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A new made-in-the-lab material designed to rejuvenate the human voice, restoring the flexibility that vocal cords lose with age and disease, is emerging from a collaboration between scientists and physicians, a scientist heading the development team said here today as he delivered the Kavli Foundation Innovations in Chemistry lecture at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

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Progress toward a new emergency treatment for internal bleeding - counterpart to the tourniquets, pressure bandages and Quick Clot products that keep people from bleeding to death from external wounds - was reported here today at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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Already ranked by some as number one in nutrition among vegetables, the traditional sweet potato can be nutritionally supercharged with a simple, inexpensive electric current treatment that increases its content of healthful polyphenols or antioxidants by 60 percent, scientists said here today. Their report on the first electrical enhancement of sweet potatoes, a dietary staple since prehistoric times, was part of the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

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Scientists today described development of a new fuel mixture to ease the major air pollution and cost problems facing cruise ships, oil tankers and container ships. These vessels tend to burn the cheapest and most highly polluting form of diesel fuel. Their report was part of the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, being held here this week.

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Coconut water really does deserve its popular reputation as Mother Nature’s own sports drink, a new scientific analysis of the much-hyped natural beverage concluded here today at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

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A new process for converting municipal waste, algae, corn stalks and similar material to gasoline, diesel and jet fuel is showing the same promise in larger plants as it did in laboratory-scale devices, the developers reported here today. It was part of the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, which continues through Thursday.

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People in ancient Rome 2,000 years ago had better access to clean water and sanitation that keeps disease-causing human excrement out of contact with people than many residents of the 21st century, a scientist said here today. Women in developing countries could play a major role in remedying the situation, if given the chance, she said at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

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With concerns about the possible health and environmental effects of oil dispersants in the Deepwater Horizon disaster still fresh in mind, scientists today described a new dispersant made from edible ingredients that both breaks up oil slicks and keeps oil from sticking to the feathers of birds. They reported on the dispersant at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, being held here this week.

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New scientific analysis strengthens the view that record-breaking summer heat, crop-withering drought and other extreme weather events in recent years do, indeed, result from human activity and global warming, Nobel Laureate Mario J. Molina, Ph.D., said here today at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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With 1.3 billion tons of food trashed, dumped in landfills and otherwise wasted around the world every year, scientists today described development and successful laboratory testing of a new “biorefinery” intended to change food waste into a key ingredient for making plastics, laundry detergents and scores of other everyday products. They described the research at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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A symposium that showcases chemistry’s pivotal role in righting some of the highest-profile cases of innocent people proven guilty unfolds today at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society. It features presentations by forensic scientists, attorneys and others who used science to right wrongs, freeing innocent people and saving the lives of prisoners on death row.

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Scientists are trying to open a new front in the battle against gum disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in adults and sometimes termed the most serious oral health problem of the 21st century. They described another treatment approach for the condition in a report here today at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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Today scientists are gathering for a special symposium honoring the 50th anniversary of an agency that has improved the health and well-being of millions of people over the last half-century. The event, marking the golden anniversary of the National Institute of General Medical Science, is part of the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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The event that has introduced millions of school children to the wonders of science - and helped launch careers in science, technology, engineering, medicine and other fields - is being honored at a special symposium here today. The observance of the 25th anniversary of National Chemistry Week takes place during the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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Nationally renowned author, speaker, TV personality and all-around “ambassador of chemistry” Shirley O. Corriher has been selected as recipient of the American Chemical Society’s 2013 James T. Grady-James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious awards in science communication.

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Using information about the unique mating practices of the male malaria mosquito - which, unlike any other insect, inserts a plug to seal its sperm inside the female - scientists are zeroing in on a birth-control drug for Anopheles mosquitoes, deadly carriers of the disease that threatens 3 billion people, has infected more than 215 million and kills 655,000 annually.

