Hi Reader, want to discover unique ways to make your lab greener?
As I’m organizing our online event, I’ve been thinking a lot about innovations lately.
And yes, last week, we talked about freezers - something everybody already associates with sustainability.
So this week, I want to bring you something new, something few people know about, but that can make a real difference:
Today's Lesson: New Ways to Greener Labs
What innovations you should look out for
Number of the Day
As early as 1995, Labcon introduced the very first pipette tip refill system. Its predecessor was a tip loader called the Pagoda. It was made of metal, which earned it the nickname “the toaster.” Still, as of today, Labcon’s refill system is the lightest plastic-and-cardboard system on the market, reducing plastic waste by more than 80%! All of this goes to show that it is not only our research that advances, but also the instruments and products that support it.
1995
Opportunities Few Know About
Have you ever worked with an MS, a GC, or an FTIR?
If yes, did you ever wonder where the gas they use comes from? Chances are, probably not.
In case you’re wondering: yes, we talked about MS and GC too. Both instruments shown above (from Waters and Agilent, respectively) are among the more sustainable options compared with many of their competitors. The gas generators next to them are manufactured by PEAK Scientific.
I’ll admit it: gas generators are one of those things that don’t sound particularly exciting at first.
But without gas, many of your instruments wouldn’t work. Moreover, this is where you can find an exciting opportunity to make your lab greener!
Yes, it is these innovations that you often don’t notice but that make your life easier and your lab more sustainable:
Discovering the Innovation
Traditionally, laboratories used gas cylinders.
We normally don’t notice them in labs. Generally, we only know them from movies, where they explode.
Funnily enough, this is where things get interesting.
Apart from scenes where they blow up, cylinders have two disadvantages:
Since they are heavy, transportation is relatively environmentally costly.
Since these gases are often co-purified from resources extracted from the Earth, they come with a significant environmental footprint.
But a company called PEAK Scientific produces gas generators that allow you to generate gases directly in your laboratory.
Importantly, that doesn’t mean in a dedicated facility hidden away in the basement.
Instead, you can use an instrument that fits underneath a bench.
But as you know, I consider sustainability an improvement to science.
And this is another such instance:
Safeguarding Your Science
On the one hand, PEAK Scientific supports the switch from helium to hydrogen as a carrier gas.
This matters because, as we have seen with recent geopolitical events, disruptions in supply chains can affect laboratory gases.
Helium, in particular, has experienced repeated shortages and significant price fluctuations.
Click to enlarge. These are historical helium prices. However, there is no official tracking agency - you get the price you negotiate. And today, prices are even higher. Part of the issue is that this industry is an oligopoly. Through personal communication, I have even heard that some institutions did not receive new contracts for helium delivery at all during the height of tensions between the United States and Iran. Here is another account.
If your instrument depends on a particular gas and that gas isn't available, you cannot simply continue your experiment as usual.
And NMRs that cannot be cooled might quench, potentially causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
Secondly, you are no longer dependent on a supplier, so even if a company were to go bankrupt, you would be safe.
Applying the Knowledge
Importantly, there are so many surprisingly simple opportunities.
Did you know that researchers have investigated alternatives to reagents such as β-mercaptoethanol in extraction protocols?
Or that there are published protocols for regenerating and reusing certain columns used in DNA extraction?
These graphs come from Zhou et al., stating that disposable columns from Qiagen PCR purification and gel extraction kits can be repeatedly regenerated and reused a minimum of five times. DNA-contaminated columns were cleaned with 1 M phosphoric acid and used for TBox 5 purification. The concentration of obtained DNA for each cycle was measured with a Nanophotometer.
And then there is a topic I am personally really passionate about: pipette tips and other consumables made from bioplastics.
But are there labs that have tested them? And how accurate are manufacturers’ claims?
I could go on and on, but we will dive deeper on the 28th and 29th of October.
I will also prepare some other materials, like a freezer management sheet and a complete step-by-step guide to getting started with laboratory sustainability. You’ll get all of this there.
Because in the end, I don't just want us to talk about sustainability.
I want to help you apply it!
How We Feel Today
References
Mommaerts, K. et al., 2015. Replacing β-mercaptoethanol in RNA extractions. Analytical Biochemistry, 479, 51–53. doi:10.1016/j.ab.2015.03.027.
Zhou, Y. et al., 2018. Rapid regeneration and reuse of silica columns from PCR purification and gel extraction kits. Scientific Reports, 8, 12870. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-30316-w.
If you have a wish or a question, feel free to reply to this Email. Otherwise, wish you a beautiful week! See you again on the 15th : )
Edited by Patrick Penndorf Connection@ReAdvance.com Lutherstraße 159, 07743, Jena, Thuringia, Germany Data Protection & Impressum If you think we do a bad job: Unsubscribe
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