Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department lab members.
A historic milestone happened this spring with UVA’s Green Labs program. The School of Medicine’s Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (BMG) Department achieved 100% Green Lab Certification in all of their laboratories. BMG strives for excellence and innovation in all that they do, and sustainability is no exception. For the first time since UVA’s Green Lab Certification was established, BMG is the first department to be 100% certified!
When Chair Anja Bielinsky heard about UVA’s 2030 carbon neutrality goals and how resource-intensive research laboratories are, she knew she had to do something. Shortly after joining the department in November 2022, she teamed up with Nancy Rush, her administrative assistant, who had overseen Green Lab certifications in the past. This power duo was the driving force behind the effort to get all 16 BMG labs Green Lab certified.
“For the sustainability of the Earth, what we fail to do today, future generations will pay for tomorrow.” —Nancy Rush, Assistant to the Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
What is Green Lab Certification?
In 2019, the Office for Sustainability (OFS) developed the Green Lab Certification through partnership with researchers, EH&S, and other stakeholders. The certification is meant to be a starting point for labs on their sustainability journey. By completing 12 to 20 sustainable actions on the certification checklist labs can earn a bronze, silver, or gold level certification. Actions range from reading about the ACT label as a purchasing guideline, pledging to use high quality water consciously, and participating in the Smart Energy Routine where labs use colored stickers to identify equipment that can be turned off daily, weekly, or never.
Anja Bielinsky and Nancy Rush with their 100% department certified plaque.
Who is BMG?
Housed in the School of Medicine, the BMG department has 16 labs that study topics such as the biology of aging (Kaya Lab), drug discovery for cancer treatment (Zhang Lab), and rare genetic diseases (Bielinsky-Hendrickson Lab). The department is also heavily involved in teaching first year medical students, engaging undergraduates in research, and training graduate students and postdocs.
Where to start?
After Dr. Bielinsky’s arrival in 2022, she and Nancy put a plan into place. Labs that were interested in Green Lab Certification designated a Green Lab Leader. The Green Lab Leader (GLL) was responsible for meeting with the OFS Green Lab Specialist and spearheading the certification efforts in the lab.
The whole lab is involved with becoming Green Lab Certified–from the PI announcing the initiative to the lab members attending the final Sustainability Training session. GLLs can also assign different tasks to lab personnel using the certification tracking spreadsheet.
In January 2024, Nancy set the bold goal of becoming 100% Green Lab certified by the end of the year. The deadline was extended to March 2025 due to the anticipated arrival of two new labs in January 2025. As of March 2025, all 16 BMG labs can boast of accomplishing a Gold Level Green Lab Certification, the highest achievement!
What is next?
BMG is committed to continuing Green Lab Certification for every new laboratory that joins the department and to promote energy saving competitions like “Shut the Sash!” and the “International Freezer Challenge.”
Advice for other labs
For labs considering becoming Green Lab Certified, or just hoping to be more sustainability minded, here are a few tips on how to get started.
- Join Shut the Sash!
- Check out the Guide to Stocking a Sustainable Laboratory.
- Take 5 minutes in every lab meeting to share a sustainability topic like the ACT label, Green Chemistry, or proper Freezer Maintenance.
- Email the OFS Green Labs Specialist at greenlabs@virginia.edu for more ideas.
Questions
Whether it’s questions about freezer maintenance, sustainable procurement, or energy savings reach out to Green Lab Specialist, Sydney Kuczenski for help.
The Wang lab was one of the first to be certified in 2022.
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