Sign up for RightCycle!

Sometimes it just gets easier! We've talked about how to set up glove recycling programs in the lab, but RightCycle is one stop shopping. 22,000 gloves can be repurposed into a park bench, but they can take waaay more than that. Your masks, gloves, hoods, and garments can go on to make eco-friendly Adirondack chairs and park benches, picnic tables, trash cans, composite building supplies, and more. That is sustainable awesomeness!! Follow the link to sign your lab up!

http://www.kcprofessional.com/brands/kimtech/rightcycle

LED instead of UV-transilluminator!

If you're doing a lot of DNA or RNA isolation - and likely fragment recovery - you probably use a transilluminator to find your bands. Staining aside, most conventional illuminators rely on UV-based imaging to generate fluorescent response from the dyes. UV can cause damage to the DNA of interest, but can also be harmful to the operator's eyes and skin. Look to replacing your UV imager with an LED one: not only are the LEDs safe for you to be exposed to, but their light source lasts 5x longer than standard UV bulbs. Environmentally and economically minded is the best way to be labconscious! Check out these FastGene products, made by Nippon Genetics and available stateside at Bulldog Bio

http://www.bulldog-bio.com/fastgene_blue.html

http://www.bulldog-bio.com/fastgene_gelpic.html

http://www.bulldog-bio.com/fastgene_FAS_digi.html

Don't use Ethidium Bromide!

Instead use a more environmentally friendly alternative, like Midori Green!

Midori Green Nucleic Acid Staining Solution is a new and safe alternative to traditional ethidium bromide(EtBr) stain for detecting dsDNA, ssDNA and RNA in agarose gels. Nearly identical to EtBr in performance and use, Midori Green is much less harmful to living organisms. As compared with EtBr, which is known as a strong mutagen, Midori Green causes many fewer mutations in the Ames test. When compared with spontaneous mutations caused by water in the Ames test, Midori green rate was only slightly beyond the standard deviation range. In addition (and in contrast to EtBr), Midori Green scores negative in the mouse bone marrow micronucleus test [link to chart on safety sheet] and in the chromosome aberration test which indicates it’s considered non-carcinogenic. And for those who prefer to be safe, rather than sorry, Midori Green has been tested for latex/nitrile glove penetration, in which both materials show negative results, even after 6 hrs of exposure. Most importantly, Midori Green is not considered hazardous waste, and can be disposed of according to standard laboratory procedures.