Hi Reader, have you ever had a student to teach in the lab?
Most scientists describe teaching students in the lab as extremely rewarding.
Moreover, educating the next generation is the most efficient way to anchor sustainable practices in science.
That is why we have outlined some helpful tips for incorporating sustainability into your teaching.
Today's Lesson: Educating Students
Tips on how to teach the next generation of scientists
Number Of The Day
In their 2024 publication, Freese et al. reported that students in their teaching lab used approximately 45 000 pipette tips over the course of two weeks. Glove usage was even higher, with 149 000 gloves consumed in six months — equivalent to 23 gloves per student per day, which is 6.9 times higher than the annual glove usage in their reference research group. These numbers offer a valuable opportunity to educate the next generation of scientists about sustainability.
6.9
Tips On Sustainability Education
There are several opportunities to teach students (Bachelor, Master or PhD) sustainability. However, educating them in the laboratory is one of the most effective ways.
On the far left, I’ve created a LinkedIn post that contains all the basic materials to get started. Next, a publication by us on what sustainability in science means. Finally, I like the guides from UPenn and UCL, as they offer a solid starting list of sustainable actions.
Importantly, this is not just about making yourself feel better. Teaching sustainable practices early on is a service to science itself, as it teaches a sense of optimization and self-effectiveness.
Why You Should Start With Students
Teaching your students is fun because it allows you to share your passion.
Importantly, students are the most malleable minds you'll encounter in the lab. They haven’t yet picked up years of lab habits.
That said, early implementation beats late correction: You help them a lot because it is much easier to teach the right behavior upfront than to unlearn bad habits later.
Moreover, many students have not developed a sense of what is "normal." That’s why they’re your best chance to normalize sustainable behavior in the lab culture.
And remember, the ripple effect is real: Your student might go on to another lab. If they bring sustainable habits with them, your impact extends far beyond your own bench.
How to Teach It
The basic approach is surprisingly simple: just mention it.
Talk about sustainability while you're doing the action—whether you’re flipping off a light switch or choosing the smaller conical tube.
However, here are 5 tips that ensure your efforts bear fruit in the long term:
1. Define the Sustainable Choice Clearly Don’t assume students know the difference between what’s standard and what’s sustainable. Tell them explicitly. However, it is important that you let them do only the sustainable version. Why? Because giving options creates hesitation, and hesitation kills habit formation.
2. Let Students Do the Work Don’t switch machines on or off for them. Give them ownership and responsibility. This is an investment in their personal development—every researcher has to learn to time their work. On top of that, they will quickly learn what can stay on, what needs to be shut down, and what can be kept in standby.
3. Quantify With Them Track savings together. Whether it is pipette tip boxes avoided or electricity used, show them the impact in numbers. This reinforces that sustainability is not abstract—it’s measurable and real. On top, it creates a sense of accomplishment, making the lab work much more rewarding.
Let your students see the waste. While it’s usually just thrown into the bin, as shown in the lower right, visual projects—like those at EMBL (upper right) or VIB in Ghent (left)—can make a strong impression. I also heard from a colleague who paused waste removal for a month. The resulting accumulation really left an impact.
4. Make Waste Tangible Don’t shield students from trash. Let them see what they use, what they throw away, and let them even be in charge of discarding liquid and solid waste. This “negative motivation” goes a long way because it will instill the sense that finding new opportunities and optimizing further is still important.
5. Empower Ownership of Protocols Encourage students to optimize protocols—after they’ve understood them well. This gives them the sense that sustainability is not a burden but a creative challenge. If they feel responsible, they’re more likely to be invested. This, in turn, ensures they connect to sustainable practice and also trains them to develop a sharp eye for protocol optimization.
Bonus: I have written up 3 quick tips on how to handle students beyond sustainability in our Slack channel.
Applying The Knowledge
One thing you don’t need to do? Overemphasize how “data quality comes first.”
Bringing it up repeatedly creates a sense of anxiety—like sustainability is somehow a threat to good science. If you properly teach them, they will automatically realize that sustainable practice is only sustainable insofar as it safeguards—if not improves—science.
A truly sustainable approach covers all five dimensions: environmental protection, social justice, economic feasibility, psychological well-being (avoiding exhaustion or anxiety), and scientific standards. For example, titrating to use only the absolutely necessary amount of chemicals or antibodies not only reduces waste but also saves money and time (e.g., fewer orders or follow-up distillations). In the case of antibodies, it also helps avoid overstaining.
Still, you can acknowledge if there’s something you cannot do sustainably. Mention it once—calmly, clearly, and without drama. Maybe your students will be able to take action in another lab.
In essence, introduce sustainability as the default—not as a special option.
Students are often overwhelmed when learning something new. Presenting sustainability as optional adds an extra layer of complexity.
Upcoming Lesson:
A Special Sustainability Helper
How We Feel Today
References
Freese, T. et al., The relevance of sustainable laboratory practices. 2024. RSC Sustainability, 2(5), 1300–1336. doi:10.1039/d4su00056k.
Penndorf, P. et al., A new approach to making scientific research more efficient – rethinking sustainability. FEBS Letters (2023). https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.14736
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