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Press Center Highlights from "The World Series of Science" August 19, 2012 244th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, world’s largest scientific society August 19-23, 2012 in Philadelphia, PA

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Scientists have found that Mother Nature uses DNA as a wire to detect the constantly occurring genetic damage and mistakes that can result in diseases like cancer. That topic - DNA wires and their potential use in identifying people at risk for certain diseases - is the focus of a plenary talk here today during the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

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In a thrust against the major problem of counterfeit medicines sold in developing countries, which causes thousands of illnesses and deaths annually, scientists today described development of a simple, paper-strip test that people could use to identify counterfeit versions of one of the most-frequently faked medicines in the world. They described the research at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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Drug counterfeiting is so common in some developing countries that patients with serious diseases in Southeast Asia and elsewhere have been more likely to get a fake drug than one with ingredients that really treat their illness, a scientist involved in combating the problem said here today at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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A major improvement in the world’s lightest solid material and best solid insulating material, described here today, may put more of this space-age wonder into insulated clothing, refrigerators with thinner walls that hold more food, building insulation and other products. The report was part of the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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New evidence reveals the possibility of mood-enhancing effects associated with some flavors, stemming at least in part from natural ingredients bearing a striking chemical similarity to valproic acid, a widely used prescription mood-stabilizing drug, scientists reported here today at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society. This effect joins those previously reported for chocolate, teas and some other known comfort foods.

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In a stride toward better health in later life, scientists reported today that resveratrol, the so-called “miracle molecule” found in red wine, might help improve mobility and prevent life-threatening falls among older people. The finding, believed to be the first of its kind, was presented today to some 14,000 scientists and others gathered at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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The scientists behind three inventions that touch the lives of millions of people around the world will be inducted into a coveted scientific “Hall of Fame” today as the latest Heroes of Chemistry named by the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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American Chemical Society’s 244th National Meeting & Exposition, Philadelphia, August 19-23, 2012

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At least five Nobel laureates have research that will be presented here this week during the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, and another will present the keynote address. They are Robert H. Grubbs, Ph.D.; Richard R. Schrock, Ph.D.; Stanley B. Prusiner, M.D.; George A. Olah, Ph.D.; Alan J. Heeger, Ph.D.; and Mario J. Molina, Ph.D.

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Peter J. Stang, Ph.D., distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of Utah and editor of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, has been named winner of the 2013 Priestley Medal by the American Chemical Society. It is the highest honor from the world’s largest scientific society.

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Journalists may still apply for press accreditation and reserve housing for what the news media has described as the “World Series of Science,” the American Chemical Society’s 244th National Meeting & Exposition, Aug. 19-23, 2012, in Philadelphia, Pa.

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Peter J. Stang, Ph.D., distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of Utah and editor of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, has been named winner of the 2013 Priestley Medal by the American Chemical Society. It is the highest honor from the world’s largest scientific society.

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To the ranks of horses, donkeys and other animals that have served humanity as pack animals or beasts of burden, scientists are now enlisting bacteria to ferry nano-medicine cargos throughout the human body. They reported on progress in developing these “backpacking” bacteria — so small that a million would fit on the head of a pin — here today at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society.

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If eccentric candy-maker Willy Wonka could leap from the pages of Roald Dahl’s classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and walk these streets, he might make a bee-line for a festival of cocoa and chocolate on the menu today at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

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Scientists today described a new and more efficient version of an innovative device the size of a washing machine that uses bacteria growing in municipal sewage to make electricity and clean up the sewage at the same time. Their report at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) suggested that commercial versions of the two-in-one device could be a boon for the developing world and water-short parts of the U.S.

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The American Chemical Society will hold press conferences at 243rd National Meeting & Exposition from Sunday, March 25 through Wednesday, March 28 on key presentations. Join the press conferences live in San Diego or on Ustream http://www.ustream.tv/channel/acslive.

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The standard test used to detect milk-protein residues in processed foods may not work as well as previously believed in all applications, sometimes missing ingredients that can cause milk allergy, the most common childhood food allergy, which affects millions of children under age 3, a scientist reported here today at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society.

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A new blood test is twice as sensitive and can detect breast cancer recurrence a full year earlier than current blood tests, according to a scientist who reported here today at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The report was among more than 11,000 presentations on new developments in science scheduled this week at the meeting, held by the world’s largest scientific society.

