The �Paper to Plastics� program (P2P) at Boston College combines techniques in chemistry and biology towards an overarching goal of engaging female and underrepresented minority high school students in the richness of scientific research while inspiring them to continue studies in the sciences. During an eight-week period (June-July 2013), five high school students from the greater Boston area worked closely with two undergraduate students who guided them through the technical aspects of the research, and saw firsthand how greenindustries are solving environmental issues. Included with the experiments was discussion of the academic and career opportunities available in the STEM disciplines. The goal of the P2P project was to recycle unwanted paper to the biodegradable polymer poly(lactic acid) while providing the students with the hands-on experience of working in an interdisciplinary research setting. Special to this program was the complementarity between the biological techniques, such as enzymatic digestion and fermentation, and the chemical techniques, such as distillation and catalysis, while converting unwanted office paper into the useful biodegradable polymer poly(lactic acid). Figure 1. <img src='https://acs-archive-assets2.s3.amazonaws.com/240nm/uploads/42122_tripeptide_1.jpg' alt='' />

Paper to plastics (P2P): An interdisciplinary summer research project for high-school students

247th National Meeting (2014)

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