Plant Science Seminar Is TOMORROW

Rust never sleeps, Neil Young once sang, and chemists have been battling oxidation for ages. But maybe cosmetic chemists should take a tip or two from nature. After all, all living things have evolved to slow down or nullify the oxidation process. One way that they do this is through the production of antioxidants.

Join the New York Chapter of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists TOMORROW, April 23, for a plant science seminar at Seasons restaurant, Washington Township, NJ. The evening speaker, Dr. Nayak Satish, Kemin, will discuss, “How Mother Nature Protects,” beginning at 6:30pm.

Plants primarily produce antioxidants to protect their photosynthetic pathway, which is constantly under oxidative attack. The type of antioxidant produced depends on several factors, such as the type of plant, geographical region, soil, environment and where the plant is in its lifecycle.

Dr. Satish will detail how these antioxidants can be extracted from various biological sources such as plants and algae for use by humans in foods, medicines and, of course, cosmetics.

The afternoon speaker is Dr. John Greaves, Kemin. His topic: “Phytochemical Variation and Hyper-accumulation—Not All Plants Are Created Equal.”  He will detail Kemin's specialty crop improvement initiative, which is focused on the development, scaleup and production of plant species, including rosemary, marigold and oregano.

Register online: NYSCC, www.nyscc.org.