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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · 9d

To help, there will be a 20-min presentation + email resource:

👉 forms.gle/7zdXSKfmGyHH...
Done properly, sustainability can save labs €2000+ and cut >50% of reagent/antibody use.

Don’t get caught off guard—funders expect this.
#GreenLab #Funding #EnvironmentalSustainability

Learn With Me How To Make Labs Greener

Let me share how you can align with funding body requirements and save plastic waste, energy, and reagents in just a few minutes. 20 Minute talk on the 15th of October and recording + summary sent t...

forms.gle

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · 9d

This isn’t hypothetical.
In the UK & Germany, it’s already a reality.

Last autumn, 7 major funders pledged support for sustainability.

Wellcome Trust & CRUK even require accredited certification: a 3–6 month process.

But done wrong, it can endanger your workflow and samples!

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · 9d

If you work in science, you need to adopt sustainable practices now - otherwise, you may soon lose funding.

2 of the world’s largest funders already require labs to report:
🔹 Cutting plastic waste
🔹 Reducing energy use
🔹 Traveling less

If not, applications won’t be considered.

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · 14d

I’ve optimized dozens of lab workflows to be greener 🌱
Skeptical? I’ll show you how in a free 20-min online talk at the biggest sustainability summit.

🎥 Register & get the recording here: forms.gle/zJSPZ5Gb4Ahb...

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

lnkd.in

Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · 14d

That wasn't Proper sustainable practices!

Green action doesn’t disrupt experiments or workflows.

What I have seen from them:
🔹 70% less plastic waste with smarter plating
🔹 Sterile cabinets <1 min after restart
🔹 S2 protocols optimized to save time + plastic

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · 14d

“Sustainable practices burned down their lab!”

That’s the story I once heard.

Someone stored lab waste instead of disposing of it. A fire broke out, and the stored waste fueled it.

What's the take away?⬇️

#STEM #GreenLab

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · 21d

Therefore, you don’t need to read 100s of pages.
One short email often tells you everything.

Want more strategies to catch greenwashing in science?

🎥 Register for our short online session + get a practical handout: forms.gle/bs1DgSTiPbnK...

#GreenLab #STEM #PhDLife

Find out how to identify greenwashing

We will share how you can: Spot greenwashing Assess the validity of marketing claims Know what to do instead = It’s an online session, sent to you so you can watch it whenever you want! This sessio...

forms.gle

Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · 21d

Quick tip to spot greenwashing:

- Some push “infinite recycling loops” that don’t exist
- Others fudge carbon accounting
- Or pretend an analysis = certification

👉 Just ask the company for details.

If claims are exaggerated, you’ll likely hear… nothing.
❌ Silence = red flag

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Sep 2

Something we should tell every graduate:

Uni won’t teach you to follow your❤️but it will shape your career.

After graduation, the structure disappears.
You need to forge your own path.

What I heard scientists advise: Listen to your heart it will lead you properly

Other tips?

Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 28

Still, S2O could:
Limit excessive publisher profits 💰
Finally let us read science without paywalls 🚀

Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 28

Still, S2O could:

Limit excessive publisher profits 💰

Finally let us read science without paywalls 🚀

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 28

The first journal to try S2O?

👉 Annual Reviews, back in 2017.
Now, other big names like the Royal Society (UK) are adopting it too.

For scientists, if S2O works:

Free access to articles 📖
Free publishing (no APCs) ✍️
But uncertainty if it’ll stay that way each year 🤷

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 28

There’s a new publishing model you should know about.

🔹 Subscribe to Open (S2O)
If enough libraries keep subscribing, the journal flips to 100% open access for that year.

If not, it falls back to subscriptions + APCs.

Read more in the thread

#ScientificPublishing

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 21

For scientists, S2O could mean:
✅ Free to read
✅ Free to publish (no APCs)
⚠️ But also some uncertainty year to year

Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 21

🔒 Traditional model: Libraries pay subscriptions → scientists read behind paywalls.

🌍 Open Access: Free to read → but authors pay hefty publishing fees

S2O works differently:

If enough libraries keep subscribing → the journal flips to 100% open access for that year.

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 19

The result?

✅ 45+ concrete opportunities for greener practices

What made this work?
Enthusiasm + positivity.

Here is my full list of sustainable actions: re-advance.com/a-list-of-su...

A List of Sustainable Practices – https://re-advance.com/science-and-sustianability/

re-advance.com

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 19

The Leibniz-HKI (renowned for microbiology & natural products) asked me to to consult and explore:

🔹 How to cut lab plastic waste
🔹 How instruments (HPLC, MS, PCR) can run more sustainably
🔹 How to get 400+ scientists onboard—without disrupting their work

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 19

Research labs generate tons of plastic waste every year.

But what if making science greener didn’t require extra effort from scientists? 🧪

Here’s how one of the world’s leading institutes tackled it—Leibniz-HKI 👇

@leibniz-hki.de @iubmb.bsky.social @iubmbtrainee.bsky.social

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 7

P.S. The thumbnail?
One of the memes I add at the end—
So people leave with a smile :)

Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 7

It took almost a year... we hit 900+ subscribers.
No ads. Just consistency.

We are told these days success is instant

Reminder:
Not everything works right away.
Experiments don’t. Ideas don’t.
But if you stick with it, they will.

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 7

A year ago, I started a weekly newsletter on sustainable science.
At first:
– Few readers
– Zero feedback
– Hours spent on each post

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 7

Writing about sustainability changed my life.
The biggest lesson?

Good things take time.

A thread for anyone who's building something from scratch 👇

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 1

I’ve worked nearly 5 years as a sustainability consultant.
One thing I’ve noticed?
Almost no one talks about how much energy lab equipment consumes.

> A single institute can use enough electricity to power a small village.

Let’s raise awareness.
Let’s do better.

Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 1

Of course, these vary depending on model + usage.
But even as rough averages, they’re eye-opening.

Big thanks to @MyGreenLab and @Eppendorf for pushing transparency on this!

#ACTLabel #LabEnergy

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Patrick Penndorf @patricks-science.bsky.social · Aug 1

And the heavy hitters:

🌫️ Fume Hood: 20–35 kWh
⚛️ MS: 15–20
💧 HPLC: 5–15
🔥 GC-MS: 20–50
🥶 Freezer: 5–20 (old ones: >35!)

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