Scientists from CU Boulder's Biochemistry Department are saving $250,000 directly from their research budgets every year, through a shared cell culture facility, instead of individual lab cell culture spaces. It's a spectacular result and it makes sense!
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, or AASHE, has published a webinar on this outstanding case study by CU Boulder Green Labs. Please share this news with life scientists. It is important lab work efficiency news.
There are so many wins for scientists displayed in this case study! While absolutely essential to research, cell culture hoods are expensive to purchase and huge energy hogs. Most often individual labs are paying for them, but not using them constantly. Most lab groups are buying media individually, but actually using the same media for their cell lines as nearby labs. Sharing cell culture space among seven labs saves enough to hire a cell culture facility staff person who can order all that media in dry bulk stocks and prepare it. Scientists cut their work time and research costs.