250th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition Press Conference Schedule

Press Conference Schedule
250th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition
Aug. 16-20, 2015

ACS Press Center
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Room 153B
Press Center Phone: 617-954-3971


Attend in person in Boston
or watch online:
(http://bit.ly/ACSLiveBoston)
Anyone can view the press conferences, but to chat online, you must sign in first with a Google Account.

Embargoed press releases are available at Newswise

Monday, Aug. 17

10 a.m. Eastern Time

Glass paint could keep metal roofs and other structures cool even on sunny days (video)

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Sunlight can be brutal. It wears down even the strongest structures, including rooftops and naval ships, and it heats up metal slides and bleachers until they’re too hot to use. To fend off damage and heat from the sun’s harsh rays, scientists have developed a new, environmentally friendly paint out of glass that bounces sunlight off metal surfaces — keeping them cool and durable. A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/acscoatings.

Jason J. Benkoski, Ph.D.
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

1 p.m. Eastern Time

A thin ribbon of flexible electronics can monitor health, infrastructure

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug. 17, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

A new world of flexible, bendable, even stretchable electronics is emerging from research labs to address a wide range of potentially game-changing uses. The common, rigid printed circuit board is slowly being replaced by a thin ribbon of resilient, high-performance electronics. Over the last few years, one team of chemists and materials scientists has begun exploring military applications in harsh environments for aircraft, explosive devices and even combatants themselves.

Benjamin Leever, Ph.D.
Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

1:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Urban grime releases air pollutant when exposed to sunlight

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug. 17, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers have determined that natural sunlight triggers the release of smog-forming nitrogen oxide compounds from the grime that typically coats buildings, statues and other outdoor surfaces in urban areas. The finding confirms previous laboratory work using simulated sunlight and upends the long-held notion that nitrates in urban grime are “locked” in place.

James Donaldson, Ph.D.
University of Toronto

2 p.m. Eastern Time

Eliminating water-borne bacteria with pages from The Drinkable Book^TM could save lives

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, Aug. 16, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Human consumption of bacterially contaminated water causes millions of deaths each year throughout the world—primarily among children. While studying the material properties of paper as a graduate student, Theresa Dankovich, Ph.D., discovered and developed an inexpensive, simple and easily transportable nanotechnology-based method to purify drinking water. She calls it The Drinkable Book^TM, and each page is impregnated with bacteria-killing metal nanoparticles.

Theresa Dankovich, Ph.D.
Carnegie Mellon University

2:30 p.m. Eastern Time

How to preserve fleeting digital information with DNA for future generations

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug.17, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Hand-written letters and printed photos seem quaint in today’s digital age. But there’s one thing that traditional media have over hard drives: longevity. To address this modern shortcoming, scientists are turning to DNA to save unprecedented amounts of digital data for posterity. One team has demonstrated that DNA they encapsulated can preserve information for at least 2,000 years, and they’re now working on a filing system to make it easier to navigate.

Robert N. Grass, Ph.D.
ETH Zurich

3 p.m. Eastern Time

Color-changing polymer may signal traumatic brain injuries in soldiers, athletes (video)

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

A bomb blast or a rough tackle can inflict brain damage that destroys lives. Yet at the time of impact, these injuries are often invisible. To detect head trauma immediately, a team of researchers has developed a polymer-based material that changes colors depending on how hard it is hit. The goal is to someday incorporate this material into protective headgear, providing an obvious indication of injury. A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/acsforcepatch.

Shu Yang, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania

Tuesday, Aug. 18

10 a.m. Eastern Time

ACS Global Innovations Imperatives press conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The American Chemical Society (ACS) Global Innovations Imperatives (Gii) program is releasing a white paper from their December 2014 program in Singapore. Representatives from ACS and the Singapore National Institute for Chemistry produced a white paper titled, “Water: Global Issues, Local Solutions” on best practices in water treatment. The ACS Gii program fosters creative solutions to imperatives of global significance; previous programs have been held in India, Colombia, the U.K. and the U.S.

