Press Conference Schedule: 254th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition, Aug. 20-24, 2017

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, 11 a.m. Eastern Time

Press Conference Schedule

254th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition

Aug. 20-24, 2017

ACS Press Center

Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 154A

Attend in person in D.C. or watch online: http://bit.ly/ACSLive_DC

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

Embargoed press releases are available on EurekAlert! (www.eurekalert.org/acsmeet.php) and Newswise (www.newswise.com/institutions/newsroom/7)

Monday, Aug. 21

9 a.m. Eastern Time

Testing TVs and tablets for ‘green’ screens

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

To improve viewing pleasure, companies have developed television — and tablet screens — that include quantum dots to enhance brightness and color. Today, researchers report preliminary results suggesting that under simulated landfill conditions, quantum dots can leach out of TVs and tablets. But because this happens in such tiny amounts, the team says that in the grand scheme of things, it might make sense to use the more toxic quantum dots that are made with a more eco-friendly process.

Yuqiang Bi, Ph.D.

Arizona State University

Shauhrat Chopra, Ph.D.

University of Illinois at Chicago

9:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Mussel-inspired glue could one day make fetal surgery safer

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Whether to perform surgery on a fetus is a heart-wrenching decision. This type of surgery involves penetrating the highly delicate amniotic sac, increasing health risks to the fetus. Now researchers report the development of a glue, inspired by the tenacious grip of mussels on slippery rocks, that could one day help save the lives of the youngest patients.

Diederik Balkenende, Ph.D.

University of California, Berkeley

11 a.m. Eastern Time

Licorice is a hot trend in hot flashes, but could interact with medications

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Licorice roots have a diverse and flavorful history, having been used in ancient Egyptian times as a tea and in traditional Chinese medicines, all the way to today as a flavoring agent and as an ingredient in some licorice candies. Some women now take licorice extracts as supplements to treat hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. But scientists caution that the substance could pose a health risk by interacting with medications.

Richard B. van Breemen, Ph.D.

University of Illinois at Chicago

1 p.m. Eastern Time

No guts no glory: Harvesting the microbiome of athletes

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Elite athletes work hard to excel in sports, but they may also get a natural edge from the bacteria that inhabit their digestive tracts. Scientists have now tapped into the microbiome of exceptional runners and rowers, and have identified particular bacteria that may aid athletic performance. The goal is to develop probiotic supplements that may help athletes — and even amateur fitness enthusiasts — recover from a tough workout or more efficiently convert nutrients to energy.

Jonathan Scheiman, Ph.D.

Harvard Medical School

1:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Remarkable artistry hidden in ancient Roman painting revealed

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Molten lava, volcanic ash, modern grime, salt, humidity. The ancient painting of a Roman woman has been through it all, and it looks like it. Scientists now report that a new type of high-resolution X-ray technology is helping them discover just how stunning the original portrait once was, element-by-element. The technique could help conservators more precisely restore this image, as well as other ancient artworks.

Eleonora Del Federico, Ph.D.

Pratt Institute

2 p.m. Eastern Time

Smart label could one day let you know when to toss food and cosmetics (video)

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Detecting food and cosmetic spoilage and contamination. Identifying new medicinal plants in a remote jungle. Authenticating tea and wine. Scientists have developed a low-cost, portable, paper-based sensor that can potentially carry out all of these functions with easy-to-read results.

A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/acssensors.

Silvana Andreescu, Ph.D.

Clarkson University

3 p.m. Eastern Time

Avocado seed husks could be a gold mine of medicinal and industrial compounds

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

In a first-of-its-kind study, scientists report that avocado seed husks, which are usually discarded along with the seed, are hidden gold mines packed with a previously unrecognized plethora of chemical compounds. They say these compounds could eventually be used to treat a host of debilitating diseases, as well as to enhance the allure of cosmetics, perfumes and other consumer goods.

Debasish Bandyopadhyay, Ph.D.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Tuesday, Aug. 22

9 a.m. Eastern Time

Sopping up sunblock from oceans to save coral reefs (video)

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Coral reefs can’t seem to catch a break. Not only are rising temperatures wreaking havoc with their environment, but emerging evidence suggests that a certain sunblock component in many lotions that may help protect humans from developing skin cancer is a coral killer. Now, researchers have developed a biodegradable bead that can soak up the sunblock ingredient, oxybenzone, like a thirsty sea sponge. They hope to use the agent to clean up seawater at beaches.

A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/acscoral.

Felix R. Roman, Ph.D.

University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez

Victor Fernandez-Alos

University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez

9:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Cyborg bacteria outperform plants when turning sunlight into useful compounds (video)

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Photosynthesis provides energy for the vast majority of life on Earth. But chlorophyll, the green pigment that plants use to harvest sunlight, is relatively inefficient. To enable humans to capture more of the sun’s energy than natural photosynthesis can, scientists have taught bacteria to cover themselves in tiny, highly efficient solar panels to produce useful compounds.