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Scientists today described development of a new explosives detector that can sense small amounts of TNT and other common explosives in liquids instantly with a sensitivity that rivals bomb-sniffing dogs, the current gold standard in protecting the public from terrorist bombs. They reported on the technology, suitable for incorporation into a TNT test strip, at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), being held here this week.

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New memory chips that are transparent, flexible enough to be folded like a sheet of paper, shrug off 1,000-degree Fahrenheit temperatures — twice as hot as the max in a kitchen oven — and survive other hostile conditions could usher in the development of next-generation flash-competitive memory for tomorrow’s keychain drives, cell phones and computers, a scientist reported today at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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Amid concerns about possible terrorist attacks with nuclear materials, and fresh memories of environmental contamination from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, scientists today at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) described development of a capsule that can be dropped into water, milk, fruit juices and other foods to remove more than a dozen radioactive substances.

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Just as the familiar sugar in food can be bad for the teeth and waistline, another sugar has been implicated as a health menace and blocking its action may have benefits that include improving long-term memory in older people and treating cancer. Progress toward finding such a blocker for the sugar — with the appropriately malicious-sounding name “oh-glick-nack” — was the topic of a report at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

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The food that inspires wariness is on course for inspiring even more wonder from a medical standpoint as scientists today reported the latest evidence that chili peppers are a heart-healthy food with potential to protect against the No. 1 cause of death in the developed world. The report was part of the 243rd National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society, being held here this week.

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New research reported here today at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) provides further support for the idea that comets bombarding Earth billions of years ago carried and deposited the key ingredients for life to spring up on the planet.

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AkzoNobel, the largest global paints and coating company and a major producer of specialty chemicals, has established an AkzoNobel North America Science Award in partnership with the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society. The award will recognize outstanding contributions by an individual for research conducted in the U.S. or Canada in the fields of chemistry and materials science.

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When faced with life-or-death situations, bacteria — and maybe even human cells — use an extremely sophisticated version of “game theory” to consider their options and decide upon the best course of action, scientists reported here today. In a presentation at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society, they said microbes “play” a version of the classic “Prisoner’s Dilemma” game.

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Scientists today reported striking new evidence that green, or unroasted, coffee beans can produce a substantial decrease in body weight in a relatively short period of time at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society.

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Some of the flame retardants added to carpets, furniture upholstery, plastics, crib mattresses, car and airline seats and other products to suppress the visible flames in fires are actually increasing the danger of invisible toxic gases that are the No. 1 cause of death in fires. That was the finding of a new study presented here today at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society.

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Thirty-five years after a landmark report documented minority women as the most underrepresented individuals in science, engineering, medicine and dentistry, dramatic improvements have occurred for women of color, but serious obstacles remain. That was the message from a report here at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society.

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How about a test that identifies Salmonella, the food poisoning bacteria that sickens millions of people each year, in five minutes, so that shipments of lettuce can be confiscated before they reach the table? Scientists today described development and successful testing of just such a test in a presentation here at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society.

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The traditional way of making medicines in a factory may be joined by a new approach in which doctors administer the ingredients for a medicine separately, and those ingredients combine inside patients’ bodies. That’s one promise from an emerging field of chemistry, according to its founder. She spoke on the topic here today in the latest Kavli Foundation Innovations in Chemistry lecture at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

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Like the colorful temporary tattoos that children stick to their arms for fun, people may one day put thin “electronic skin” patches onto their arms to wirelessly diagnose health problems or deliver treatments. A scientist reported on the development today at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The patches could eliminate the need for patients to stay tethered to large machines for hours of treatment or monitoring.

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With about 15 million endoscopies done on patients each year in the U.S., scientists today reported that a new version of these flexible instruments for diagnosing and treating disease shows promise for helping surgeons more completely remove cancerous tumors. Their report on technology that combines endoscopy with the phenomenon responsible for the blue glow in the water of nuclear reactors was part of the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).