Ellene Tratras Contis
Isai Urasa
ACS Committee on International Activities

10:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Mosquito-repelling chemicals identified in traditional sweetgrass

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug. 17, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Native North Americans have long adorned themselves and their homes with fragrant sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata), a native plant used in traditional medicine, to repel biting insects, and mosquitoes in particular. Now, researchers report that they have identified the compounds in sweetgrass that keep these bugs at bay.

Charles L. Cantrell, Ph.D.
USDA-Natural Products Center, Thad Cochran Research Center

11 a.m. Eastern Time

Solar cell efficiency could double with novel ‘green’ antenna

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

The use of solar energy in the U.S. is growing, but panels on rooftops are still a rare sight. They cost thousands of dollars, and homeowners don’t recoup costs for years even in the sunniest or best-subsidized locales. But scientists may have a solution. They report today the development of a unique, “green” antenna that could potentially double the efficiencies of certain kinds of solar cells and make them more affordable.

Challa V. Kumar, Ph.D.
University of Connecticut

1 p.m. Eastern Time

Paper-based test can quickly diagnose Ebola in remote areas (video)

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

When a fever strikes in a developing area, the immediate concern may be: Is it the common flu or something much worse that requires quarantine? To facilitate diagnosis in remote, low-resource settings, researchers have developed a paper-based device that changes color, depending on whether the patient has Ebola, yellow fever or dengue. The test takes minutes and does not need electricity to work. A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/acsebolatest.

Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

1:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Lice in at least 25 states show resistance to common treatments

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

For students, the start of the school year means new classes, new friends, homework and sports. It also brings the threat of head lice. The itch-inducing pests lead to missed school days and frustrated parents, who could have even more reason to be wary of the bug this year. Scientists report that lice populations in at least 25 states have developed resistance to over-the-counter treatments still widely recommended by doctors and schools.

Kyong S. Yoon, Ph.D.
Southern Illinois University

J. Marshall Clark, Ph.D.
University of Massachusetts

2:30 p.m. Eastern Time

New method could detect blood clots anywhere in the body with a single scan

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug. 17, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

A blood clot is a dangerous health situation with the potential to trigger heart attacks, strokes and other medical emergencies. To treat a blood clot, doctors need to find its exact location. But current clinical techniques can only look at one part of the body at a time, slowing treatment and increasing the risk for complications. Now, researchers are reporting a method, tested in rats, that may someday allow health care providers to quickly scan the entire body for a blood clot.

Peter Caravan, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Wednesday, Aug. 19

9 a.m. Eastern Time

New technology can expand LED lighting, cutting energy use and greenhouse gas emissions

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Highly efficient, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) could slash the world’s electricity consumption. They are already sold in stores, but more widespread adoption of the technology has been hindered by high costs due to limited availability of raw materials and difficulties in achieving acceptable light quality. But researchers will report today that they have overcome these obstacles and have developed a less expensive, more sustainable white LED.

Zhichao Hu, Ph.D.
Rutgers University

9:30 a.m. Eastern Time

‘Diamonds from the sky’ approach turns CO₂ into valuable products

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Finding a technology to shift carbon dioxide (CO₂), the most abundant anthropogenic greenhouse gas, from a climate change problem to a valuable commodity has long been a dream of many scientists and government officials. Now, a team of chemists says they have developed a technology to economically convert atmospheric CO₂ directly into highly valued carbon nanofibers for industrial and consumer products.

Stuart L. Licht, Ph.D.
George Washington University

10:30 a.m. Eastern Time

New compounds could reduce alcoholics’ impulse to drink

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Alcoholism inflicts a heavy physical, emotional and financial toll on individuals and society. Now new discoveries and promising animal studies are offering a glimmer of hope that a new class of drugs could treat the disease without many of the unwanted side effects caused by current therapies.

V. V. N. Phani Babu Tiruveedhula
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

**NEW TIME: 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time**

Better-tasting grocery store tomatoes could soon be on their way

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Tomato lovers rejoice: Adding or rearranging a few simple steps in commercial processing could dramatically improve the flavor of this popular fruit sold in the grocery store, according to researchers.

Jinhe Bai, Ph.D.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS, HRL, Fort Pierce, FL

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 158,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society 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.

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