If you’ve ever been involved in a laboratory renovation project, had your lab relocated, or been involved with lab management, you’ve most likely needed to prepare or participate in preparing a laboratory equipment list; a list noting all your equipment by manufacturer, model, power requirements, utility requirements, location, and which lab group or department operates the equipment or might share it with other labs.
As researchers, we set out to improve human health. However, laboratory research in the US emits over 21 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year.(1,2) The relationship between carbon emissions and harm to humanity is difficult to quantify, however, researchers at Columbia University reported in Nature Communications that every million metric tons of CO2 emissions causes ~226 climate change-related deaths.(3) This leaves laboratory research responsible for ~5,000 deaths annually. So, what can we do to avoid devastating the future of life on Earth while trying to improve overall human health and lifespan?
The recent summer solstice officially marked the first day of summer and with it the promise of hot weather ahead. As you prepare for longer days and warmer nights, there are many ways to reduce your environmental impact, whether in your personal life or at work in the lab.
According to the US National Cancer Institute, personalized medicine is a form of medicine that uses information about a person’s own genes or proteins to prevent, diagnose, or treat disease. For example, personalized medicine uses specific information about a person’s tumor to help make a diagnosis, plan treatment, find out how well treatment is working, or make a prognosis.
It’s no secret that laboratories produce a lot of waste. In fact, it's estimated that every year the plastic waste alone from labs could cover an area 23x the size of Manhattan ankle deep. And while much of this waste is hazardous, a lot of it isn't - anything that can be thrown in the trash has the potential to have a different end of life.
