Do you want to get your laboratory on the list?
Please contact Ken Keeler at 936-6663 (kkeeler@umich.edu)
Do you want to get your laboratory on the list?
Please contact Ken Keeler at 936-6663 (kkeeler@umich.edu)
In our lab we perform florescence in situ hybridization using novel staining and microscopy techniques. We carry out the work on rat brains that we collect from animal objects that have undergone specific behavior training correlating with motivation and fear reinforcement. Waste generated in our lab is disposed of adhering to OSEH guidelines.
“We are very glad to join the Sustainable Lab Program. Although we are a new lab in the chemistry department, however we are doing a very good job to become an environmentally friendly lab. Thanks to the help of OCS and Dr. Reddy, we have learnt more methods and strategies of saving energy, utilities and recycling reusable items in our lab. We welcome the program.” Dr. Jonathan Morrow, PI
We are investigating how developmental influence on sex differences in the brain may underlie the sex differences in drug addiction. We use in vivo microdialysis to study changes in brain chemistry (dopamine, serotonin) from freely moving rats, immunohistochemistry to look at changes in proteins expressed after drug taking behavior, viral vector technology, and cocaine self-administration to assess drug abuse liability and addictive tendencies. In collaboration with other laboratories we are also using in vivo voltammetry to measure rapid changes in dopamine in the brain, and electrophysiology in behaving animals. Our lab uses fast scan cyclic voltammetry and microdialysis coupled with histology techniques to study the neuroendocrine basis of sex differences in addiction and motivated behaviors. Waste generated in our lab is disposed of using OSEH guidelines.
Our goal is to develop analytical instrumentation and methods that can help solve problems of biological significance. The analytical techniques we investigate are based on microfluidics, chromatography, electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and enzyme assays. These methods are applied to a variety of areas including endocrinology (e.g. understanding insulin secretion defects related to type 2 diabetes), neurochemistry (e.g. identifying neurochemical deficits associated with Huntington’s disease), and high-throughput screening for drug discovery and other applications. We use limited amounts of solvents and chemicals. Hazardous waste and other solid waste generated in our lab is disposed of adhering to U-M OSEH guidelines.
“We believe it is our responsibility to perform the best research we can while reducing our environmental impact. We take pride in our use of microscale experiments that reduce our waste expenditure while contributing to the scientific community. We will continue to keep sustainability as a primary focus of our day-to-day activities in lab and work to influence other groups to do the same”. Paige Malec, Jeremy Felton, and Claire Ouimet, Safety Liaisons
In our lab we focus on studies on electrocatalytic processes with an emphasis on kinetic and mechanistic analysis, and to these approaches to address fundamental challenges in the electrochemical conversion of small molecules by solid-state and molecular catalysts. A key component of our research is the synthesis and characterization of solid-state and molecular electrocatalysts. We employ various analytical instrumentations including X-ray powder diffraction, electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Augur electron spectroscopy. Waste generated in our lab is disposed of adhering to OSEH guidelines.
“We are very glad to join the Sustainable Lab Program. Although we are a new lab in the chemistry department, however we are doing a very good job to become an environmentally friendly lab. Thanks to the help of Dr. Reddy, we have learnt more methods and strategies of saving energy and recycling reusable items in our lab. And we also collect the different kinds of chemical waste into separated bottles to make sure it could be easy for OSEH staff to deal with them. We want to make our lab both green and efficient.” Wiexuan Nie, Safety Liaison and Lab Manager
Ours is a basic biology lab focusing on the kinesin super-family of motor proteins, studying their motility properties and regulation. We are also interested in the roles these motors play I the functioning of primary cilia and how protein import the primary cilium is regulated. We primarily use a mammalian cell culture system to study our proteins and our main technique is to image fixed and live cells on a microscope. We employ equipment like water bath, hot plate, centrifuges, microscopes etc. in our work. Waste generated in our lab is disposed of using OSEH guidelines.
“The Sustainable Lab program has been a great resource for learning about and implementing green lab practices. We eliminated the use of ethidium bromide by making use of safer alternatives and put equipment such as our water bath on a timer. ”
-- Lynne Blasius, Lab Manager
Our laboratory provide analytical support for station students, researchers. We also provide analytical services for private and non-governmental organizations. Typical analyses include but are not limited to dissolved nutrient quantification, elemental analysis, inorganic anion/cation analysis, GC, GC/MS, HPLC, and CN isotope analysis of plants in soil, water and air matrices. Waste generated in our lab is disposed of using OSEH guidelines.
