235th ACS National Meeting in New Orleans -- press briefing schedule

Tuesday, April 8

9:00 a.m.

DVDs and CD-ROMs That Thwart Global Warming - Embargoed for April 8 at 1:30 p.m. Central Standard Time

Chemists report that carbon dioxide removed from smokestack emissions in order to slow global warming could become a valuable raw material for the production of DVDs, beverage bottles and other products made from polycarbonate plastics. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for FUEL 150 and FUEL 155.

[Tentative] Thomas E. Müller, Ph.D., is a Professor at the Institute for Technical Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry at RWTH Aachen University in Aachen, Germany.

Toshiyasu Sakakura, Ph.D., is a researcher with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba, Japan.

10:00 a.m.

Biochemical signals associated with atherosclerosis may damage other organs - Embargoed for April 9 at 2:00 p.m. Central Standard Time

In a finding that challenges conventional medical knowledge, researchers report that plaques formed in during atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, are associated with certain harmful chemical reactions that can contribute to damage in the lungs, liver, and other organs. The study suggests that the effects of the disease are more widespread than previously believed. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for BIOL 152.

Rita K. Upmacis, Ph.D., is an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Pathology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY.

1:00 p.m.

How sweet it is: “Revolutionary” process points to sugar-fueled cars - Embargoed for April 9 at 3:15 p.m. Central Standard Time

Chemists are describing development of a “revolutionary” process for converting plant sugars into hydrogen, which could be used to cheaply and efficiently power vehicles equipped with hydrogen fuel cells without producing any pollutants. See corresponding news release, abstract, and nontechnical summary for FUEL 213.

Y.-H. Percival Zhang, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Biological Systems Engineering Department at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.

2:00 p.m.

Anshul Samar, the “Elementeo Kid”

Age seems to be no obstacle when it comes to starting a business. That’s the case with 14-year-old Anshul Samar, CEO of Elementeo, who invented a board game that aims to teach chemistry to students (www.elementeo.com) in a fun, unusual way.

* Instructions for joining chat room sessions

Reinventing the Press Conference: Chat Room Sessions from ACS National Meeting in New Orleans

The American Chemical Society (ACS) Office of Communications is offering the news media the opportunity to join press briefings whether covering the meeting onsite or from a remote location. This new updated format during ACS’s 235th national meeting April 6-10 in New Orleans will provide access to the increasing number of journalists who cover scientific meetings from their home base.

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 New Orleans meeting.