The following press conference is scheduled for the American Physical Society (APS) meeting in Minneapolis March 20-24, 2000, the largest gathering of physicists this year.

Monday, March 20, 11:30 AM---ELECTRICAL DNA

Do DNA molecules, in the normal course of events, conduct electricity? This issue bears on how DNA can be damaged, and possibly repaired, by the movement of electrons and holes along its length. Jacqueline K. Barton of Caltech (paper A4-1; kbarton@cco.caltech.edu, 626-395-6075) uses biochemistry, electrochemistry, and ultrafast spectroscopy to watch long range charge migration through DNA, with implications for the development of therapies and novel biosensors. Meanwhile, electricity can be deliberately put into DNA molecules with the aim of using DNA's marvelous powers of chemical recognition and self assembly in devising electronic micro-circuitry. Danny Porath (paper A4.5; porath@qt.tn.tudelft.nl) and his colleagues at the Technical University in Delft have observed semiconducting properties in simple 10-nm segments of DNA. In contrast, Hans-Werner Fink (paper A4.3; fink@physik.unizh.ch), now at the University of Zurich, has tested 600-nm ropes of DNA and found them to be good conductors.

Press Conference location:
Minneapolis Convention Center, room 203B.

APS Virtual Pressroom, with over 20 lay-language papers:
http://www.aps.org/meet/MAR00/baps/vpr.

Journalists intending to attend the meeting should send in their request for a press badge to Ben Stein at bstein@aip.org.