“The Sustainable Lab Program has provided a great way to share knowledge regarding ways of greening chemistry through innovative techniques, and promoting campus endeavors to recycle lab waste. The equipment and supply clearinghouse benefits our operations by providing free or discounted (used, but useful!) items that we need, while keeping those items out of landfills. The goals of the Sustainable Lab Program are in line with the Bio Station’s 2034 Vision wherein our entire campus is carbon-neutral: an active lab sustainability program is paramount to achieving this goal. We look forward to continued participation in the program!”
-- Tim Veverica, Lab Manager
Our laboratory is investigating Metformin’s effect on the developing pancreas when administered to the pregnant mother in a mouse model. We have some preliminary data that when Metformin is administered during the perinatal period, there may be an effect that decreases the offspring’s susceptibility to developing diabetes. Most frequently, we use Physiologic testing, Microscopy, immunofluorescent staining, Western blotting, and Morphometry. Our equipment include but are not limited to, centrifuges, microtomes, rockers, refrigerators, and other small lab equipment. Waste generated is disposed of adhering to U-M OSEH guidelines.
“The Gregg Lab is excited to be a part of the Sustainable Laboratory Program. We have been using tip box recycling in the lab, but we were very excited to begin to utilize ice pack and Styrofoam recycling as well as the ChEM reuse program. Minimizing needless waste is important for all of us and goes with our mission in biomedical science to improve human health. We hope to inspire other labs to participate in sustainable research practices.”-- Joshua Brill, Lab Manager
The major goal of the lab is to generate mechanistic knowledge about how disease susceptibility is encoded in the non-coding portion of the genome, with a focus on type 2 diabetes. We combine the use of molecular techniques and bioinformatics to accomplish this. Molecular techniques that we use include high through-put sequencing and RNA work on appropriate tissues and cell lines.
“With the help of Sustainable Lab program staff, our wet lab space has taken many steps to create a safer and more sustainable laboratory environment. We have eliminated ethidium bromide and use the SYBR Safe gel dye alternative, recycle waste when appropriate, purchase eco-friendly products, and turn off and unplug unused devices to reduce our energy consumption. By utilizing the Chemical Reuse program, we try to first implement used materials before purchasing new ones. It is a pleasure to participate in this program to help U-M reach its campus-wide sustainability goals”
-- Anya K, Lab Manager and Dr. Jessica Switzenberg
Our lab studies the biochemical pathways and metabolic requirements that enable tumor survival and growth and, in particular, how this information can be used to design targeted therapies. We demonstrated that pancreatic cancers are addicted to glucose and glutamine and use these nutrients in previously undescribed pathways to make DNA and to generate free radical-combating antioxidants, respectively. Waste generated in our lab is disposed of using OSEH guidelines.
“Using the Sustainable Lab program has been highly beneficial to our lab. We eliminated the use of ethidium bromide by making use of safer alternatives. The Chemical Reuse program has allowed us to procure chemicals, etc. at no cost. This is a great program.”
-- Steve Kasperek, Lab Manager
Our laboratory is involved in translational studies related to critical illness. Areas of interest include whether genetic variation impacts the severity of illness in children with lung injury, or sepsis, as genetic variants may be able to be used as biomarkers to better predict risk of severe illness and/or stratify individuals into the most appropriate treatment regimens. We are also interested in how critical illness impacts the function of the immune system. Lastly we are interested in whether regulation of mRNA splicing or switching of transcriptional start sites is involved in regulating the response to illness by modulating the predominant mRNA transcript. Our studies either utilize patient samples or tissue culture or in vitro models to explore these questions and to examine the impact of genetic variants on protein function.
“The Dahmer/Quasney lab is happy to be a part of the Sustainable Laboratory Program. We have used the tip box recycling, pen recycling, the ice pack recycling, and the ChEM reuse programs, and increased the temperature of our -80 freezer. We hope to implement new programs as they become available and we will continue to promote these sustainable practices among neighboring labs. We are proud to be a part of a University that promotes high quality research through environmentally friendly practices.”
-- Nadine Halligan, Lab Manager