Green Solutions


Redefi ning sustainability in the modern laboratory John P. Puglia, PhD, Thermo Fisher Scientifi c Introduction: The urgency and opportunity for sustainability


Sustainability has rapidly become a central focus in bioprocessing and laboratory environments, shaping everything from day-to-day operations to long-term strategic planning across the life sciences sector. This evolution is fuelled by increasing environmental awareness, shifting regulatory landscapes and a growing commitment to responsible innovation throughout the industry. However, the conversation has progressed beyond debating the necessity of sustainable practices. Laboratories are now challenged to identify effective ways to embed sustainability into their operations, while maintaining the high standards of performance and reliability that scientifi c progress demands.


Sustainable consumables: From concept to reality


The journey toward sustainable laboratory operations begins with a critical examination of consumables, which can contribute signifi cantly to a lab’s environmental footprint. For decades, consumables such as pipettes, culture vessels and bioreactor bags have been developed from fossil-fuel-derived polymers and have been praised for their overall strength and durability. However, their inability to break down naturally poses a growing, global environmental challenge. As the scientifi c community seeks to reduce its overall environmental impact, fi nding alternatives to fossil-based plastics has become a primary focus for many labs. In fact, studies show that the average laboratory uses 10 times more energy than offi ces, use 4 times more water than offi ces and even generate 5.5 million metric tons of plastic waste a year [1].


Recent advancements in plant-based polymers have opened the door to new, more sustainable possibilities and have already begun to generate signifi cant interest among lab leaders. Derived from renewable sources, these materials are engineered to match the chemical and mechanical properties of conventional plastics, helping ensure seamless adoption without requiring changes to already established workfl ows. However, achieving true equivalence between plant-based and fossil-fuel-derived polymers requires rigorous and extensive data collection and validation. Nonetheless, with the right production techniques, plant-based polymers can be indistinguishable from their fossil fuel counterparts. This removes a signifi cant barrier for labs considering the switch to more sustainable options, eliminating concerns about potential changes across the workfl ow [2].


An example of the shift from fossil fuel-derived materials to biobased alternatives can be seen in the development of biobased fi lms for single-use bioprocessing containers. A signifi cant effort has gone into engineering plant-based fi lms that are integral to the bioprocessing workfl ow – fi lms that must reliably withstand chemical exposure, sterilisation and mechanical stresses.


This evolution demonstrates how sustainability can be seamlessly integrated into essential laboratory operations, allowing for an environmental footprint reduction in critical bioprocessing applications while maintaining the performance and reliability standards the life science industry demands.


Overcoming challenges:


Consistency and the forever chemicals dilemma The adoption of plant-based materials brings important challenges, particularly when it comes to ensuring batch-to-batch consistency, which is essential in the production of biologics and therapeutics. Achieving this level of uniformity requires laboratories and suppliers to look upstream in the supply chain. Careful sourcing and meticulous refi ning of plant oils, followed by their conversion into monomers and high-quality polymers through established chemical processes, are crucial steps. By exercising greater control and fostering close collaboration at every stage, it is possible to produce plant-derived polymers that match the consistency and reliability of traditional fossil-based materials. This approach allows laboratories to meet the stringent demands of bioprocessing and research applications without disrupting validated protocols or established workfl ows.


At the same time, the industry is grappling with the challenge of ‘forever chemicals’, particularly persistent fl uoropolymers, which have long been valued for their outstanding chemical resistance and thermal stability. However, these materials are now recognised for their environmental persistence and the diffi culties they pose in terms of safe disposal and degradation. Increasing regulatory scrutiny and growing awareness of their impact has accelerated the drive to fi nd alternatives. Current research is focused on creating new high-performance polymers from sustainable sources that can withstand the demanding conditions in laboratory and bioproduction settings [3]. The goal is to deliver materials that provide comparable durability and resistance while signifi cantly lowering environmental impact, enabling laboratories to achieve both their operational and sustainability objectives.


Single-use technologies:


Driving fl exibility and scalability in sustainable labs Single-use technologies have emerged as a defi ning innovation in today’s laboratory and bioprocessing operations, offering a blend of fl exibility, scalability and sustainability that exceeds traditional fi xed and stainless-steel systems. These single-use technologies allow laboratories and biomanufacturers to adapt quickly to changing process needs, scale production up or down effi ciently and reduce the risk of cross- contamination, all while supporting a more sustainable lab environment.


One of the key sustainability benefi ts of single-use technologies stems from their ability to minimise cross-contamination and reduce the need for intensive cleaning protocols. By replacing reusable components with sterile, ready-to-use alternatives, single-use systems dramatically decrease water and chemical usage associated with cleaning and sterilisation.


Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have quantifi ed the environmental advantages of single-use systems, especially in bioprocessing applications such as monoclonal antibody production at commercial scales. These studies, ranging in process volumes from 100 L up to 2,000 L, have demonstrated that single-use systems result in lower water and energy consumption compared to conventional stainless-steel workfl ows. For example, one LCA found that producing monoclonal antibodies at a 2,000 L scale with single-use systems reduced water use by 87% and energy use by 29% compared to fi xed systems. These reductions are primarily due to the elimination of the intensive cleaning and sterilisation processes which are required by fi xed, stainless- steel equipment.


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