American Chemical Society's 255th National Meeting & Exposition Press Conference Schedule

American Chemical Society's 255th National Meeting & Exposition press conference schedule

Newswise — NEW ORLEANS--Attend press conferences live -- online at http://bit.ly/ACSLive_NOLA or in person -- at the 255th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Press conferences will be held Monday, March 19, through Wednesday, March 21, 2018. Below is the schedule, which will be updated as needed.

The Press Center on-site location:
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Great Hall B
Phone: 504-670-6721

Anyone can view the press conferences, but to chat online, you must sign in first with a Google account.

ALL TOPICS ARE STRICTLY EMBARGOED FOR THE DAYS AND TIMES INDICATED.

Note to journalists: Please report that this research is being presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Monday, March 19

9:30 a.m. Central Time

Progress toward a new flu treatment, thanks to a small tweak
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, March 19, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

This year’s aggressive flu season reminds everyone that although the flu vaccine can reduce the number of people who contract the virus, it is still not 100 percent effective. A tweak to a small-molecule drug shows promise for future production of new antiviral therapies that could help patients, regardless of the strain with which they are infected.

Seth Cohen, Ph.D.
University of California, San Diego

10 a.m. Central Time

From landfill to lipstick: Grape waste as a cosmetic and food ingredient
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, March 19, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

The world drinks a lot of wine, and that means a lot of grapes are consumed. But not every part of the grape ends up in the bottle. Seeds, stalks and skins end up in landfills. Now, researchers say they have found useful commercial applications, such as prolonging the shelf life of fatty foods, for these wine leftovers.

Changmou Xu, Ph.D.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

11 a.m. Central Time

Living sensor can potentially prevent environmental disasters from fuel spills
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, March 18, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

By the time a Colonial Pipeline leak was detected last fall during a routine inspection, vapors from the quarter-million gallons of released gasoline were so strong they prevented pipeline repair for days. Now, scientists report technology that would alert pipeline managers about leaks much earlier, avoiding the environmental disasters and fuel distribution disruptions resulting from pipeline leaks.

Veera Gnaneswar Gude, Ph.D.
Mississippi State University

1 p.m. Central Time

Identifying ‘designer’ drugs taken by overdose patients
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, March 19, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Medical professionals are scrambling to meet growing demand for emergency room treatment of drug overdoses, but they’re hampered by the lack of a quick and easy test to screen patients for synthetic “designer” drugs. Chemists are developing such a test with the hope that hospitals could eventually use it to choose the appropriate treatment.

Greta Ren
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

1:30 p.m. Central Time

Implantable sensor relays real-time personal health data to a cell phone
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, March 19, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Personalized medicine is one step closer thanks to tiny, implantable sensors that can send data to a computer or cell phone to give early warning of a person’s developing health problems. Future versions of these devices could indicate the most effective type of exercise for an individual athlete, or help in the triage of wounded soldiers.

Natalie A. Wisniewski, Ph.D.
Profusa Inc.

2:30 p.m. Central Time

CS3 report release: Advancing a research agenda in solar energy and photonics for a sustainable future
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Solar energy and photonics promise the potential of harvesting the sun’s energy and manipulating light to sustainably fuel our world. This press conference will release the findings of the 2017 Chemical Sciences and Society Summit (CS3) on Solar Energy & Photonics. CS3 is a multilateral approach to understanding and proposing solutions to challenges in frontier chemistry topics. Delegations from China, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the U.S. participate in the series.

Suljo Linic, Ph.D.
Chair, U.S. Delegation
University of Michigan, Assistant Editor of ACS Catalysis

Hans-Georg Weinig, Ph.D.
German Chemical Society

Yoshinori Nishikitani, Ph.D.
Chemical Society of Japan, Waseda University

3 p.m. Central Time

The Swiss army knife of smoke screens
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, March 18, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Setting off smoke bombs is more than good fun on the Fourth of July. The military uses smoke grenades in dangerous situations to provide cover for people and tanks on the move. But the smoke arms race is on. Increasingly, assailants are using sophisticated infrared or thermal detection devices that can see through standard smoke. Now, researchers report developing a new kind of smoke that obscures both visible and thermal detection.

Zach Zander, Ph.D.
Edgewood Chemical Biological Center

Tuesday, March 20

9 a.m. Central Time

Vegetable compound could have a key role in ‘beeting’ Alzheimer’s disease
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, March 20, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

A compound in beets that gives the vegetable its distinctive red color could eventually help slow the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the brain, a process that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists say this discovery could lead to the development of drugs that could alleviate some of the long-term effects of the disease, the world’s leading cause of dementia.

