image (inset)
illustrates crossed hair fibers, which make
combing difficult. Credit: Janali Thompson,
American Chemical Society
From frizzy perms to over-bleached waves, “bad hair days” could soon become a less frequent occurrence. Chemists report the first detailed microscopic analysis of what happens to individual hair fibers when they interact with each other, an advance in knowledge key to the development of improved shampoos, conditioners, and other products for repairing damaged hair, the researchers say. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for
PMSE 019.
Eva Max is a doctoral student in the Department of Physical Chemistry II, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
2:30 p.m. EDT — Embargoed for dates and times of presentation**
Legends of environmental chemistry symposium
A two-day symposium that recognizes 15 scientists whose work has had sweeping impact on environmental chemistry and science. This symposium will be a spoken history of landmark events in environmental chemistry by the individual chemists who made them. Among the confirmed participants is Nobel Laureate Sherwood Rowland.
Sherwood Rowland, Ph. D., won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his seminal work in understanding the depletion of the ozone layer and the effect of chlorofluorocarbons on this depletion. He is still active in atmospheric research and is currently with the University of California-Irvine. See corresponding abstract ENVR 78. EMBARGOED FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 9:00 a.m. EDT.
Victor Turoski, is co-organizer of the Legends of Chemistry symposium. He serves as Treasurer of the ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry.
4:00 p.m. EDT — The 2008 Heroes of Chemistry, ACS' 'hall of fame' for chemists, will be honored on Aug. 17 in Philadelphia during the National Meeting. The program honors chemical innovators in industry "whose work has led to the welfare and progress of humanity" in a significant way in the past decade. Former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison, who holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering as well as a medical degree, is tentatively scheduled to talk at this briefing.
Bruce Roth, Ph.D., is the inventor of Lipitor, the cholesterol-lowering pill that is the world's largest selling drug. He is currently a scientist with Genentech, Inc., in San Francisco.
Karen E. Lackey, Ph.D., helped contribute to the discovery of lapatinib (Tykerb™), a new breast cancer drug. She is currently with Glaxo SmithKline Pharmaceuticals in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
Nelufar Mohajeri, manager of industry Relations in the Department of Industry Member Programs at the American Chemical Society.
11:00 a.m. EDT — Embargoed for Sunday, Aug. 17 at 2:15 p.m. EDT
Newly detected air pollutant mimics damaging effects of cigarette smoke
Persistent free radicals, a newly-
discovered air pollutant, could have
effects similar to cigarette smoke,
Louisiana researchers say. Credit:
H. Barry Dellinger, Louisiana
State University
A previously unrecognized group of air pollutants could have effects remarkably similar to harmful substances found in tobacco smoke, researchers are reporting. Inhaling those pollutants exposes the average person up to 300 times more free radicals daily than from smoking one cigarette, the researchers added, noting that the study could help explain why non-smokers develop tobacco-related diseases like lung cancer. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for PRES 001.
Harold Barrett (Barry) Dellinger, Ph.D., is the Patrick F. Taylor Chair of Environmental Chemistry at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
12:00 Noon EDT — Embargoed for dates and times of presentation**
Legends of environmental chemistry symposium
Larry Keith, Ph.D., is a pioneer of the environmental movement and organized some of the first environmental conferences focusing on pollutants in water. He has also edited several books in that regard and has been active in the environmental area for many years. He is with ECSEI in Monroe, Georgia. See corresponding abstract ENVR 41. EMBARGOED FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 8:45 a.m. EDT.
Walter Giger, Ph.D., is a highly recognized researcher in the analysis of environmental waters. He is with Giger Research Consulting in Zurich, Switzerland. See corresponding abstract ENVR 76. EMBARGOED FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2:00 p.m. EDT.
2:00 p.m. EDT — Embargoed for Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 8:30 a.m. EDT**
Press briefing features notable food writers, food chemists
A special press briefing will feature notable food writers and food chemists. Among the presenters are Harold McGee, winner of ACS’ 2008 Grady-Stack Award for promoting the public’s understanding of chemistry, chemical engineering, and related fields.
Harold McGee, Ph.D., is author of the award-winning On Food and Cooking. See corresponding abstract AGFD 98.
