Civelek Lab Among the First Class of UVA Certified Green Labs, 2019

UVA Green Labs Certification is an adaptable program that allows researchers the freedom to introduce changes at their individual pace while tailoring action items to their specific processes. This year, the first full year after launching the program, 14 labs were awarded Certification after completing sustainability action plans.

Mete Civelek’s lab in the Center for Public Health Genomics was one of the three Pilot Labs in 2018. They made great strides in their Certification process by assessing actual temperature needs on lab equipment, and after warming the “hold” settings on their thermal cyclers (also called “PCR machines”) from 4°C to 12°C, they looked to their ultralow freezers for additional opportunities. After changing both units from -80°C to -70°C, one unit exhibited a 40% decrease in energy consumption, and the other a 16% decrease.

Read the full Green Labs Article here.