A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/acscyborg.

Kelsey Sakimoto, Ph.D.

Harvard University

10:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Energized fabrics could keep soldiers warm and battle-ready in frigid climates

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Soldiering in arctic conditions is tough. Protective clothing can be heavy and can cause overheating and sweating upon exertion. And hands and feet can grow numb despite wearing such gear. To keep military personnel more comfortable and battle-ready in bitterly cold climes, scientists are now conducting research aimed at creating high-tech fabrics that heat up when powered and that capture sweat. These fabrics could also conceivably make their way to consumer clothing in the future.

Paola D'Angelo, Ph.D.

U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research

Elizabeth Hirst, Ph.D.

U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research

11 a.m. Eastern Time

New vaccine could someday fight the effects of opioid combinations

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Substance abuse is a continuing problem in the U.S., particularly with heroin and other opioids, to the point of being an epidemic. Treatments exist, but far too often patients relapse with devastating impacts on themselves and those around them. Now, scientists report that they have made progress toward a vaccine against the effects of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, in combination with heroin.

Kim D. Janda, Ph.D.

The Scripps Research Institute

1 p.m. Eastern Time

Clay-based antimicrobial packaging keeps food fresh

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Sometimes it seems as if fresh fruits, vegetables and meats go bad in the blink of an eye. Consumers are left feeling frustrated, often turning to less expensive processed foods that last longer, but are less nutritious. Now scientists report that they have developed a packaging film coated with clay nanotubes packed with an antibacterial essential oil. The film provides a one-two punch, preventing over-ripening and microbial growth, which could help improve the shelf-life of perishables.

Hayriye Ünal, Ph.D.

Sabanci University (Turkey)

Serkan Ünal, Ph.D.

Sabanci University (Turkey)

1:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Getting fat to ‘talk’ again could lower blood glucose and weight

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Diabetes is a tough disease to manage. Oral medications, insulin shots, close monitoring of blood sugar, dietary changes and exercise can all factor into a person’s treatment regimen. Now researchers are exploring a novel, simpler approach: implanting a polymer sponge into fat tissue. Their study has shown that in obese mice with symptoms resembling Type 2 diabetes, the implant reduced weight gain and blood-sugar levels — by getting the fat to “talk” again.

Michael Gower, Ph.D.

University of South Carolina

2 p.m. Eastern Time

Turning human waste into plastic, nutrients could aid long-distance space travel (video)

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Imagine you’re on your way to Mars, and you lose a crucial tool during a spacewalk. Not to worry, you’ll simply re-enter your spacecraft and use some microorganisms to convert your urine and exhaled carbon dioxide (CO2) into chemicals to make a new one. That’s one of the ultimate goals of scientists who are developing ways to make long space trips feasible.

A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/acsmars.

Mark A. Blenner, Ph.D.

Clemson University

Wednesday, Aug. 23

9:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Mosquitoes fatally attracted to deadly, sweet-smelling potion

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Mosquitoes aren’t just blood thirsty. They also have a sweet tooth, relying on plant nectar to get the sugar they need to survive. Exploiting this weakness, scientists have developed an environmentally friendly eradication method. The new, inexpensive technique tricks these annoying pests into gorging themselves on insecticides laced with a concoction that mimics the sweet-smelling scents and aromas that they find irresistible. It could bolster efforts to suppress malaria, Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases worldwide.

Agenor Mafra-Neto, Ph.D.

ISCA Technologies, Inc.

10 a.m. Eastern Time

‘Coffee-ring effect’ harnessed to provide rapid, low-cost analysis of tap water (video)

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

“What’s in your water?” has become an increasingly fraught question for many people in the U.S. and around the world. Getting the answer isn’t always easy or cheap. Today, scientists are reporting that they are using the familiar “coffee-ring effect” to analyze multiple components in a single drop of water easily, quickly and cheaply. And someday, the public could use the method to test their own tap water.

A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/acscoffeering.

Rebecca Lahr, Ph.D.

Michigan State University

11 a.m. Eastern Time

What the world’s tiniest ‘monster truck’ reveals

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

The world’s shortest race by distance — a fraction of the width of a human hair — was run on gold and silver tracks, and took a whopping 30 hours. Given that the vehicles were invisible to the naked eye, your typical racing fan might have missed it. But the April “nanorace” was a huge success for scientists working at the nanoscale. It spurred interest in molecular machines and led to a surprising new discovery, reports the team that entered a nano-sized “monster truck.”

Eric Masson, Ph.D.

Ohio University

Saw-Wai Hla, Ph.D.

Ohio University

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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