The meeting will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St., and surrounding hotels. More than 12,000 scientists are expected to attend. Approximately 7,000 presentations are slated for the meeting, including several symposia that highlight important research advances. The American Chemical Society is the world's largest scientific society.

One symposium, "Chemistry and Biology of DNA Damage in Cells," on Monday, Aug. 23, features surprising new findings about the DNA damage caused by UV sunlight, aging, disease and other factors. With new tools, scientists have moved from merely modeling DNA damage to actually studying that damage inside cells. From Huntington's disease to inflammation, DNA damage looks different close up, and the surprise findings could push the search for therapies in new directions. The ACS Divisions of Chemical Toxicology and Biological Chemistry are sponsoring the symposium.

During another symposium on Monday "Is Organic Food Healthier Than Conventional Food?" chemists will put the organic food trend under a microscope. Organic food producers claim their products are healthier than conventional foods, but are consumers buying a misconception? Discussions will address many issues related to organic food, including whether it is really more nutritious and whether organic farming is better for the environment. The ACS Division of Agrochemicals is hosting the symposium.

In a three-day symposium, "Chemistry at Ultra-Low Temperatures," from Tuesday Thursday, Aug. 24-26, scientists will describe emerging techniques for studying chemical reactions at the frigid temperatures found in space. With helium nano-droplets and altered electric fields and other technical tricks, researchers are
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Contact: Charmayne Marsh
c_marsh@acs.org
202-872-4445
American Chemical Society
17-Jun-2004