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News briefing schedule

Following is a schedule of briefings for news media attending the 221st national meeting of the American Chemical Society April 1-5, in San Diego, Calif. All briefings will be held on the Mezzanine level, Room 17B of the San Diego Convention Center, 111 West Harbor Drive. Schedules are listed according to pacific coast time. For further information contact Charmayne Marsh at 202-872-4445 or 619-645-6941 in San Diego, March 28-April 5.

MONDAY, APRIL 2

NOON - CLAM SHELL

USDA researchers have used wheat to make "clamshell" sandwich containers that are more environmentally friendly than the old polystyrene clamshells and keep food warmer than the cardboard containers now in vogue. The research was presented in San Diego at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Geoffrey A. R. Nobes, Ph.D., polymer chemist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center, in Albany, Calif.

TUESDAY, APRIL 3

2 p.m. - CONSTRUCTING A SILICON CHIP FOR LIVER CELLS

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego will describe their development of a porous silicon chip, containing wells similar to a muffin tin, on which they have successfully grown liver cells. These notoriously fickle cells are difficult to grow outside of the body. The achievement by an interdisciplinary team headed by chemistry professor Michael Sailor and bioengineering professor Sangeeta Bhatia could pave the way for the development of new treatments for liver disease, new ways to test the toxicity of drugs on liver cells and eventually an artificial liver. Sailor will also describe how he is using the same porous silicon technology to construct "nanosculptures" with hundreds of trillions of nanometer-zided dots etched silicon chips.

Sangeeta N. Bhatia, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Bioengineering, University of California at San Diego Michael Sailor, Ph.D., professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at San Diego

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4

NOON - Wood decay and preservation in U.S. harbors and historical buildings

Thousands of wooden structures throughout the United States are being destroyed by wood boring organisms, such as shipworms, termites and fungi. From historic buildings in New Orleans' French Quarter to wooden piers and boats in the harbors of New York City and Maine. These organisms have waged a relentless attack resulting in millions of dollars in damages and structural impairment. Researchers are gaining new insights into these wood-eating pests and are developing promising new methods to minimize or eliminate their threats.

Tor P. Schultz, Ph.D., professor, College of Forest Resources, Mississippi State University Claudia Husseneder, Ph.D., Department of Entomology, University of Hawaii Dan Distel, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of Maine

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