By Ramsey Baden | August 19, 2018
The Morran Lab is an Emory Biology lab that studies coevolution (which accounts for much of the evolution that occurs in nature) and mating systems (which account for the distribution of genetic variation). To do this, it looks at worms like the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
As a certified Green Lab, the Morran Lab team weaves sustainable practices into their research. The lab has begun to use glass petri dishes instead of disposable plastic dishes, and they clean these glass dishes by autoclaving them. McKenna Penley, the lab manager, says that she “doesn’t like to see huge bags of trash come out of the lab.” The Morran Lab’s replacement of its petri dishes with sustainable alternatives helps to keep this from happening. In the Morran Lab, scientists are also careful to unplug equipment that is not in use, re-use tip boxes, and more.
“Some of the [Green Labs checklist] items were really easy to start doing,” Penley says. The Morran Lab is a Gold certified Green Lab, and they demonstrate just how possible it is to adopt sustainable practices in a lab. To read more about the Green Labs program, click here.