We were interviewed by the UIowa Office of Sustainability and the Environment for an article! Read the whole article here: The Biomedical Sustainability Initiative: Making Environmental Change in the World of Research | Office of Sustainability and the Environment - The University of Iowa
Research laboratories tend to be very resource-intensive settings, from energy usage for machines to waste produced from single-use materials. While these resources are necessary inputs for the importance of scientific research, they can often be practiced unsustainably. The University of Iowa Lung Biology and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center (LBCFRC), a research lab located on the 6th floor of the Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, is rewriting this narrative by incorporating sustainability into their research practices.
In April of 2024, the LBCFRC created the Biomedical Sustainability Initiative (BSI). The BSI encourages practices that promote waste reduction, energy efficiency, and sustainable lab management within research laboratories. To fully understand what this initiative is all about, I sat down with Lorena Tran, a researcher at the LBCFRC and staff member within the Biomedical Sustainability Initiative.
“Our goal is really to make research more sustainable, because with health sciences research, which is what we’re in, the idea is to improve human health”, Tran said. “We can't be seeking to improve human health when we're doing so much that's detrimental”.
Although many may not realize it, research labs contribute....