Public Lecture Reinventing the way we break down plastic waste

From our kitchens to our clothes to the delivery of medicines, plastics play an indispensable role in our daily lives. But, the end-life of these plastics is not always taken into account. Few types of plastics can be readily recycled, and durable plastics take centuries to break down in landfills or in the environment. Here at SLAC, we are designing chemical processes that can break down plastics under controlled conditions while also making useful products. Using X-ray light, we observe the details of this breakdown at the atomic level and use this information to design pathways for the degradation of plastics into useful products. We are members of a consortium that aims to make tomorrow's plastics recyclable and biodegradable by design. In this lecture, I will describe my work on visualizing and improving our methods for breaking down plastic waste into useful products.

About the Speaker:

Ozge Bozkurt is a chemical and biological engineer, with bachelor’s of science degrees in molecular biology & genetics, and chemical engineering from the Istanbul Technical University, a master’s of science degree from Delft University of Technology and a PhD from Koc University. She has worked in the oil and gas industry as a research and development engineer with a specialization in biofuels. She is currently a research associate at SLAC, conducting experiments on chemical recycling of plastic waste. Working at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource at SLAC, she uses powerful X-rays to observe polymer breakdown and catalysts in action. In her free time she enjoys visiting science museums and has volunteered at many STEM outreach activities at SLAC.

• Join us at the Kavli Building or online. Registration is required if you plan to attend in person. Site entry will be allowed starting at 6:30 p.m. Proceed directly to the Kavli Building to check in.
• We will also be streaming the lecture live on our YouTube Channel. You do not need to register if you plan to watch online.
• Click here for more information about the SLAC Public Lectures.

The public lecture will be held in person at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, in the Kavli Auditorium in the Kavli Building (B51). Parking is free and can be found in front of the Science and User Support Building (B53). Doors open and site entry will be allowed starting at 6:30 p.m. Bring your registration ticket (printed or shown on phone) and a valid government ID (REAL ID or passport) for site entry. Proceed directly to the Kavli Building to check in.

Registered guests should arrive before 6:50 pm to secure a seat in the auditorium. After 6:50 pm, waitlist and walk-up guests will be admitted if space is available due to registered guest no-shows. The lecture will start promptly at 7 p.m. and conclude at 8 p.m. There will be opportunities to chat with the speaker following the event. Registration is required if you plan to attend the lecture in person. The deadline to register is Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

In order for SLAC to provide a safe environment for the public and our employees, and expedite access to the event, no handbags or backpacks larger than 12"x6"x12" will be allowed inside the venue. Exceptions to this policy will be made for all medically necessary items after proper inspection from SLAC-badged staff. To join the public lecture in person, you are required to follow all protocols and instructions fro

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