EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

American Chemical Society Spring 2019 National Meeting & Exposition Press Conference Schedule

Newswise — ORLANDO—Attend press conferences live – online at http://bit.ly/ACSLive_Orlando2019 or in person -- at the Spring 2019 National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Press conferences will be held Monday, April 1, through Wednesday, April 3, 2019. Below is the schedule, which will be updated as needed.

The Press Center on-site location:
Orange County Convention Center
Room W231B
Phone: 407-685-5408

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, April 1

9 a.m. Eastern Time

Next-generation single-dose antidotes for opioid overdoses
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, March 31, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

The U.S. opioid epidemic is being driven by an unprecedented surge in deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opiates. Fentanyl’s powerful effects are long-lasting, and even tiny amounts of the drug can lead to an overdose. Antidotes, such as naloxone, do not last long enough in the body to fully counter the drug, requiring repeated injections. Now, scientists report that they are developing single-dose, longer-lasting opioid antidotes using polymer nanoparticles.

Saadyah Averick, Ph.D.
Allegheny Health Network Research Institute

 

9:30 a.m. Eastern Time

‘Smart’ pajamas could monitor and help improve sleep (video)
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, April 1, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

If you’ve ever dreamed about getting a good night’s sleep, your answer may someday lie in data generated by your sleepwear. Researchers have developed pajamas embedded with self-powered sensors that provide unobtrusive and continuous monitoring of heartbeat, breathing and sleep posture — all factors that play a role in how well a person slumbers. The “smart” garments could give ordinary people, as well as clinicians, useful information to help improve sleep patterns. A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/HLS_Smart_Garments.

Trisha L. Andrew, Ph.D.
University of Massachusetts, Amherst

 

10:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Fish slime: An untapped source of potential new antibiotics
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, March 31, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

As current antibiotics dwindle in effectiveness against multidrug-resistant pathogens, researchers are seeking potential replacements in some unlikely places. Now a team has identified bacteria with promising antibiotic activity against known pathogens — even dangerous organisms, such as the microbe that causes MRSA infections — in the protective mucus that coats young fish.  

Sandra Loesgen, Ph.D.
Oregon State University

Molly Austin
Oregon State University  

 

11 a.m. Eastern Time

Toward novel computing and fraud detection technologies with on-demand polymers
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, April 1, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Drawing inspiration from nature, researchers are making polymers with ever-more precise compositions on demand. Using multistep synthesis tools pulled from biology, biochemistry and organic synthesis, a group is reporting that it is developing ultra-high precision synthetic polymers with precisely controlled chain lengths and monomer sequences. The resulting information-containing macromolecules can be deployed for data storage, anti-counterfeiting and traceability technologies.

Jean-François Lutz, Ph.D.
Institut Charles Sadron

 

1 p.m. Eastern Time

Depression, obesity, chronic pain could be treated by targeting the same key protein
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, April 1, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Major depression, obesity and chronic pain are all linked to the effects of one protein, called “FK506-binding protein 51,” or FKBP51. Until now, efforts to inhibit this target have been hampered by the difficulty of finding something specific enough to do the job and not affect similar proteins. Now a research group has developed a highly selective compound that can effectively block FKBP51 in mice, relieving chronic pain and having positive effects on diet-induced obesity and mood. The new compound also could have applications in alcoholism and brain cancer.

Felix Hausch, Ph.D.
Technical University of Darmstadt

 

1:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Liquid crystals could help deflect laser pointer attacks on aircraft
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, March 31, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Aiming a laser beam at an aircraft isn’t a harmless prank: The sudden flash of bright light can incapacitate the pilot, risking the lives of passengers and crew. But because attacks can happen with different colored lasers, such as red, green or even blue, scientists have had a difficult time developing a single method to impede all wavelengths of laser light. Today, researchers report liquid crystals that could someday be incorporated into aircraft windshields to block any color of bright, focused light.

Jason Keleher, Ph.D.
L
ewis University

Daniel Maurer
Lewis University

 

Tuesday, April 2

9 a.m. Eastern Time

Uncovering the secrets of ancient rock art using ‘X-ray vision’
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, April 1, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Prehistoric rock paintings are a source of fascination across the world. Aside from their beauty, there’s deep meaning in these strokes, which depict ancient rituals and important symbols. To learn more about these murals, researchers have historically resorted to sampling methods that are damaging to the artwork, contradicting the archaeological tenets of conservation. Today, scientists report use of “X-ray vision” to gain brand-new insights about the layers of paint in rock art in Texas without needless damage.