Sara Risch, Ph.D., a noted food and flavor chemist, is the principal in the consulting firm of Science By Design. See corresponding abstract AGFD 97
Shirley O. Corriher is the author of CookWise, which uses chemistry to explain cooking. It won the James Beard Award for best reference and technique book of 1997 and has sold over 250,000 copies. See corresponding abstract AGFD 99.
Christopher R. Loss, Ph.D., is Ventura Foods Chair for Menu Research and Development at the Culinary Institute of America. AGFD 124.
1:30 p.m. EDT — Embargoed for Tuesday, Aug. 19, 9:30 a.m., EDT
Pig’s hind leg before and after
injection with near-infrared
contrast agents and imaging
with near-infrared light to
highlight lymph flow. Credit:
John V. Frangioni, M.D., Ph.D.,
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Center
“Cutting by color”: New imaging technique for more precise cancer surgery
Cancer surgeons today operate “blind” with no clear way of determining in real-time whether they have removed all of the diseased tissue, which is the key to successful surgery. Researchers now report development and early clinical trials of a new imaging system that highlights cancerous tissue in the body so that surgeons can more easily see and remove diseased tissue with less damage to normal tissue near the tumor. They compare it to “cutting by color.” See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for ANYL 273.
John V. Frangioni, M.D., Ph.D., is an attending physician and Associate Professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston. He is also co-director of BIDMC’s Center for Imaging Technology and Molecular Diagnostics and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School.
New reasons to avoid grapefruit and other juices when taking certain drugs
Credit: The Florida
Department of Citrus
Scientists and consumers have known for years that grapefruit juice can increase the absorption of some drugs, causing potentially toxic effects. Now, researchers are reporting new evidence that drinking grapefruit and other common fruit juices, including orange and apple, also can substantially decrease the absorption of some drugs, wiping out their potential beneficial effects. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for TOXI 030.
David G. Bailey, Ph.D., is a professor of clinical pharmacology at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario.
3:00 p.m. EDT — Embargoed for Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 10:30 a.m. EDT
Comparison of a typical micro-spacecraft to
the size of a birthday cake.
Credit: Prasanna Chandrasekhar
Key advance toward “micro-spacecraft”
Fleets of inexpensive, pint-sized spacecraft are one giant leap closer to lift off. Researchers describe a new, razor thin temperature-regulating film that brings this sci-fi vision of “micro-spacecraft” weighing barely 50 pounds and 10-pound “nano-spacecraft” closer to reality. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for PMSE 146.
Prasanna Chandrasekhar, Ph.D., is a researcher with the Ashwin-Ushas Corporation in New Jersey and worked with NASA colleagues.
9:00 a.m. EDT — Embargoed for Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 4:15 p.m. EDT**
Joint with severe arthritis (shown).
Credit: National Institute of Arthritis
and Musculoskeletal and Skin
Diseases
New test to diagnose osteoarthritis early
A newly developed medical imaging technology may provide doctors with a long-awaited test for early diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA), according to researchers. OA causes joint pain and disability for more than half of those over age 65 — nearly 21 million people in the United States alone, the scientists say. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for PHYS 281.
Alexej Jerschow, Ph.D., is a professor at New York University in New York, NY.
10:00 a.m. EDT — Embargoed for Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 4:15 p.m. EDT**
Sampling skin odor from
subject’s forearm. Credit:
Monell Chemical Senses
Center, Philadelphia
First detection of “odor profile” for skin cancer may lead to rapid, non-invasive diagnostic test
Chemists are reporting the first identification of a specific “odor profile” for skin cancer, a discovery that could form the basis of a rapid, non-invasive test for diagnosing the most common type of cancer in the United States. The findings may enable doctors in the future to diagnose skin cancer quickly and accurately by waving a handheld scanner or sensor above the skin, they say. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for AGFD 227.
Michelle Gallagher, Ph.D., is currently a Senior Scientist at Rohm and Haas in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is formerly a chemist with Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.
12:00 p.m. EDT — Embargoed for Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 8:30 a.m. EDT**
An illustrated
cross-section of human
mucous membrane from
the stomach.Credit:
Henry Gray’s Anatomy of
the Human Body
Breaking the “mucus barrier” with a new drug delivery system
Chemical engineers from Johns Hopkins University have broken the “mucus barrier,” engineering the first drug-delivery particles capable of passing through human mucus — regarded by many as nearly impenetrable — and carrying medication that could treat a range of diseases. Those conditions include lung cancer, cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis, the research say. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for BIOT 315.
