13 UCD labs awarded Sustainable Laboratory Certifications for best-in-class practices

24 July 2025

Thirteen UCD labs have been awarded Sustainable Laboratory Certifications by Research Ireland for implementing best-in-class, sustainable research practices.

A total of 72 certifications were awarded to research spaces in 12 higher education institutions across Ireland under Research Ireland’s Sustainable Laboratory Certification Pilot Programme.

In partnership with Impact Laboratories and My Green Lab, the programme was launched in October 2023 with the aim of bringing best-in-class, sustainable research practices into Irish research labs.

The UCD labs awarded Sustainable Laboratory Certifications were:

• A3.01 Science South Lab
  • PI: (opens in a new window)Dr Eoghan McGarrigle, UCD School of Chemistry
    
    
• Biofilm Engineering Laboratory
  • PI: (opens in a new window)Professor Eoin Casey, UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering

• GOLD Lab
  • PI: (opens in a new window)Dr Rory Johnson, UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science
    
    
• Nanoscale Function Group
  • PI: (opens in a new window)Professor Brian Rodriguez, UCD School of Physics
    
    
• Dynamical Systems and Risk Laboratory
  • PI: (opens in a new window)Dr Vikram Pakrashi, UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering - UCD Centre for Mechanics
    
    
• MNMT Dublin Lab 014 and 016
  • PI: (opens in a new window)Professor Fengzhou Fang, UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
    
    
• RF & Microwave Research Lab
  • PI: (opens in a new window)Professor Anding Zhu, UCD School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
    
    
• UCD School of Chemistry (A2.01) Lab
  • PI: (opens in a new window)Dr Thomas Hooper, (opens in a new window)Dr Andrew Phillips, (opens in a new window)Dr Joseph Byrne, UCD School of Chemistry 
    
    
• Spectral Imaging Research Group
  • PI: (opens in a new window)Professor Aoife Gowen, UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering
    
    
• Laboratory N° 203, Veterinary Biosciences Section, School of Veterinary Medicine
  • PI: (opens in a new window)Professor David Brayden, UCD School of Veterinary Medicine
    
    
• CSCB Lab L2.12
  • PI: (opens in a new window)Dr Peter Byrne, UCD School of Chemistry
    
    
• Baumann Research Group
  • PI: (opens in a new window)Dr Marcus Baumann, UCD School of Chemistry

“The 13 new certifications bring our total up to 30, across a range of STEM discipline areas and including several for large groups of labs, such as the Conway Institute and the Charles Institute,” said (opens in a new window)Professor Tasman Crowe, UCD’s Vice President for Sustainability.

“As part of our overall plan to contribute leadership for sustainability, we are committed to further certifications in the future. Our advancement in this area benefits greatly from the work of the UCD Sustainable Research Initiative, which has been active for three years now and is progressively improving the sustainability of our research activities.”

“At UCD’s RF & Microwave Research Lab, our research focuses on developing highly energy-efficient electronic circuits for future communications, aiming to make wireless networks more environmentally friendly,” said Professor Zhu.

“Sustainability has always been central to our mission. Earning the Sustainable Laboratory Certification reflects our commitment to reducing environmental impact – not just through our research, but also in our everyday lab practice.”

“Taking part in the certification gave our team a valuable opportunity to reflect on how we work and how we can be more sustainable,” said Professor Rodriguez.

“It encouraged open discussions about energy use, waste, and practical changes we could make. It empowered us to develop our own protocols based on best practices and strengthened our connection to broader institutional sustainability efforts. This approach ensured lasting buy-in and a renewed commitment to environmentally responsible research.”

The new certifications reflect the aims of the UCD Sustainability Plan to 2030 and the broader Breaking Boundaries Strategy to 2030 in realising UCD as a ‘living lab’, where sustainability is practised, taught and researched in real time by students, staff and the wider community. 

By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations

To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie