The lectures will take place as part of the international conference on catalysis, UCRA 2024 (International Conference on Unconventional Catalysis, Reactors and Applications). This is the third edition of the event. This time, the Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering at the Warsaw University of Technology is responsible for the organization.

Prof. Frances Arnold will introduce the topic "Innovation by Evolution: Bringing New Chemistry to Life".

The lecture will take place on September 17th at 5:00 PM in the Rektorska 4 building. The event is open and free. We have a limited number of seats – registration is required via a form (first-come, first-served basis). Lecture language: English.

Prof. Frances Arnold holds the position of Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology – famous CalTech. In 2018, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her pioneering work in developing methods of directed evolution, leading to the expanded applicability of enzymes in the fields of sustainable chemistry, the medical industry, consumer products, agriculture, and fuels. In 2021, she was appointed Co-Chair of the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology (PCAST) by U.S. President Joe Biden. More information about the speaker can be found on the UCRA conference website.

The lecture by Prof. Jeffrey Hoffman titled "Mars, MOXIE, and the Future of Human Space Flight" is scheduled for the 18th of September at 9:00 AM (Rektorska 4 building). The lecture is open to the public and free. Seating is limited—registration is required via a form (first-come, first-served basis). Lecture language: English.

Prof. Jeffrey Hoffman is a professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). As a NASA astronaut, he completed five spaceflights and became the first astronaut to log over 1,000 hours of flight time aboard the Space Shuttle. At MIT, Prof. Hoffman teaches courses on space operations and space systems design. He leads the MOXIE experiment as part of NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance mission, which for the first time produced oxygen from extraterrestrial material. This is a critical step for the future of human space exploration. More information about the speaker can be found on the UCRA conference website.

The International Conference on Unconventional Catalysis, Reactors, and Applications (UCRA) is dedicated to trends in catalysis that go beyond traditional industrial reactor applications, expanding into new areas such as health, personal protection, climate, and energy. The main topics of this year's conference include trends in unconventional catalysis, catalysis in unconventional environments and applications, unconventional methods of catalyst development, synthesis, and production, and unconventional catalytic reactors.