Karen Steelman, Ph.D.
Shumla Archaeological Research & Education Center

 

9:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Juice plant pathogen could be treated with newly identified antibacterial agent
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, April 1, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

There’s nothing like a glass of orange juice to start the morning off right, but prices have soared as the Florida citrus industry fights an epidemic that has reduced its yield by about half in the last 15 years. Citrus greening disease has been wreaking havoc, drying out juice oranges and reducing crop yield. The disease has no cure, but researchers report that they have now identified a fungal compound that may inhibit the causative bacteria.

Katherine Maloney, Ph.D.
Point Loma Nazarene University

Connor A. Brandenburg
Point Loma Nazarene University

 

10:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Muscle-like material expands and contracts in response to light (video)
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, April 2, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Just as controlled-release medications slowly dole out their cargo after they experience a pH change in the body, implanted “artificial muscles” could someday flex and relax in response to light illuminating the skin. In pilot studies, scientists have developed a new material that expands and contracts, lifting a weight merely by shining a light on it. A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/HLS_Artificial_Muscle.

Jonathan Barnes, Ph.D.
Washington University in St. Louis

 

1 p.m. Eastern Time

New alternatives may ease demand for scarce rare-earth permanent magnets
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, April 2, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

From computer hard discs and smart phones to earbuds and electric motors, magnets are at the forefront of today’s technology. Magnets containing rare-earth elements are among the most powerful available, allowing many everyday objects to be ever smaller. But rare-earth elements can be difficult to obtain, given either their scarcity or the challenging geopolitical climates of some of the nations where they are mined. Now, scientists have identified magnets based on more readily obtainable rare earths, as well as some promising magnets that don’t contain these materials at all.

Thomas Lograsso, Ph.D.
Ames laboratory

 

1:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Minimizing fuel explosions and fires from accidents and terrorist acts with polymers
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, April 2, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

When an act of terrorism or a vehicle or industrial accident ignites fuel, the resulting fire or explosion can be devastating. Today, scientists will describe how lengthy but microscopic chains of polymers could be added to fuel to significantly reduce the damage from these terrifying incidents without impacting performance.

Julia Kornfield, Ph.D.
California Institute of Technology

 

2:30 p.m. Eastern Time

‘Molecular surgery’ reshapes living tissue with electricity but no incisions
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, April 2, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Traditional surgery to reshape a nose or ear entails cutting and suturing, sometimes followed by long recovery times and scars. But now, researchers have developed a “molecular surgery” process that uses tiny needles, electric current and 3D-printed molds to quickly reshape living tissue with no incisions, scarring or recovery time. The technique even shows promise as a way to fix immobile joints or as a noninvasive alternative to laser eye surgery.

Michael Hill, Ph.D.
Occidental College

 

3 p.m. Eastern Time

Hands spread flame retardants, plasticizers throughout homes
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, April 2, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Hundreds of everyday items, from furniture to cell phones to floor wax, contain organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants and plasticizers. Some of these semi-volatile compounds make their way into the air, onto surfaces and even inside our bodies, with uncertain health effects. Today, researchers report that hands play a central role in transferring OPEs and other flame retardants and plasticizers throughout the indoor environment.

Miriam Diamond, Ph.D.
University of Toronto

 

Wednesday, April 3

9 a.m. Eastern Time

Transparent wood can store and release heat (video)
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Wood may seem more at home in log cabins than modern architecture, but a specially treated type of timber could be tomorrow’s trendy building material. Today, scientists report a new kind of transparent wood that not only transmits light, but also absorbs and releases heat, potentially saving on energy costs. The material can bear heavy loads and is biodegradable, opening the door for its eventual use in eco-friendly homes and other buildings. A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/HLS_Transparent_Wood.

Céline Montanari
KTH Royal Institute of Technology

 

9:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Nanomaterials give plants ‘super’ abilities (video)
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Science-fiction writers have long envisioned human¬–machine hybrids that wield extraordinary powers. However, “super plants” with integrated nanomaterials may be much closer to reality than cyborgs. Today, scientists report the development of plants that can make nanomaterials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and the application of MOFs as coatings on plants. The augmented plants could potentially perform useful new functions, such as sensing chemicals or harvesting light more efficiently. A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/HLS_Plants.

Joseph Richardson, Ph.D.
The University of Melbourne

 

10:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Making lead pipes safe (video)
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 5 a.m. Eastern Time

Lead leaching from pipes into the water supply is a serious public health concern. And if water sources or treatment regimens are changed, the new chemistry can cause water distribution systems that were previously safe to begin releasing toxic lead, as the crisis in Flint, Michigan, demonstrated a few years ago. Today, scientists will describe a cost-effective and quick method that could overcome these problems and make lead pipes safe for carrying drinking water. A brand-new video on the research is available at http://bit.ly/HLS_Lead_Pipes.

Gabriel Lobo
University of California, Berkeley

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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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