This release includes special "late-breaking" press conferences. For the rest of the press conference schedule on EurekAlert!, please click here.
246th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition Sept. 8-12, 2013
Attend in Person in Indianapolis or Access Live Audio & Video Online
ACS Press Center
Indiana Convention Center, Room 211
Press Center Phone: 317-262-5907
See Instructions* below for joining live briefings from remote locations at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/acslive.
ALL TOPICS ARE STRICTLY EMBARGOED FOR THE TIMES INDICATED. NOTE THAT SOME PRESS BRIEFINGS TAKE PLACE BEFORE THE EMBARGO TIME, INDICATED BY **
Embargoed press releases are available on EurekAlert! and Newswise
Monday, Sept. 9
**8:30 a.m. Eastern Time EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Sept. 9, 2013, 2 p.m. Eastern Time
Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Toward new medicines to target cancer cells involved in disease's spread and drug resistance
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 9, 2013 — Accumulating scientific evidence suggests that subsets of cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs) drive and sustain the growth of certain tumors and contribute to drug resistance and the spread, or metastasis, of cancer to distant parts of the body. Scientists will discuss advances toward anti-cancer drugs that target CSCs.
In the press conference:
Craig T. Jordan, Ph.D., University of Colorado
Qunli Xu, Ph.D., Verastem, Inc.
**9:30 a.m. Eastern Time EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Sept. 9, 2013, 10:45 a.m. Eastern Time
Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.
The INDY 500 at over 225 mph: Driver, tires and the chemistry of racing
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 9, 2013 — Stephan Gregoire lives the dream of millions of motorsports fans as a racecar driver who breezes along at 225 miles per hour. Hear more about his racing experiences and how his tires can carry him for 200 laps at the INDY 500 — that's 33 sets of tires per car at a cost of $85,000.
In the press conference:
Stephan Gregoire, Miles Ahead
Tuesday, Sept. 10
11 a.m. Eastern Time EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, Sept. 9, 2013, 8 p.m. Eastern Time
Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.
PCB exposure in outdoor and indoor air from IHSC dredging
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 9, 2013 — The close proximity of houses and public schools to the $180 million Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal dredging project has raised concerns about airborne PCB exposure to the surrounding population, especially school students. Scientists will report on their analysis of PCB levels in indoor and outdoor air in two communities at East Chicago, Ind., and Columbus Junction, Iowa.
In the press conference:
Keri Hornbuckle, Ph.D., University of Iowa
1:30 p.m. Eastern Time EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Bringing more diversity to the nation's science & engineering workforce
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 8, 2013 — The U.S. is becoming more diverse, with about one-third of the population African-American, Asian-American, Latino or Native American. But graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the "STEM" fields, do not fully reflect that diversity. Scientists and educators focus on ways to encourage individuals from such underrepresented groups to pursue STEM careers.
In the press conference:
Guang Cao, Ph.D., Exxon Research and Engineering Company
Alveda J Williams, Ph.D., The Dow Chemical Company
Mary Jo Ondrechen, Ph.D., Northeastern University
Amy Paris, Ph.D., Eastman Chemical Company
Zakiya S. Wilson, Ph.D., Louisiana State University
Ann Kimble-Hill, Ph.D., Indiana University School of Medicine
4 p.m. Eastern Time EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013, 1 p.m. Eastern Time
Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Hot, humid weather brings toxic mold threat to corn crops in the Midwest
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 10, 2013 — Concerns about aflatoxin contamination of corn — long a problem in the southeast — reached the Midwest in 2012, as a result of weather conditions. Scientists will describe testing for aflatoxin, produced by certain kinds of mold that grow on corn, peanuts and other crops.
In the press conference:
H. Dorota Inerowicz, Ph.D., Purdue University
4:30 p.m. Eastern Time EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013, 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Fruit fly brain research with implications for cocaine addiction in humans
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 10, 2013 — Fruit flies have brains with wiring remarkably similar to the human brain, and new technology is enabling scientists to insert tiny electrodes into fruit fly brains and sample the chemical signaling agents that pass messages from one nerve cell to another. The results have implications for understanding cocaine addiction in humans — and more.
In the press conference:
Andrew Ewing, Ph.D., Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg
Wednesday, Sept. 11
11 a.m. Eastern Time EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013, 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time
Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Tests reveal presence of PCB 11 in blood of children, adults
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 11, 2013 — Scientists are reporting detection of PCB 11, used in paint and dye pigments, in the blood of children and adults. "Although there are few reports about the toxicity of PCB 11, as a group, PCBs are known to cause cancer in laboratory animals and have been identified as human endocrine disruptors, neurotoxicants, as well as carcinogens," their report states.
In the press conference:
Keri Hornbuckle, Ph.D., University of Iowa
Wen Xin Koh, University of Iowa
12:30 p.m. Eastern Time EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013, 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time
Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Advances in treating Alzheimer's disease
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 11, 2013 —More than 5 million people in the United States already have Alzheimer's disease, and the human and economic toll -- a projected $203 billion in 2013 health care costs -- will increase with the graying of the population. Scientists will discuss the latest advances in developing treatments for the disease.
In the press conference:
Michael S. Wolfe, Ph.D., Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School
*Instructions for joining chat room sessions
Chat Room Sessions from the ACS National Meeting in Indianapolis
The American Chemical Society (ACS) Office of Public Affairs is offering the news media the opportunity to join press briefings, whether covering the meeting onsite or from a remote location. This format will provide access for the increasing number of journalists who cover scientific meetings from their home bases during ACS' 246th National Meeting, Sept. 8-12, in Indianapolis.
Borrowing the popular chat room concept from the Internet, we will provide news media with access to both real and virtual chat room sessions during the Indianapolis meeting.
Reporters attending the meeting can gather with scientists in an informal setting in our Press Briefing Room at the ACS Press Center, Rooms 211-212, in the Indiana Convention Center. The scientists will summarize their research and field questions. Offsite reporters can enter a virtual version of this chat room over the Internet. In addition to seeing and hearing the real-world activity, offsite reporters can submit questions.
Like hosts of a traditional chat room, we never know how many participants will join a session. Each session will proceed, regardless of attendance, so that digital transcripts can be made and posted online as a resource for individuals who are unable to attend.
Chat room sessions begin at 9 a.m. Eastern Time, on Sunday, Sept. 8, and continue during the week. Get a head start by registering at Ustream.tv, a live, interactive, online video site.
To register with Ustream.tv, go to http://www.ustream.tv/login-signup?ref=%2Fdashboard. It's free and only takes a minute or two to sign up. To join the chat room during one of our sessions, visit http://www.ustream.tv/channel/acslive and click the "Login" button at the top right of the Ustream window. Ustream requires the latest version of Adobe Flash, which can be downloaded without charge here.
Use the built-in chat box to ask questions during the press conference (requires Ustream.tv registration).
Use the chat box to the right of the video window to submit questions to the researchers. To resolve connection problems, contact Adam Dylewski or Mike Woods. Recorded versions of the sessions will be available at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/acslive after the press conference is complete.
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.
Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.