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Research on Tap: Good Plastics
Event Date:
Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 7:00 pm
At March鈥檚 Research on Tap, join a UPEI chemist who will defend both the honour of his profession, and the much-maligned so-called enemy of the environment: plastic.
The discussion starts at 7 p.m., March 9, in the bar at Mavor鈥檚 in the Confederation Centre of the Arts.
Dr. Michael Shaver is an assistant professor of chemistry with a focus on 鈥済reen鈥 chemistry. His lab is developing biodegradable, plant-based polymers to replace conventional plastic.
鈥淭here are bad plastics out there,鈥 argues Shaver. 鈥淏ut the benefits of using plastic鈥攖he right plastics鈥攃an鈥檛 be ignored.鈥
Shaver will also help dispel misconceptions people have about his chosen profession.
鈥淐hemists take their name from 鈥榓lchemy,鈥 so we鈥檙e partially to blame,鈥 says Shaver. 鈥淧eople consider chemistry to be a mysterious black art. But we鈥檙e working to change that image.鈥
Research on Tap is a series of public discussions with UPEI鈥檚 researchers in a comfortable environment. Every month of the winter we bring a UPEI researcher to a local pub鈥攊n this case, Mavor鈥檚鈥攖o discuss his or her area of expertise.
For more information, call (902)620-5117, or e-mail datkinson@upei.ca.
Research on Tap is presented by UPEI鈥檚 Office of Research Development.