Chemists often deal with things as inanimate as metals and minerals, but more and more, they find themselves trying to imitate or exploit the chemical talents of life. That trend was amply evident when more than 10,000 members of the American Chemical Society (ACS) met from 13 to 17 March, Among the 5700 papers were presentations on the secret of spider’s silk, how to prop up proteins to make a convincing vaccine, and enlisting microorganisms to break down PCBs and make fuel.