ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: March 18, 2015

ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: March 18, 2015

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News Items in This Edition


Understanding proteins involved in fertility could help boost IVF success

Women who have difficulty getting pregnant often turn to in-vitro fertilization (IVF), but it doesn’t always work. Now scientists are taking a new approach to improve the technique by studying the proteins that could help ready a uterus for an embryo...


Many plastics labeled ‘biodegradable’ don’t break down as expected

Plastic products advertised as biodegradable have recently emerged, but they sound almost too good to be true. Scientists have now found out that, at least for now, consumers have good reason to doubt these claims. In a new study appearing in the...


How green tea could help improve MRIs

Green tea’s popularity has grown quickly in recent years. Its fans can drink it, enjoy its flavor in their ice cream and slather it on their skin with lotions infused with it. Now, the tea could have a new, unexpected role — to improve the image quality of MRIs...


Energy-generating cloth could replace batteries in wearable devices

From light-up shoes to smart watches, wearable electronics are gaining traction among consumers, but these gadgets' versatility is still held back by the stiff, short-lived batteries that are required. These limitations, however, could soon be overcome. In the...


Finding out what’s in ‘fracking’ wastewater

In early January, almost 3 million gallons of wastewater from a hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) operation in North Dakota spilled into nearby creeks. The accident highlighted ongoing concerns about what’s in fracking fluids and wastewater, and...


Journalists’ Resources

ACS Experts: Chemistry Sources for Reporters
On a deadline? Need a reliable explanation of a chemistry concept? Then you need an ACS Expert. We have a growing list of scientists who can comment about neuroscience, green chemistry, pharmaceutical science, policy issues and much more. Just contact us at newsroom@acs.org.

ACS Editors' Choice
Do you want to keep up with the frontiers of science? Check out our new Open Access service, ACS Editors’ Choice. The website features one top story every day, selected from ACS’ more than 40 peer-reviewed journals, to give the public free, direct access to some of the most relevant scientific research going on today.

ACS National Meeting News

Couldn't go to the ACS 248th National Meeting & Exposition in San Francisco? Then check out our resources for info you might have missed:
Press releases: www.eurekalert.org/acsmeet.php
Press conferences: www.ustream.tv/channel/acslive

Toolkits on Global Challenges/Research Funding

Journalists covering some of the great global challenges of the 21st century and federal funding of research and development (R&D) can find videos and scores of other resources in websites that the American Chemical Society has prepared on those topics.

ACS Press Release Archive

Visit our press release archive for news on a variety of chemistry-related topics.

ACS Videos

The American Chemical Society encourages news organizations, museums, educational organizations and other websites to embed links to these videos.

ACS Video of the Month

Why is Carbon Monoxide So Deadly? - by Reactions

It’s colorless, odorless and can be deadly. Carbon monoxide is no joke, especially in the winter when people will do just about anything to warm up. Raychelle Burks, Ph.D., explains why carbon monoxide is so dangerous, and how you can stay safe, in the latest episode of the Reactions series Get To Know A Molecule. 

Youtube ID: lMnaLKlVXxo

Check out more Reactions videos and subscribe to the series at http://youtube.com/ACSReactions and follow Reactions on Twitter @ACSReactions.


C&EN Video Spotlight

What Does Space Smell Like?

One of the most surprising things about space is that it has a smell, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins told Reddit readers this past summer. But how is that even possible? To find out, watch this video.

Youtube ID: Zxi1I8WNrGY

ACS Podcasts

Science Elements

Science Elements is a podcast that makes cutting-edge scientific discoveries from ACS journals available to a broader public audience. Listen to the podcasts at www.acs.org/ScienceElements.

This is the latest American Chemical Society (ACS) Office of Public Affairs Weekly PressPac with news from ACS’ more than 40 peer-reviewed journals and Chemical & Engineering News.

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Please cite the individual journal, or the American Chemical Society, as the source of this information.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 158,000 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.