Samuel K. Lai, Ph.D., is a researcher at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
Justin Hanes, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
2:00 p.m. EDT — Embargoed for Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 11:15 a.m. EDT
A section of a rat tongue
stained for the calcium
sensing receptor, CaSR.
Credit: Michael Tordoff
That Tastes… Sweet? Sour? No, it’s definitely Calcium!
Chemists in Philadelphia are reporting a discovery that could expand the palate of human tastes — sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory — to include a new taste sensation that they term “calcium.” The scientists describe research they say demonstrates that a taste for calcium exists in mice. With mice and humans sharing many of the same genes, the findings suggest that people also may have such a taste, which could have a range of practical applications. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for AGFD 207.
Michael G. Tordoff, Ph.D., is a researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
3:00 p.m. EDT — Embargoed for Thursday, Aug. 21, at 2:00 p.m. EDT**
A cross-section of a rabbit’s taste
buds. Credit: Henry Gray’s
Anatomy of the Human Body
Helping the medicine go down
Children’s refusal to swallow liquid medication is an important public health problem that means longer or more serious illness for thousands of kids each year. Researchers are reporting how knowledge from basic research on the chemical senses explains why a child’s rejection of bitter medicine and nutritious but bitter-tasting foods like spinach and other green vegetables is a reflection of their basic biology. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for AGFD 262.
Julie A. Mennella, Ph.D., is a researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
4:00 p.m. EDT — Embargoed for Thursday, Aug. 21, at 9:45 a.m. EDT
Powdery mildew on cucumber leaf (left)
disappears when treated with Marrone Organic’s
new pesticide, MOI-106. Credit: Marrone
Organics International, Inc.
A new biopesticide for the organic food boom
With the boom in consumption of organic foods creating a pressing need for natural insecticides and herbicides that can be used on crops certified as “organic,” biopesticide pioneer Pam G. Marrone is reporting development of a new “green” pesticide obtained from an extract of the giant knotweed. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for AGRO 217.
Marja Koivunen, Ph.D., is the director of research and development for Marrone Organic Innovations.
______________________________________________________________________________
*Instructions for joining chat room sessions
Chat Room Sessions from ACS National Meeting in Philadelphia
ACS’ Virtual Press Conference Room
The American Chemical Society (ACS) Office of Public Affairs is offering the news media the opportunity to join press briefings whether covering the meeting onsite or from a remote location. This new updated format during ACS’ 236th National Meeting Aug. 17-21 Philadelphia will provide access to the increasing number of journalists who cover scientific meetings from their home base.
Borrowing the popular chat room concept from the Internet, we will provide news media with access to both real and virtual chat room sessions during the Philadelphia meeting.
Reporters attending the meeting can gather with scientists in an informal setting in our Press Briefing Room at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 303 A-B, in Philadelphia. Scientists will summarize their research and field questions. Offsite reporters can enter a virtual version of this Chat Room over the Internet. In addition to seeing and hearing the real-world activity, offsite reporters can submit questions.
Like hosts of a traditional chat room, we never know how many participants will join a session. Each session will proceed, regardless of attendance, so that digital transcripts can be made and posted online as a resource for individuals unable to attend.
Use the built-in chat box to ask questions during the
press conference (requires Ustream.tv registration).
Chat Room sessions begin at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 17, and continue during the week. A full schedule will be emailed shortly, and available on Eurekalert and at www.acs.org. Watch for a complete schedule. For now, get a head start by registering at Ustream.tv, a live, interactive online video site.
To register with Ustream.tv, go to http://ustream.tv/sign-up-step-1. It’s free and only takes a minute or two to sign up. To join the chat room during one of our sessions, visit http://www.ustream.tv/acslive and click the “Login” button at the top right of the Ustream window. Ustream requires the latest version of Adobe Flash, which can be downloaded without charge here.
Use the chat box to the right of the video window to submit questions to the researchers. To resolve connection problems contact Adam Dylewski (a_dylewski@acs.org) or Mike Woods (m_woods@acs.org). After the press conference is complete, recorded versions of the sessions and accompanying chat transcripts will be available by going to the ACS Press Room (www.acs.org) and clicking on “Chat Sessions.”
The American Chemical Society ― the world’s largest scientific society ― is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
Log In