TCBE’s Green Labs Journey

TCBE Green Labs team members: Meenakshi Suku, Pedro Herreros Pérez, Niamh Wilson, Simon Carroll, Kyle Storey, Matteo Mancini, Tara Ní Néill, Francesco Spagnuolo, Aoife McLoughlin, Olivia Strong. Not pictured: Annalisa Rovinelli, Aliaa Karam, Carolina Martins, Jhaleh Amirian, Kaoutar Chattahy, Remya Kommeri, Sara Corbezzolo.

The Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering (TCBE), based in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, is home to groundbreaking research projects—like developing new treatments for vision loss and regenerating bone tissue. It’s a busy place, with nine labs, 66 researchers, and eight PI-led research groups all working together to improve human health.

Behind the scenes, Simon Carroll, the Chief Technical Officer, keeps it all running smoothly. He manages five tissue culture labs and coordinates the day-to-day lab operations, including chemical safety and equipment maintenance. Simon also plays a key role in managing sustainability efforts across the Centre.

Chemical Management Made Simple

TCBE uses LabCup, a chemical inventory system that helps keep track of roughly 750 chemicals stored across 40 locations. Most chemicals are bought through a shared central fund, though some are specific to individual research groups. To make the system work, Simon set up the locations in LabCup, and a hired intern helped log the initial inventory.

Now, a few designated people (including reps from each PI group) take care of logging new chemicals. Periodic audits help keep things accurate. This setup helps reduce duplicate orders, lowers hazardous waste, and makes it easy to find what you need—plus it gives full visibility to the Fire Department and Safety Office in case of an emergency.

Getting Green Lab Certified

Wanting to make their labs more sustainable, TCBE started the My Green Lab certification process. A Green Lab Working Group was formed with 13 volunteers, led by Meenakshi Suku. Each PI group nominated a Green Rep, and the team worked together to complete the initial assessment and identify areas for improvement.

Based on the results, the group created a custom Green Lab Handbook tailored to TCBE’s setup.

What They’ve Done So Far:

• Equipment Traffic Light System
  Red = never turn off
  Yellow = turn off sometimes
  Green = turn off after use

• Fume Hood Reminders
  Signs remind users to close hoods fully after use, and checks are done to make sure energy isn’t wasted.

• Central Ordering System
  Supplies are shared, and Simon invoices each group based on their number of researchers—saving time and cutting waste.

• Chemical Sharing Through LabCup
  Anyone can easily check if a chemical is already available before buying new.

• Pipette Tip Box Recycling
  So far, they’ve recycled 270 kg of used pipette tip boxes.

• Composting
  Food waste is now being composted to reduce landfill.

Massive thanks to Simon and the whole TCBE team for showing how research labs can be both cutting-edge and environmentally conscious.