BOSTON - An improved antipsychotic medicine, a cost-effective, environmentally friendly polyester production process, a new treatment for patients with iron-overload from transfusions, a new method using corn instead of petrochemicals to create numerous products and a process that improves packaging for food are the inventions of the 2007 Heroes of Chemistry. The scientists will be honored for these accomplishments in Boston on Aug. 19 at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

Twenty-two research chemists will be named Heroes of Chemistry by the ACS for improving health and well-being by creating new drugs or other products and inventing environmentally friendly and more effective technologies. The awards specifically honor "chemical innovators whose work has led to the welfare and progress of humanity" in a significant way in the past decade.

The scientists were part of multidisciplinary teams representing Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP, DuPont, with partners Genencor International and Tate & Lyle, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, Novartis AG and Pfizer Inc. Individuals are nominated by their companies and the winners are chosen by an ACS panel in recognition of industrial work that has lead to the successful development and commercial sale of a technological product.

"Our Heroes of Chemistry this year represent the very best in scientific innovation," said ACS President Catherine T. Hunt, Ph.D. "We at ACS applaud them and their corporate management for improving our lives through chemistry in so many ways."

The Heroes of Chemistry program, started in 1996 by the ACS, honors industrial chemists and chemical engineers who create commercially successful products that improve the quality of life.

The keynote address at the awards ceremony will be given by Dean Kamen, an inventor and entrepreneur, recipient of the National Medal of Tec
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9-Aug-2007