Media Briefing Schedule for ACS Spring 2022

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Media Briefing Schedule
ACS Spring 2022
March 20–24, 2022

Recordings of media briefings will be posted by 10 a.m. Eastern Time on each day. Watch recorded media briefings at www.acs.org/ACSSpring2022Briefings. Embargoed press releases are available on EurekAlert! and Newswise. 

MONDAY, MARCH 21, posting by 10 a.m. Eastern Time  

Giving the cold shoulder to crunchy ice cream — with a dash of cellulose
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, March 20, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Ice cream can be a culinary delight, except when it gets unpleasantly crunchy because ice crystals have grown in it. Today, scientists report that a form of cellulose obtained from plants can be added to the tasty treat to stop crystals cold — and the additive works better than currently used ice growth inhibitors in the face of temperature fluctuations. The findings could be extended to the preservation of other frozen foods and perhaps donated organs and tissues.

Tao Wu, Ph.D.
University of Tennessee 

Min Li
University of Tennessee 

Sponges, not just their microbes, make biologically potent compounds
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, March 20, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Soft and immobile, sea sponges may appear inert, but these simple animals are rich with chemistry. From them, scientists have uncovered plenty of biologically active compounds, some of which have gone on to become medications. All of these small molecules, however, actually originate from bacteria living within these animals. Now, new research has uncovered an exception. Today, scientists report that sponges themselves, not their resident microbes, produce at least one promising group of compounds.

Vikram Shende, Ph.D.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California, San Diego 

Kayla Wilson
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California, San Diego

Waste coffee grounds could someday help detect brain waves 
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, March 20, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

There’s nothing like a steaming cup of joe to give your morning a quick boost. Now, there’s yet another reason to love the beverage. Today, researchers report the first application of used coffee grounds as environmentally friendly electrode coatings for sensitive neurochemistry measurements. The material could eventually help scientists get a better handle on brain activity and detect minute levels of neurotransmitters.

Ashley Ross, Ph.D.
University of Cincinnati

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, posting by 10 a.m. Eastern Time

A psychedelic drug, combined with intense therapy, improves PTSD symptoms
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, March 22, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects millions of people each year, mostly survivors and witnesses of terrifying or shocking events, such as warfare, assaults or disasters. Because existing treatments don’t work for everyone, new therapies are urgently needed. Today, scientists report results and follow-up data from a phase 3 clinical trial of a psychedelic drug, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), known on the street as “ecstasy” or “molly,” combined with psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD. Their preliminary data suggest that the therapy works even in hard-to-treat patients, such as those with drug or alcohol use disorders.

Jennifer Mitchell, Ph.D.
University of California, San Francisco

Space-grown lettuce could help astronauts avoid bone loss
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, March 22, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time 

NASA is preparing to send humans to Mars sometime in the 2030s. The 3-year mission will expose astronauts to a long period of microgravity, which will cause them to lose bone mass. But now, scientists report transgenic lettuce that produces a bone-stimulating hormone. Someday, astronauts could grow the lettuce in space and help guard against bone loss — simply by eating a big bowl of salad. In addition, the lettuce might help stave off osteoporosis in resource-limited areas here on Earth, the researchers say.

Karen McDonald, Ph.D.
University of California, Davis

Kevin Yates 
University of California, Davis

An improved ink for colon tattoos
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, March 22, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

The colon might be the last place people would consider getting a tattoo, but endoscopic tattooing is an important medical technique for marking colorectal lesions for surgery or follow-up. Today, scientists report a next-generation ink for these markings that diffuses less and is more biocompatible than existing inks. The new formulation could make it easier to identify and remove complex colonic polyps and tumors, the researchers say.

Kaushal Rege, Ph.D.
Arizona State University

Subhadeep Dutta 
Arizona State University

Making wooden construction materials fire-resistant with an eco-friendly coating
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, March 22, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Devastating residential blazes and wildfires take a terrible toll in terms of deaths and injuries, as well as property loss. Today, researchers will report on a new type of coating that could limit the flammability of wood used in construction, potentially providing more time to escape fires and also curbing their spread. The environmentally friendly flame retardant could also be used for other flammable materials, such as textiles, polyurethane foam and 3D-printed parts.

Jaime Grunlan, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University 

Thomas Kolibaba, Ph.D.
National Institute of Standards and Technology

Cooking up a way to remove microplastics from wastewater — with okra, aloe
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, March 22, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

In many cuisines, okra serves as a master thickener of stews and soups. The goo from that fruit and other plants, such as aloe, cactus and psyllium, can also clean water and wastewater of some types of solid pollutants, as well as some that are dissolved. Now, researchers have demonstrated that combinations of these food-grade plant extracts can remove microplastics from wastewater. 

Rajani Srinivasan, Ph.D.
Tarleton State University

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, posting by 10 a.m. Eastern Time

Sustainable leather, yarn and paper — from bread-eating fungi
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Your next trendy handbag could be fashioned from “leather” made from a fungus. Today, researchers will describe how they have harnessed this organism to convert food waste into sustainable faux leather, as well as paper products and cotton substitutes, with properties comparable to the traditional materials. They explain that this fungal leather takes less time to produce than existing substitutes already on the market, and, unlike some, is 100% biobased.

Akram Zamani, Ph.D.
University of Borås

Growing extremely tiny, uniformly sized diamonds — without explosives
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Diamonds aren’t just glittery, sparkly gems for jewelry. The smallest ones, only a few nanometers wide, are also crucial for drug delivery, sensors and quantum computer processors. Producing diamond nanoparticles that are consistently sized is important to the success of these technologies. Now, scientists report a method to grow ultra-uniform nanodiamonds without the need for explosives. The technique also could be used to add beneficial single-atom defects in otherwise perfect crystals.

Hao Yan, Ph.D.
University of North Texas

Tengteng Lyu 
University of North Texas

Stimulating the sense of touch with chemistry
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Our eyes may be windows on the world, but our fingertips put us in touch with it. To recreate this tactile sense, current technology relies on tiny motors and electricity. However, the bumps and buzzes they generate are not that good at mimicking the real thing. Today, scientists report evidence that our skin can perceive subtle differences in chemistry — findings they hope could provide the basis for a new way to control touch and better integrate it into applications, such as virtual reality.  

Charles Dhong, Ph.D.
University of Delaware

High schoolers develop an inexpensive filter to remove lead from tap water
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

The next generation of scientists and inventors is already finding approaches to address society’s problems. Today, a group of high school students and their instructor report a solution to the problem of lead contamination in drinking water — an inexpensive faucet attachment that removes this toxic metal. Unlike conventional filters currently on the market, theirs includes a cartridge made with biodegradable plastic and indicates when it’s “used up” by turning the tap water yellow.

Rebecca Bushway
Barrie Middle and Upper School 

A non-hormonal pill could soon expand men’s birth control options
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Women have many choices for birth control, ranging from pills to patches to intrauterine devices, and partly as a result, they bear most of the burden of preventing pregnancy. But men’s birth control options — and, therefore, responsibilities — could soon be expanding. Today, scientists report a non-hormonal male contraceptive that effectively prevents pregnancy in mice, without obvious side effects. 

Gunda Georg, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota

Md Abdullah Al Noman
University of Minnesota

ACS Spring 2022 will be a vaccination-required and mask-recommended event for all attendees, exhibitors, vendors, and ACS staff who plan to participate in-person in San Diego, CA. For detailed information about the requirement and all ACS safety measures, please visit the ACS website.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

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