Welcome to the Green Labs Newsletter! We hope this monthly round up of news, tips, and awards will help incite and continue your interest in sustainable practices in the laboratory. 

Happy Valentine's Day from Green Labs! Learn more about how you can love the planet while loving your lab (and samples) here!

Conduct Sustainability Research and Teaching Through New Campus as a Living Lab Program

Campus as a Living Lab facilitates collaborations for campus sustainability innovations explored through research and teaching. Grants up to $50k are now available to support research and courses projects using our physical campuses as learning tools to advance JHU’s Climate Action & Sustainability Plan. Register for an informational webinar on March 5th to learn more about the program and grant application process.   

Outside of JHU, Ryan is a rowing coach at Baltimore Community Rowing, a regular at his CrossFit gym, and spends nearly all his spare time with his Goldendoodle, Kelvin (named after the scientist).

Ryan Weeks is a Sr. Sustainability Specialist in the Office of Sustainability. His work focuses on managing the Green Labs Program and supporting JHU's Zero-Waste initiatives.

Ryan started in the Office of Sustainability in 2022 after completing a PhD in Chemical Biology at JHU. He has enjoyed starting new initiatives to make labs less resource intensive and teaching scientists how to be more sustainable in the everyday lab practices. 

Be one in a million [signatures]! Join other scientists worldwide who want to see the scientific field lead the world to a better climate future and are requesting action by research funders to set expectations for efficiency, resiliency, and sustainability in the way scientific research is conducted.

Sign up for the 2024 freezer challenge!

The 2024 Freezer Challenge runs from January to June 30th. Official communication won't begin until the spring, but sign up today to get a head start and receive updates.

Read about it here, and sign up here!

Does your lab turn off equipment after use, have automatic lights, utilize outlet timers, or have high efficiency freezers? You likely are already eligible for a Green Labs certification!

Contact sustainability@jh.edu directly with questions or to start the process. 

Learn more here!

Check out Green Labs Ambassador Training to learn more and start your lab off with more sustainable practices safe and beneficial to your experiments and work!

Consider using outlet timers! These can be attached between any outlet and equipment, and set on a timer to turn on your equipment a few hours before you arrive to lab in the morning. That way, you can reap the benefits of saved energy and increased lifespan of equipment while not disrupting your daily work! You can purchase some through most major retailers (typically <$20), or contact sustainability@jhu.edu to see if we have any available.