2024 Freezer Challenge Winner: Dr. Jayshree Samanta
Congratulations to Dr. Jayshree Samanta, professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, for winning this year’s UGA Freezer Challenge! The Samanta lab has shown extraordinary dedication to sustainability by adopting several freezer maintenance practices, resulting in an impressive 14 kWh of energy saved per day. As the challenge winner, the Samanta Lab will receive a new high-efficiency ultra-low freezer valued at $15,000, courtesy of UGA Utility and Energy Management. Hear what the Samanta Lab had to say about their involvement:
“We were following common practices like defrosting and cleaning our freezers regularly for maintaining and extending their life. Little did we know that our actions had an environmental impact beyond our lab. The training we received as part of the Lab Freezer Challenge really changed our perspective and motivated everyone in our lab to reduce our carbon footprint and become good environmental citizens.”
-Annamaria Scalia, Lab Technician, Samanta Lab
The International Laboratory Freezer Challenge is a global competition designed to promote best practices in cold storage management. The challenge runs every January to July and is an opportunity for researchers to learn about proper freezer maintenance to protect vital samples, reduce energy consumption costs, and prolong the life of lab equipment.
This year, 47 labs across UGA participated, representing 7 colleges and 17 academic departments. We want to recognize the following academic departments and colleges:
Top 3 Colleges by Participation:
1. Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
2. College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
3. College of Veterinary Medicine
Department with the Most Participants: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Department with the Highest Combined Energy Savings: Department of Genetics
In total, participating UGA labs achieved a combined daily energy savings of 463 kWh. Annually, this amounts to a remarkable savings of 169,000 kWh, translating into $18,600 in financial savings.
That’s the equivalent of powering 15 homes for a year or taking 28 cars off the road for a year!
Thank you to all the UGA labs who took part in the 2024 Freezer Challenge! Your commitment to sustainable research practices is making a lasting impact on both the environment and the future of scientific innovation at UGA. If your lab is interested in getting involved in the 2025 challenge, contact greenlab@uga.edu.
