Research laboratories of the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne on level 1 awarded the Green Lab certificate

In the initial assessment, the CMMC research groups led by Dr. Hänsel-Hertsch, Dr. Simon Pöpsel, Dr. Debora Trentini and PD Dr. Catherin Niemann had already achieved bronze status. "Our labs on level 1 are now green!" says Dr. Joana Frobel, research assistant and active member of the Faculty of Medicine's sustainability working group. "By participating in the My Green Lab Certification Program, we have made effective changes to reduce the ecological footprint of our own research."

"Biomedical research in particular is very resource-intensive. The My Green Lab initiative has helped us to explore our own energy-saving potential in a structured process in order to conduct more sustainable research in the laboratory. Thanks to the outstanding commitment of the four CMMC research teams, we were able to successfully meet the requirements for the highest award," reports Dr. Claudia Herr, Sustainability Officer at CMMC.

To save energy in the CMMC research building, for example, a night setback was introduced for the laboratory level, which is expected to save around 315,000 kWh: This corresponds to the consumption of approx. 210 one-person households or a saving of 130 tons of_{CO2 per} year. The associated restrictions are supported by the researchers.

A further energy saving is achieved by raising the temperature of the ultra-low temperature freezers from -80 to -70 degrees Celsius - a saving of around 30% per appliance. This means a saving of approx. 5,000 kWh per year for the ultra-low temperature freezers alone, which are only located on level 1. This corresponds to the annual energy consumption of a detached house.

The four research groups in the CMMC research building now complement the three laboratory areas from University Medicine that have already successfully completed the Green Lab certification process: the laboratories for Translational Pain Research headed by Prof. Dr. Tim Hucho, for Experimental Immunology at the Institute of Virology headed by Prof. Dr. Florian Klein and the Nephrolab headed by Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schermer.

The measures achieved are now to be applied to other laboratory levels in the CMMC research building. The CMMC and the Laboratory for Experimental Immunology are working closely together to implement uniform standards in the CMMC research building.

"We are sure that many research groups on the Life Science Campus of the University of Cologne will join this initiative and want to make their laboratory and thus their research activities more sustainable," says Dr. Claudia Herr

To this end, a "Laboratory Sustainability Guide" for research groups with measures and tips for the laboratory areas - in accordance with the requirements of My Green Lab - will soon be presented at an information event organized by the Sustainability Working Group of the Faculty of Medicine(AG Nachhaltigkeit). The next meeting of the Sustainability Working Group is on April 11, see Next meeting of the Sustainability Working Group (uni-koeln.de)