Rachel Courtland is reporting on Nature‘s In the Field blog from the Spring meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans. "Last month’s American Physical Society meeting passed under the city’s radar", writes Rachel, but this meeting is so large, the welcome mat extended all the way to the airport, which boasted a “Welcome ACS” sign at the baggage claim area."

Attending the first press conference of the meeting, Rachel continues: “In the spirit of our swampy environs, the first press conference Sunday morning was on the special anti microbial/fungal/viral properties of alligator blood. Alligators aren’t the friendliest creatures around. They like to fight and sometimes sustain serious injuries; they also live in marches and swamps full of opportunistic microbes. But, the researchers say, alligators seldom get infected.”

For more coverage of ACS, please visit In the Field for regular updates until Rachel’s departure on Thursday (10 April).