Darrell Cole Cerrato
University of South Florida

9:30 a.m. Central Time

‘Candy cane’ polymer weave could power future functional fabrics and devices
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, March 20, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

If scientists are ever going to deliver on the promise of implantable artificial organs or clothing that dries itself, they'll first need to solve the problem of inflexible batteries that run out of juice too quickly. They're getting closer, and today researchers report that they've developed a new material by weaving two polymers together in a way that vastly increases charge storage capacity.

Tiesheng Wang
University of Cambridge

10:30 a.m. Central Time

Smoked foods are tastier, less harmful with a tip from the auto industry
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, March 20, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Infusing foods with smoke can impart delicious nuanced flavors, but could also come with an unwelcome side of carcinogens. To reduce the carcinogen content of smoked foods, researchers took a lesson from the automobile industry, running the smoke through a zeolite filter to remove harmful compounds. It worked, and with a happy bonus: superior smoke flavor.

Jane K. Parker, Ph.D.
University of Reading

11 a.m. Central Time   

Continuously killing bacteria on coated stainless steel — add bleach to recharge
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, March 20, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Stainless steel is the gold standard for kitchen appliances and cookware, described as modern and sleek. But bacteria can grow on stainless steel surfaces, contaminating food. Current coatings available on the market are pricey and potentially harmful, so scientists have now developed an affordable specialized polymer coating for such surfaces that they can recharge with bleach treatments.

Buket Demir, Ph.D.
Auburn University

Dave Worley, Ph.D.
Auburn University

1 p.m. Central Time

Making fragrances last longer
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, March 20, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

From floral perfume to fruity body wash and shampoos, scents heavily influence consumer purchases. But for most, the smell doesn’t last long after showering before it fades away. Scientists have now developed a way to get those fragrances to stick to the skin longer instead of washing down the drain immediately after being applied.

Martin S. Vethamuthu, Ph.D.
Ashland

1:30 p.m. Central Time

Wildfire intensity impacts water quality and its treatment in forested watersheds
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, March 20, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

The recent Thomas Fire in California was the largest wildfire in the state’s modern history. It scorched nearly 282,000 acres between December 2017 and January 2018, and serves as a reminder of how devastating such events can be. Now, researchers report that wildfires in forested watersheds can have a variable but predictable impact on the substances that are released from soils and flow into drinking water sources.

Fernando L. Rosario-Ortiz, Ph.D.
University of Colorado

Wednesday, March 21

9 a.m. Central Time

Elephant and cow manure for making paper sustainably
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, March 21, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

It’s likely not the first thing you think of when you see elephant dung, but it turns out to be an excellent source of cellulose for paper manufacturing in countries where trees are scarce. And in regions with plenty of farm animals such as cows, upcycling manure into paper products could be a cheap and environmentally sound method to get rid of this waste.

Alexander Bismarck, Ph.D.
University of Vienna

Andreas Mautner, Ph.D.
University of Vienna

9:30 a.m. Central Time

The perfect shot of espresso every time with chemistry
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, March 21, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

The average American drinks more than three cups of coffee a day, contributing to a $40 billion industry in the U.S. alone, according to the National Coffee Association. But not all coffee is created equal; flavor profiles vary. Focusing on espresso, scientists say they have now unlocked the key to creating consistent cups of java.

Christopher H. Hendon, Ph.D.
University of Oregon

10:30 a.m. Central Time

New 4-D printer could reshape the world we live in
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, March 21, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

From moon landings to mobile phones, many of the farfetched visions of science fiction have transformed into remarkable reality. In the latest example of this trend, scientists report that they have developed a powerful new printer that could streamline the creation of self-assembling structures that can change shape after being exposed to heat and other stimuli. They say this unique technology could accelerate the use of 4-D printing in aerospace, medicine and other industries.

Jerry Qi, Ph.D.
Georgia Institute of Technology

11 a.m. Central Time

Banana plant extract could be key to creamier, longer lasting ice cream
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, March 21, 2018, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

No doubt about it, ice cream is a great treat on a hot day. That is, until it drips down the sides of a cone or turns into soup in a bowl. Now scientists say they are closing in on a cool solution to this sticky problem. They’ve found that adding tiny cellulose fibers extracted from banana plant waste to ice cream could slow melting, increase shelf life and potentially replace fats used to make the tasty treat.

Jorge A. Velásquez Cock
Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana

The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

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