Sustainability in Zebrafish Research
Highlights from the Sustainability Workshop, IZFC 2025
By Manjari Trivedi, PhD on behalf of the Zebrafish Sustainability Network
Exploring new ways to make research more sustainable has been a recurring thought as I work in the lab. Conversations with colleagues and other members of the sustainability committee revealed that many of us share these concerns, suggesting a broader interest in sustainable lab practices. These issues were at the forefront of discussions during the Sustainability Workshop held at the 19th International Zebrafish Conference (IZFC) in Madison, Wisconsin, in July 2025.
The workshop opened with a virtual keynote by Dr Ryan Weeks, a Senior Sustainability Specialist for Green Labs and Zero Waste at Johns Hopkins University, titled “Cultivating a Culture of Sustainability in the Laboratory”. Dr Weeks highlighted the significant environmental footprint of research labs, citing high water and energy usage, extensive plastic waste, and greenhouse gas emissions throughout supply chains. He outlined the benefits of adopting sustainable practices—such as cost savings, utility conservation, waste reduction, and equitable access to resources. He also shared practical strategies such as equipment shutdown protocols, pipette tip box recycling, waste audits, and responsible sourcing of research materials to encourage lab sustainability. Initiatives like the global Freezer Challenge (link) and “Shut the Sash” fume hood challenge (Check if your university organizes it! Many do!) were presented as ways to drive behavioral change alongside various sustainability certification programs (University-specific programs or certifications from other globally recognized sustainability programs such as the My Green Lab) and green vendor fairs where researchers can try samples of sustainably produced research materials before incorporating them in their work. Acknowledging challenges such as time constraints, protocol changes, and safety considerations, Dr Weeks underscored the importance of systemic and cultural commitment to make sustainability an integral part of research.
Following Dr Weeks’ virtual talk, the workshop moved into a panel discussion on how to make sustainability an integral part of zebrafish research. The panel, featuring Dr Corinne Houart, Dr Cecilia Moens, and Dr Sofia de Oliveira, explored practical approaches for embedding sustainable practices into everyday lab work and discussed the cultural and institutional changes needed to support long-term impact. The panel had an interactive discussion where some of the key priorities were as follows:
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Greener conferences: Reduce environmental impact by eliminating printed materials, offering eco-friendly catering, providing opt-in merchandise, and planning joint or consecutive meetings to minimize travel.
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Sustainable laboratories: Encourage sustainability through funding incentives (e.g., the Wellcome Trust in the UK, encouraging implementation of greener lab practices) and behavior change. Practical steps include bulk purchasing and refilling pipette tip boxes, using washable lab coats, optimizing sample containers and sample volumes, adjusting freezer settings (-80°C to -70°C), sharing equipment with neighboring labs, common reagents for the most-used items in the lab, and closing fume hood sashes to conserve energy. Recycling programs such as Terracyle for gloves and plastic consumables were also emphasized. If you are interested in more resources, you will enjoy reading the 2024 ‘The Node’ article written by UCL zebrafish researchers here.
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Environment-friendly fish facilities: Promote water conservation through systems that recycle or repurpose wastewater (e.g., for landscaping), implement common sump filtration instead of using multiple filters, and energy-efficient lighting, while engaging with the industry partners to design sustainable zebrafish housing systems.
The session concluded with a framework for adopting a sustainability workflow: identify opportunities to reduce and reuse, plan implementation, monitor impact, and normalize sustainable habits over time. Workshop hosts, Dr Ashley Bruce and Dr Manjari Trivedi, also announced the Zebrafish Sustainability Network (ZSN)- a collaborative initiative of the International Zebrafish Society (IZFS), Zebrafish Disease Models Society (ZDMS), and European Zebrafish Society (EZS) to bring the community together to make zebrafish research more environmentally friendly. From conferences to fish facilities, the goal is simple: reduce our environmental footprint without compromising science.
(Contributed by Manjari Trivedi, on behalf of the ZSN)