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labtech unplugged

labtech unplugged

Life SciencesScience9 episodes
Join us as we explore topics shaping the future of life sciences and discover the latest breakthroughs, challenges, trends impacting life in the lab. In each episode, we chat with innovators and leaders from across the community to gain their unique insights. From cutting-edge research to industry best practices, our guests share their experiences and perspectives.
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Rethinking lab practices with non-contact dispensing

Rethinking lab practices with non-contact dispensing

2024-12-05
25 min 6 sec
In this episode, SPT Labtech’s Melissa Netwal and Jonathan Faherty share their personal experiences navigating the challenges of single-use plastics in the lab. They dive into practical alternatives, like reusing and washing tips, while acknowledging these methods aren’t always a perfect fit. The conversation also explores how non-contact dispensing technologies, such as those found in dragonfly® discovery, can provide a more sustainable and efficient solution. By cutting down on single-use plastics, these innovations not only help reduce waste but also support a wide range of life science applications, from Design of Experiments (DoE) in drug discovery to NGS and PCR setups in genomics.
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My Green Lab: Building a Sustainable Future in Science

My Green Lab: Building a Sustainable Future in Science

2024-10-22
In this episode of labtech unplugged, we’re joined by Dulan Liyanage from My Green Lab, a non-profit organization aiming to drive a long-term cultural shift towards sustainability in the scientific community, through a portfolio of frameworks and certifications designed to address different aspects of life in lab. In addition to learning more about the organization, we explore the significance of procurement in reducing the environmental footprint of labs and how the ACT label supports teams to make more informed purchasing decisions. Plus, listen to learn how to get involved in sustainability efforts by becoming a My Green Lab ambassador.
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Kerstin Hermuth-Kleinschmidt: Insights from a sustainability consultant for greener labs

Kerstin Hermuth-Kleinschmidt: Insights from a sustainability consultant for greener labs

2024-10-05
In this episode, we're joined by Kerstin Hermuth-Kleinschmidt, an independent sustainability consultant, who shares insights into her career and provides actionable tips that can help you reduce your environmental footprint in the lab. Whether University or industry-based, Kerstin walks through the process that she follows when undertaking projects with labs, to ensure long-term success with measurable impact.
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Zenpack: Innovations in eco-friendly packaging

Zenpack: Innovations in eco-friendly packaging

2024-07-30
55 min 9 sec
Packaging not only protects new products during shipping and delivery but also communicates essential safety information and brand messaging. However, excessive plastic packaging is a common issue. In this episode, Robin Tan and Leo Chao from Zenpack join us to discuss innovations in eco-friendly packaging. They share how Zenpack is pushing the boundaries of paper and cardboard to balance creative design and sustainability. We also explore the importance of certifications like FSC, the challenges of sustainable packaging in the life sciences industry, and the need for education, policy changes, and advancements in bio-based materials.
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seqWell: Balancing throughput with sustainability in synthetic biology

seqWell: Balancing throughput with sustainability in synthetic biology

2024-07-16
22 min 47 sec
At the heart of synthetic biology lies the Design-Build-Test-Learn cycle, a systemic approach to development where researchers build on gained knowledge with each iteration. While this approach is successful in generating lots of data quickly, labs are faced with the challenge of generating an enormous amount of plastics waste through increased consumables usage, a large portion of that coming from pipette tips. So how do labs find a balance, to meet throughput demands in a sustainable way? In this episode, we catch up with the team at seqWell, a Massachusetts-based biotech company who are aiming to deliver scalable and accessible multiplexing NGS library prep solutions. They share insights into why sustainability has become such a challenge in synthetic biology, and how simplicity could hold the key to reducing its carbon footprint. By reducing the number of steps in a workflow, labs can significantly reduce their consumables usage, not only producing less plastics waste but also reducing operational costs.
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